Was there a Sonic game on the Sega Genesis?
Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure
In August 1999, SNK announced that they were collaborating with Sega to develop a "Sonic the Hedgehog" game for their Neo Geo Pocket Color handheld system. The game was developed by SNK, with supervision from Yuji Naka and Sonic Team at Sega. This marked the first time Sega was directly involved in the development of a "Sonic" game for a non-Sega platform. The team planned for "Sonic Pocket Adventure" to be a return to the classic 2D gameplay style found in the "Sonic" games on the Sega Genesis. In particular, many game design and visual elements are borrowed from "Sonic 2". The game's background music tracks are also 8-bit renditions of music from "Sonic 3". "Sonic Pocket Adventure" was released first in North America on December 4, 1999. SNK released a system bundle with the game included for the holiday season. The game was released in Japan two weeks later, and in Europe in February 2000.
Sonic 3D Blast
"Sonic 3D Blast" was released for the Genesis in Europe on November 5, 1996, and the North American version was released on November 7, 1996. The Saturn version was released in Europe on February 13, 1997. The Genesis version was not released in Japan; only the Saturn port was, on October 14, 1999. A port of the Sega Saturn version was released for Microsoft Windows in Europe on September 11, 1997, and worldwide later that year. The game's launch coincided with the release of the similarly-titled Game Gear game "Sonic Blast", which also features pre-rendered 3D graphics.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Due to the popularity of its predecessor, "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" already had an established fanbase anticipating its release. The game received critical acclaim and was a bestseller in the UK charts for 2 months. As of 2006, the game had sold over 6 million copies, making it the second best-selling game for the Sega Genesis (after the original "Sonic the Hedgehog").
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sega launched a $10 million advertising campaign for "Sonic the Hedgehog 2"s release. Sega sought a global release date to make the game available in all stores on the same day, a fairly novel concept at the time. This required Sega to reconfigure its distribution system to ensure that games were available in all major stores. The release date, Tuesday, November 24, 1992 was marketed as "Sonic 2s day". While the Genesis release in North America and the Mega Drive release in Europe both released the game on this day, Sega made the game available a few days before in Japan on November 21, 1992. 400,000 copies of "Sonic 2" were sold in the first seven days after release and over 6 million in the lifespan of the console (only 180,000 of which were in Japan).
Sonic Gems Collection
"Sonic Gems Collection" is a compilation of obscure video games published by Sega for various consoles, such as the Sega CD, Sega Saturn, and Game Gear. It primarily focuses on "Sonic the Hedgehog" games, such as "Sonic CD" (1993) and "Sonic the Fighters" (1996). It also includes six of the twelve "Sonic" games released for the Game Gear. These games encompass various genres, such as platforming, fighting, pinball, and puzzle. Additionally, players can unlock several Sega Genesis games unrelated to "Sonic", including the two "Vectorman" games (1995 and 1996). Four games in the international version, "Bonanza Bros." (1990) and the "Streets of Rage" trilogy (1991—1994), are not included in the North American version. Each game is mostly identical to its initial release, but some were changed; for example, "Sonic R" runs at a higher frame rate.
Video game console
Sega scaled down and adapted their Sega System 16 (used to power arcade hits like Altered Beast and Shinobi) into the Mega Drive (sold as the Genesis in North America) and released it with a near arcade-perfect port of Altered Beast. Sega's console met lukewarm sales in Japan, but skyrocketed to first place in PAL markets, and made major inroads in North America. Propelled by its effective "Genesis does what Nintendon't" marketing campaign, Sega capitalized on the Genesis's technological superiority over the NES, faithful ports of popular arcade games, and competitive pricing. The arcade gaming company SNK developed the high end Neo Geo MVS arcade system which used interchangeable cartridges similar to home consoles. Building on the success of the MVS, SNK repackaged the NeoGeo as the Neo Geo AES home console. Though technologically superior to the other fourth-generation consoles, the AES and its games were prohibitively expensive, which kept sales low and prevented it from expanding outside its niche market and into serious competition with Nintendo and Sega. The AES did, however, amass a dedicated cult following, allowing it to see new releases into the 2000s. Fourth generation graphics chips allowed these consoles to reproduce the art styles that were becoming popular in arcades and on home computers. These games often featured lavish background scenery, huge characters, broader color palettes, and increased emphasis on dithering and texture. Games written specifically for the NES, like "Megaman", "Shatterhand", and "Super Mario Bros. 3" were able to work cleverly within its limitations. Ports of the increasingly detailed arcade and home computer games came up with various solutions. For example, when Capcom released "Strider" in the arcade they created an entirely separate Strider game for the NES that only incorporated themes and characters from the arcade.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Between "Sonic Advance 2" and "Sonic Advance 3", two other Sonic games were released: "Sonic Battle", a 3D fighting game, and "Sonic Pinball Party", a pinball simulation. The last Sonic game was released for the Game Boy Advance is "Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis" on 2006, which features the original Genesis game and the 15-anniversary mode with the Spin Dash.
Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
Several video games were intended to use elements from the TV series, although only one was completed. This was "Sonic Spinball", released in 1993 for the Sega Genesis. It contained characters from the show, including Princess Sally, Bunnie Rabbot, Rotor and Muttski. The characters were also planned for use in another game, tentatively titled "Sonic-16". A prototype was created by the Sega Technical Institute. Yuji Naka disliked the project, and it was cancelled without further development. Directly afterwards, the same team worked on "Sonic Mars". Prior to cancellation, this would have featured Princess Sally and Bunnie Rabbot as playable characters.
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.
List of Sonic the Hedgehog characters
The "Sonic the Hedgehog" video game franchise began in 1991 with the game "Sonic the Hedgehog" for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic against a rotund male human villain named Doctor Eggman (or Doctor Ivo Robotnik). The sequel, "Sonic 2", gave Sonic a fox friend named Tails. Shortly afterward, "Sonic CD" introduced Amy Rose, a female hedgehog with a persistent crush on Sonic, and "Sonic 3" introduced Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic's rival and, later, friend. All five of these have remained major characters and appeared in dozens of games.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
"Sonic the Hedgehog 2" sold over six million copies, making it the second-bestselling Genesis game behind the original "Sonic the Hedgehog". It received highly positive reviews from critics, who commended the game's level design and visuals, although its multiplayer mode was criticized. It has been rereleased on various platforms; a remastered version developed using the Retro Engine released on iOS and Android in December 2013. Two direct sequels, "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" and "Sonic & Knuckles", were released in 1994.
Sonic Team
The Saturn did not achieve the commercial success of the Genesis, so Sega focused its efforts on a new console, the Dreamcast, which debuted in Japan in 1998. The Dreamcast was seen as opportunity for Sonic Team to revisit the "Sonic" series, which had stalled in recent years. Sonic Team was originally creating a fully 3D "Sonic" game for the Saturn, but development moved to the Dreamcast to align with Sega's plans. Takashi Iizuka led the project; Iizuka had long wanted to create a "Sonic" role-playing video game and felt the Dreamcast was powerful enough to achieve his vision. The game became "Sonic Adventure", launched in 1998, which became the bestselling Dreamcast game.
History of Sega
To compete with Nintendo, Sega was more open to new types of games than its rival, but still tightly controlled the approval process for third-party games and charged high prices for cartridge manufacturing. Technicians from American third-party video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) reverse engineered the Genesis in 1989, following nearly one year of negotiations with Sega in which EA requested a more liberal licensing agreement than was standard in the industry before releasing its games for the system. As a result, EA signed what founder Trip Hawkins described as "a very unusual and much more enlightened license agreement" with Sega in June 1990: "Among other things, we had the right to make as many titles as we wanted. We could approve our own titles ... the royalty rates were a lot more reasonable. We also had more direct control over manufacturing." The first Genesis version of EA's "John Madden Football" arrived before the end of 1990, and became what EA creative officer Bing Gordon called a "killer app" for the system.
1993 congressional hearings on video games
During this period, two key players were Nintendo and Sega. Nintendo had been instrumental in helping to recover the North American market after the crash with the introduction of the Nintendo Entertainment System; in 1990, with its release of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Nintendo sales accounted for 90% of the US market. However, to avoid repeating one of the issues that caused the crash, Nintendo took care to limit and review what third-party games could be made for its platforms to avoid a glut of poor games. Sega, which had already released its Mega Drive in Japan, found their sales to be lagging behind Nintendo. In a aggressive campaign aimed at the United States market, the Mega Drive was renamed the Sega Genesis, and heavily pushed the game "Sonic the Hedgehog", with its titular character aimed to become Sega's mascot and rival that of Nintendo's Mario. Sega was less selective about what titles it wanted for the platform, allowing many more third-party games onto the system to increase its library in contrast to Nintendo's. Further, Sega used marketing language purposely aimed at Nintendo, such as "Sega does what Nintendon't". By 1992, Sega had obtained 65% of the US gaming market, overtaking Nintendo's dominant position. Subsequently a strong rivalry between Nintendo and Sega was formed, referred as the "Console Wars", which continued through the next decade and into the fifth generation of consoles, after which Sega dropped out of the hardware market and became principally a game developer and publisher, and at times working collaborative with Nintendo.
