Sonic the Hedgehog 1–3

Sega needed a mascot who wouldn't just snap at Mario's heels but overtake him outright — and Naoto Ōshima gave it a blue hedgehog with a cheeky grin and a speed that platformers had never known before. Sonic the Hedgehog became a symbol of the nineties and of the entire Mega Drive era, and its first three instalments form one of the finest platforming chains ever.

Sonic 1 from 1991 arrived as a pack-in title that literally drove Genesis sales in the US. Its magic lay in movement: loops, springs, steep slopes and a sense of speed where the camera barely manages to bend after the hero. Where Mario rewarded precision, Sonic rewarded courage and momentum — and a generation of players loved it.

Each subsequent instalment added layers. The second introduced Tails and the spin dash, which turned launches into rocket starts. The third then brought grander levels, story elements and, above all, the famous "lock-on" cartridge: you slot Sonic 3 into Sonic & Knuckles and both games combine into one giant adventure. This technical trick was astonishing for its time.

Around the music of Sonic 3, moreover, one of the most enduring gaming legends still circulates to this day — that Michael Jackson supposedly contributed to it. The evidence is indirect and the whole matter remains disputed, but that is exactly what makes it a spicy topic of fan debate. Either way, the soundtrack ranks among the best the console offered.

Together these games defined what a fast platformer means, and Sonic hatched out of them into an icon that has survived decades, remasters and transformations into 3D. To play them today is to touch the very core of the nineties console wars.

Why play it: A trio of platformers that defined speed, gave Sega an iconic mascot and remain, to this day, among the very best on the Mega Drive.