Sonic the Hedgehog is the weakest of the Classic era main titles, but that should not be a damper in what is otherwise a really solid debut title for SEGA's mascot.
First of all, the graphics and overall design of the stages are great and impressively detailed, with Green Hill Zone in particular having a distinctive charm not seen in most games at the time. I do believe the color palette used for Sonic 1 is a bit dull, though. Marble, Spring Yard and Star Light could've been more vibrant, but they instead went with dull purple, boring brown and dull dark green. In their defense it does increase the realism of the stages you traverse through so that's fine I guess. Sonic himself looks sharp and charismatic, at least, effortlessly displaying that cool edge that made him such an iconic figure of the 90s with his cocky and impatient attitude.
The soundtrack is rather mid for Sonic standards tbh. Pales in comparison to its Master System counterpart, Spring Yard sounds shit (not sorry), Marble and Labyrinth both sound pretty generic but they're at least alright. Scrap Brain and Green Hill both have good themes though. Shame Sonic 2's soundtrack absolutely dumps this one's in the mud.
Alright now for the meat and potatoes of this review: Sonic's control and the levels in general.
What more is there to say about Sonic's movement that hasn't been said already? It's fluent, natural and easy to grasp, he slows down uphill and speeds up on downward inclines, he gains increased vertical height from bouncing on enemies at certain angles; the physics in this game feel realistic and simple. A really good foundation for the franchise's future games.
Green Hill Zone
See, when I think of Green Hill Zone, my mind immediately comes to speedrunning. Most people argue for the necessity for more difficult, riskier high routes, but this zone proves otherwise. This zone has many branching pathways that can all be traversed through quickly as long as the player has the skill. But in speedruns, you don't see speedrunners rushing through Ring Heaven, you see them jump after the slope, knowing that the lower route is the fastest option available when finishing the stage. Similarly, GHZ act 3 has not one, but TWO optimal routes available for speedrunners to tackle: the standard lower route that's easier to execute but difficult nonetheless, and the insane high route that requires insane precision from the player to bounce onto strategically placed enemies in order to reach the boss from astronomical heights. Quite literally the peak of the game, a fantastic tutorial for newcomers as well as playground for those who keep coming back for more.
Marble Zone
This zone is mediocre, but it isn't the worst. Yes, you heard me right: stop calling Marble Zone garbage. Sure, there are obligatory waiting times on some of the lava segments, but skilled players know to use their momentum to leap onto the platforms in Act 1, or navigate through the shortcut in Act 3 that skips another lava segment. Yes, the level is quite linear and some of the waiting could've been cut from it, but this is a good level to explore, with a lot of secrets and at least one extra life per act. A checkpoint in Act 3 would've been helpful, though.
Spring Yard Zone
Hot take: I really dislike Spring Yard. The music sucks, the badniks are quite annoying, the bumpers ARE annoying, and if you thought waiting was annoying in Marble, just wait until you reach the moving blocks. I like how there are multiple signposts at the end of Acts 1 and 2, also the times where you can gradually increase your momentum by rolling down half pipes, but that's about it. Moving on.
Labyrinth Zone
Yeah this zone is shit. But it's not the worst, really, experts at the game know of the massive shortcut in Act 1 and the other shortcut in Act 3. The problem is Sonic 1's water physics are exemplified by your extended stay in the water, with a lot more linearity and waiting than even Marble Zone. The badniks here are also incredibly annoying (the ball guy and Grounder), as well as those fucking extendable spears. A difficult level, but not in the fun way. Don't even get me started on that boss fight where you only have a shield to work with if you die on your first try. Platforming on that level is tedious and I fucking hate it. But again, not complete garbage, learn the shortcuts and you actually halve your time spent in Acts 1 and 3.
Star Light Zone
Boring. Yes, there are loops but honestly this zone is super forgettable, the color palette is at its dullest in this level and the music makes me want to go to sleep. Does have the most inventive boss fight in the game, though, so credit for that.
Scrap Brain
From a narrative standpoint, this makes sense. This is Eggman's main turf on South Island, so obviously he would have it heavily guarded with buzzsaws, flamethrowers, electrical circuits and pitfalls. That doesn't mean it's fun though. Act 3 also has the guts of making Labyrinth Zone harder, but it also does have a massive shortcut that rewards players who are able to clear the gap fast enough. Then you reach the final boss, it's relatively easy, you take out Eggman, day saved, end of game.
Oh wait the Chaos Emeralds-
Special Stages aka Please Don't Ever Play the Original Release
First off: There are only TEN opportunities for you to get SIX Chaos Emeralds. And zones like Labyrinth, Spring Yard and Star Light all have certain unfair elements that'll scupper your chances of entering a Special Stage ring at the end of a level. Second of all, these special stages aren't even that hard. But they're ANNOYING. The music is garbage, the controls are mostly out of your hands, and whether or not you get the Chaos Emerald at the end depends on luck, rather than the player's skill!
AND YOU ONLY HAVE TEN CHANCES AT THIS SHIT
Let's not forget the Spike Bug! The lack of continues! The Labyrinth Act 2 crash! There's a lot of things wrong with the original game. So, if you want to try the original experience for yourself, I would recommend just flat out playing the 2011 port by Christian Whitehead. It has a better framerate, free of most game-breaking bugs, save files, and just to slap on more good shit they added widescreen, more playable characters (Tails and Knuckles) and the Spin Dash. Taxman doing the heavy lifting for this community I swear to god.