Retro Engine
Christian Whitehead first created the Retro Engine for use with a 2007 fangame entitled "Retro Sonic", which is based upon the original "Sonic" games released for the Sega Genesis. The game became notable after its release for its accuracy to the games, despite not being a ROM hack or modification to an existing "Sonic" game. "Retro Sonic" later merged with two other "Sonic" fangames, "Sonic XG" and "Sonic Nexus", to form "Retro Sonic Nexus".
List of Sega Genesis games
Sega Meganet, also known as the Net Work System, was an online service for the Mega Drive in Japan. Utilizing dial-up Internet access, Meganet was Sega's first online multiplayer gaming service, and functioned on a pay to play basis. The system functioned through the use of a peripheral called the Mega Modem and offered several unique titles that could be downloaded, and a few could be played competitively with friends. In addition, it shared technology and equipment with more serious services such as the Mega Anser, used for banking purposes. Though the system was announced for North America under the rebranded name "Tele-Genesis", it was never released for that region.
Sonic CD
The 1991 release of "Sonic the Hedgehog", the first game in the "Sonic" series, was a major commercial success and positioned Sega as Nintendo's main rival in the console market. Lead programmer Yuji Naka, dissatisfied with Sega of Japan's rigid corporate policies, moved with several members of Sonic Team to the United States to develop "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" with Sega Technical Institute (STI). Meanwhile, Sega planned to release the Sega CD add-on for its Genesis, and wanted a "Sonic" sequel that would demonstrate its more advanced features. Sonic's character designer Naoto Ohshima was "Sonic CD"s director; the remainder of the team comprised Sega staff who had developed "The Revenge of Shinobi", "Golden Axe 2", and "Streets of Rage".
Sonic Mega Collection
"Sonic Mega Collection" features twelve to fourteen complete games in one retail unit. All games are ports of their original versions on the Sega Genesis. High-resolution instruction manual scans are included for each game. Also included is an "Extras" section featuring over 100 scans of "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic covers, illustrations of "Sonic" characters throughout the franchise's history, and a handful of videos promoting other "Sonic" games, including the beginning and end sequences to "Sonic CD". In addition to the seven default games, three unlockable games are included that recreated the "Sonic & Knuckles" "lock-on technology" by allowing players access to new gameplay features and special stages by opening the hatch of the "Sonic & Knuckles" Sega Genesis cartridge and inserting another compatible cartridge, in this case each of the first three games in the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series. Also, four games published by Sega but not in the "Sonic" series could also be unlocked (two in the North American version).
Sonic Heroes
Sonic Heroes is a 2003 3D platform game in Sega's "Sonic the Hedgehog" series. The player races a team of series characters through levels to amass rings, defeat robots, and collect the seven Chaos Emeralds needed to defeat Doctor Eggman. Within each level, the player switches between the team's three characters, who each have unique abilities, to overcome obstacles. "Sonic Heroes" abandons the action-adventure and exploration-based gameplay of its predecessors "Sonic Adventure" (1998) and "Sonic Adventure 2" (2001) and instead returns to the linear style of Sega Genesis-era "Sonic" games.
Sonic Mega Collection
"Mega Collection" was developed by Sonic Team, the studio behind most games in the "Sonic" series. According to director Yojiro Ogawa, Sonic Team's goal with the compilation was to introduce children to older games in the series and showcase what made "Sonic" successful. Sonic Team chose to focus on including all the Genesis "Sonic" games. Rather than porting them from the Genesis, they collaborated with VR-1 Japan to develop an emulator to run the games' ROM images. Series co-creator Yuji Naka, who served as producer, said the team intended to include the 1993 Sega CD game "Sonic CD", but storage constraints prevented this. Sonic Team also considered including BlueSky Software's "Vectorman" (1995), and "Sonic R" (1997) and "Sonic Shuffle" (2000) were expected to appear in "Mega Collection" at one point. "CD", "Vectorman", and "R" later appeared in "Sonic Gems Collection" (2005), a successor to "Mega Collection" focusing on rare "Sonic" games. Sonic Team had trouble gathering materials for the compilation because it had been a decade since they made the games and "Sega's not that good about keeping history." For instance, Naka wanted to include the original prototype of the first game but Sonic Team could not find its ROM image.
Sega Genesis
As a result of piracy in some countries and unlicensed development issues, Sega incorporated a technical protection mechanism into a new edition of the Genesis released in 1990, referred to as the Genesis III. This new variation of the Genesis included a code known as the Trademark Security System (TMSS), which, when a game cartridge was inserted, would check for the presence of the string "SEGA" at a particular point in the memory contained in the cartridge. If the string was present, the console would run the game, and would briefly display the message: "" This system had a twofold effect: it added extra protection against unlicensed developers and software piracy, and forced the Sega trademark to display when the game was powered up, making a lawsuit for trademark infringement possible if unlicensed software were to be developed. Accolade learned of this development at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1991, where Sega showed the new Genesis III and demonstrated it screening and rejecting an "Ishido" game cartridge. With more games planned for the following year, Accolade successfully identified the TMSS file. It later added this file to the games "HardBall!", "Star Control", "Mike Ditka Power Football", and "Turrican".
Game Gear
Over 300 games were released for the Game Gear, although at the time of the console's launch, there were only six software games available. Prices for game cartridges initially ranged from $24.99 to $29.99 each. The casings were molded black plastic with a rounded front to aid in removal. Games for the system included "Sonic the Hedgehog", "The GG Shinobi", "Space Harrier", and "Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse", which was considered the best game for the system by GamesRadar. Later games took advantage of the success of the Genesis, Sega's 16-bit video game console, with games released from franchises originally released on the Genesis. A large part of the Game Gear's library consists of Master System ports. Because of the landscape orientation of the Game Gear's screen and the similarities in hardware between the handheld console and the Master System, it was easy for developers to port Master System games to the Game Gear.
Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit video game)
Porting the original game to the 8-bit hardware was impossible, so Ancient built their "Sonic" from scratch. The team decided to make their version completely different from its Genesis counterpart. According to Koshiro, the game had three phases of development. In the first phase, Ancient developed the game with the Genesis version in mind. The second and third phases were largely Ancient's own ideas, with Sega supervising their work. Koshiro thought reinventing "Sonic" for 8-bit hardware was challenging, as he did not work at Sega and had never developed a game before. However, Sega had faith in him because of his relationship to the company. Koshiro composed the soundtrack and sought to retain the feel of the Genesis version. He converted Masato Nakamura's 16-bit "Sonic" score to the 8-bit programmable sound generator to start, but ended up using only three of those tracks; the remainder of the music is Koshiro's work.
Video game console
The Nomad was released in October 1995 in North America only. The release was five years into the market span of the Genesis, with an existing library of more than 500 Genesis games. According to former Sega of America research and development head Joe Miller, the Nomad was not intended to be the Game Gear's replacement and believes that there was little planning from Sega of Japan for the new handheld. Sega was supporting five different consoles: Saturn, Genesis, Game Gear, Pico, and the Master System, as well as the Sega CD and 32X add-ons. In Japan, the Mega Drive had never been successful and the Saturn was more successful than Sony's PlayStation, so Sega Enterprises CEO Hayao Nakayama decided to focus on the Saturn. By 1999, the Nomad was being sold at less than a third of its original price.
Sega Sammy Holdings
During 1985, Sega released "Hang-On", the world's first force feedback game. Sega Enterprises was registered stock on over-the-counter (OTC) market. In 1988, Sega Listed stock on the second section of Tokyo Stock Exchange. Within this year, Sega released the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, a 16-bit home video game platform that solidified Sega’s presence in the console market. During this year, Sega also launched the R-360, the world's first amusement arcade cabinet could rotate 360 degrees in all directions. In 1991, Sega released "Sonic the Hedgehog" as a competitor mascot to represent Sega against Nintendo’s Mario, and with 15 million copies sold, Sonic the Hedgehog spawned multiple sequels over the years and became Sega’s flagship franchise.
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection in PAL regions) is a compilation of video games developed by Backbone Entertainment and published by Sega for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The compilation features 48 Sega games (49 counting two versions of "Altered Beast") which were previously released for the Sega Genesis (including most of the "Sonic the Hedgehog" titles released for the system), arcades and the Master System. It is the sequel to the "Sega Genesis Collection" released previously for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, however it is similar to that compilation because it contains 16 (in NTSC regions) more games (including unlockable extras).
