Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game icon -- which many of us grew up with! There was something enchanting about playing the speedy little hedgehog around the different zones on a rainy summer afternoon. The Sega Genesis came into the video game scene with a bang, with the console putting Nintendo's own Super Nintendo on notice. In the long run, Nintendo might have won, but Sonic still lives on.

The first installment of the franchise focuses on Sonic and his lifetime antagonist, Dr. Robotnik. Robotnik is sick and tired of being foiled by Sonic, so he journey's to South Island to collect the Chaos Emeralds. These Chaos Emeralds have the power to bring life to the area's inhabitants or power nuclear weapons. It's now up to Sonic -- and you -- to make sure Robotnik doesn't get his hands on the Chaos Emeralds!

While the Sega Genesis is no longer being made, many of the original games can be found on most of today's big consoles. For the Xbox port, not much has changed. Sonic looks brilliant even today, and even though the graphics are 30 years old, this game is still eye-catching.

The Green Zone is vibrant and alive, and while some of the smaller animals may seem a bit pixelated, watching them scurry away after Sonic rescues them is simply too cute. The 3-D aspects really pop on the Xbox, but having a newer television helps a lot too.

Score's the Same

Accompanying the graphics is the familiar game score. The upbeat tempo keeps players motivated, while the music that plays right before Sonic dies (you know which song I'm talking about) is still anxiety-inducing. Sonic the Hedgehog might seem like an easy game to beat, but if you haven't played it in a long while, you will be rusty.

This game is engrossing and fun, but the boss levels do get increasingly difficult. New and old players will be frustrated with later levels. Still, there's nothing like that feeling of victory after beating the game! There's very little in the way of glitches as well.  I have no doubt this game was cleaned up before being exported to the consoles of today. All in all, this game took me less than a day to beat.

'Bout those Buttons

On the original console, the response time from the controller to screen was quick -- but sometimes my Genesis buttons would get stuck. With the new Xbox controller, there was some concern that the controls would feel too loose, resulting in Sonic going faster than the player might have intended, but thankfully that isn't the case.

Players will quickly adapt to this controller, as it does mimic the original Genesis one. As an added bonus, you no longer need a cartridge, or a game disc, to play. Players can access Sonic the Hedgehog through most console (and phone!) stores. This might disappoint some of you, but this saves space, and you don't have to worry about the cartridge or disc not working at some point.

As stated earlier, not much has changed. This is still the same platform game we know and love. If you're looking for a good nostalgia kick, or want to introduce younger players to a classic, you can't go wrong with Sonic the Hedgehog!

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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent investment advice on behalf of GoCollect.