Sonic the Hedgehog
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| Sonic the Hedgehog | ||
|---|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Sonic Team | |
| Publisher(s) | Sega | |
| Platform(s) | Sega Genesis | |
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 video game series. The game stars the titular character Sonic and his quest to defeat the evil Dr. Robotnik, who has captured animals in robots and taken the Chaos Emeralds.
Sonic the Hedgehog's music was composed by Dreams Come True bass guitarist Masato Nakamura.
Composition
In an interview included in the booklet with the Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2 Soundtrack, Nakamura stated he only used a Roland MC-4 Microcomposer to sequence the music of Sonic the Hedgehog.[1]
"Green Hill Zone" was composed first, followed by the title screen track.[2]
Influences
Nakamura wanted the music of Sonic the Hedgehog to come across as "cinematic" and have strong melodies, taking inspiration from movies and the speed of the game. He also wanted to match the energy of the scene, with "dramatic" music for intense scenes, "climatic" music for boss fights, and "uplifting" music for the credits. The developers sent him early game prototypes for reference, noting the color schemes, scenery, and the "near-future world."[3]
Sound test
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:
| ID # | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A0 | SFX | Jump |
| A1 | SFX | Lamppost |
| A2 | SFX | unused |
| A3 | SFX | Hurt |
| A4 | SFX | Skid |
| A5 | SFX | unused |
| A6 | SFX | Spike |
| A7 | SFX | Push |
| A8 | SFX | SS Goal |
| A9 | SFX | SS Blip |
| AA | SFX | Splash |
| AB | SFX | unused |
| AC | SFX | Hit Boss |
| AD | SFX | Air Bubble Get |
| AE | SFX | Fireball |
| AF | SFX | Shield Get |
| B0 | SFX | SBZ Saw |
| B1 | SFX | SBZ Electric |
| B2 | SFX | Drown |
| B3 | SFX | SBZ Flamethrower |
| B4 | SFX | Bumper |
| B5 | SFX | Ring |
| B6 | SFX | Spikes Move |
| B7 | SFX | LZ Rumbling |
| B8 | SFX | unused |
| B9 | SFX | Crumbling Cliff/Blocks |
| BA | SFX | SS Disappearing Blocks |
| BB | SFX | LZ Flapping Door |
| BC | SFX | SBZ Teleport |
| BD | SFX | MZ Chain Stomp |
| BE | SFX | Spin |
| BF | SFX | Continue Jingle |
| C0 | SFX | Basaran (MZ Bat) |
| C1 | SFX | Monitor/Badnik destroy |
| C2 | SFX | Underwater warning chime |
| C3 | SFX | Giant Ring get |
| C4 | SFX | Bomb/Boss explodes |
| C5 | SFX | Score Tally total |
| C6 | SFX | Ring Loss |
| C7 | SFX | MZ Chain Rising |
| C8 | SFX | Burning |
| C9 | SFX | Hidden Pts. Flag |
| CA | SFX | Enter SS |
| CB | SFX | Smashing through the wall |
| CC | SFX | Spring |
| CD | SFX | Switch hit / score tally |
| CE | SFX | Ring (Left) |
| CF | SFX | Signpost |
| 81 | Song | Green Hill Zone |
| 82 | Song | Labyrinth Zone |
| 83 | Song | Marble Zone |
| 84 | Song | Star Light Zone |
| 85 | Song | Spring Yard Zone |
| 86 | Song | Scrap Brain Zone |
| 87 | Song | Invincibility |
| 88 | Song | 1-Up |
| 89 | Song | Special Stage |
| 8A | Song | Title |
| 8B | Song | All Clear |
| 8C | Song | Boss |
| 8D | Song | Final Zone |
| 8E | Song | Stage Clear |
| 8F | Song | Game Over |
| 90 | Song | Continue |
| 91 | Song | Staff Roll |
| 92 | Song | Drowning |
| 93 | Song | 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 chips: the Yamaha YM2612 and the Texas Instruments SN76489 PSG.
Contributors
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hiroshi Kubota | Sound Program | credited as "Jimita" |
| Masato Nakamura | Composer, Sound Produce | |
| Yukifumi Makino | Sound Program | credited as "Macky" |
Track List
| Track | Group | Track # | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Title" | 8A | ||
| "All Clear" | 8B | ||
| "Final Zone" | 8D | ||
| "Green Hill Zone" | 81 | ||
| "Labyrinth Zone" | 82 | ||
| "Marble Zone" | 83 | ||
| "Star Light Zone" | 84 | ||
| "Spring Yard Zone" | 85 | ||
| "Scrap Brain Zone" | 86 |
Re-releases
Sonic the Hedgehog has been ported multiple times to many different systems.
