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".
Sega Genesis
For his part, Kalinske highlighted Sega's role in developing games for an older demographic and pioneering "the concept of the 'street date'" with the simultaneous North American and European release of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2". John Sczepaniak of "Retro Gamer" noted, "It was a system where the allure was born not only of the hardware and games, but the magazines, playground arguments, climate, and politics of the time." Sega of America's marketing campaign for the Genesis was widely emulated, influencing marketing in the subsequent generation of consoles.