Sonic Mania
In addition to the standard release, a Sega Genesis-themed collector's edition was also released, containing a 12-inch (30 cm) Sonic statue atop a model Genesis, a game cartridge cast with a golden ring, and a metallic collector's card with a download code for the game. To promote the collector's edition, Sega released a retro-styled infomercial featuring former series art director Kazuyuki Hoshino and social media manager Aaron Webber, based on an American television commercial for "Sonic 2". The music label Data Discs published a vinyl LP featuring the game's original music in late 2017. An expanded soundtrack was released on digital music distribution platforms on January 17, 2018.
Sega Genesis
In mid-1990, Nakayama hired Tom Kalinske to replace Katz as CEO of Sega of America. Although Kalinske initially knew little about the video game market, he surrounded himself with industry-savvy advisors. A believer in the razor and blades business model, he developed a four-point plan: cut the price of the console, create a U.S.-based team to develop games targeted at the American market, continue and expand the aggressive advertising campaigns, and replace the bundled game "Altered Beast" with a new game, "Sonic the Hedgehog". 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 release of the international version of Nintendo's Super Famicom—the Super Nintendo Entertainment System or SNES—decided to purchase a Genesis instead. Nintendo's console debuted against an established competitor, while NEC's TurboGrafx-16 failed to gain traction, and NEC soon pulled out of the market. In large part due to the popularity of "Sonic the Hedgehog", the Sega Genesis outsold the SNES in the United States nearly two to one during the 1991 holiday season. This success led to Sega having control of 65% of the 16-bit console market in January 1992, making it the first time Nintendo was not the console leader since December 1985.
List of Sega video game consoles
Sega is a video game developer, publisher, and hardware development company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with multiple offices around the world. The company has produced home video game consoles and handheld consoles since 1983; these systems were released from the third console generation to the sixth. Sega was formed from the merger of slot machine developer Service Games and arcade game manufacturer Rosen Enterprises in 1964, and it produced arcade games for the next two decades. After a downturn in the arcade game industry in the 1980s, the company transitioned to developing and publishing video games and consoles. The first Sega console was the Japan-only SG-1000, released in 1983. Sega released several variations of this console in Japan, the third of which, the Sega Mark III, was rebranded as the Master System and released worldwide in 1985. They went on to produce the Genesis—known as the Mega Drive outside of North America—and its add-ons beginning in 1988, the Game Gear handheld console in 1990, the Sega Saturn in 1994, and the Dreamcast in 1998.
Dreamcast
Released in 1988, the Sega Genesis (known as the Sega Mega Drive in Japan, Europe and Brazil) was Sega's entry into the fourth generation of video game consoles. Selling 30.75 million units worldwide, the Genesis was the most successful console Sega ever released. The successor to the Genesis, the Sega Saturn, was released in Japan in 1994. The Saturn was a CD-ROM-based console that displayed both 2D and 3D computer graphics, but its complex dual-CPU architecture made it more difficult to program for than its chief competitor, the Sony PlayStation. Although the Saturn debuted before the PlayStation in both Japan and the United States, its surprise U.S. launch—which came four months earlier than originally scheduled—was marred by a lack of distribution, which remained a continuing problem for the system. Moreover, Sega's early release was undermined by Sony's simultaneous announcement that the PlayStation would retail for US$299—compared to the Saturn's initial price of $399. Nintendo's long delay in releasing a competing 3D console and the damage done to Sega's reputation by poorly supported add-ons for the Genesis (particularly the Sega 32X) allowed Sony to establish a foothold in the market. The PlayStation was immediately successful in the U.S., in part due to a massive advertising campaign and strong third-party support engendered by Sony's excellent development tools and liberal $10 licensing fee. Sony's success was further aided by a price war in which Sega lowered the price of the Saturn from $399 to $299 and then from $299 to $199 in order to match the price of the PlayStation–even though Saturn hardware was more expensive to manufacture and the PlayStation enjoyed a larger software library. Losses on the Saturn hardware contributed to Sega's financial problems, which saw the company's revenue decline between 1992 and 1995 as part of an industry-wide slowdown. Furthermore, Sega's focus on the Saturn over the Genesis prevented it from fully capitalizing on the continued strength of the 16-bit market.
Sega Genesis
In its first foray into online gaming, Sega created Sega Meganet, which debuted in Japan on November 3, 1990. Operating through a cartridge and a peripheral called the "Mega Modem," this allowed Mega Drive players to play a total of seventeen games online. A North American version, dubbed "Tele-Genesis," was announced but never released. Another phone-based system, the Mega Anser, turned the Japanese Mega Drive into an online banking terminal.
Coleco Sonic
The Coleco Sonic is a handheld game console released in 2006 by Coleco Holdings, also marketed as PlayPal in Canada and the United Kingdom and Pocket Gear in Europe. It features 20 built-in games from the Master System and Game Gear. All the games can be played either on the integrated 2.4" TFT LCD display, or output to a TV via composite video. Its name references the Sega mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, who stars in some of the games. The system comes with a power adapter, but can also use 3 AAA batteries as a substitute.
Educational games in the Sonic series
In 1996, Sega and Orion Interactive collaborated to produce "Sonic's Schoolhouse", an educational game in the Sega PC brand for Microsoft Windows. It was developed using a game engine similar to "Wolfenstein 3D"s and ten educators and psychologists helped create the game's challenges. A cartoon clock was originally the star of the game but was replaced with Sonic; thus, "Sonic's Schoolhouse" is only tenuously connected to the rest of the franchise. The game was released as part of Sega's 20 million "Blue is Back" marketing campaign to promote six "Sonic" games releasing in the holiday shopping season; advertisements for the game were run in magazines and it was promoted in store displays. "Sonic's Schoolhouse" also came bundled coupons worth 40 in discounts for "Sonic" merchandise, including comics and plush toys.
Sonic Chaos
Sonic Chaos is a platform game developed by Aspect and published by Sega. The game was released for the Master System in October 1993, and for the Game Gear the following month. The Game Gear version was re-released in 2003 as a hidden game in "Sonic Adventure DX" for the GameCube and Windows and as an included game in "Sonic Mega Collection Plus" on the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. In 2009, the Master System version was released on the Virtual Console.
Sega Genesis
30.75 million first-party Genesis units were sold worldwide. In addition, Tec Toy sold an estimated three million licensed variants in Brazil, Majesco projected it would sell 1.5 million licensed variants of the system in the United States, and much smaller numbers were sold by Samsung in South Korea. By the mid-2010s, licensed third-party Genesis rereleases were still being sold by AtGames in North America and Europe. Many games have been rereleased in compilations or on online services such as the Nintendo Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and Steam. The Genesis was succeeded in 1994 by the Sega Saturn.
Sega Genesis
In Japan, the Mega Drive did not fare well against its two main competitors, Nintendo's Super Famicom and NEC's PC Engine, but it achieved considerable success in North America, Brazil, and Europe. Contributing to its success were its library of arcade game ports, the popularity of Sega's "Sonic the Hedgehog" series, several popular sports franchises, and aggressive youth marketing that positioned the system as the cool console for adolescents. The release of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System two years after the Genesis resulted in a fierce battle for market share in the United States and Europe that has often been termed as a "console war" by journalists and historians. As this contest drew increasing attention to the video game industry among the general public, the Genesis and several of its highest-profile games attracted significant legal scrutiny on matters involving reverse engineering and video game violence. Controversy surrounding violent games such as "Night Trap" and "Mortal Kombat" led Sega to create the Videogame Rating Council, a predecessor to the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
Sega Technical Institute
Sega Technical Institute (STI) was an American development division of Sega. Founded by Atari veteran Mark Cerny in 1991, the studio sought to combine elite Japanese developers, including Sonic Team programmer Yuji Naka and his team, with new American talent. STI developed a number of "Sonic the Hedgehog" games, as well as other games for the Sega Genesis, before it was closed at the end of 1996.
Sonic 3D Blast
"Sonic 3D Blast" was the final "Sonic the Hedgehog" game produced for the Sega Genesis, and was developed as a swan song for the system. Sega had discontinued official support for the Genesis in 1995, but intended to produce the game for the 16-bit console because games typically sell for one to two years after their platforms' discontinuation. The game's basic concept was conceived by members of Sonic Team during the development of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3", but most of the programming was done by the British studio Traveller's Tales because Sonic Team was developing "Nights into Dreams". According to founder Jon Burton, Traveller's Tales had just finished developing a "Toy Story" game and wanted to start developing games for 32-bit systems such as the Saturn and PlayStation. Sega, impressed with their work on "Toy Story" and "Mickey Mania", approached them with "3D Blast"; as "Sonic" was extremely popular at the time, the concept "got [their] attention". In retrospect, Burton stated that he believed the game was commissioned because "Sonic X-treme", in development for the Saturn at the time, was struggling, and Sega wanted to bring Sonic into the 3D era of gaming.
