Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)
From Videogame Morgue File
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 1991 platform game released by Sega in June 1991. The first installment in the series of the same name, it would prove to be a massive success in the West, bolstering sales of the Mega Drive (Genesis in North America) and establishing it as a serious rival to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
History[edit]
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 September 1991
"Behind the Screens" feature on the game's development and release
Previews[edit]
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 August 1990
Part of the magazine's coverage of the 1990 Tokyo Toy Show
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 August 1990
Part of the magazine's coverage of the 1990 Tokyo Toy Show
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 August 1990
Blurb
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 September 1990
Part of the magazine's coverage of the 1990 Tokyo Toy Show
Génération 4
🇫🇷 February 1991
Mean Machines
🇬🇧 February 1991
Blurb regarding the game's appearance at the 1991 Winter Consumer Electronic Show
Computer & Video Games
🇬🇧 March 1991
Part of the magazine's coverage of the 1991 Winter Consumer Electronic Show
ACE
🇬🇧 April 1991
Part of the magazine's coverage of the 1991 Winter Consumer Electronic Show
Beep! MegaDrive
🇯🇵 April 1991
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 April 1991
Sega Visions
🇺🇸 April/May 1991
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 April 1991
Blurb
Game Players
🇺🇸 April 1991
GamePro
🇺🇸 April 1991
Originally printed on non-consecutive pages
Sega Power
🇬🇧 May 1991
Coverage of Sega's presence at the 1991 Consumer Electronic Show, including various other games
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 May 1991
Raze
🇬🇧 June 1991
Edited together from two consecutive pages for readability
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 May 1991
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 June 1991
Computer & Video Games
🇬🇧 June 1991
Game Players Sega Guide!
🇺🇸 June/July 1991
Sega Power
🇬🇧 July 1991
Also features part of an interview with people from Virgin (which is mostly, but not entirely, unrelated to Sonic)
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 July 1991
Mega Force
🇫🇷 July/August 1991
Sega Players Enjoy Club
🇯🇵 July 8, 1991
Magazine covers[edit]
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 May 1991
Sega Visions
🇺🇸 Summer 1991
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment
🇺🇸 June 1991
Beep! MegaDrive
🇯🇵 July 1991
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 July 1991
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 August 1991
Computer + Video Giochi
🇮🇹 September 1991
Features[edit]
Sega Visions
🇺🇸 Summer 1991
Beep! MegaDrive
🇯🇵 July 1991
Also includes an interview
Mega Play
🇺🇸 July/August 1991
Cheat codes and an infinite lives trick
Beep! MegaDrive
🇯🇵 August 1991
Guide to Labyrinth and Star Light Zone
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 August 1991
Guide to Marble Zone
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 August 1991
Cheat codes and tricks
Game Players Sega Guide!
🇺🇸 August/September 1991
Guide to every stage in the game
Beep! MegaDrive
🇯🇵 September 1991
Level select code
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 September 1991
Full guide
Computer & Video Games
🇬🇧 September 1991
Level select code
Raze
🇬🇧 October 1991
Guide (including codes, tips, and more)
Consoles +
🇫🇷 September 1991
General guide, including a map of Green Hill Zone's first act
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 October 1991
Level select code
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 October 1991
Tips on Spring Yard Zone's boss
Mega Force
🇫🇷 September/October 1991
Comprehensive guide to the entire game
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 September 1991
"Code" that causes Sonic to die in attract mode & the ending
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 September 1991
Outline of the game's ending
Computer & Video Games
🇬🇧 October 1991
Tips for every boss
Ação Games
🇧🇷 October 1991
Guide to each zone
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 October 1991
Guide to the first two zones
Reader letters[edit]
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 November 1990
Pre-release letter featuring another early screenshot
Mega Drive Fan
🇯🇵 October 1991
Also includes a piece of reader fanart
Advertising[edit]
Print ad
🇬🇧 1991
Taken from issue 9 of Mean Machines (dated June 1991)
Print ad
🇯🇵 1991
Taken from Beep! MegaDrive's July 1991 issue
Print ad
🇯🇵 1991
Taken from Mega Drive Fan's August 1991 issue; also advertises promotional plushies distributed in Sega's claw machines
Reviews[edit]
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment
🇺🇸 June 1991
Video Games
🇩🇪 June 7, 1991
Games-X
🇬🇧 June 27 - July 3, 1991
Frequently compares the game to Super Mario World, down to printing scores for both titles at the end
New Computer Express
🇬🇧 June 29, 1991
Mean Machines
🇬🇧 July 1991
Mega Play
🇺🇸 July/August 1991
Panel review
Electronic Gaming Monthly
🇺🇸 July 1991
Panel review
Joystick
🇫🇷 July/August 1991
Beep! MegaDrive
🇯🇵 August 1991
Panel review
Computers & Video Games
🇬🇧 August 1991
Sega Power
🇬🇧 September 1991
Megazone
🇦🇺 August/September 1991
Computer + Video Giochi
🇮🇹 September 1991
The Games Machine
🇮🇹 September 1991
Hobby Consolas
🇪🇸 October 1991
Micromania (second period)
🇪🇸 October 1991
Miscellaneous[edit]
Sega Players Enjoy Club
🇯🇵 November 1990
Feature about Dreams Come True & their involvement with the game's soundtrack
Sega Players Enjoy Club
🇯🇵 November 1990
Feature about Sonic as a character (featuring Dreams Come True)
GamePro
🇺🇸 June 1991
Announcement of a Sonic-related contest to win various Sonic/Sega prizes
Mean Machines
🇬🇧 July 1991
News item about Sega of America's efforts to block British wholesalers from importing and reselling American copies early
Computers & Video Games
🇬🇧 August 1991
Poster
Forum posts[edit]
References[edit]