6/10 I don't actually hate this game despite most of my negativity in this review but it's definitely the weakest of the Genesis saga.
First of all, the graphics and overall design of the stages are great and impressively detailed, with Green Hill Zone in particular having a distinctive charm not seen in most games at the time. I do believe the color palette used for Sonic 1 is a bit dull, though. Marble, Spring Yard and Star Light could've been more vibrant, but they instead went with dull purple, boring brown and dull dark green. In their defense it does increase the realism of the stages you traverse through so that's fine I guess. Sonic himself looks sharp and charismatic, at least, effortlessly displaying that cool edge that made him such an iconic figure of the 90s with his cocky and impatient attitude.
The soundtrack is rather mid for Sonic standards tbh. Pales in comparison to its Master System counterpart, Spring Yard sounds shit (not sorry), Marble and Labyrinth both sound pretty generic but they're at least alright. Scrap Brain and Green Hill both have good themes though. Shame Sonic 2's soundtrack absolutely dumps this one's in the mud.
Alright now for the meat and potatoes of this review: Sonic's control and the levels in general.
What more is there to say about Sonic's movement that hasn't been said already? It's fluent, natural and easy to grasp, he slows down uphill and speeds up on downward inclines, he gains increased vertical height from bouncing on enemies at certain angles; the physics in this game feel realistic and simple. A really good foundation for the franchise's future games.
Green Hill Zone
See, when I think of Green Hill Zone, my mind immediately comes to speedrunning. Most people argue for the necessity for more difficult, riskier high routes, but this zone proves otherwise. This zone has many branching pathways that can all be traversed through quickly as long as the player has the skill. But in speedruns, you don't see speedrunners rushing through Ring Heaven, you see them jump after the slope, knowing that the lower route is the fastest option available when finishing the stage. Similarly, GHZ act 3 has not one, but TWO optimal routes available for speedrunners to tackle: the standard lower route that's easier to execute but difficult nonetheless, and the insane high route that requires insane precision from the player to bounce onto strategically placed enemies in order to reach the boss from astronomical heights. Quite literally the peak of the game, a fantastic tutorial for newcomers as well as playground for those who keep coming back for more.
Marble Zone
This zone is mediocre, but it isn't the worst. Yes, you heard me right: stop calling Marble Zone garbage. Sure, there are obligatory waiting times on some of the lava segments, but skilled players know to use their momentum to leap onto the platforms in Act 1, or navigate through the shortcut in Act 3 that skips another lava segment. Yes, the level is quite linear and some of the waiting could've been cut from it, but this is a good level to explore, with a lot of secrets and at least one extra life per act. A checkpoint in Act 3 would've been helpful, though.
Spring Yard Zone
Hot take: I really dislike Spring Yard. The music sucks, the badniks are quite annoying, the bumpers ARE annoying, and if you thought waiting was annoying in Marble, just wait until you reach the moving blocks. I like how there are multiple signposts at the end of Acts 1 and 2, also the times where you can gradually increase your momentum by rolling down half pipes, but that's about it. Moving on.
Labyrinth Zone
Yeah this zone is shit. But it's not the worst, really, experts at the game know of the massive shortcut in Act 1 and the other shortcut in Act 3. The problem is Sonic 1's water physics are exemplified by your extended stay in the water, with a lot more linearity and waiting than even Marble Zone. The badniks here are also incredibly annoying (the ball guy and Grounder), as well as those fucking extendable spears. A difficult level, but not in the fun way. Don't even get me started on that boss fight where you only have a shield to work with if you die on your first try. Platforming on that level is tedious and I fucking hate it. But again, not complete garbage, learn the shortcuts and you actually halve your time spent in Acts 1 and 3.
Star Light Zone
Boring. Yes, there are loops but honestly this zone is super forgettable, the color palette is at its dullest in this level and the music makes me want to go to sleep. Does have the most inventive boss fight in the game, though, so credit for that.
Scrap Brain
From a narrative standpoint, this makes sense. This is Eggman's main turf on South Island, so obviously he would have it heavily guarded with buzzsaws, flamethrowers, electrical circuits and pitfalls. That doesn't mean it's fun though. Act 3 also has the guts of making Labyrinth Zone harder, but it also does have a massive shortcut that rewards players who are able to clear the gap fast enough. Then you reach the final boss, it's relatively easy, you take out Eggman, day saved, end of game.
Oh wait the Chaos Emeralds-
Special Stages aka Please Don't Ever Play the Original Release
First off: There are only TEN opportunities for you to get SIX Chaos Emeralds. And zones like Labyrinth, Spring Yard and Star Light all have certain unfair elements that'll scupper your chances of entering a Special Stage ring at the end of a level. Second of all, these special stages aren't even that hard. But they're ANNOYING. The music is garbage, the controls are mostly out of your hands, and whether or not you get the Chaos Emerald at the end depends on luck, rather than the player's skill!
AND YOU ONLY HAVE TEN CHANCES AT THIS SHIT
Let's not forget the Spike Bug! The lack of continues! The Labyrinth Act 2 crash! There's a lot of things wrong with the original game. So, if you want to try the original experience for yourself, I would recommend just flat out playing the 2011 port by Christian Whitehead. It has a better framerate, free of most game-breaking bugs, save files, and just to slap on more good shit they added widescreen, more playable characters (Tails and Knuckles) and the Spin Dash. Taxman doing the heavy lifting for this community I swear to god.
6/10 I don't actually hate this game despite most of my negativity in this review but it's definitely the weakest of the Genesis saga.