Sega Saturn
Released in 1988, the Genesis (known as the Mega Drive in Europe, Japan and Australia) was Sega's entry into the fourth generation of video game consoles. In mid-1990, Sega CEO Hayao Nakayama hired Tom Kalinske as president and CEO of Sega of America. Kalinske developed a four-point plan for sales of the Genesis: lower the price of the console, create a U.S.-based team to develop games targeted at the American market, continue aggressive advertising campaigns, and sell "Sonic the Hedgehog" with the console. 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 ever 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. However, the release of a CD-based add-on for the Genesis, the Sega CD (known as Mega-CD outside of North America), was commercially disappointing.
Sonic Spinball
Morawiec believed that the game would face "acceptance challenges" from both fans and the gaming media, as "Sonic the Hedgehog Pinball" strayed away from the traditional platforming genre. After returning home to the United States from Europe, Morawiec was surprised to find that the game had sold well, and was pleased that it benefited from the franchise's popularity. Nonetheless, he regretted that the team had lacked time to "polish" the game properly. After the Game Gear title "Sonic Drift" received poor reviews in Japan, Sega released an 8-bit port of "Sonic Spinball" for the Game Gear in its place worldwide in late 1994. It was also released for the Master System in Brazil and Europe in 1995. The 8-bit version is mostly identical to the Genesis game, albeit with downgraded visuals and different, more platforming-oriented bonus stages. The Master System version was released near the end of the console's lifetime and did not sell well, and became a valuable collector's item.
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.
History of Sega
After the release of the Sega Genesis in 1989, video game publisher Accolade began exploring options to release some of their PC games on the console. At the time, Sega had a licensing deal in place for third-party developers that increased the costs to the developer. According to Accolade co-founder Alan Miller, "One pays them between $10 and $15 per cartridge on top of the real hardware manufacturing costs, so it about doubles the cost of goods to the independent publisher." To get around licensing, Accolade chose to seek an alternative way to bring their games to the Genesis. As a result of piracy in some countries and unlicensed development issues, Sega incorporated a technical protection mechanism into a new edition of the Genesis released in 1990, referred to as the Genesis III. This new variation of the Genesis included a code known as the Trademark Security System (TMSS). Accolade successfully identified the TMSS file. It later added this file to the games "HardBall!", "Star Control", "Mike Ditka Power Football", and "Turrican". In response to the creation of these unlicensed games, Sega filed suit against Accolade in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, on charges of trademark infringement, unfair competition, and copyright infringement. In response, Accolade filed a counterclaim for falsifying the source of its games by displaying the Sega trademark when the game was powered up. Despite winning an injunction in the initial district court case, as a result of Accolade's appeal, the Ninth Circuit overturned the district court's verdict and ruled that Accolade's decompilation of the Sega software constituted fair use. Ultimately, Sega and Accolade settled the case on April 30, 1993. As a part of this settlement, Accolade became an official licensee of Sega, and later developed and released "Barkley Shut Up and Jam!" while under license. The terms of the licensing, including whether or not any special arrangements or discounts were made to Accolade, were not released to the public. The financial terms of the settlement were also not disclosed, although both companies agreed to pay their own legal costs.
Sonic Forces
"Sonic Forces" was announced alongside "Sonic Mania" under its codename during a twenty-fifth series anniversary event held by Sega at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2016. The presence of both Classic and Modern Sonic in the initial teaser trailer led some journalists to believe it was a sequel to "Sonic Generations", but Iizuka clarified that it was a separate game. The game was released worldwide on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in November 2017. Prior to the game's launch, Sega released a four-part prequel comic written and drawn by Ian Flynn and Adam Bryce Thomas, who previously worked on Archie Comics' "Sonic the Hedgehog" series. A bonus edition was also released containing controller skins and downloadable clothing items for the Avatar based on other Sega games, such as "Jet Set Radio", "Puyo Puyo", and "Persona 5". A tie-in racing game for iOS and Android devices, "Sonic Forces: Speed Battle", was released in select regions in September 2017. After the game's release, several updates featuring new content were released, such as an in-game shirt for the Avatar featuring "Sanic", an internet meme of a poorly drawn Sonic, and the ability to transform into Super Sonic. The Super Sonic DLC was released for free, but was initially planned as paid DLC.
Sega
Sega released its next console, the Sega Genesis (known as the Mega Drive outside North America), in 1988. Although it was a distant third in Japan, the Genesis found major success after the release of "Sonic the Hedgehog" in 1991 and briefly outsold its main competitor, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, in the U.S. However, later in the decade, Sega suffered commercial failures such as the 32X, Sega Saturn, and Dreamcast consoles. In 2001, Sega stopped manufacturing consoles to become a third-party developer and publisher, and was acquired by Sammy Corporation in 2004. In the years since the acquisition, Sega has been more profitable, but has been criticized for prioritizing quantity of game releases over quality.
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)
"Sonic the Hedgehog" has been available for all three major seventh-generation video game consoles. It was part of the Wii Virtual Console at the service's 2006 introduction, and was released for the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network shortly afterwards. The game was released for the iPod Classic, iPod video, and video-capable iPod Nano models in 2007 and for Apple's iOS in April 2009. "Sonic the Hedgehog" became available on GameTap in September 2009. In October 2010, it was released on Microsoft Windows via Steam. The game was ported to Android and released in December 2012. Additionally, it is an unlockable reward in the console versions of "Sonic Generations". It was also made available on the Sega Forever service on iOS and Android in June 2017. A port for Nintendo Switch was released on September 20, 2018 as part of the Sega Ages line of rereleases. It adds features including the ability to use moves from "Sonic 2" and "Sonic Mania", a challenge mode, a time attack for the first stage, and features from the 3DS rereleases of the game and its sequel.
Platform game
1990 marked the release of the Super NES, along with the eagerly anticipated "Super Mario World". In order to fend off the new competition, Sega released "Sonic the Hedgehog". Whereas Nintendo's offering featured a conservative design, true to the "Mario" tradition, "Sonic" showcased a new style of design made possible by a new generation of hardware. "Sonic" featured large stages that scrolled effortlessly in all directions, as well as all manner of uneven terrain, curved hills, and a complex physics system that allowed players to rush through its levels with well-placed jumps and rolls. Lastly, there was the game's eponymous main character. Sega decided to give Sonic a rebellious personality in order to appeal to older gamers, and super speed to help show off the "Genesis"' hardware capabilities. The game proved to be a massive hit, was a successful pack-in with new systems, and cemented the view that platform games would make or break a console.
Sonic &amp; Knuckles
For the series' twentieth anniversary in 2011, Sega released "Sonic Generations", a game that remade aspects of various past games from the franchise. A remake of the Sky Sanctuary stage was made for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC versions of the game, while the Mushroom Hill level was remade for the Nintendo 3DS version of the game. "Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing" features a track inspired by the Death Egg as downloadable content along with the Metal Sonic character. The sequel, "Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed", featured the same race course, and an additional new one inspired by the Sky Sanctuary stage. Re-imagined versions of the Flying Battery and Lava Reef stages, along with the Blue Sphere bonus game, appear in the 2017 game "Sonic Mania".
Sonic Adventure
During the early 1990s, Sega was one of the most successful video game companies due to its Genesis console. Sales for the console were driven by the popularity of its flagship franchise of 2D platformers, "Sonic the Hedgehog". During this time, series co-creator Yuji Naka worked with Sega Technical Institute (STI) in the United States to develop "Sonic" games. After the completion of "Sonic & Knuckles" in 1994, Naka moved to work with Sonic Team in Japan. STI began developing "Sonic X-treme" for the Sega Saturn"," which would have been the first "Sonic the Hedgehog" game to feature full 3D gameplay. "X-treme" suffered a series of setbacks and was canceled in 1997. The cancellation is an important factor in the Saturn's commercial failure; without it, the system had no original "Sonic" platformer. Meanwhile, Naka and Sonic Team developed original Saturn games, such as "Nights into Dreams." Due to the series' relative lack of presence on the Saturn, according to "Retro Gamer", "[b]y mid-1997 Sonic had essentially been shuffled into the background... it was astonishing to see that just six years after his debut, Sonic was already retro."
