When did Sonic the Hedgehog release?

Sonic the Hedgehog was first released on June 23, 1991.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Jun 23, 1991PlatformArcadePlayStation 3 Wii Sega Mega Drive/GenesisPC (Microsoft Windows)

Sonic the Hedgehog — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Sonic the Hedgehog on?: Sonic the Hedgehog was released on Arcade, PlayStation 3, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Android, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Sega Saturn, Legacy Mobile Device, Handheld Electronic LCD, Sega CD, Nintendo 3DS, Game Boy Advance, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Sega Master System.
When did Sonic the Hedgehog release?: Sonic the Hedgehog was first released on June 23, 1991.

About Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2D side-scrolling platformer developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Genesis/Mega Drive. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, who can run at near supersonic speeds and sets out on a quest to defeat Dr. Robotnik, a scientist who has imprisoned animals in robots and seeks the powerful Chaos Emeralds.

Summary via IGDB.

Sonic the Hedgehog on Wikipedia

Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with supersonic speed, who battles the mad scientist Doctor Eggman and his robot army. The main Sonic the Hedgehog games are platformers mostly developed by Sonic Team; other games, developed by various studios, include spin-offs in the racing, fighting, party, and sports genres. The franchise also incorporates printed media, animations, films, and merchandise.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Platforms: Arcade, PlayStation 3, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X|S (s), PlayStation 4, Android, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Sega Saturn, Legacy Mobile Device, Handheld Electronic LCD, Sega CD, Nintendo 3DS, Game Boy Advance, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Sega Master System
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
ESRB rating: E10+
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action, Fantasy, Science fiction
Series: Sonic The Hedgehog
Official site: Visit

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

83/100

from 623 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Fake risk
Sega Genesis	1991	$14	$26	$140	5 reviews	Low

Also released on: Arcade · PlayStation 3 · Wii · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · PC (Microsoft Windows) · iOS · Xbox 360 · Xbox Series X|S · PlayStation 4 · Android · PlayStation 5 · Xbox One · Nintendo Switch · Sega Saturn · Legacy Mobile Device · Handheld Electronic LCD · Sega CD · Nintendo 3DS · Game Boy Advance · Amazon Fire TV · Apple TV · Sega Master System. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29

Loose

$14

Complete

$26

Sealed

$140

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Not for Resale copy	$9	$20	$96
Canadian release (different cover)	$13	$27	—
Sega Classic re-release	$14	$20	—
European (PAL) release	$5	$16	$356
Japanese release	$25	$62	$279

How often it sells

Loose: about 2 times a day
Complete: about 2 times a day
Sealed: about 5 times a year

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $1.18 in Oct 2007, $13.88 five years ago, and $14.02 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2008	$3.13	—
Jan 2009	$4.99	—
Jan 2010	$4.47	—
Jan 2011	$1.39	—
Jan 2012	$3.37	—
Jan 2013	$2.28	—
Jan 2014	$4.35	$7.99
Jan 2015	$4.95	$10.49
Jan 2016	$7.49	$9.50
Jan 2017	$5.60	$11.80
Jan 2018	$10.22	$11.50
Jan 2019	$6.99	$10.00
Jan 2020	$9.95	$20
Jan 2021	$11.59	$19.49
Jan 2022	$12.25	$26
Jan 2023	$13.50	$27
Jan 2024	$11.25	$50
Jan 2025	$14.00	$53
Jan 2026	$12.47	$24
Oct 2026	$14.02	$26

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date
North America	June 1991
Europe / PAL	June 1991
Japan	26 July 1991

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Mega Drive software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published only where both agree on the same cartridge dump. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: NA+EU+JP
Released: 1991
Authenticity: Low

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages, the Genesis Mini and Nintendo Switch Online, are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Sega Genesis prices, all games & how to spot a fake

The platformer that Genesis owners know best, and a cart priced about in the middle of US carts, with the European one cheaper still.

Sonic the Hedgehog is a platformer from Sonic Team, published by Sega. It came out in North America and Europe in June 1991, with the Japanese Mega Drive release following on 26 July 1991. You steer a hedgehog who runs at supersonic speed, collects rings as a form of health, and needs only a single button to jump and attack. The story pits him against Doctor Robotnik, who is after the Chaos Emeralds.

In November 1991 Sega of America began packing it in with American Genesis consoles in place of Altered Beast, and owners who had bought a console earlier could request a free copy by mail. Mean Machines Sega called it addictive, with brilliant graphics and speed, though it found the play frustrating at times and thought experienced players would finish it within days.

How it was made

Development began in 1990, when Sega ordered its developers to make a game around a company mascot. The team chose a blue hedgehog designed by Naoto Ohshima and named itself Sonic Team after the character. Yuji Naka programmed it, Hirokazu Yasuhara designed it and Masato Nakamura of the J-pop band Dreams Come True composed the music.

Late in development Sega of America had Sonic's color changed from dark blue to a lighter cyan so he would stand out against the brown tones of Green Hill Zone, a decision tied to the limited color reproduction of the Genesis.

What the press said at the time

Mean Machines Games Guide	May 1992	90%
Mean Machines Sega Issue 3	December 1992	90%
MegaTech Issue 23	November 1993	83%
Sega Pro Issue 36	September 1994	90%
Sega Pro Issue 37	October 1994	90%

“I must admit that Sonic is one of the best Megadrive games I've ever played!”
— Mean Machines, July 1991

“It's very addictive with brilliant graphics and speed. However, the gameplay is frustrating at times and experienced gamers should have this one licked within days.”
— Mean Machines, May 1992

“Sega's hyped-beyond-belief character stars in a game inspired by Nintendo's Mario platform game series. It's very addictive with brilliant graphics and speed. However, the gameplay is frustrating at times and experienced gamers should have this one licked within days.”
— Mean Machines Sega, December 1992

“The blue hedgehog's original platform outing is a fun and visually stunning game which just lacks long-term playability.”
— MegaTech, April 1993

How the Sega Genesis version differs

Mean Machines Sega gave it 90%, praising its graphics and speed but finding the gameplay frustrating at times and expecting experienced players to finish it within days.

Also on other platforms

Arcade · Game Boy Advance · Nintendo 3DS · iOS · Android · Amazon Fire TV · Apple TV · Nintendo Switch · Sega Master System · Sega Saturn

Sega Master System. Sega Force called the Master System version remarkably similar to the Mega Drive version, with smart graphics and bouncy sound.
Sega Saturn. In the Sonic Jam compilation on Saturn, the game gained the Spindash, which was not present in the original Genesis game.

Before you buy

Among US carts this one sits about at the middle, so it is an easy cart to buy without overpaying. The European cart usually costs much less than the US one, while the Japanese Mega Drive cart usually costs noticeably more and has a different cartridge shape. There are also Canadian-cover, Not for Resale and Sega Classic copies; check which one a listing really is before comparing prices. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.