Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)

Before the blue hedgehog became a handheld star, he had to take the first step - and that was Sonic the Hedgehog in the eight-bit version for the Game Gear (and Master System) from 1991. This game proved that the Sonic phenomenon could fit into the palm of your hand too, and laid the foundation for an entire separate eight-bit line.

The core is faithful to the brand: running, jumping, collecting rings and spinning into a ball, with which you destroy enemies and break through levels full of springs, loops and traps. The Game Gear hardware could not manage the dazzling speed and expanse of the sixteen-bit source, but the team behind the game cleverly adapted the design to smaller and tighter levels.

A marked difference from the big version is the handling of the Chaos Emeralds - here you search for them hidden right in the levels, which rewards careful exploration and gives the game its own rhythm. This philosophy then became the hallmark of the whole eight-bit Sonic branch.

On the handheld console it was a key title: Sonic was Sega's mascot, and his presence on the Game Gear was an important argument in the battle with the competition. For plenty of players it was the very first encounter with the hedgehog that they could take outside with them.

Even with the passage of years, eight-bit Sonic is pleasantly playable and interesting precisely for how it solves the transfer of fast action to weaker hardware. It is a historically important milestone and a likable platformer in one - and a starting point for later gems like Triple Trouble.

Why play: The roots of handheld Sonic - a historically important and still-fun eight-bit platformer you can take anywhere.