List of Sega Genesis games
This is an alphabetical list of released games for the Sega Genesis. Titles listed do not include releases for the Sega CD and Sega 32X add-ons. Included in this list are titles not licensed by Sega, including releases in Taiwan by several developers such as Gamtec, as well as releases by Accolade before being licensed following the events of "Sega v. Accolade". This list also includes titles developed by unlicensed third-party developers after the discontinuation of the Genesis, such as "Pier Solar and the Great Architects".
Sega
For the North American market, where the console was renamed Genesis, former Atari executive and new Sega of America CEO Michael Katz developed a two-part approach to build sales. The first part involved a marketing campaign to challenge Nintendo head-on and emphasize the more arcade-like experience available on the Genesis,with slogans including "Genesis does what Nintendon't". Since Nintendo owned the console rights to most arcade games of the time, the second part involved creating a library of recognizable games which used the names and likenesses of celebrities and athletes. Nonetheless, Sega had difficulty overcoming Nintendo's ubiquity in homes. Tasked by Nakayama to sell one million units in the first year, Katz and Sega of America sold only 500,000.As Sega sought a flagship series to compete with Nintendo's Mario series, and a character to serve as a company mascot, artist Naoto Ohshima designed "a teal hedgehog with red shoes that he called Mr. Needlemouse". This character was renamed Sonic the Hedgehog, creating one of the best-selling video game franchises in history. The gameplay of "Sonic the Hedgehog" originated with a tech demo created by Yuji Naka, who had developed an algorithm that allowed a sprite to move smoothly on a curve by determining its position with a dot matrix. Naka's prototype was a platform game that involved a fast-moving character rolling in a ball through a long winding tube; this concept was fleshed out with Ohshima's character design and levels conceived by designer Hirokazu Yasuhara. Sonic's blue color was chosen to match Sega's cobalt blue logo. His shoes were inspired by Michael Jackson's boots, and his personality by Bill Clinton's "can-do" attitude.
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)
A version of "Sonic the Hedgehog" was developed by Ancient and released in late 1991 for Sega's 8-bit consoles, the Master System and Game Gear. Its plot and gameplay mechanics are similar to the 16-bit version, though some level themes and digital assets are different and Chaos Emeralds are scattered throughout levels rather than special stages. Gameplay as a whole is simplified; the level design is flatter and has a larger focus on exploration, with no vertical loops, and Sonic cannot re-collect his rings after being hit. The game has a different soundtrack composed by Yuzo Koshiro, which includes adaptations of music from the original version. It was the final game released for the Master System in North America. The Master System version was re-released for Wii's Virtual Console service in North America and Europe in August 2008. The Game Gear version was re-released for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on June 13, 2013, and included as an unlockable game in "" for GameCube and Windows and "Sonic Mega Collection Plus" for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows.
Sega Genesis
During his keynote speech at the 2006 Game Developers Conference, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced that Sega would make a number of Genesis/Mega Drive games available to download on the Wii's Virtual Console. There are select Sega Genesis games available on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade, such as "Sonic the Hedgehog" and "Sonic 2", as well as games available via the PlayStation Network and Steam.
List of 32X games
The 32X is an add-on for the Sega Genesis video game console. Codenamed "Project Mars", the 32X was designed to expand the power of the Genesis and serve as a holdover until the release of the Sega Saturn. Independent of the Genesis, the 32X used its own ROM cartridges and had its own library of games. A total of 40 titles were produced worldwide [36 NA games ("10 Exclusives"), 27 PAL ("2 Exclusives"), 18 JP ("1 exclusive"), and 1 game "exclusive" to BR], including six that required both the 32X and Sega CD add-ons.
Sega CD
The Sega CD supports a library of over 200 games created both by Sega and an array of third-party publishers. Included in this library are six games which, while receiving individual Sega CD releases, also received separate versions that utilized both the Sega CD and 32X add-ons. Among the games released for the add-on were a number of FMV games, including "Sewer Shark" and "Fahrenheit". Well-regarded games include "Sonic CD", "" and "", "Popful Mail", and "Snatcher", as well as the controversial "Night Trap". Although Sega created "Streets of Rage" for the Genesis to compete against the SNES port of the arcade hit "Final Fight", the Sega CD received an enhanced version of the latter game that has been praised for its greater faithfulness to the arcade original. "" was noted for its impressive use of the system's hardware as well as its violent content. In particular, "Sonic CD" garnered critical acclaim for its graphics and new time travel elements, which improved upon the traditional "Sonic" formula. The Sega CD also received enhanced ports of games from the Genesis, such as "Batman Returns" and "Ecco the Dolphin".
Sonic Team
The "Sonic the Hedgehog" project began with just Naka and Ohshima, but grew to involve two programmers, two sound engineers, and three designers. Yasuhara joined to supervise Naka and Ohshima and develop levels, and became the lead designer. He satisfied Naka's request for a simple, one-button design by having Sonic do damage by jumping. "Sonic the Hedgehog" was released in 1991 and proved a major success, contributing to millions of sales of the Genesis. The development team took the name Sonic Team for the game's release. Naka has referred to Sonic Team as only a "team name" at this point.
Flicky
Numerous Sega video game compilations feature "Flicky". The Genesis version was compiled into "Game no Kanzume Vol. 1" (1994), a Sega CD compilation in Japan which featured CD quality remixes of the original soundtrack. The Genesis port was also featured in "Sonic Mega Collection" (2002), "Sega Genesis Collection" (2006), "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection" (2009), "Sega Mega Drive Classic Collection" (2010), and even Genesis-based plug and play devices. The arcade version has been released in Japan on the "Sega Ages: Memorial Collection Vol. 1" (1996) for the Sega Saturn, and the "Sega Memorial Selection" (1998) for Windows"." "Flicky" has also been ported to mobile devices. The first port was in 2001 for the "Sega Ages" line in Japan. In March 2003, a similar variant appeared on the Sonic Cafe service, again exclusive to Japan. In 2007, the Sonic Cafe port was upgraded with better graphics and ported to North America for the Sega Mobile service. The Genesis port was released on Steam in 2010.
The Flicky character has made cameo appearances in several other Sega arcade games, effectively becoming a mascot for Sega's early arcade years. In "Teddy Boy Blues" (1985), she appears as a shooting target among other Sega mascots such as Pengo. In the puzzle game "Bloxeed", she can be used as a special weapon to drop blocks on the playing field. She is also playable in "SDI" (1987) with the use of a cheat code. Flicky has a minor cameo appearance in "Flash Point", where she will wish the player good luck before each round, and in the racing game "Super Monaco GP" (1989), where she appears on the racetrack banners and the game over screen. Flicky has also become an entire species and reoccurring minor character in the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series and is featured most prominently in "Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island" (1996). Flicky has continued to have minor cameo appearances in other Sega titles, including "Shenmue" (1999), "Gunstar Super Heroes" (2005), and "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games" (2007).
Sonic Mega Collection
"Sonic Mega Collection Plus" is an update of "Sonic Mega Collection" for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles. A Microsoft Windows version was also released in Europe and North America.
This edition includes all of the games in "Sonic Mega Collection", including the two Genesis games that were included in the Japanese version of "Sonic Mega Collection", plus the addition of six Game Gear games:
Sonic Generations
Sonic Generations is a 2011 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, and Microsoft Windows. An installment in the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series, the game—which was produced in commemoration of its twentieth anniversary—follows Sonic and his sidekick Tails as they form an alliance with their past selves to stop an evil entity from erasing all time. It features two gameplay styles: "Classic", which plays from a side-scrolling perspective like that of the original Sega Genesis "Sonic" games, and "Modern", 3D levels similar to those in "Sonic Unleashed" and "Sonic Colors".
Vectorman
Vectorman is a series of run and gun platform games developed by BlueSky Software and published by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. The first game in the series was released on October 24, 1995 in North America and on November 30, 1995 in Europe. The games have since appeared on several game compilations, including the "Sega Genesis Collection" for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, the "Sonic Gems Collection" for the Nintendo GameCube, and "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection" for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. "Vectorman" was added to the Wii Virtual Console on February 27, 2007, in Japan and April 5, 2007, in Europe, and in North America on September 22, 2008. It was also released on the digital distribution service Steam as part of the "SEGA Genesis Classics Pack" and as a standalone title. Vectorman was ported to iOS and Android in 2018 as part of the Sega Forever service.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
For Sonic's 20th anniversary, Sega released "Sonic Generations", which remade aspects of various past games from the franchise. The PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC versions contained a remade "Chemical Plant" level. It also contained a remake of the final boss fight, the Death Egg Robot, as the Classic Era boss of the game. Separately, the Nintendo 3DS version of the game contained a remake of the "Casino Night" level. A "Casino Night" themed pinball minigame was made available for download as a pre-order bonus for the console versions at GameStop. Remade versions of Chemical Plant and Oil Ocean also appear in the 2017 game "Sonic Mania".
