View source for Game:Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)

{{Game
|title=Sonic the Hedgehog
|image=Sonic1BoxUSA.webp
|developer=Sonic Team
|publisher=Sega
|platform=Sega Genesis
|ReleaseDates={{ReleaseDate
|date=1991-06-23
|region=NA
}}{{ReleaseDate
|date=1991-07-26
|region=JPN
}}{{ReleaseDate
|date=1991-06-21
|region=PAL
}}
|Contributors={{Linked Contributors
|contributor=Masato Nakamura
|role=Composer, Sound Produce
}}{{Linked Contributors
|contributor=Hiroshi Kubota
|role=Sound Program
|notes=credited as "Jimita"
}}{{Linked Contributors
|contributor=Contributor:Yukifumi Makino
|role=Sound Program
|notes=credited as "Macky"
}}
}}
'''''Sonic the Hedgehog''''' (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ) is a platform game developed by [[Sonic Team]] and published by [[Sega]] for the [[Sega Genesis]]. It was first released in North America on June 23, 1991, then in PAL regions and Japan the following July. This is the first game in the long-running ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (series)|Sonic]]'' video game series. The game stars the titular character [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic]] and his quest to defeat the evil [[Dr. Eggman|Dr. Robotnik]], who has captured animals in robots and taken the Chaos Emeralds. 

''Sonic the Hedgehog'''s music was composed by [[Contributor:Dreams Come True|Dreams Come True]] bass guitarist [[Contributor:Masato Nakamura|Masato Nakamura]].

== Composition ==

<!-- this should be a generalized overview of the composition of the game's entire soundtrack. Motifs, etc. -->

=== Influences ===

<!-- if there are any musical influences, mention them here -->

== Sound test ==
[[File:Sonic1LevelSelect.png|right|thumb]]
The [[sound test]], called "Sound Select," is part of the game's [[level select]]. This is accessed by inputting ↑ ↓ ← → (or ↑ ↓ ↓ ↓ ← → in the Japanese version) on the title screen. A ring chime will sound, and then holding down A and pressing start will enter the Level Select screen. 

This is a list of the tracks playable in the sound test:

* 81: [[Track:Green Hill Zone|Green Hill Zone]]
* 82: [[Track:Labyrinth Zone|Labyrinth Zone]]
* 83: [[Track:Marble Zone|Marble Zone]]
* 84: [[Track:Star Light Zone|Star Light Zone]]
* 85: [[Track:Spring Yard Zone|Spring Yard Zone]]
* 86: [[Track:Scrap Brain Zone|Scrap Brain Zone]]
* 87: [[Track:Invincibility|Invincibility]]
* 88: [[Track:1-Up|1-Up]]
* 89: [[Track:Special Stage|Special Stage]]
* 8A: [[Track:Title (Game:Sonic the Hedgehog (1991))|Title]]
* 8B: [[Track:All Clear (Game:Sonic the Hedgehog (1991))|All Clear]]
* 8C: [[Track:Boss|Boss]]
* 8D: [[Track:Final Zone|Final Zone]]
* 8E: [[Track:Stage Clear|Stage Clear]]
* 8F: [[Track:Game Over|Game Over]]
* 90: [[Track:Continue|Continue]]
* 91: [[Track:Staff Roll|Staff Roll]]
* 92: [[Track:Drowning|Drowning]]
* 93: [[Track:Chaos Emerald|Chaos Emerald]]

== Soundfonts and instrumentation ==

The original [[demo tracks]] produced by Masato Nakamura used [[MIDI]] versions of instruments. The in-game music was programmed to be played by the Sega Genesis [[Sound chip|sound chips]]: the [[Yamaha YM2612]] and the [[Texas Instruments SN76489 PSG]].

== Contributors ==

{{Linked Contributors List}}

== Alternate versions and ports ==

''Sonic the Hedgehog'' has been [[Port|ported]] multiple times to many different systems.

In 2005, the game was offered on the Sonic Cafe service in Japan for mobile phones. Another version called ''[[Game:Sonic the Hedgehog Mobile|Sonic the Hedgehog Mobile]]'' was also released for mobile phones under the Sega Mobile banner.

