Difference between revisions of "Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis"

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Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis

System(s): Game Boy Advance

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sonic Team

Genre: Action

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code	Rating
US	2006-11-14	$?	AGB-P-BIJE AGB-BIJE-USA

Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis, simply referring to itself as Sonic the Hedgehog in game, is a remake of the original Sonic the Hedgehog for the Game Boy Advance. It was released as part of the celebration of the 15th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog, but the game was only released in North America.

Gameplay

Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis is an attempt to bring the first Sonic outing to the Game Boy Advance, but while many art assets are shared, the game engine is completely different and much of the audio far simpler. Content-wise it is similar to the first game, however the Spin Dash move from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 can be used in a new "anniversary mode". The game also includes battery back-up saving, allowing for players to easily revisit finished stages.

While some graphics have been altered to better suit the Game Boy Advance's screen resolution (240x160, versus the 320x224 used on the Mega Drive), much remains the same as the 1991 game, meaning less of the play area is visible at any given time. This makes Genesis a harder title, as it is harder to see what lies ahead. Cheat codes from the Mega Drive game were not ported over.

Beating the game unlocks a jukebox mode to hear the game's music. Collecting all six Chaos Emeralds adds sound effects to the jukebox.

Criticism

Genesis was widely criticised on release for being an unfaithful representation of the original game. Its engine is not accurate, with "weightier" jump physics making it difficult to clear some gaps, and different rates of acceleration/deceleration meaning Sonic can stop almost instantly. Sonic also bounces back further after being hit, and can react strangely to certain objects, slowing down the pace of play.

Most notably, Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis very rarely holds a consistent frame rate, slowing down whenever too many objects are on-screen. This variation on performance severely affects character handling, making some platforming sections trickier than they should be. Sprites positioned partially on-screen are often not rendered at all, meaning larger objects pop in more abruptly than on the Mega Drive. Effects such as collapsing platforms and breakable walls are are also simplified.

The audio is cut back, with simpler renditions of Sonic music being generated by the Game Boy Advance hardware. Some sound effects are sampled from Mega Drive hardware, but most are also generated, this time from simple square waves and a noise channel, akin to the average (monochrome) Game Boy and Game Boy Color game. Some sound effects are completely missing.

Within just a few months of release, Sonic Retro community member Stealth released Sonic the Hedgehog GBA, a more accurate conversion of Sonic the Hedgehog to Game Boy Advance hardware. Stealth would later be hired by Sega to help produce the 2013 port of the game (and later Sonic Mania).

Comparisons

Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis/Comparisons

Production credits

Original Development Staff

Game Plan: Carol Yas
Program: YU2
Character Design: BigIsland
Design: Jinya Ito, Phenix Rie
Sound Produce: Masato Nakamura
Sound Program: Jimita, Macky
Special Thanks: Fujio Minegishi, "Papa"

Sega of America, Inc.

Sega of America, Inc. CEO: Naoya Tsurumi
President/COO: Simon Jeffery
VP of Product Development: Dave Cobb
VP of Sales: Sue Hughes-Taigen

Production

Producer: Justin Lambros
Assistant Producer: Kevin Frane
VP of Marketing: Scott Steinberg
Senior Publishing Manager: Klayton Vorlick
Director of Marketing: Don Mesa
Product Marketing Manager: Yosuke Moriya
Public Relations Manager: Jennie Sue
Creative Services Manager: Jen Groeling
Production Specialist: Heather Lucchetti

QA

QA Manager: Deni Skeens
QA Supervisor: Josh Morton
Senior QA Lead: Shawn Dobbins
QA Lead Tester: Marta Khosraw
QA Compliancy Test Lead: Stephen Akana

Sega of Japan

Manual Production: Yoshihiro Sakuta, Hisakazu Nakagawa, Colin Restall
Special Thanks: Aya Takeuchi, Rhianna Kellom

Source: In-game credits & Manual Credits^[1]

Manuals

Game Boy Advance, US

Magazine articles

Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis/Magazine articles

Physical scans

Reception »

Game Boy Advance, US
Cover
Cart File:SonicGenesis GBA US manual.pdf Manual

Technical information

ROM dump status

System

Hash

Size

Build Date

Source

Comments

?

