Sonic the Hedgehog

He's back :o

Despite being in the minority, I stay true to my roots. No, this isn't referring to my home town, my morals, my parents or my ethnicity. I'm talking about staying true to my roots in gaming. It's sometimes hard to find someone like me in this sense. Everyone always talks about these classic NES games, and sure I know about them, but certainly not as deeply as others do. That's because I am one with Team Sonic.

Playing games since before I was 3,  my first game wasn't a Sonic or Mario title. I played Sega Master System games and the like- but when games really came into my life is with the release of the Sega Genesis. This was the first system I got that came out after my birth. Back then it didn't really mean anything special, but I didn't need any significance to fall in love with the system. That bit can be attributed directly to Sega's blue spiked mascot Sonic.

The game that started my journey

I can remember playing Sonic the Hedgehog for the first time at my very young age. I didn't quite understand how the game worked. Act 2 of the Green Hill Zone had me stumped. I would run forward across the bridge only to die. I'm pretty sure it took me a day to realize that Sonic needed to have a ring in hand in order for him to survive a hit while not in a ball. Dumb sure, but I was 3 at the time. I doubt I beat the game back then, but I loved to play it. And when Sonic 2, 3, and Knuckles came out, it was the most amazing experience.

Cooperative games have recently come back into play, but I have in possession three or four cooperative games on the Sega Master System in my home right now. I had always said that a coop game would make a killing in today's market. It seems someone has finally heard my voice looking at some of the biggest hits from this generation of consoles. Anyways, not to get off course- I played these games all the time with my sister; so when Sonic 2 came out and you could control tails with the second controller, this was a blessing. Tails always fell behind only to have to re-spawn from above. Maybe I abused the little guy too much. Regardless, being able to have my sister jump in and participate (though minimally) was great fun. If something was too hard for me back then, she could get all the hits needed as I paced around safely avoiding the obstacles. It was even more useful beyond Sonic 3. Who needed to be able to play perfectly to get to the higher, more rewarding paths? "Sis, can you fly me up to that golden ring?" Don't get me wrong- I loved the challenge of the game and I was more then good enough to do it myself, but as I mentioned before, having the extra interaction of a friend elevated the joy as I could share it with someone.

Fast forward through the years that later followed. The dreaded "Sonic Cycle" brought us game after game of Sonic that just didn't quite meet the standards it deserved. I've played just about every single one of them and I have enjoyed them too (with the exception maybe of Sonic 2006). I'm starting to feel that it is safe to say that the cycle has been broken. Sonic 4 comes out on the 12th of October, and based on the first impressions of the media, it will not disappoint. The Sonic Cycle as we know it may be over, but considering this first episode in the Sonic 4 series is more of a remake of the original classic levels, we may be in a new cycle. Regardless, I am extremely excited to run through this game several times. It looks just as fun as the originals have been. As a side note, I make it a habit to play through Sonic 1, 2, and 3&K at least once a year. A couple years ago, I played through all of them emulated on my PSP. This year I played them at work emulated on the computers there. There have been many cases where I played them on my old Genesis too (with my sister no less!).

Sonic is wonderfully emulated on the PSP

I enjoy Mario games too, and I must admit- Sonic games are somewhat "HOLD RIGHT TO WIN." But I love the character, I love the game, it's fast pace, it's platforming challenge, and it's visual splendors of Sonic racing through some of the most bizarre environments. I am a Sonic fan to the core, and the good news surrounding this new classic inspired installment has once again brought the nostalgia goggles over my eyes.