For Sonic's 15th anniversary, ''[[Game:Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis|Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis]]'', a port of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', was released for the [[Game Boy Advance]] in November 2006. This version was universally panned by critics, with a 33/100 on Metacritic. Most criticism was focused at the poor emulation, graphical glitches, and audio quality. The music is simpler renditions for use on the Game Boy Advance. Some of the sound effects are sampled from the Sega Genesis, while others are generated from simple square waves and a noise channel. Some sound effects are missing. Music gets out of sync with the game frequently, most noticeably during the credits.

An [[iPod]] version of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' was released in 2007 and was compatible with iPod Nano (3rd, 4th, 5th Generation) and iPod classic (5th Generation).

In 2013, [[Game:Sonic the Hedgehog (2013)|an enhanced version]] of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' was released by Christian Whitehead as a replacement of the 2009 iOS version with new features, settings, and modes. This release features a [[Remaster|remastered]] version of the soundtrack.

As part of Sega's 3D Classics line of rereleases, ''[[Game:3D Sonic the Hedgehog|3D Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' was released on the [[Nintendo 3DS]] in 2013.

''Sonic the Hedgehog'' has been digitally released on the [[Wii]], [[Playstation 3]], and [[Xbox 360]].

=== Compilations ===

''Sonic the Hedgehog'' has been ported to many systems as part of compilations. The first compilation the game was part of was ''[[Game:Sonic Classics: 3-in-1|Sonic Classics: 3-in-1]]'', released on the Sega Genesis in 1995. This featured ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', ''[[Game:Sonic the Hedgehog 2|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'', and ''[[Game:Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine|Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine]]''.

Another Sega Genesis compilation, ''[[Game:Mega 6 Vol. 3|Mega 6 Vol. 3]]'', was released in PAL territories in 1995 and features ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' alongside 5 other games. A similar compilation with a different set of games was also released in 1995 as ''[[Game:6-Pak|6-Pak]]'' and still features ''Sonic the Hedgehog''.

''Sonic the Hedgehog'' was a selectable game on both the Mega-Tech System and the Mega Play, two arcade cabinets featuring various Sega Genesis games.

In 1997, a compilation for the [[Sega Saturn]] called ''[[Game:Sonic Jam|Sonic Jam]]'' was released and included this game alongside ''[[Game:Sonic the Hedgehog 2|Sonic 2]]'', [[Game:Sonic the Hedgehog 3|Sonic 3]], and ''[[Game:Sonic & Knuckles|Sonic & Knuckles]]''. Audio for ''Sonic 1'' in ''Sonic Jam'' is slightly different from the original version. Most music tracks have a delay before playing due to CD loading times, and music fade in and out is missing. Collecting Power Sneakers cause the sped up version of music to load in with the track restarting each time. Sound effects are either of lower quality, different, or missing.

A compilation for the [[Sega Dreamcast]] titled ''[[Game:Sega Smash Pack Volume 1|Sega Smash Pack Volume 1]]'' was released in 2001 and featured ''Sonic 1'' alongside 11 other Genesis games.

''[[Game:Sega Genesis Collection|Sega Genesis Collection]]'', released on the [[Playstation 2]] and [[Playstation Portable]] in 2006, also features ''Sonic the Hedgehog''.

''[[Game:Sonic Mega Collection|Sonic Mega Collection]]'' and ''[[Game:Sonic Mega Collection Plus|Sonic Mega Collection Plus]]'' (released in 2002 on the [[GameCube]] and 2004 on the [[PS2]] and [[Xbox]] respectively), includes ''Sonic 1''.

<!-- Sonic Gems Collection (demo) -->

''Sonic the Hedgehog'' is included in ''[[Game:Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection|Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection]]'' for the [[Playstation 3]] and [[Xbox 360]].

A compilation for the [[Nintendo DS]] called ''[[Game:Sonic Classics Collection|Sonic Classics Collection]]'' has ''Sonic 1'' alongside ''Sonic 2'', ''Sonic 3'', and ''Sonic & Knuckles''.

''[[Game:Sega Mega Drive Classic Collection - Volume 1|Sega Mega Drive Classic Collection - Volume 1]]'' on PC includes ''Sonic 1''.

