Sonic Jam is a seven-game compilation of Sonic games released for the Sega Saturn in 1997. 8-bit Sonic the Hedgehog is a respectable platformer in its own right, but as an entry in the Sonic series, it’s seriously underwhelming.

Power-ups hardly come into play at all, and levels are selected from a world map instead of transitioning into each other seamlessly. In fact, it’s almost an entirely different game. Chaos Emeralds are found in main levels rather than special stages, and hardware limitations make the game feel considerably slower. This version of the game was developed by Ancient as opposed to Sonic Team, and focuses more on exploration than high-speed antics. While the Genesis version flaunts the power of Sega’s flagship console, the Master System version makes a number of concessions to get it running. Sonic the Hedgehog hit the Genesis in June 1991, but an 8-bit version of the game released on the Master System in October of the same year. Sonic 8-bit (Master System/Game Gear, 1991) Though it would be technically outdone by Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the original game still made us believe in blast processing.

The Genesis’ Motorola 68000 processor made for prettier, faster games than were possible on the Mega Drive, and Sonic capitalizes on that. Thanks to a huge step up in technology from its predecessor the Sega Master System, the Genesis could process the technical algorithms of its games much faster than before. Yuji Naka’s creation originally stemmed from a rabbit character who used his ears to grab items, but after various re-designs, Sega found a generation-defining mascot in a speedy blue hedgehog (the rabbit would go on to inspire Sega’s cult classic Ristar). Talk to anyone who owned a Genesis or Mega Drive it’s all but guaranteed they played this game. Today we look at six of those ports to determine what’s the best (and worst) way to enjoy this classic platformer. It’s hard to believe the blue blur was once a system-seller, since now his debut game runs on consoles, handhelds, PCs, phones, and even e-readers. Very few games have seen as many ports as the original Sonic the Hedgehog. With Version Control we seek to catalog these differences, stack them up against each other, and determine which system, if any, hosts a game’s definitive port. Be they small differences in frame rates or fundamental changes in mechanics and features, these variations can drastically change the feel of a game. When games jump from platform to platform, changes are inevitable.

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