Day 26 of 100 Happy Gaming Days: Sonic the Hedgehog

Today marks Sonic's 23rd anniversary, so let's celebrate with a 100 Happy Gaming Days post.

Sonic the Hedgehog was released in 1991 for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, providing Sega with a much needed mascot that could rival Nintendo and Mario.

The story-line for Sonic was pretty simple; the mad scientist Dr Robotnik has turned a bunch of cute animal critters into horrible robots and it's up to Sonic to save them. The game is very well paced with the Green Hill Zone allowing you to get to grips with Sonic's controls and super speed, with later levels introducing new enemies and hazards for you to overcome. 

Sonic the Hedgehog also featured a flawless soundtrack, the Starlight Zone theme being my favourite, setting the standard for all future soundtracks in the Sonic series.      

I remember getting a Mega Drive bundled with Sonic the Hedgehog for my birthday. It took me ages to defeat Dr Robotnik at the end of the Green Hill Zone, it didn't help that I discovered the now-notorious level select cheat, but at least I can now say I can beat Sonic the Hedgehog honestly...sort of.

Some might say the years haven't been kind to gaming's favourite hedgehog, but I think that we can all agree that the first game is a timeless classic that's chock full of memorable moments. Everyone remembers the first time they raced through a loop at breakneck speed, destroyed their first badnik or when they discovered their first Chaos Emerald. Let me know your favourite Sonic memories in the comments section below and I'll be back tomorrow with another Happy Gaming Day.

Happy Birthday Sonic.