In the [[Xbox 360]] and [[Playstation 3]] versions of ''[[Game:Sonic Generations|Sonic Generations]]'', the player can use points earned in game to get a fully playable version of ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. 

The game is included in ''[[Game:Sonic Origins|Sonic Origins]]'' and ''[[Game:Sonic Origins Plus|Sonic Origins Plus]]''.

== Albums ==

The first album released to feature music from ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' was ''[[Album:Sonic the Hedgehog 10th Anniversary|Sonic the Hedgehog 10th Anniversary]]'', a bonus album that came bundled with the ''Sonic Adventure 2 Birthday Pack'' special re-release of ''[[Game:Sonic Adventure 2|Sonic Adventure 2]]'' in June 2001. The tracks featured include "Title Music", "Green Hill Zone", "Star Light Zone", "Special Stage", "Final Zone", and "All Clear".

In October 2011, ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' received an official soundtrack release as ''[[Album:Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2 Soundtrack|Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2 Soundtrack]]'', a 2 disc album featuring music from both this game and it's direct sequel ''[[Game:Sonic the Hedgehog 2|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]''. This album contains all the original tracks from the game on the first disc, and has all of Masato Nakamura's demo recordings from the game's development on the second disc.

In December 2011, a compilation album titled ''[[Album:History of Sonic 20th Anniversary Edition|History of Sonic 20th Anniversary Edition]]'' was released featuring music spanning multiple Sonic games, including "Green Hill Zone".

== Credits ==

From the in-game credits:
* '''Sound Produce:''' [[Contributor:Masato Nakamura|Masato Nakamura]]
* '''Sound Program:''' [[Contributor:Hiroshi Kubota|Hiroshi Kubota]] (as "Jimita"), [[Contributor:Yukifumi Makino|Yukifumi Makino]] (as "Macky")

<!-- == Copyright issues == -->

== Reception ==

<!-- this section should only talk about reception related to the music and audio of the game

<!-- === Criticisms === -->

== Legacy ==

As the first game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' musically defined several aspects of the series. The iconic title screen track has become the series's theme song. Green Hill Zones theme has become synonymous with Sonic the Hedgehog. The jingles "Drowning", "Continue", "1-Up", "Game Over", and "Chaos Emerald" have been used in their respective contexts throughout the video game series. "Invincibility" has occasionally been used, but is more often replaced with a similar track that remixes the theme song of the game it is in. The [[Medley|medley]] format of "Staff Roll" has often been used in later games, albeit using the level themes from each game. 

The sound effects of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' have become series staples and are used in almost every single Sonic game. The ring sound has been licensed out by Sega Sammy Holdings, Sega's parent company, and is used by many gas station cash registers in the United States. 

The [[Sega chant]] that plays when starting ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' has been used in the opening credits of most of Sega's published video games since it's initial use in this game.

The website [[OverClocked Remix]] currently features over 55 remixes from ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', as well as a full album of remixed tracks titled "Sonic the Hedgehog: The Sound of Speed". Other remixed tracks from this game are featured in their albums "Speeding Towards Adventures: 25 Years of Sonic the Hedgehog", "Select Start", and "The OneUps Volume 2".

The concert series ''[[Video Games Live]]'' features a segment of music from ''Sonic the Hedgehog''.

Music from ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' was performed by the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Symphony]]'' and the ''[[Sonic Symphony World Tour]]''.

== Audio support ==

''Sonic the Hedgehog'' supports [[stereo sound]]. Along with the music, sound effects are also in stereo, such as the ring collecting sound alternating between the left and right channels for each ring pickup.

== References in later games ==

The success and popularity of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' led to a large franchise with many sequels and has been musically referenced in many games since.

The [[Game:Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)|8-bit version of the game]] released for the [[Sega Master System]] and [[Game Gear]] features 8-bit versions of "Title Screen", "Green Hill Zone", "Stage Clear", and "Invincibility", all rearranged by [[Contributor:Yuzo Koshiro|Yuzo Koshiro]]. It's ending song also has "Green Hill Zone" in a portion of it.

