Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game) composer Masato Nakamura
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 1991 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. The first game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, it was released in North America on June 23 and in PAL regions and Japan the following month. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, who can run at supersonic speeds; Sonic sets out on a quest to defeat Dr. Robotnik, a scientist who has imprisoned animals in robots and seeks the powerful Chaos Emeralds. The gameplay involves collecting rings as a form of health, and a simple control scheme, with jumping and attacking controlled by a single button.
Development began in 1990 when Sega ordered its developers to create a game featuring a mascot for the company. The developers chose a blue hedgehog designed by Naoto Oshima after he won an internal character design contest, and named themselves Sonic Team to match their character. It uses a novel technique that allows Sonic's sprite to roll along curved scenery which was based on a concept by Oshima from 1989. Sonic the Hedgehog, designed for fast gameplay, was influenced by games by Super Mario series creator Shigeru Miyamoto. The music was composed by Masato Nakamura, bassist of the J-pop band Dreams Come True.
Sonic the Hedgehog was well received by critics, who praised its visuals, audio, and gameplay. It is widely considered one of the greatest video games of all time. It was also commercially successful, becoming one of the best-selling video games of all time with approximately 24 million copies sold worldwide across all platforms; it established the Genesis as a key player in the 16-bit era and allowing it to compete with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It has been ported a number of times, and inspired several clones, a successful franchise, and adaptations into other media. It was followed by Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 1992.
author songwriter creator maker writer