In 1991, when Sega decided it was time to kick Nintendo’s butt, they used a strategy that became well-known today, but that at the time meant a tremendous risk. They transitioned to the 16-bit generation before their rival, but this let them in need of a truly unique game to accompany their console.

So, a team led by the programmer Yuji Naka put all their effort into creating a game where speed was the vital part of the gameplay, they did this using the formula that was successful on home consoles at the time: the platform genre. As a result, Sonic the Hedgehog was born to quickly become a huge success and Sega’s mascot.

The plot of this game wasn’t too complex, but let’s be honest, who would really care about the plot? Back in those days, games succeeded because of what they were, not because of some great storytelling. Anyway, everything takes place on the planet Mobius where Sonic the Hedgehog is having a happy life, until the evil Dr. Robotnik (for whatever reason) decides to turn all the little animals into robots. Let’s face it; this premise is a bit more interesting than the one with a plumber who has to rescue a princess (I’m just kidding!).

Now, what stood out the most in this game was the speed at which Sonic moved and the ability to pass trough shuttle loops that would always leave you amazed. Another interesting detail is that everything flows in harmony with the gameplay style because the player only uses one action button to perform all actions from spinning jumps, avoiding dangers, and openings paths to explore in each level.

The six zones of the adventure are also a remarkable spectacle of creativity and colorfulness. Each one of them is divided into three acts, with the last act being a confrontation with Robotnik, who in each new opportunity will change his gadgets to try to get rid of the blue hedgehog. Furthermore, the difficulty increases as we advance, with the final stages being more challenging to finish.

Sonic doesn’t have coins like Mario, but he does have rings. The difference is that these objects serve for more than just gaining an iconic extra life when you collect 100 of them. While we have rings, we can take damage, and for each hit received, we lose all of our rings. If we get hit without any rings, we lose a life. If we manage to finish an act with 50 or more rings, we are rewarded with a bonus stage. In these bonus stages, rotations are the obstacle, and the prize is a Chaos Emerald. The Chaos Emeralds are useful to obtain a slightly different ending.

Anyway, the wide technical knowledge of a talented team of people was what allowed Sonic the Hedgehog to become the most advanced and spectacular game of its time, outshining Mario for months due to the slower development of the games in his saga. Despite the passage of time, I think this game still offers the same amount of fun, thanks to its expansive and mesmerizing worlds filled with secrets and alternate paths, and also for the comical clashes against the mad Dr. Robotnik.