CRC32	027bc70d
MD5	8105a6012737aac2907b27e4a05ad794
SHA-1	31b9dee3b9289a32218f0e39667a6c2504e3f3d0

4MB

Cartridge (US)

External links

References

↑ File:SonicGenesis GBA US manual.pdf, page 18

Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)

Main page (Gen|2013|3D|Ages)
Comparisons (Gen) (2013)
Maps (2013)
Achievements
Credits

Manuals
Promotional material
Magazine articles (Gen)
Video coverage
Reception (Gen)
Merchandise

Development
Hidden content (Gen) (2013)
Bugs (Gen)
Region coding
Hacking guide
Bootlegs

show;hide

Levels
Enemies
Bosses
Prereleases
Media

Scrapped Enemies:

Books:

File:MegaDriveFan JP 19910701 f.pdf

Story Comic

Koushiki Guide Book

Hisshou Kouryakuhou

Sega's Official Player's Guide

An Official Player's Guide

The Sonic Collection

Music:

1&2 Soundtrack

Sonic the Hedgehog Tribute

Sonic the Hedgehog games for the following systems

2001 Sonic Advance | Tiny Chao Garden 2002 Sonic Advance 2 2003 Sonic Pinball Party | Sonic Battle 2004 Sonic Advance 3 | Sonic X: A Super Sonic Hero 2005 Sonic Advance & Sonic Pinball Party | Sonic Advance & ChuChu Rocket! | Sonic Advance & Sonic Battle | Sonic Battle & ChuChu Rocket! | Sonic Pinball Party & Sonic Battle | Sonic Pinball Party & Columns Crown 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis

Demos Sonic Advance 3

Prototypes Sonic Advance | Sonic Advance 2 | Sonic Advance 3

Unreleased Sonic X: Chaos Emerald Chaos | Sonic Riders

[:File:SonicGenesis_GBA_US_manual.pdf_p18-1] File:SonicGenesis GBA US manual.pdf, page 18