The soundtrack of the arcade-only ''[[Game:Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car|Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car]]'' is comprised of all remixes from ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. It's title screen and main BGM tracks are "Green Hill Zone". ''Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car's'' boss fight track is "Boss", it's ending song is "All Clear", and it's results screen song is "1-Up".

''[[Game:Sonic the Hedgehog 2|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' shares many jingles with ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. These include "Title Screen", "Invincibility", "Chaos Emerald", "Drowning", "1-Up", "Continue", "Game Over", and "Stage Clear". The staff credits for ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'', like that of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', is a medley of the game's zone themes ending with "All Clear".

As an award for collecting all 180 emblems in ''[[Game:Sonic Adventure 2|Sonic Adventure 2]]'', Green Hill Zone is unlocked as a stage, which plays "Green Hill Zone" as the background music.

Music from ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' is featured in the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series following Sonic's inclusion as a playable character. ''[[Game:Super Smash Bros. Brawl|Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', ''[[Game:Super Smash Bros. for Wii U|Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'',  ''[[Game:Super Smash Bros. for 3D|S]]'', ''[[Game:Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' include "Green Hill Zone" as playable music for their respective Sonic stages.

The initial US release of ''[[Game:Sonic Spinball|Sonic Spinball]]'' featured music remixed from ''Sonic the Hedgehog''. It used a remixed version of the ''Sonic 1'' title screen music for it's title screen and also used a remixed version of the Game Over track. This initial release of ''Spinball'' was swiftly replaced by a different version that replaces these tracks with newly composed tracks for the game. This is due to Sega not owning the copyright to the music of ''Sonic 1''.

<!-- this should be expanded and split up from just a list -->
Other games that reference ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' musically:

* ''[[Game:Sonic Battle|Sonic Battle]]''
* ''[[Game:Sonic Advance|Sonic Advance]]''
* ''[[Game:Sonic Pinball Party|Sonic Pinball Party]]''
* ''[[Game:Sonic Advance 3|Sonic Advance 3]]''
* ''[[Game:Sonic Generations|Sonic Generations]]''
* ''[[Game:Sonic Dash|Sonic Dash]]''
* ''[[Game:Sonic Mania|Sonic Mania]]''
* ''[[Game:Sega Superstars Tennis|Sega Superstars Tennis]]''
* ''[[Game:Sonic X Shadow Generations|Sonic X Shadow Generations]]''

== References in other media ==

Music from ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' is used in the movies [[Sonic the Hedgehog (movie)|Sonic the Hedgehog]], [[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (movie)|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]], [[Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (movie)|Sonic the Hedgehog 3]].

== Trivia ==
[[File:Sonic1Band.webp|right|thumb|The "Sonic the Hedgehog Band"; from left to right, Max, Mach, Sonic, Sharps, and Vector. ]]
* This is the first game to feature the [[Sega chant]]. The audio file took up one eighth of the four-megabyte cartridge. 
* An early idea for the Sound Test menu was to feature animated graphics of the "Sonic the Hedgehog Band," which would consist of Sonic as the lead singer break-dancing, Sharps the Parakeet on lead guitar, Max the Monkey on bass guitar, Mach the Rabbit on drums, and Vector the Crocodile on keyboard/synth. This idea was scrapped due to time constraints and was replaced with the Sega chant.

{{Clear}}

== Gallery ==

<gallery mode="nolines">
File:Sonic1LevelSelect.png|The in-game level select and sound test menu.
File:Sonic1Band.webp|The prototype "Sonic the Hedgehog" band.
File:SonicDreamsComeTrue1990TourArt.jpg|Promotional artwork used during the November 1990 tour of [[Contributor:Dreams Come True|Dreams Come True]].
File:Sonic1and2OSTAlbumArt.jpg|Album artwork for the [[Album:Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2 Soundtrack|official soundtrack release.]]
</gallery>

== External links ==

* [http://www.sega.com/games/sonic-hedgehog Official website]
* [https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Sonic_the_Hedgehog ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' on StrategyWiki]
* [https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_(16-bit) ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (16-bit) on Sonic Retro]
* [https://sonic.fandom.com/wiki/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_(1991) ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (1991) on Sonic Wiki Zone]
* [https://ocremix.org/game/22/sonic-the-hedgehog-gen ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' &#91;Sega Genesis, 1991, Sega&#93; on OC ReMix]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_(1991_video_game) ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (1991 video game) on Wikipedia]
* [https://vgmdb.net/product/420 ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' on VGMdb]