Home video game console
To compete with emerging next gen consoles, Nintendo released Donkey Kong Country which could display a wide range of tones (something common in fifth-generation games) by limiting the number of hues onscreen, and Star Fox which used an extra chip inside of the cartridge to display polygon graphics. Sega followed suit, releasing Vectorman and Virtua Racing (the latter of which used the Sega Virtua Processor). Sega also released the 32X, an add-on for the Genesis, while their Sega Saturn was still in development, and announced that they would replace the Genesis with the Neptune, a combination 32X and Genesis, and sell it as a budget console alongside their upcoming Saturn. Despite public statements from Sega claiming that they would continue to support the Genesis/32X throughout the next generation, Sega Enterprises quietly killed the Neptune project and forced Sega of America to abandon the 32X. The 32X's brief and confusing existence damaged public perception of the coming Saturn and Sega as a whole.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
A version of the game for the Sega Master System and Game Gear was developed by Aspect. Though based on the original game of the same name, it is a distinct game, with different level designs and a different plot, and this version, unlike the 16-bit release, does not have the spin dash, which led it to being thought to be made before the Sega Genesis version.
List of Sega Saturn games
Development of the Saturn began in 1992, the same year Sega's groundbreaking 3D Model 1 arcade hardware debuted. Designed around a new CPU from Japanese electronics company Hitachi, another video display processor was incorporated into the system's design in early 1994 to better compete with Sony's forthcoming PlayStation. The Saturn was initially successful in Japan, but failed to sell in large numbers in the United States after its surprise May 1995 launch, four months before its scheduled release date. After the debut of the Nintendo 64 in late 1996, the Saturn rapidly lost market share in the U.S., where it was discontinued in 1998. Having sold 9.26 million units worldwide, the Saturn is considered a commercial failure. The failure of Sega's development teams to release a game in the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series, known in development as "Sonic X-treme", has been considered a factor in the console's poor performance.
Sega Genesis
While Sega was seeking a flagship series to compete with Nintendo's Mario series along with a character to serve as a company mascot, several character designs were submitted as part of a company-wide contest, including "an anime-inspired egg and a teal hedgehog with red shoes created by Naoto Ohshima that he called Mr. Needlemouse." This character won the contest and was renamed Sonic the Hedgehog, spawning one of the best-selling video game franchises in history. The gameplay of "Sonic the Hedgehog" originated with a tech demo created by Yuji Naka, who had developed an algorithm that allowed a sprite to move smoothly on a curve by determining its position with a dot matrix. Naka's original prototype was a platform game that involved a fast-moving character rolling in a ball through a long winding tube, and this concept was subsequently fleshed out with Ohshima's character design and levels conceived by designer Hirokazu Yasuhara. Sonic's blue pigmentation was chosen to match Sega's cobalt blue logo, and his shoes were a concept evolved from a design inspired by Michael Jackson's boots with the addition of the color red, which was inspired by both Santa Claus and the contrast of those colors on Jackson's 1987 album "Bad"; his personality was based on Bill Clinton's "can do" attitude.
Sega Genesis
On May 22, 2006, North American company Super Fighter Team released "Beggar Prince", a game translated from a 1996 Chinese original. It was released worldwide and was the first commercial Genesis game release in North America since 1998. Super Fighter Team would later go on to release two more games for the system, "Legend of Wukong" and "Star Odyssey". In December 2010, WaterMelon, an American company, released "Pier Solar and the Great Architects", the first commercial role-playing video game specifically developed for the console since 1996, and the biggest 16-bit game ever produced at 64 Mb. "Pier Solar" is the only cartridge-based game which can optionally use the Sega CD to play an enhanced soundtrack and sound effects disc. In 2013, independent programmer Future Driver, inspired by the Disney film "Wreck-It Ralph", developed "Fix-It Felix Jr." for the Genesis.
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.
List of Sega CD games
The Sega CD, originally released as the in most regions outside of North America and Brazil, is an add-on device for the Sega Genesis video game console, designed and produced by Sega. It was released in Japan in 1991, North America in 1992 and in PAL regions in 1993. The device adds a CD-ROM drive to the console, allowing the user to play CD-based games and providing additional hardware functionality. It can also play audio CDs and CD+G discs. While the add-on did contain a faster central processing unit than the Genesis, as well as some enhanced graphics capabilities, the main focus of the device was to expand the size of games. Known for several games such as "Sonic CD" and for the controversy of violent video games including "Night Trap", the Sega CD sold 2.24 million units worldwide. It was officially discontinued in 1996.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Reviewers praised the large levels, colorful graphics and backgrounds, increased characters, enemies, and music. GameSpot stated that "time may have eroded Sega's prominence, but it hasn't done much to diminish how sweet "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" is," and, along with other reviewers, commented on how it is still a fun game to play. "Electronic Gaming Monthly" named it the best Genesis game of 1992. In 2000, "Game Informer" ranked "Sonic 2" number 61 on its "Top 100 Games of All Time" list, calling it "the most challenging and finely polished "Sonic the Hedgehog" title." "Mega" placed the game at #36 in their "Top Sega Mega Drive Games of All Time" list. Critics also enjoyed the faster gameplay in comparison to its predecessor, as well as its new features. Lucas Thomas of IGN praised the new "spin dash" ability.
Sonic the Hedgehog
While the prior game in the era continued the use of numerous playable characters and play styles, the following games would return to only have Sonic playable. "", an episodic high-definition 2D game akin to the 16-bit Sonic games, was developed for the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare. "" was released in 2012 for PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Android, iOS, and Windows Phones. "Sonic Colors", a game for the Wii and Nintendo DS, was released in November 2010. It introduced a power-up system in the form of alien beings called "Wisps". "Sonic Generations" was developed by Sonic Team for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and Dimps for Nintendo 3DS which was released in November 2011, featuring both modern and classic interpretations of Sonic.
Sega Forever
The initial wave of games were from Sega's Genesis/Mega Drive, Game Gear, and Master System platforms, although they plan on adding games from the SG-1000, Sega Saturn, and Dreamcast platforms as well. During the testing phases of the system, Saturn and Dreamcast games did not perform satisfactorily, though Sega has on-going R&D efforts working on improving them in hopes of future release. Games such as "Panzer Dragoon" are being considered for the service, but could not be successfully emulated in the testing phase, meaning that such a release would hypothetically require a lengthy porting process instead. Sega is also open to releasing games that had not previously had English localizations, such as the Yuji Naka-designed game, "Girl's Garden".
List of Sega video game consoles
In Brazil, where the Genesis never ceased production, Tectoy released a portable version of the Genesis with twenty built-in games on December 5, 2007. Another Tectoy variant of the console called "Mega Drive Guitar Idol", released in 2009 in Brazil, includes two six-button joypads and a guitar controller with five fret buttons. That year, AtGames began producing two new Genesis variants in North America and Europe: the Firecore, which can play Genesis cartridges as well as preloaded games; and a handheld console, the Sega Gopher, as well as a dedicated motion console, the Sega Zone, preloaded with 20 Genesis games. Companies such as Radica Games have released compilations of Genesis games in "plug-and-play" packages resembling the system's controller.
Sonic the Hedgehog
"Sonic Colors", released in November 2010, expanded further on the "Rush" series gameplay with the addition of the use of "Wisps", which gave Sonic various new power-ups and gimmicks. "Sonic Free Riders" was released in November 2010 as a follow-up to the "Sonic Riders" series, and was developed exclusively for Xbox 360's Kinect system. Later on, "Sega Superstars Tennis" for the Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS was released in 2008 and "Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing" for the Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS and PC and iOS was released in 2010, followed by a sequel in 2012.
Sonic Spinball
The game was developed by the American staff of Sega Technical Institute, as the Japanese staff was occupied with developing "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" and "Sonic & Knuckles". When Sega management realized that "Sonic 3" would not be completed in time for the 1993 holiday shopping season, they commissioned another "Sonic" game that would be. The game was hastily designed amid time constraints, with most work taking place over two months. "Sonic Spinball" was released for the Sega Genesis in November 1993, and for the Game Gear and Master System in 1994 and 1995, respectively.
Sonic CD
The Sega CD's flagship game, "Sonic CD" was conceived as an enhanced port of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2", but was reworked after lackluster sales of "Sonic 2" in Japan. Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima directed and Sega developers designed the game to show off the technical capabilities of the Sega CD. The game features the debuts of Amy Rose and Metal Sonic, and includes animated cutscenes produced by Toei Animation. Two soundtracks were composed for the game: the original score was composed by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata, while the North American score was composed by members of Sega Technical Institute.
