Now, for the first time on GBA! The original Sonic The Hedgehog that busted the speed barrier wide open on the SEGA Genesis is coming to the Game Boy Advance with exciting new features! For the first time, you'll be able to save your high scores and progress as you rocket through the seven gravity-defying stages that started it all. Outrun Dr. Robotnik and his badniks in Original Mode, race through the famous loop-de-loops even faster with Sonic's trademark Spin Dash in Anniversary Mode which celebrates Sonic's 15th birthday.
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12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Sega, what have you done?Aug 08, 2007
By DannyAKA23 Sonic the Hedgehog; a name that even the beginners in video games can recognize. It was the very first game I played, and it shaped the way I played video games. It impressed a lot of critics of that time for its intense speed action, great soundtrack, wacky bonus stages, and a lot of other elements that would shape up the future of the hedgehog's over 15 year career. It was pretty callenging, but with a game like this, you could adapt with the challenge.
Like with many classic games, Sonic spawned several sequels such as "Sonic 2," "Sonic 3," "Sonic & Knuckles," "Sonic 3D Blast," and a lot of other fun games (okay, except for maybe that last one). They were all just as challenging, and some even argue over which is the best one (I'd have to say "Sonic 2" is the best). The original Sonic game was ported into many different versions, and most of them turned out to be quite successful. All of them.... but one.
In an attempt to undo the damage that was caused to Sonic in "Sonic the Hedgehog" for the Xbox 360 and PS3 (often known by "Sonic Next-Gen"), Sega decided to port the original Sonic game to the GBA. This port, titled "Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis," was released for an on-the-go experience of the classic game and, like I said in the aforementioned statement, was an attempt to cover up what was done to Sonic in his next-generation console debut. Did it succeed?
No, it did not.
There are so many flaws and glitches in this version that it isn't even funny! What are these flaws, you may ask? Well, where do I begin....
I guess I should start with the "Anniversary Mode" that was ported along with this version. The spindash (which debut in "Sonic 2") was added to the AM, which I think was pretty cool, but.... THAT'S ALL THEY ADDED! Otherwise, it's just the same thing. Another thing that bothered me was the fact that the top and bottom were cut off, leaving absolutely no caution of an aerial attack. This flaw is especially fatal in the Springyard Zone.
The glitches; holy cow! You can die in the stupidest ways in this version! For example, in the Star Light Zone, when the platforms let down as a staircase (you should know what I'm talking about), if you're in between the steps, you'll get crushed. I mean, this game's glitches can be extremely fatal if you're not careful.
The music; many versions have tried to revive the great music of this game, and while most are pretty close, they are still not as great as the Genesis version. But come on! The music in this version is horrible. Especially in the Springyard and Labyrinth Zones, and those are two of my favorite music tracks! The GBA can support the music more than the Genesis could, and in some cases, the GBA should be superior to the Genesis. But this game has proved many people wrong.
The sound effects; there were a variety of sounds when you were destroying things. But in this version? It's just the same stupid "bwop" noise (or at least, that's what it sounds like to me). Absolutely unoriginal. When you destroy Robotnik, it's not the cool "boom, boom, boom!" noise anymore. It's this annoying "bwomp, bwomp, bwomp" noise. Even the air bubble effect is ruined too. It goes from a "wha at!" noise to a "da di!" noise. It's so horrible, though, that it's hilarious!
Graphics; okay, I'll have to admit that the graphics are near perfect, but there are some flaws in it as well. For example, in the Labyrinth Zone, the robotic jaws fish are purple in this version, when in the original, they were red. Also, the springs. You'd think that because the sun was shining on top of them, the top of the springs would be bright. But it's completely switched! The top is shadowed and the bottom is brightened.
*Sighs* I just can't believe it. How could Sega ruin their own masterpiece like this? What was to be Sonic the Hedgehog on the go turned into a complete and utter disaster for the fans of the world to see. Overall, if you want the true version of this game, then get the one and only Sonic the Hedgehog. You can also get the Sonic Mega Collection version, but Sonic doesn't go as fast as he does in the Genesis version (which is completely opposite to the GBA version, in which he goes very slow!).
Other than that, avoid this at all cost. It isn't worth your time!
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Don't get this versionDec 13, 2006
By James David Rousey
"knows good games"
I bought this game to have my favorite classic on the go but man was it a waste of money. The past releases of this game on gamecube, genesis, Wii, etc. worked fine but when it came to the advance it had serious slowdown bug issues and even the music was a bit different and sounded horrible. The game is great but not for the advance. Get it for another system.
8 of 10 found the following review helpful:
It's an okay re-releaseNov 18, 2006
By I'm hungry. feed me This GBA re-release of Sega Genesis' "Sonic the hedgehog" is not the same as it was. It has a couple improvements. 1. Save feature and 2. Spin-dash move (As introduced in STH 2). Now, these 2 additions are improvements. Yes, it's great that Sonic can now Spin-Dash out of Danger but in tis GBA re-release, Sonic Jumps way too high and runs way too fast which puts him in even more danger. And at times, the game moves very slowly. That is the only problem with this re-release. The faster running and higher jumping makes the game a little more difficult to play. The faster running and higher jumping and slowness take a little getting used to. I don't get it, on the GBA "Sega Smash Pack" with "Sonic Spinball" (ASIN : B0000631W9), the only modification is that the score and lives board can now be removed from the screen with the select button. This re-release just has too much modification but I think it is still worth owning. I hoe if Sonic 2, 3 get GBA releases, they won't feature modification which will make it go slow like this one does.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Finally on GBA, but...Dec 02, 2006
By Big Hack When I heard that this game was going to be released for the Game Boy Advance, I was very excited. I had been waiting since 2001 for the release of Genesis games on Game Boy. I collect all of the Sonic The Hedgehog games and I have been a huge fan since 1991. When I purchased this game, I was disappointed. The graphics are similar to the original version, but is rather too slow. Sonic games are supposed to push the limits on the game consoles by how fast he is, instead the ame has slowed way down. I do recall slow moments on the Genesis, but those didn't seem to bother at the time, actually they still don't. I am guessing it has to do with the memory ram, the genesis had 64 kb of ram while Game Boy Advance has 32. If haven't played this game ever, then I recomend it, otherwise it is not worth having in your collection.
12 of 16 found the following review helpful:
The original Sonic on the GBA? It can't possibly be screwed up, right? Right?Nov 17, 2006
By N. Durham
"Big Evil"
The original, classic Sonic the Hedgehog from Sega's Genesis ported to the GBA seems like something that is impossible to be screwed up. After all, with everything else to grace the GBA the past few years, how could anyone possibly screw up porting the 16-bit classic to the GBA? Well guess what? Someone did. The first thing you'll notice is that the game looks like the classic speed fest you remember, then you'll notice the sudden slowdown and lag time that plagues the game from the moment you pop it in. Now I know there was some brief moments of lag time in the original game, but never anything like this. Not only does this nearly ruin what could have been a perfect port of a classic game we all know and love, it's pretty much a reason to leave Sonic Genesis on the shelf. You can do the Sonic Spin Dash now (you couldn't do it until Sonic 2) and the game includes a battery backed save feature, but the lag time kills what could have been a great little game on the GBA. All in all, chances are you've played the original Sonic on the Genesis or on one of Sega's many compilation games on various consoles, but for those who never took a dive into one of the most influential and original video game series' ever, avoid this GBA port and check out one of Sega's collections on the consoles.
based on 24 reviews
( 24 customer reviews )
