Sonic the Hedgehog. From his first battles with Dr. Ivo Robotnik in the first Sonic game for the Sega Genesis, to his Adventures on the Dreamcast, even on to some of his recent adventures, such as Sonic Colors, that little blue blur of speed and his friends have remained a staple in most gamers’ libraries for years on end. As Sonic the Hedgehog approaches 25 years, we here at The Outerhaven wish to share our memories of the “Fastest Hedgehog in the World” as we matured through the years.
Clinton Bowman (@NavigatorBowman)
My first memory with Sonic the Hedgehog was well far back in 1995, when I got my Sega Genesis (which I still have in working condition.) It was the Model 2 packed in with Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and from the first time I booted up that console with the cartridge in the control deck, I was enamored with the game. I remember humming along with tracks such as Emerald Hill, Oil Ocean and one I still hum to this day, Hill Top. I never really beat the game in its entirety until about 2001, mostly because I kept getting frustrated with the Death Egg Robot, nonetheless, just playing through Sonic 2, even up to recently when I streamed a complete play through of the game, brings sheer joy to my heart. Sonic 3 and Knuckles, Sonic Colors and Sonic Advance 2 are some of my other favorites in the series, but none of them hold a candle to the sheer genius that was Sonic 2.
Delaila Lugo (@ASSASSINA_SAN)
I played the first Sonic the Hedgehog around 4 years old on my brothers Sega Genesis but didn’t really become immersed into the series until Sonic & Knuckles. At age 7, I was old enough to grasp video game controls without just spamming buttons to traverse the stages and collect rings. While the fast blue creature that served as Sega’s poster boy was engraved in my memory, I didn’t quite fall in love with Sonic like I did Knuckles. I remember going to an amusement park and begging my dad to win me a Knuckles plush toy (back when those prizes weren’t bootleg). While I cannot recollect the precise reason for connecting to Knuckles besides being super cute and red being my favorite color at the time; his brawny fighting style along with his introverted personality made him the perfect rival for Sonic. With Sonic Generations in 2011, I was able to re-evaluate why Sonic was so fun to play as a kid. The soundtrack sticks with me until this day, giving me nostalgia-driven goosebumps; most notably Emerald Hill.
Cody Maynard (@CFMaynard)
Sonic The Hedgehog was a staple at my house. During my Sega Genesis years, if I wasn’t playing Mortal Kombat, I was playing Sonic the Hedgehog. While the first game was a great debut, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 was where it was at, and I can still recall that sound the game makes when Sonic is about to drown because he can’t find an air bubble. Also, let’s not forget the Casino Night level. Sonic & Knuckles was pretty dope for letting me play as Knuckles, because seriously when you can glide around as Knuckles, why even play as Sonic anymore? Those main titles aside, one of the games I have the most memories of, probably because it was so brutally punishing to me as a kid, was Sonic Spinball. To this day I have not beaten it, and I’m not entirely sure that I could if I tried.
Keith Mitchell (@Keithdmitchell)
Ah, Sonic the Hedgehog. I still remember the day when a friend of mine had invited me over to play this new game that had a “Hedgehog that runs really fast.” Ever since then, Sonic has been one of my favorite gaming mascots of all time, hell, I even place him above a certain mushroom devolving plumber. It was just the way that Sega presented Sonic the Hedgehog that had me drawn to the game. The speed, amazing for its time, was a breath of fresh air. Combined with the free flowing levels, the toe-tapping jams and of course, the bonus stages were the stuff of legends. Ever since my initial introduction, I was hooked on just about every Sega Genesis, Song the Hedgehog title and has beaten them all, multiple times. And yes, that also includes the Sonic 3D Blast title as well.
And in true fashion, as soon as I became a father and my children were old enough to play video games without dying, I sat them down and introduced them to Sonic. My daughter didn’t take to the series as easily as my son did, as he proceeded to install Sonic the Hedgehog games on anything he could. At one point every Android device in the house had one form of Sonic on it
I really miss the Sonic of olde’ and keep thinking that one day Sega will figure out how to many the once great Hedgehog, great again. Until then, Sonic Generations stay in heavy rotation at my house.
Favorite Sonic the Hedgehog games: Sonic 3 and Knuckles and Sonic Generations.
https://youtu.be/UwGfnYH967s