Sonic Jam
Sonic Jam is a video game compilation developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn. It was released in Japan in June 1997, and in North America and Europe two months later. It 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". It also features a 3D environment, "Sonic World", which acts as an interactive museum of "Sonic the Hedgehog" content.
Sega Saturn
Journalists and fans have speculated about the impact a completed "X-treme" might have had on the market. David Houghton of GamesRadar described the prospect of "a good 3D "Sonic" game" on the Saturn as "a 'What if...' situation on a par with the dinosaurs not becoming extinct." IGN's Tavis Fahs called "X-treme" "the turning point not only for Sega's mascot and their 32-bit console, but for the entire company", but noted that the game served as "an empty vessel for Sega's ambitions and the hopes of their fans". Dave Zdyrko, who operated a prominent Saturn fan website during the system's lifespan, said: "I don't know if ["X-treme"] could've saved the Saturn, but ... "Sonic" helped make the Genesis and it made absolutely no sense why there wasn't a great new "Sonic" title ready at or near the launch of the [Saturn]". In a 2007 retrospective, producer Mike Wallis maintained that "X-treme" "definitely would have been competitive" with Nintendo's "Super Mario 64". By contrast, "Next Generation" reported in late 1996 that the game did not compare well to contemporary competition, and would have harmed Sega's reputation if it had been completed and released. Naka stated that he was relieved by the cancellation, as the game "wasn't looking very good from my perspective".
Sega Genesis
Designed by an R&D team supervised by Hideki Sato and Masami Ishikawa, the hardware was adapted from Sega's System 16 arcade board, centered on a Motorola 68000 processor as the CPU, a Zilog Z80 as a sound controller, and a video system supporting hardware sprites, tiles, and scrolling. The system plays a library of more than 900 games created by Sega and a wide array of third-party publishers and delivered on ROM-based cartridges. The Genesis has benefited from several add-ons, including a Power Base Converter to play Master System games, as well as multiple first and third party licensed variations of the console. Sega created two network services to support the Genesis: Sega Meganet and Sega Channel.
Ristar
Back in late 1994, Sega was originally pitching "Ristar" to be the successor of Sonic the Hedgehog. However, the game never received a ton of exposure or sales, mainly due to being released just three months prior to the Sega Saturn, Sega's successor to the Genesis, overshadowing it. In a 1994 "Electronic Gaming Monthly" interview, Sega marketing staff Lisa Best and Terry Tang claimed "Ristar" was not designed by the same "Sonic" programming team, although much of the game's staff would later go on to create "Nights Into Dreams" for the Saturn, the next game to be officially credited to Sonic Team. This, along with "Ristar's" inclusion in a number of "Sonic" themed compilations and re-releases in subsequent year, would lead game journalists to retroactively label the game as being developed by Sonic Team.
ToeJam &amp; Earl
"ToeJam & Earl" received positive reviews, which Bill Paris of UGO described as "almost unanimous critical acclaim". However, Sega deemed it a commercial failure due to low initial sales. The game built a cult following through word of mouth, and it was further aided by the Sega Genesis's Christmas 1991 sales spike, caused by the release of "Sonic the Hedgehog". "ToeJam & Earl" was later considered a "cult" success. According to Ken Horowitz (2016, p. 74) author of Playing the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games, "In all, the game sold 350,000 copies for Sega, a remarkable feat for such an unconventional title on a fledgling console." "Entertainment Weekly" picked the game as the #9 greatest game available in 1991, saying: "Simply hilarious, from the Warner Bros. cartoon-inspired sound effects to the rap songs players can improvise while using the control pad. "
Sonic Gems Collection
Developer Sonic Team conceived the compilation to introduce younger players to older "Sonic" games. One game they wished to include, "SegaSonic the Hedgehog", was excluded due to emulation difficulties. Sega released "Gems Collection" for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 in August 2005. Reviews were mixed or average; critics were divided over whether the package would satisfy players. They preferred "Sonic CD" and "Vectorman", but found "Sonic the Fighters" and "Sonic R" mediocre, and disliked the Game Gear games. Some were disappointed by the absence of the "Streets of Rage" games in the American version and other "Sonic" games like "Knuckles' Chaotix" and "Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure".
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006 video game)
To celebrate the "Sonic" franchise's 20th anniversary in 2011, Sega released "Sonic Generations", which remade aspects of past "Sonic" games. The PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows versions feature a remake of "Sonic the Hedgehog"s "Crisis City" level, and every version, including the Nintendo 3DS version, includes a reimagined version of the boss battle with Silver. The decision to include "Sonic the Hedgehog" stages and bosses in "Sonic Generations" was criticized by critics and fans of the series; Jim Sterling of "Destructoid" referred to the Silver boss fight as the "catch" of the otherwise high-quality game.
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)
"Sonic"'s success led to an extensive media franchise, with the first of many sequels, "Sonic the Hedgehog 2," released the following year. It has generated dozens of additional games and a large cast of recurring characters, keeping Sonic and Robotnik (later renamed as Eggman) mainstays, and continued beyond Sega's exit from the console industry after the Dreamcast. The series has ventured from platformers to fighting, racing, role-playing, and sports games, and also expanded into anime, manga, cartoons comic books, novels, and toys. "Sonic the Hedgehog" is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, with over 140 million copies sold or downloaded worldwide across consoles, PC’s, mobile phones and tablets by May 2014. The first stage, Green Hill Zone, has been used in several games, such as "Sonic Adventure 2", "Sonic Generations", "Sonic Mania", "Sonic Forces", and the "Super Smash Bros." series.
Sonic Blast
"Sonic Blast" was released worldwide in November 1996, and in Japan as part of the Kid's Gear brand on December 13, 1996, retitled "G Sonic". Worldwide, it was the last Sega-published Game Gear game; it was the system's final game outright in Japan. Though it has a similar title and was released around the same time, "Sonic Blast" and "Sonic 3D Blast" have little in common. The game is fairly common in North America, but "G Sonic" is extremely rare, costing almost 350. A port of the game was released for the Master System exclusively in Brazil in December 1997, distributed by Tectoy. The game had to be simplified to run on the Master System because of its lower graphical quality. Like "G Sonic", the Master System version of "Sonic Blast" is rare.
Sonic Gems Collection
Sonic Gems Collection is a 2005 compilation of Sega video games, primarily those in the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series. The emulated games span multiple genres and consoles—from the Sega Genesis to the Sega Saturn—and retain the features and errors of their initial releases with minimal edits. Player progress is rewarded with demos of other "Sonic" games, videos, and promotional artwork spanning the history of the "Sonic" franchise. While its 2002 predecessor, "Sonic Mega Collection", comprised the more popular "Sonic" games, "Gems Collection" focuses on more obscure games, such as "Sonic CD" and "Sonic the Fighters". Other non-"Sonic" games are included, but some, such as the "Streets of Rage" trilogy, are omitted in the North American localization.
Sega v. Accolade
As a result of the piracy and unlicensed development issues, Sega incorporated a technical protection mechanism into a new edition of the Genesis released in 1990, referred to as the Genesis III. This new variation of the Genesis included code known as the Trademark Security System (TMSS), which, when a game cartridge was inserted into the console, would check for the presence of the string "SEGA" at a particular point in the memory contained in the cartridge. If and only if the string was present, the console would run the game, and would briefly display the message: "PRODUCED BY OR UNDER LICENSE FROM SEGA ENTERPRISES LTD." This system had a twofold effect: it added extra protection against unlicensed developers and software piracy, and it forced the Sega trademark to display when the game was powered up, making a lawsuit for trademark infringement possible if unlicensed software were to be developed. Accolade learned of this development at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1991, at which Sega showed the new Genesis III and demonstrated it screening and rejecting an "Ishido" game cartridge. With more games planned for the following year, Accolade successfully identified the TMSS file. They later added this file to the games "HardBall!", "Star Control", "Mike Ditka Power Football", and "Turrican".
Sonic Team
Sonic Team has developed a number of video games, with many of them becoming bestsellers. The studio is best known for its "Sonic the Hedgehog" series of platform games, which account for the majority of Sonic Team's work; the 1991 release of "Sonic the Hedgehog" is considered one of the most important moments in video game history, as it propelled Genesis sales and displaced Nintendo as the leading video game company. Sonic Team have also developed a wide variety of other games, including action games such as "Nights into Dreams", "Burning Rangers", and "Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg," the online puzzle game "ChuChu Rocket!", the online role-playing game "Phantasy Star Online," and the music game "Samba de Amigo". "Phantasy Star Online" is credited for introducing online RPGs to consoles and was the first online RPG for many players. According to Sean Smith of "Retro Gamer", few companies could claim to have released as many AAA games over such a long period, especially between 1991 and 2000. Some Sonic Team games, such as the original "Sonic" games for the Genesis and "Nights", are considered some of the best video games ever made.
