The 3D platforming wasnвЂ™t entirely new to the franchise, first introduced in 1998вЂ™s Sonic Adventure, but players were quick to notice that the high-velocity gameplay, combined with tricky camera controls, made for an unsavory experience. Sonic Heroes was the first example of this: released in 2003 on the newly-launched GameCube, Xbox and slightly older PlayStation 2-the first time fans could play Sonic outside of Sega consoles. But as the early 2000s ushered in the era of 3D graphics and more expansive worlds, Sonic was left in a realm that didnвЂ™t suit his brand of platforming. The early Sonic games were such hits due to their remixing of the 2D platforming structure, introducing neck-breaking speed and precise controls like gamers had never seen before. Of course, though, nothing good lasts forever-no matter how much Sega wanted it to. If the late вЂ™80s were the era of Mario and Luigi, the вЂ™90s truly belonged to Sonic. Our blue hero was genuinely unavoidable in these years-he even made an appearance at the 1993 MacyвЂ™s Thanksgiving Parade, the first video game character to ever do so. It was in these years that Sonic truly became a multimedia titan, with an animated series, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, broadcasting in 1993. The continued success of Sonic releases throughout the вЂ™90s, from 1994вЂ™s Sonic the Hedgehog 3-deemed by fans as the franchiseвЂ™s best entry upon release-to more varied world-builders like racing game Sonic Drift and the handheld entry Triple Trouble, which launched on the Game Gear. Robotnik, it was concrete proof that 1991вЂ™s Sonic was no fluke, and that a new pixelated icon was here to stay. With the same timeless good-and-evil grapple between Sonic and Dr. Verticality was the key focus вЂ“ Sonic could ride bubbles to access higher areas in levels, and harnessed a hang-glider to skim across maps.

The key in the вЂ™90s was the consistency of Sonic releases just a year later, Sega released Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which built on the formula by introducing his sidekick, Tails, and shaking up gameplay. 1991вЂ™s Sonic the Hedgehog truly changed platformers, and gave Sega a mascot to rival MarioвЂ™s worldwide recognition. It was this era, in the early вЂ™90s, where Sonic really hit the stratospheric highs of worldwide fame and acclaim. Sprinting across the glittering world, rollicking around the hoops, brought an unhinged and high-octane veneer to platforming that simply hadnвЂ™t been seen before. It was like the beloved Mario games on acid, with Sonic the HedgehogвЂ™s gameplay hugely outpacing anything the Italian plumber and his green brother could muster. This writerвЂ™s first encounter with the little hedgehog came with the Megadrive-the British name of the Genesis-watching my dad sprint around, collecting coins and bashing grunts, in a rapid-fire style of gameplay IвЂ™d never witnessed before. A Flying StartДespite having racked up well over 80 games, Sonic is still most fondly remembered by gamers for Sega Genesis and Dreamcast eras. Yes, the future is looking very bright for everyoneвЂ™s favorite spiny blue mammal. But crucially, the supersonic hedgehog has evolved, from the 16-bit era all the way to the eighth generation of consoles-and despite some bumps in the ring-strewn road, heвЂ™s certainly come out on top.

Since his humble beginnings on the Sega Genesis three decades ago, heвЂ™s endured all the highs, and lows, that one would expect in their first thirty years of life. One thing has remained static since 1991, though-the presence of one Sonic the Hedgehog. The industry has changed substantially, with Sega out of the console business and Nintendo focusing on family-friendly hardware, no longer competing with the PlayStation and Xbox.

Back then, Sega and Nintendo dominated the landscape, and if you uttered the phrase вЂњin-game purchaseвЂќ to someone on the street, theyвЂ™d have no idea what you meant.

The world of video games has changed a lot since 1991.

Sonic project x save file 5.8