[#06] Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)


Genre: Platform
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Original release: June, 1991

Quenching the original thirst of a need for speed, Sonic the Hedgehog exploded onto the scene in 1991 as one of the first of few characters to ever rival that of Mario and Zelda. Sega's trademark character and spokesperson hit it big, appearing in multiple game sequels, spin-offs and TV shows. But is the game that started it all worth your ever so valuable Wii Points? Well, duh...

One of the most well-polished titles of its era, Sonic the Hedgehog (while retaining its two-faced simplicity) was all about collecting rings, gaining points and bringing down Dr.Robotnik (more contemporarily known as Eggman). Every 100 rings collected without interruption meant an extra life, but coming in undesired contact with an enemy results in watching the rings bounce wildly from Sonic's grasp. Run out of rings and run into a foe and well, let's just say you'll be 100 rings in debt, if you catch my drift. Thankfully though, losing a life doesn't mean starting over again from scratch. There are several checkpoints spread throughout each level, allowing for a time-saving reset point. If Sonic has 50 or more rings in his possession by the end of a level, a giant ring will appear for him to hop through, taking him to a bonus pinball-like stage to rack up a few more points, if not lives.


If Sonic couldn't even crack our top 5, you know something is wrong with our heads... or maybe the next five games are just that good. Keep reading to decide for yourself, or print out our rankings and stomp on them - it's really up to you!