| Image | Title | Year | Platform | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| image needed | Sonic the Hedgehog | 199X | Arcade | Available as a game for the Mega-Tech System arcade cabinet. |
| image needed | Sonic the Hedgehog | 199X | Arcade | Available as a game for the Mega Play arcade cabinet. |
| image needed | Sonic Classics: 3-in-1 | 1995 | Sega Genesis | Included with Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. |
| image needed | Mega 6 Vol. 3 | 1995 | Sega Genesis | Compilation of 6 Sega games, including Sonic the Hedgehog, released only in PAL regions. |
| image needed | 6-Pak | 1995 | Sega Genesis | Compilation of 6 Sega games, including Sonic the Hedgehog. |
| image needed | Sonic Jam | 1997 | Sega Saturn | 4 game compilation of Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and Sonic & Knuckles. Audio for Sonic 1 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. |
| image needed | Sega Smash Pack Volume 1 | 2001 | Sega Dreamcast | Compilation of 11 Sega Genesis games, including Sonic the Hedgehog. |
| image needed | Sonic Mega Collection | 2002 | Nintendo GameCube | |
| image needed | Sonic Mega Collection Plus | 2004 | PlayStation 2, PC, Xbox | |
| image needed | Sonic Gems Collection | 2005 | Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2 | Available in the museum as a timed emulated version that starts at the final boss. If beaten in time, the player can start from the beginning of the game until the timer runs out. |
| image needed | Sonic the Hedgehog Mobile | 2005 | Mobile phone | Offered on the Sonic Cafe service in Japan for mobile phones, also released for mobile phones under the Sega Mobile banner. |
| image needed | Sega Genesis Collection | 2006 | Playstation 2, PlayStation Portable | Compilation of 28 Sega Genesis games. |
| image needed | Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis | 2006 | Game Boy Advance | A port released for Sonic's 15th anniversary. 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. |
| image needed | Sonic the Hedgehog | 2007 | iPod | Compatible with iPod Nano (3rd, 4th, 5th Generation) and iPod classic (5th Generation). |
| image needed | Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection | 2009 | Playstation 3, Xbox 360 | |
| image needed | Sonic the Hedgehog | 2009 | iOS | |
| image needed | Sonic Classics Collection | 2010 | Nintendo DS | |
| image needed | Sega Mega Drive Classic Collection - Volume 1 | 2010 | PC | |
| image needed | Sonic Generations | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Playable from the hub world after purchasing a Genesis controller from the Skill Shop. The Xbox 360 version is missing the level select code, making the sound test inaccessible. Sonic 1 was removed from the PC version of Generations. |
| image needed | 3D Sonic the Hedgehog | 2013 | Nintendo 3DS | A stereoscopic 3D version, part of Sega's 3D Classics line of rereleases. |
| image needed | Sonic the Hedgehog | 2013 | iOS | An enhanced version released by Christian Whitehead as a replacement of the 2009 iOS version with new features, settings, and modes. This release features a remastered version of the soundtrack. |
| image needed | Sonic Origins | 2022 | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | |
| image needed | Sonic Origins Plus | 2023 | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
Albums
The first album released to feature music from Sonic the Hedgehog was Sonic the Hedgehog 10th Anniversary, a bonus album that came bundled with the Sonic Adventure 2 Birthday Pack special re-release of 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 Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2 Soundtrack, a 2 disc album featuring music from both this game and it's direct sequel 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 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: Masato Nakamura
- Sound Program: Hiroshi Kubota (as "Jimita"), Yukifumi Makino (as "Macky")
Reception
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 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 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 Yuzo Koshiro. It's ending song also has "Green Hill Zone" in a portion of it.
The soundtrack of the arcade-only 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".
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 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. Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, S, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate include "Green Hill Zone" as playable music for their respective Sonic stages.
The initial US release of 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.
Other games that reference Sonic the Hedgehog musically:
References in other media
Music from Sonic the Hedgehog is used in the movies Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Dreams Come True have reused parts of Sonic the Hedgehog music. Their song "MARRY ME?" from the album Sing or Die borrows its melody and chord progression from "Green Hill Zone."[4] The verses for "薬指の決心" ("Kusuriyubi no Kesshin") from Million Kisses and the horn break leading into the verses of "戦いの火蓋" ("Tatakai no Hibuta") from Wonder 3 come from "Star Light Zone."
Trivia
- 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.
Gallery
-
The in-game level select and sound test menu. -
The prototype "Sonic the Hedgehog" band. -
Promotional artwork used during the November 1990 tour of Dreams Come True. -
Album artwork for the official soundtrack release.
External links
References
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2 Soundtrack CD booklet, page 9. 2011.
- ↑ https://info.sonicretro.org/Masato_Nakamura_interview_by_Sonic_Central_%28May_18,_2005%29
- ↑ https://info.sonicretro.org/Masato_Nakamura_interview_by_Sonic_Central_%28May_18,_2005%29
- ↑ https://info.sonicretro.org/Masato_Nakamura_interview_by_Sonic_Central_%28May_18,_2005%29
- STH1 Green Hill Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Marble Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Spring Yard Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Labyrinth Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Star Light Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Scrap Brain Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Final Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Special Stage 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Power Up 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 1Up 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Title 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 All Clear 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Stage Clear 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Boss 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Game Over 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Continue 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Staff Roll 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Emerald Hill Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Chemical Plant Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Aquatic Ruin Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Casino Night Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Hill Top Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Mystic Cave Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Oil Ocean Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Metropolis Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Mystic Cave Zone (2P) 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Death Egg Zone (Part 1) 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Death Egg Zone (Part 2) 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Emerald Hill Zone (2P) 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Sky Chase Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Wing Fortress Zone 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Special Stage 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Power Up 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Title 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 All Clear 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Boss 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Super Sonic 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Option 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Staff Roll 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Game Results 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH2 Unused Song 〜 Mega Drive version 〜
- STH1 Green Hill Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 Marble Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 Spring Yard Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 Labyrinth Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 Star Light Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 Scrap Brain Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 Final Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 Special Stage 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 1Up 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 Title 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 All Clear 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 Stage Clear 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 Boss 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH1 Game Over 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Emerald Hill Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Chemical Plant Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Aquatic Ruin Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Casino Night Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Hill Top Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Mystic Cave Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Oil Ocean Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Metropolis Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Mystic Cave Zone (2P) 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Death Egg Zone (Part 1) 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Death Egg Zone (Part 2) 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Emerald Hill Zone (2P) 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Sky Chase Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Wing Fortress Zone 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Special Stage 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 All Clear 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Boss 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Super Sonic 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Option 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Game Results 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- STH2 Unused Song 〜 Masa's Demo version 〜
- Theme of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG Demo