Sonic Games

The famous Sonic the Hedgehog platform games have been enjoyed for many years on video game systems, and now many are also available to play on the computer.

Created in 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog soon became video game company SEGA's mascot and a rival to other highly popular video game characters. The games have endured due to the colorful and fun characters, lushly developed levels and timeless playability. They're fun to enjoy again and again, no matter how many times they're beaten.

The earliest Sonic games, while remaining two-dimensional as other video games were at the time, still managed to be unique in the utter depth and rich color of the levels. Some of the iconic designs, such as the checkered loop-de-loops and the striking green grass and background trees, were present right from the start. Each installment brought several new and exciting game worlds to explore that were always very different from each other. And unlike certain other popular video games, where just being hit by a bad guy was enough to lose a life, the Sonic games introduced something that made game play much easier: the golden rings that can be collected throughout each level. Even today, as long as the character has even one ring, being attacked by a bad guy will not immediately end their life.

Just as important as game play is the cast of characters. A good video game must have engaging and memorable characters, and Sonic the Hedgehog has never been an exception. Sonic himself is a cheerful bright blue hedgehog, capable of reaching high levels of speed. His best friend is a helpful two-tailed fox nicknamed Tails who began appearing starting with Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Other allies include Knuckles, a tough red echidna with the ability to break things and climb walls with his sharp knuckles, Amy Rose, a temperamental pink female hedgehog who crushes on Sonic and wields a large hammer and Shadow the Hedgehog, a sometimes-rival who equals Sonic in speed but is a much darker character in personality. The villain of the series is Dr. Eggman, sometimes known as Robotnik, a mad scientist intent on building robots and conquering the world with them. Sonic is his most-hated enemy, and the battles between them have been a staple of the series from the very beginning.

Beginning with Sonic 3D Blast in the late 1990s, the Sonic games began a shift towards three-dimensional gaming. The racing game Sonic R was another early experiment in this direction. By 1998, the characters were redesigned, given voices and brought to life again in the landmark Sonic Adventure. The games have continued on that path since then, with the 3D levels allowing new opportunities for exploration and fascinating designs.

Pros

Rich colors

Adventurous levels

Fun characters

Easy game play

Enjoyable to replay

Cons

Some games only feature one playable character, even recent ones

Some early games make it difficult or impossible to save your game

The early 3D games can be jerky and dizzying