Sonic the Hedgehog (Master System / Game Gear, 1991-10-25) part 1

Sonic the Hedgehog for the Master System is a game I feel a very close connection to. Although not my first game, it is the first one I remember playing extensively, and one I would revisit many times in my life. It feels like I have always known the stage layouts, the traps, the enemies, the bosses, the emerald locations. In fact I kinda wish I could remember my first impressions of it! Even the title screen with its copyright date of 1991, just one year before my birth, made this feel special. It is no wonder I became a Sonic fan.

For quite a few years, this along with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Master System and the Sonic SatAM cartoon were my only exposure to the franchise.

Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive, 1991-06-23)

Sonic the Hedgehog for Mega Drive. The game that started it all is still one of the best. If there is someone around here who never played a Sonic game, this is a great starting point. Not bad for a franchise with so many highs and lows.

This game is full of little tricks for you to discover, which is very rewarding for those who put their time into it (as I will show along this post). Exploration is encouraged since a experienced player will manage to collect more 1-ups and other hidden things. There is a very interesting site, vgmaps, where you can find many game maps. I haven't looked Sonic the Hedgehog maps yet because until recently I felt there was still more I wanted to discover by myself.

On Methods and Motivations

When I was younger, being a Sonic fan was a big part of my identity. I had a Master System, I often played Sonic Jam on my grandfather's Sega Saturn, I had Sonic flip-flops, a Sonic T-shirt. My favorite cartoons were Jibaku-kun, Spider-Man: The Animated Series and of course Sonic SatAM. I cringe when I remember talking at length to a very disinterested cousin about the design of Sonic's shoes in Sonic Adventure 2.

I first gained internet access at the end of 2004 and most of my time then was spent on Sonic fansites. I took pleasure in learning about all the games, comics and cartoons Sonic had  been featured in. I lurked a Sonic forum for years, even making an account at one time, but then came High School and my interest in the Blue Blur waned, being replaced by anime and general gaming.

Then a few years ago I came across projects like Chrontendo and the CRPG Addict and started to think, maybe I'm crazy enough to do something like this. It's been over ten years of hanging out on the internet and now it's high time I made my own contribution. Sonic is the perfect subject for me because it's something I can bring my personal experience of growing up with, but there is still plenty I haven't seen first hand, including most of the comics.

So, on to methods. I have a big list with all the main official games, comics and cartoons from the franchise. I will play/read/watch one item at a time and post talking about what I thought about it and what were my previous experiences with it when applicable. My initial plan is to post once a week on both this blog and a Portuguese language one, but we will see how that goes.

I hope to see some comments here, since the discussion is one of my main reasons to write this blog. Thanks for reading and until next time.