Review 13: Sonic The Hedgehog (Sega Master System)

No, this is not a review of the original 16-bit Sonic The Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis. Instead, this bi-week's review will be on the lesser-known, 8-bit port of Sonic The Hedgehog for the Sega Master System, released on October 25, 1991. Let's see how this game fares with its more popular counterpart.

Gameplay: 8/10

The gameplay in this port is generally the same as its counterpart: run, spin jump, collect rings and on some occasions defeat the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik in zones divided up into 3 acts. However, there are a few differences, most negative. For starters, the game is much slower than the Genesis version, most likely because the Master System couldn't handle it. Also, the levels are much more straightforward and less psychedelic- heck, there aren't any loop-de-loops. However, there are less badniks- enemy animals in robotic shells- to oppose you, a positive covered up by the fact that you cannot pick up your rings once you get hit. That's right. Get hit once, and you can't regain health unless you find other rings. There are six zones in this port: Green Hill Zone, Labyrinth Zone and Scrap Brain Zone from the original, and three totally new (well, I guess you would call it old now) zones, Bridge Zone, Jungle Zone and Sky Base Zone for this one, with completely different layouts. And finally, another difference is that the Chaos Emeralds, as opposed to being in the special stages in the Genesis version, are hidden in one of the two non-boss acts in the zones.

Graphics- 9/10

Ah, yes. The main difference you will notice (immediately, anyways) is the graphical changes they had to make to bring Sonic over to the Master System. The graphics now have a scarcer palette and generally look less appealing (8-bit compared to 16-bit, duh). However, for 8-bit, it's pretty darn good. Below is a comparison of the two games.



16-bit



8-bit



16-bit



8-bit



16-bit



8-bit

Music: 10/10

The music sounds pretty good when converted to 8-bit style. Including favorites such as the Green Hill Zone theme, this game also has brand new songs for the new zones instead of just ripping the soundtrack from the original and converting it for the Master System. Something notable is that the Bridge Zone music (my personal favorite, by the way) is essentially the same thing as Believe In Myself, Tails' theme from Sonic Adventure 2.

Overall: 9/10

This port is more than a port. It actually feels more like a standalone game, what with new zones, new music and the other gameplay changes stated above. This is a true Sonic game.

Available in Wii Shop Channel for: 500 Wii Points