List of Sega Saturn games
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation home video game console that was developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe as the successor to the successful Sega Genesis. The Saturn has a dual-CPU architecture and eight processors. Its games are in CD-ROM format, and its game library contains several arcade ports as well as original titles.
Sonic Mega Collection
According to the director, Yojiro Ogawa, the purpose of the compilation was to introduce younger players to the original games in the "Sonic" series. The games are played through a Genesis emulator developed by Sonic Team themselves. Outside of the games, the compilation includes Sonic-themed videos and illustrations, as well as high-resolution scans of the instruction manuals and "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic covers.
Sonic: After the Sequel
"After the Sequel" is a 2D platformer in the style of the "Sonic" games for the Sega Genesis. As such, it lets the player control either the blue hedgehog Sonic or his orange fox friend Tails. Both characters can move left and right with the arrow keys and jump with the "Z" key; Tails can also fly to reach areas Sonic cannot. The game takes place in seven levels, known as zones, each divided into three acts followed by a boss fight with Doctor Eggman. These zones are designed for fast-paced gameplay, featuring typical "Sonic" obstacles such as bottomless pits and vertical loops. The zones are based on various themes, including haunted houses, cities, magma caverns, winter theme parks, and sugar processing plants.
Sega Genesis
The Sega Genesis, known as the in regions outside of North America, is a 16-bit home video game console developed and sold by Sega. The Genesis was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released the console as the Mega Drive in Japan in 1988, followed by North America as the Genesis in 1989. In 1990, the console was distributed as the Mega Drive by Virgin Mastertronic in Europe, Ozisoft in Australasia, and Tec Toy in Brazil. In South Korea, the systems were distributed by Samsung as the Super Gam*Boy and later the Super Aladdin Boy.
Sonic Spinball
The game has been rereleased on 11 different platforms. The Genesis version of the game has been rereleased on the "Sonic Mega Collection" compilation for the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PCs, "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection" for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and multiple iterations of the "Sega Smash Pack" series of compilations. The Game Gear version appears as an unlockable game in "" for the GameCube and PC, as well as "Sonic Gems Collection" for the GameCube and PlayStation 2. The game was intended to be included in the "Sonic Classic Collection" for the Nintendo DS, but was cut for unspecified reasons. The Genesis version was released on the Wii's Virtual Console on March 12, 2007 in North America and April 5, 2007 in Europe. An emulated form of the game was also made available for iOS devices via Apple's App Store in 2010, but was later removed along with other Sega titles in 2015. On September 13, 2010, it was released on Steam.
Educational games in the Sonic series
As the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series of platform games has grown in popularity, its publisher Sega has expanded the franchise into multiple different genres. Among these are several educational video games designed to appeal to young children. The first attempt to create an educational "Sonic" game was Tiertex Design Studios' "Sonic's Edusoft" for the Master System in late 1991, which was canceled despite having been nearly finished. When Sega launched the Sega Pico in 1994, it released "Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld" and "Tails and the Music Maker" for it. Orion Interactive also developed the 1996 Sega PC game "Sonic's Schoolhouse", which used a 3D game engine and had an exceptionally large marketing budget. In the mid-2000s, LeapFrog Enterprises released educational "Sonic" games for its Leapster and LeapFrog Didj.
Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit video game)
In 1990, Sega released the Game Gear, an 8-bit handheld game console designed to compete with Nintendo's Game Boy. Around the same time, Sonic Team worked on "Sonic the Hedgehog" for the 16-bit Genesis and Sega wanted to increase consumer awareness of the Game Gear by producing a version of "Sonic" for the system. 22-year old composer Yuzo Koshiro had recently started working with Sega, having been asked to compose the soundtrack for the Genesis version of "The Revenge of Shinobi" (1989). After, he told a section chief he could develop games himself. As a result, a general manager, whom Koshiro met while working on "The Revenge of Shinobi", asked him to start developing a Game Gear version of "Sonic". Koshiro founded Ancient to develop the game because Sega could not make contracts with individuals. His sister Ayano Koshiro served as director and his mother Tomo Koshiro had a "behind the scenes" role, while the first programmer he hired was Shinobu Hayashi. The 8-bit "Sonic" was created specifically for the Game Gear, but Sega also had Ancient develop a version for the Master System, which was selling well and had similar hardware.
Sonic Blast
The game was developed by Aspect Co. and published by Sega for the Game Gear. It was the final "Sonic the Hedgehog" game for the system, and has been rereleased on the Master System (1997), through two "Sonic"-themed compilations (2003 and 2004), and the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console (2012). Despite their similar titles and coinciding releases, "Sonic Blast" and "Sonic 3D Blast" have little in common. Retrospective reviewers generally had little praise for "Sonic Blast" and have deemed it one of the series' worst games. Although some considered its graphics impressive when considering the technological restrictions of the Game Gear, most found its animations and colors mediocre. The level designs and slow gameplay were also criticized.
Knuckles' Chaotix
Development of "Knuckles' Chaotix" began in early 1994 as an engine test for the Sega Genesis dubbed "Sonic Crackers". Although Sonic Team is sometimes credited for developing the game, it was developed by another internal Sega development team including young members of the staff who had worked on "Sonic CD" (1993). Developed as an idea for the next "Sonic" game, the prototype featured Sonic and Tails joined together by an elastic band of energy. Development eventually moved to the more powerful 32X add-on for the Genesis. Sonic and Tails were replaced by a group of characters led by Knuckles the Echidna, but the core tethering gameplay was retained. The project was titled "Knuckles' Ringstar", and later "Knuckles' Chaotix". The "Sonic Crackers" prototype ROM image was later leaked online and can be played with emulators.
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
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Sega Saturn
Like the Genesis, the Saturn had an Internet-based gaming service. The Sega NetLink was a 28.8k modem that fit into the cartridge slot in the Saturn for direct dial multiplayer. In Japan, a now defunct pay-to-play service was used. It could also be used for web browsing, sending email, and online chat. Because the NetLink was released before the Saturn keyboard, Sega produced a series of CDs containing hundreds of website addresses so that Saturn owners could browse with the joypad. The NetLink functioned with five games: "Daytona USA", "Duke Nukem 3D", "Saturn Bomberman", "Sega Rally", and "". In 1995 Sega announced it was developing a variant of the Saturn featuring a built-in NetLink modem under the code name "Sega Pluto", but it was never released.
Sonic the Hedgehog
The first "Sonic the Hedgehog" game, released in 1991, was conceived by Sega's Sonic Team division after Sega requested a mascot character to compete with Nintendo's mascot Mario. Its success spawned many sequels and helped Sega become one of the leading video game companies during the 16-bit era of the early 1990s. The first major 3D "Sonic" game, "Sonic Adventure", was released in 1998. Spin-offs have explored other genres, including racing games such as "Sonic R" (1997) and sports games such as "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games" (2007).
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)
Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske wanted reassurance that the character would not fail. The global head of marketing, Al Nilsen, became involved, and playtested the game across the United States with Mario fans: they were shown "Mario" and then played "Sonic the Hedgehog". 80 percent preferred "Sonic the Hedgehog", and the game was shown at the 1991 Summer Consumer Electronics Show. It was released in North America on June 23, 1991, and in the PAL regions and Japan the following month. Sega of America packaged it with American Genesis consoles, replacing "Altered Beast". This tactic enabled Sega of America to sell 15 million Genesis units. Genesis owners who bought their consoles before the switch could request free copies of "Sonic the Hedgehog" by mail. Sega of America created a large-scale marketing campaign, promoting Sonic as its mascot.
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)
"Sonic the Hedgehog" was well received by critics, who praised its visuals, audio, and gameplay. It was also commercially successful, establishing the Genesis as a key player in the 16-bit era and allowing it to compete with Nintendo and their Super Nintendo Entertainment System console. The game has been ported a number of times, and inspired several clones, a successful franchise, and adaptations into other media. It is often cited as one of the greatest video games of all time.
History of Sega
In spite of the launch of the PlayStation and the Saturn, sales of 16-bit hardware/software continued to account for 64% of the video game market in 1995. Sega underestimated the continued popularity of the Genesis, and did not have the inventory to meet demand for the product. Sega was able to capture 43% of the dollar share of the U.S. video game market and sell more than 2 million Genesis units in 1995, but Kalinske estimated that "we could have sold another 300,000 Genesis systems in the November/December timeframe." Nakayama's decision to focus on the Saturn over the Genesis, based on the systems' relative performance in Japan, has been cited as the major contributing factor in this miscalculation. According to Sega Technical Institute head Roger Hector, after Sony's release of the PlayStation, the atmosphere at Sega became political, with "lots of finger-pointing".