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Bob
-| bobscreen=Sonic_Genesis_Title.png
+| bobscreen=SonicGenesis title.png
 | publisher=[[Sega]]
 | developer=[[Sonic Team]]
 | system=[[Game Boy Advance]]
-| europe=
+| players=1
-| usa=Nov. 14, 2006
+| releases={{releases
-| genre=2D Platformer
+| gba_date_us=2006-11-14
-| esrb=e
+| gba_code_us=AGB-P-BIJE
+| gba_code2_us=AGB-BIJE-USA
+| gba_rating_us=e
 }}
-'''''Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis''''' is a [[Game Boy Advance]] remake of the original ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' for the [[Sega Mega Drive|Sega Genesis]], made in celebration of the 15th anniversary of that game, as well as ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' himself.
+| genre=Action
+}}
+'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''', simply referring to itself as '''''Sonic the Hedgehog''''' in game, is a remake of the original ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' for the [[Game Boy Advance]]. It was released as part of the celebration of the 15th anniversary of [[Sonic the Hedgehog]], but the game was only released in North America.
+==Gameplay==
+''Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis'' is an attempt to bring the first ''Sonic'' outing to the Game Boy Advance, but while many art assets are shared, the game engine is completely different and much of the audio far simpler. Content-wise it is similar to the first game, however the [[Spin Dash]] move from ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' can be used in a new "anniversary mode". The game also includes battery back-up saving, allowing for players to easily revisit finished stages.
+While some graphics have been altered to better suit the Game Boy Advance's screen resolution (240x160, versus the 320x224 used on the Mega Drive), much remains the same as the 1991 game, meaning less of the play area is visible at any given time. This makes ''Genesis'' a harder title, as it is harder to see what lies ahead. Cheat codes from the Mega Drive game were not ported over.
-The game is criticized for its slowdown (for example, obtaining [[Speed Shoes|speed shoes]] causes the game to slow down at times, rather than speed up), poor music renditions and sound quality, unfaithfully ported movement physics, shortened and different ending sequences, and numerous bugs and glitches. This has led it to be considered one of the worst Sonic games released.
+Beating the game unlocks a jukebox mode to hear the game's music. Collecting all six [[Chaos Emeralds]] adds sound effects to the jukebox.
-==Differences and Additions from the Genesis Version==
+==Criticism==
-A save game feature which allows players to resume from the beginning of the level can be accessed by pausing and using the "Save" option. The game also automatically saves after completing a zone. An "Anniversary Mode" is added and grants the player the [[Spin Dash]] ability that was introduced in later ''Sonic'' games. The graphics remain the same (with the exception of Sonic's redrawn sprite), but the view is slightly zoomed in due to the Game Boy Advances screen's width being smaller than that of a standard television. This makes the game more difficult as less of the terrain can be seen and thus there is less time to react to oncoming obstacles when running fast. The cheat codes from the Genesis game were not ported.
+''Genesis'' was widely criticised on release for being an unfaithful representation of the original game. Its engine is not accurate, with "weightier" jump physics making it difficult to clear some gaps, and different rates of acceleration/deceleration meaning Sonic can stop almost instantly. Sonic also bounces back further after being hit, and can react strangely to certain objects, slowing down the pace of play.
-The reason for the slow down in the game is because it was built off of the Sonic Advance engine, using graphics and collisions from Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Genesis rather than a port of the source code. The Sonic Advance graphics and collisions are almost half the same size as Sonic the Hedgehog's original collision sets.
+Most notably, ''Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis'' very rarely holds a consistent frame rate, slowing down whenever too many objects are on-screen. This variation on performance severely affects character handling, making some platforming sections trickier than they should be. Sprites positioned partially on-screen are often not rendered at all, meaning larger objects pop in more abruptly than on the Mega Drive. Effects such as collapsing platforms and breakable walls are are also simplified.
-Simply put, the engine does not have enough memory to support many large objects on screen and still retain Sonic speed, although it can support many small objects. The lag usually only occurs when there are too many objects on screen for the game to render quickly. This is also the reason why sometimes the game "forgets" to draw things. The solution is to clear out some of the objects that are taking up memory and the object should pop up.
-==Manuals==
+The audio is cut back, with simpler renditions of ''Sonic'' music being generated by the Game Boy Advance hardware. Some sound effects are sampled from Mega Drive hardware, but most are also generated, this time from simple square waves and a noise channel, akin to the average (monochrome) Game Boy and Game Boy Color game. Some sound effects are completely missing.
