Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball on?
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball was released on Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Game Boy Advance, Sega Master System/Mark III, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear.
- When did Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball release?
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball was first released on November 23, 1993.
About Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball
Dr. Eggman (AKA Dr. Robotnik) is once again turning the animals of Mobius into robots using his monstrous contraption, the Veg-O-Fortress. Only Sonic can penetrate the Pinball Defense System to free the animals, retrieve the Chaos Emeralds, and put a stop to Dr. Eggman’s fiendish plans!
Summary via IGDB.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball 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
- Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Game Boy Advance, Sega Master System/Mark III, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear
- Developer
- Sega Technical Institute
- Publisher
- Tec Toy
- ESRB rating
- E
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action
- Series
- Sonic The Hedgehog
- Official site
- Visit
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Master SystemDetails ↓ | 1995 | $80 | $245 | — | 63% | Medium (look-alike) |
| Sega GenesisDetails ↓ | 1993 | $9 | $15 | $203 | 6 reviews | Low |
The cheapest way to own it loose is the Sega Genesis version ($9).
Also released on: Linux · Wii · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Mac · Game Boy Advance · Sega Master System/Mark III · Sega Game Gear. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
How often it sells
- Loose: about 5 times a year
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $46 in Oct 2009, $105 five years ago, and $80 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $30 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $30 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $4.34 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $9.99 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $4.95 | $28 |
| Jan 2015 | $19.99 | $28 |
| Jan 2016 | $19.99 | $160 |
| Jan 2017 | $44 | $130 |
| Jan 2018 | $62 | $106 |
| Jan 2019 | $67 | $110 |
| Jan 2020 | $73 | $113 |
| Jan 2021 | $106 | $122 |
| Jan 2022 | $143 | $209 |
| Jan 2023 | $128 | $266 |
| Jan 2024 | $84 | $236 |
| Jan 2025 | $80 | $259 |
| Jan 2026 | $62 | $257 |
| Oct 2026 | $80 | $245 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number |
|---|---|---|
| Europe / PAL | 27 January 1995 | 9034 |
| Brazil | 1995 | — |
- Region
- EU+BR
- Released
- 1995
- Authenticity
- Med
The Sega Master System version
A late Master System release of the Sonic pinball spin-off and one of the pricier carts to track down.
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball is a pinball spin-off of the Sonic series, in which Sonic acts as the ball. It was a Sega Genesis game in November 1993, with ports for the Game Gear and Master System following in 1994 and 1995. The Master System version came out in Europe on January 27, 1995, and in Brazil from Tec Toy the same year. Sega Interactive Development Division developed this version.
What the press said at the time
| Sega Pro Issue 43 | April 1995 | 63% |
“Unfortunately this conversion is far too easy to complete as you can move him around far too much in midair. Flippin’ easy.”
Also on other platforms
Genesis · Game Gear
| Genesis | Sega Technical Institute |
- Genesis. The Genesis original came out in November 1993 after a hasty nine-month development.
- Genesis. Its team switched the programming language from assembly to C, which caused frame rate and optimization problems but sped up development.
Before you buy
Only the European and Brazilian carts exist. Loose, it is one of the pricier carts released in Europe but not North America, so check it carefully and ask for a clear photo of the board before paying.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardboard box release | $10 | $20 | — |
| European (PAL) release | $11 | $20 | $56 |
| Japanese release | $27 | $71 | $135 |
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a week
- Complete: about once 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 $0.38 in Oct 2007, $5.70 five years ago, and $8.59 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $0.38 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $0.99 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $0.76 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $0.88 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $0.88 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $2.87 | $5.66 |
| Jan 2015 | $4.00 | $6.99 |
| Jan 2016 | $4.20 | $7.95 |
| Jan 2017 | $4.73 | $7.50 |
| Jan 2018 | $5.01 | $7.87 |
| Jan 2019 | $4.45 | $8.00 |
| Jan 2020 | $5.75 | $9.99 |
| Jan 2021 | $5.25 | $11.47 |
| Jan 2022 | $5.20 | $12.55 |
| Jan 2023 | $7.75 | $14.25 |
| Jan 2024 | $5.72 | $15.15 |
| Jan 2025 | $6.17 | $14.23 |
| Jan 2026 | $8.31 | $14.96 |
| Oct 2026 | $8.59 | $15.29 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 23 November 1993 | — | 171-5978BA |
| Europe / PAL | 23 November 1993 | — | 171-5978BA,171-5978B |
| Japan | 10 December 1993 | G-4112 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1993
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega Genesis version
A hastily made Genesis pinball spin-off that is cheap and known for slowdown.
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball turns a pinball table into a Sonic level, with Sonic as the ball and Doctor Robotnik's machine as the enemy. This is the Genesis original from Sega Technical Institute, released in North America and Europe on 23 November 1993 and in Japan on 10 December 1993. The Game Gear and Master System versions are separate games.
It was made by the American staff of Sega Technical Institute while the Japanese staff worked on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles. When Sega management saw Sonic 3 would miss the 1993 holiday season, they commissioned another Sonic game, and the result had a hasty nine-month development. Eurogamer later criticized its sluggish frame rate and slowdown when the screen gets busy.
How it was made
To save time the team switched its programming language from assembly to C, an unusual choice for Genesis games at the time. It sped up development but caused frame rate and optimization problems.
What the press said at the time
| MegaTech Issue 26 | February 1994 | 86% |
| MegaTech Issue 27 | March 1994 | 86% |
| MegaTech Issue 33 | September 1994 | 86% |
| Sega Pro Issue 36 | September 1994 | 79% |
| Sega Pro Issue 37 | October 1994 | 79% |
| Sega Pro Issue 43 | April 1995 | 76% |
“With great visuals, accessible V playability and loads of neat fea- V lures, Sonic SpinbalPs an Fj % essential purchase for hedge- ™ & hog fans”
“Sonic goes pinball with five huge levels and a good feel from the flippers and Sonic-ball. Fun and very addictive - the first four levels are pretty easy, but the last one's dead hard. However, there's not really enough there to warrant the asking price.”
“Sonic goes pinball with five huge levels and a good feel from the flippers and Sonic-ball. Fun and very addictive - the first four levels are pretty easy, but the last one's dead hard. However, there's not really enough there to warrant the asking price.”
“Fun and very addictive - the first four levels are pretty easy, but the last one's dead hard. Not really enough there to warrant the asking price.”
Also on other platforms
Game Gear · Sega Master System
- Game Gear. The Game Gear port was released in 1994.
- Sega Master System. The Master System port was released in 1995.
Before you buy
Among US carts this is below the middle, so it is easy to buy without overpaying. The European cart usually costs a little more than the US one, and the Japanese cart usually costs about three times as much and has a different cartridge shape. A cardboard-box release is priced separately and usually costs slightly more than the plastic-case copy. A complete US copy means the case, cartridge and manual.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball screenshots
Watch on YouTube
Listings on The Game Traders
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