Sega CD
Released in 1988, the Genesis (known as the Mega Drive in Europe and Japan) was Sega's entry into the fourth generation of video game consoles. In mid-1990, Sega CEO Hayao Nakayama hired Tom Kalinske as CEO of Sega of America. Kalinske developed a four-point plan for sales of the Genesis: cut the console's price, develop games for the American market with a new American team, continue aggressive advertising campaigns, and ship "Sonic the Hedgehog" with the Genesis as a pack-in game. The Japanese board of directors initially disapproved of the plan, but all four points were approved by Nakayama, who told Kalinske, "I hired you to make the decisions for Europe and the Americas, so go ahead and do it." Magazines praised "Sonic" as one of the greatest games yet made, and Sega's console finally took off as customers who had been waiting for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) decided to purchase a Genesis instead.
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)
With its sequels for the Genesis, "Sonic the Hedgehog" has been ported for a wide range of home and handheld consoles and personal computers through compilations. The first collection it appeared in was "Sonic Compilation" (1995) for the Genesis. It has since appeared in "Sonic Jam" (1997) for the Sega Saturn, "Sonic Mega Collection" (2002) for the Nintendo GameCube, "Sonic Mega Collection Plus" (2004) for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, "Sega Genesis Collection" for the PlayStation 2 and PSP, "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection" (2009) for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, "Sonic Classic Collection" (2010) for the Nintendo DS, "Oculus Arcade" for the Oculus Rift, and "Sega Genesis Classics" (2018) for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One.