-*[[Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis US Manual]]
+Within just a few months of release, Sonic Retro community member [[Stealth]] released ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog GBA]]'', a more accurate conversion of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' to Game Boy Advance hardware. Stealth would later be hired by [[Sega]] to help produce the [[Sonic the Hedgehog (2013 game)|2013 port of the game]] (and later ''[[Sonic Mania]]'').
+==Comparisons==
+{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Comparisons}}
-==Production Credits==
+==Production credits==
 {{multicol|
-===Original Development Staff===
+{{creditstable|
-Game Plan: Carol Yas<br>
+{{creditsheader|Original Development Staff}}
-Program: [[Yuji Naka|YU2]]<br>
+* '''Game Plan:''' [[Hirokazu Yasuhara|Carol Yas]]
-Character Design: [[Naoto Ohshima|BigIsland]]<br>
+* '''Program:''' [[Yuji Naka|YU2]]
-Design: [[Jinya Ito]], [[Reiko Kodama|Phenix Rie]]<br>
+* '''Character Design:''' [[Naoto Ohshima|BigIsland]]
-Sound Produce: [[Masato Nakamura]]<br>
+* '''Design:''' [[Jinya Ito]], [[Rieko Kodama|Phenix Rie]]
-Sound Program: [[Hiroshi Kubota|Jimita]], [[Yukifumi Makino|Macky]]<br>
+* '''Sound Produce:''' [[Masato Nakamura]]
-Special Thanks: [[Fujio Minegishi]], "Papa"
+* '''Sound Program:''' [[Hiroshi Kubota|Jimita]], [[Yukifumi Makino|Macky]]
-===Credits Listed in Manual===
+* '''Special Thanks:''' [[Fujio Minegishi]], "Papa"
-====Sega of America, Inc.====
+{{creditsheader|Sega of America, Inc.}}
-Sega of America, Inc. CEO: Naoya Tsurumi<br>
+* '''Sega of America, Inc. CEO:''' [[sega:Naoya Tsurumi|Naoya Tsurumi]]
-President/COO: [[Simon Jeffery]]<br>
+* '''President/COO:''' [[Simon Jeffery]]
-VP of Product Development: Dave Cobb<br>
+* '''VP of Product Development:''' [[sega:Dave Cobb|Dave Cobb]]
-VP of Sales: Sue Hughes-Taigen<br>
+* '''VP of Sales:''' Sue Hughes-Taigen
-Producer: Justin Lambros<br>
+{{creditsheader|Production}}
-Assistant Producer: Kevin Frane<br>
+* '''Producer:''' Justin Lambros
-VP of Marketing: Scott Steinberg<br>
+* '''Assistant Producer:''' [[sega:Kevin Frane|Kevin Frane]]
-Senior Publishing Manager: Klayton Vorlick<br>
+* '''VP of Marketing:''' [[sega:Scott Steinberg|Scott Steinberg]]
-Director of Marketing: Don Mesa<br>
+* '''Senior Publishing Manager:''' [[sega:Klayton Vorlick|Klayton Vorlick]]
-Product Marketing Manager: Yosuke Moriya<br>
+* '''Director of Marketing:''' Don Mesa
-Public Relations Manager: Jennie Sue<br>
+* '''Product Marketing Manager:''' [[sega:Yosuke Moriya|Yosuke Moriya]]
-Creative Services Manager: Jen Groeling<br>
+* '''Public Relations Manager:''' [[sega:Jennie Sue|Jennie Sue]]
-Production Specialist: Heather Lucchetti<br>
+* '''Creative Services Manager:''' [[sega:Jen Groeling|Jen Groeling]]
-QA Manager: Deni Skeens<br>
+* '''Production Specialist:''' [[sega:Heather Lucchetti|Heather Lucchetti]]
-QA Supervisor: Josh Morton<br>
+{{creditsheader|QA}}
-Senior QA Lead: Shawn Dobbins<br>
+* '''QA Manager:''' Deni Skeens
-QA Lead Tester: Marta Khosraw<br>
+* '''QA Supervisor:''' Josh Morton
-QA Compliancy Test Lead: Stephen Akana
+* '''Senior QA Lead:''' [[sega:Shawn Dobbins|Shawn Dobbins]]
+* '''QA Lead Tester:''' Marta Khosraw
+* '''QA Compliancy Test Lead:''' [[sega:Stephen Akana|Stephen Akana]]
+{{creditsheader|Sega of Japan}}
+* '''Manual Production:''' [[sega:Yoshihiro Sakuta|Yoshihiro Sakuta]], [[sega:Hisakazu Nakagawa|Hisakazu Nakagawa]], [[sega:Colin Restall|Colin Restall]]
+* '''Special Thanks:''' Aya Takeuchi, Rhianna Kellom
+| source=In-game credits & Manual Credits
+| pdf=SonicGenesis GBA US manual.pdf
+| pdfpage=18
+}}
+}}
+==Manuals==
+<gallery>
+SonicGenesis GBA US manual.pdf|Game Boy Advance, US
+</gallery>
-====Sega of Japan====
+==Magazine articles==
-Manual Production: Yoshihro Sakuta, Hisakazu Nakagawa, Colin Restall<br>
+{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}}
-Special Thanks: Aya Takeuchi, Rhianna Kellom
-}}
-==Physical Scans==
+==Physical scans==
+{{ratings}}
 {{Scanbox
 | console=Game Boy Advance
 | region=US
-| front=Sonic_the_Hedgehog_Genesis.jpg
+| front=SonicGenesis GBA US Box Front.jpg
+| back=SonicGenesis GBA US Box Back.jpg
 | square=yes
 | cart=Sthg_gba_us_cart.jpg
-| manual=
+| manual=SonicGenesis GBA US manual.pdf
 }}
-==External Links==
+==Technical information==
-*[http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/gba/sonicthehedgehoggenesis Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis Reviews on Metacritic]
+===ROM dump status===
+{{romtable|
+{{rom|GBA|sha1=31b9dee3b9289a32218f0e39667a6c2504e3f3d0|md5=8105a6012737aac2907b27e4a05ad794|crc32=027bc70d|size=4MB|date=|source=Cartridge (US)|comments=|quality=}}
+}}
-==See Also==
+==External links==
-*[[Sonic the Hedgehog GBA]]
+* [http://www.metacritic.com/game/game-boy-advance/sonic-the-hedgehog-genesis ''{{PAGENAME}}'' on Metacritic]
-*[[Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis (Genesis)]]
+* [http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showtopic=7350&st=0 ''{{PAGENAME}}'' release topic on Sonic Retro]
+==References==
+<references/>
 {{S1MDOmni}}
 {{SonicAdvGames}}
+[[Category:Game Boy Advance games]]
-[[Category:Game Boy Advance Games]]