Sonic Jam
"Sonic Jam" is a compilation which contains the four main "Sonic the Hedgehog" games released on the Sega Genesis: "Sonic the Hedgehog", "Sonic the Hedgehog 2", "Sonic the Hedgehog 3", and "Sonic & Knuckles". Unlike future "Sonic" collections, "Sonic Jam" does not use a Genesis emulator; the games are proper ports, and all are nearly identical to the original Sega Genesis releases, with the exception of minor bug fixes. "Sonic Jam" emulates "Sonic & Knuckles" "lock-on technology"—a special feature that allows the player to merge elements of "Sonic & Knuckles" into previous games, resulting in changes to the level design as well as the choice to play as Knuckles the Echidna in "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" and Tails in "Sonic & Knuckles".
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)
"Sonic the Hedgehog" was praised by critics, with an 86% rating at the review aggregator GameRankings. It was considered Sega's answer to Nintendo's widely popular "Mario" series, as it was a platformer featuring the company's mascot. Paul Rand of "Computer and Video Games" compared the two in depth and characterized "Sonic the Hedgehog" as being faster, with brighter colors, and "Super Mario World" as having more "depth of play". Frank Ladoire of "" believed "Sonic the Hedgehog" was part of a new generation of games that demonstrate that the Genesis is capable of "beautiful things" in the technical department.