== References ==

<!-- categories -->
[[Category:Game:Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)]]
[[Category:Sonic the Hedgehog games]]
[[Category:Sega Genesis games]]
[[Category:1991 games]]
[[Category:Sega games]]
[[Category:1990s games]]
[[Category:Rated E games]]
[[Category:PEGI 3 games]]
[[Category:Games on Spotify]]
[[Category:Games on Apple Music]]
[[Category:Games on Amazon Music]]
[[Category:Games on Qobuz]]
[[Category:Games on Deezer]]
[[Category:Games on YouTube Music]]
[[Category:Games on Pandora]]
[[Category:Games on iHeart]]
[[Category:Games on Spotify]]
[[Category:Games on Tidal]]

<!-- a list of potential sources for information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_(1991_video_game)#Music

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Sonic_the_Hedgehog#Sonic_the_Hedgehog_(1991)

"The Making of Sonic the Hedgehog". _[Retro Gamer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retro_Gamer "Retro Gamer")_. No. 100. Bournemouth: [Imagine Publishing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagine_Publishing "Imagine Publishing"). February 2012. pp. 46–49. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [1742-3155](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1742-3155).

["ソニックチーム物語"](https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3ASega_Magazine_JP_Issue_03_199701.pdf&page=11). _Sega Magazine_ (in Japanese). No. 3. [SoftBank Creative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SB_Creative "SB Creative"). January 1997. pp. 9–13. ([Translation](http://shmuplations.com/sonicteam/) by Shmuplations. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20191217211118/http://shmuplations.com/sonicteam/) December 17, 2019, at the [Wayback Machine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine "Wayback Machine")).

Les Editions Pix'n Love, ed. (2013). "Zone 1 Genesis". _The History Of Sonic the Hedgehog_. Ontario: UDON Entertainment Corp. pp. 20–33. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-926778-96-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-926778-96-9 "Special:BookSources/978-1-926778-96-9").

Nakamura, Masato (February 17, 2021). [""Emerald Hill Zone"! | DREAMS COME TRUE"](https://dreamscometrue.com/masablog/2021/02/17/27025). _Dreams Come True_. Retrieved May 24, 2021.

"The Making of Sonic the Hedgehog". _[Retro Gamer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retro_Gamer "Retro Gamer")_. No. 100. Bournemouth: [Imagine Publishing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagine_Publishing). February 2012. pp. 46–49. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [1742-3155](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1742-3155).

["ソニックチーム物語"](https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3ASega_Magazine_JP_Issue_03_199701.pdf&page=11). _Sega Magazine_ (in Japanese). No. 3. [SoftBank Creative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SB_Creative). January 1997. pp. 9–13. ([Translation](http://shmuplations.com/sonicteam/) by Shmuplations. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20191217211118/http://shmuplations.com/sonicteam/) December 17, 2019, at the [Wayback Machine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine "Wayback Machine")).

Les Editions Pix'n Love, ed. (2013). "Zone 1 Genesis". _The History Of Sonic the Hedgehog_. Ontario: UDON Entertainment Corp. pp. 20–33. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-926778-96-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-926778-96-9 "Special:BookSources/978-1-926778-96-9").

["'Sonic the Hedgehog' Music Creator Masato Nakamura Reflects on Video Game's 30th Anniversary"](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/sonic-the-hedgehog-music-masato-nakamura-interview-30th-anniversary-9632034/). _[Billboard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_\(magazine\) "Billboard (magazine)")_. September 17, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2022.

Claiborn, Samuel (June 26, 2014). ["21 Crazy Facts About Sonic and the Console War He Started"](http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/26/21-crazy-facts-about-sonic-and-the-console-war-he-started). _IGN_. Retrieved February 13, 2014. -->

{{Template:Navplate Game:Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)}}
{{Template:Navplate Album:Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2 Soundtrack}}
{{Template:Navplate Sonic the Hedgehog series}}