Title: Exploring the Untold Secrets and Scandalous History Behind Sonic the Hedgehog by Sega Genesis
Introduction
Sonic the Hedgehog is a beloved character who has been entertaining video game enthusiasts for decades. Since the early 1990s, he has had a massive impact on the gaming industry and has amassed an impressive following worldwide. However, behind the charming and cheerful façade, Sonic the Hedgehog has a darker and more scandalous history. In this article, we will explore the untold secrets and shocking history behind Sonic the Hedgehog by Sega Genesis.
The Creation of Sonic the Hedgehog
The origins of Sonic the Hedgehog date back to the development of the Sega Genesis console. In the early 1990s, Sega was facing stiff competition from Nintendo, who had released some of the most popular video game characters in their franchise, including Mario and Luigi. In response, Sega began developing their own mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, a speedy blue creature capable of outrunning any opponent.
The character, created by programmer Yuji Naka, was initially known as Mr Needlemouse, but Sega executives found the name too cute and demanded a more edgy and aggressive name. Thus, Sonic the Hedgehog was born.
The Rise to Popularity
Sonic the Hedgehog became an instant sensation upon its release, quickly surpassing Sega’s previous best selling title, Alex Kidd, and giving Mario a run for his money. Sonic’s popularity grew to an immense extent due to the character’s fun-filled gameplay, excellent graphics, and unique ability to move at lightning speed.
The Scandalous History
Despite Sonic’s phenomenal success, the character has a scandalous history. One such scandal occurred during the production of Sonic Adventure, the first Sonic game released for the Sega Dreamcast system. A group of anonymous programmers revealed that Yuji Naka had lied about his role in developing the game.
According to the anonymous sources, Naka only provided a fraction of the work needed to develop the game, with the majority of the work done by other programmers. This scandal rocked the gaming world and brought Naka’s credibility into question.
Another scandal surrounding Sonic the Hedgehog was the controversy around Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow was introduced in Sonic Adventure 2 and has since become one of the most popular characters in the Sonic franchise. However, the character’s creation came with a controversial storyline, which includes attempted genocide, suicide, and terrorism. This controversial storyline sparked outrage among parents and teachers, leading to calls for the removal of the game from shelves.
Conclusion
Sonic the Hedgehog is indeed an iconic character in the gaming world. However, the untold secrets and scandalous history behind the character have long been hidden from the public. Despite Sonic’s controversies, the character has continued to thrive, and his legacy remains secure. Now you know the untold behind-the-scenes story of our beloved Sonic the Hedgehog.
When the Sega Genesis launched in 1989 it was off to a rough start. While the Genesis may have been the first true 16-bit console, its direct competitor, the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System, was beating it in the console wars thanks to Nintendo’s mega-hit Super Mario Bros. 3.
Once the news came that Nintendo would be coming out with their own 16-bit system, it was time for Sega to take drastic measures, leading to the birth of one of the most popular video game characters of all time…
The Basics of the Game
- Title: Sonic the HedgehogPlatform: Sega GenesisPublisher: SEGADeveloper: Sonic TeamRelease Date: June 1991
A Sad Pre-Sonic Sega
By 1990 things were less than stellar for the arcade giant Sega’s second foray into the home video game market. Sure the Sega Genesis was the number one console in Brazil, but in Japan, it took a backseat to the Turbografx-16, and in North America, the industry was still dominated by the NES. While the launch of the Genesis had started the console wars, it was not making nearly enough strides to dominate the industry.
Then Nintendo announced plans for their own 16-bit console, the Super Nintendo, with a North American release date of August 23, 1991. Even though Sega had a head start in this 4th generation of video games, they needed to make some drastic changes if they were to compete with the Nintendo powerhouse.
Sega Changes the Game Plan
The first step Sega took was to replace the CEO of their North American division with the former head of Mattel, Tom Kalinske. Until then Sega’s marketing focus had been on celebrity-themed games as Nintendo had much of the major arcade ports tied up in exclusive deals. Kalinske sought to change this direction by focusing on brand awareness and to do this they not only needed a hit video game but a flagship character that was so popular it would constantly be associated with the Sega name.
Sega turned to their internal 5-person development team Sega AM8 to create a major hit video game that would give Mario a run for his money.
Easy task…no?
A Hedgehog … Really?
AM8 started pitching all sorts of ideas from funny animals to goofy old men. Finally, a concept stuck. A sketch of a hedgehog by team member Naoto Ōshima, who had previously designed Phantasy Star and Phantasy Star 2, stood out from the crowd. Originally referred to as Mr. Needlemouse.
The gameplay itself was designed to be a side-scrolling platformer with an innovative twist. While a hedgehog wasn’t the fastest animal on earth, AM8’s hedgehog would be the fastest video game character ever, with the gameplay designed to keep him moving.
To make the name better fit the character and the concept of speed, he was renamed “Sonic” - an adjective to describe reaching the speed of sound. Sonic the Hedgehog was born.
Knowing they would have a hit on their hands, Sonic became infamous throughout the Sega offices long before the game was ever released, with the AM8 development team becoming affectionately known as Sonic Team, a moniker they still go by today.
In addition to Naoto Ōshima, Sonic Team consisted of programmer Yuji Naka, game director Hirokazu Yasuhara, designers Jinya Itoh and Rieko Kodama.
What Makes Sonic So Special
While the industry had seen plenty of side-scrolling platformers, most modeling themselves after the core structure of Super Mario Bros., with paced jumping, ladder climbing, chasm leaping and enemy head bopping, but Sonic expanded the concept, taking the genre in a whole new direction.
The levels in Sonic were designed with speed in mind. They weren’t so easy that players could run through non-stop from beginning to end, but with a balance of both fast and paced movement to keep things intense and challenging.
As Sonic could pick up fast speeds, several of the platforms were curved to allow him to run up walls, speed through loop-d-loops, and in some cases repel off a spring and go flying up or back in the direction he came from.
While many of the levels moved the player along in a single path, there were several designed for Sonic to complete in any number of combinations. From staying at ground level, or speeding through vertically raised platforms into the sky, to underground caverns. With so many variations, no two replays of these levels ever felt the same.
The Day Sonic Saved Sega
Sonic released on June 23rd, 1991 and was an instant hit. The game was so popular that it became the Genesis console’s first “killer app.” with gamers buying the system just for the chance to play Sonic. Tom Kalinske took the opportunity to switch out the current in-pack game that came with the Genesis, Altered Beast, and replaced it with Sonic the Hedgehog, driving sales of the system even further.
Not only was it Sonic’s innovative gameplay that made him popular, but his edgy, yet friendly personality was a refreshing change for many young gamers, making him a hero they could better relate to.
Genesis sales shot to the top as fast as Sonic’s feet could carry them, and over the subsequent years,they overtook 60% of the video game market.
The Sonic Legacy
Sonic The Hedgehog remained the best selling Sega Genesis game through the life of the console. To feed the public demands, Sega also released an 8-bit version for the Sega Master System and quickly put Sonic Team into production on a sequel.
The monumental success of Sonic spun out into a major franchise that not only outlived the Sega Genesis but all Sega consoles.
While Sega did eventually lose the console war and exited the console hardware business after their final system, the Sega Dreamcast, they found new life as third-party developers, creating games for the same companies they once competed with, Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation. Today with a library of over 75 titles, with games on nearly every gaming platform, plus toys, cartoons, comic books and a live-action fan film in development by Blue Core Studios. Sonic has even starred alongside his former business rival Mario in a series of Olympics-themed video games.
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