(this is a modified version of my Steam review for this game. you can read the original here: https://steamcommunity.com/id/huuishuu/recommended/71113/)
Honestly...I'm not so sure if I do recommend the original Sonic 1 or not. If I ever go back to Sonic 1 - I usually do it to play the plethora of ROM hacks for this game, from simple changes like adding the spindash or huge changes like revamping the entire game, I'd be hard-pressed to tell you that I replay the original 1991 release very often. It's because this game feels dated to play.
Don't get me wrong - I acknowledge that this game was incredibly revolutionary for its time. This game birthed one of my favorite franchises of all-time and the influence it had on making Sega a powerhouse in the 90s can't be overstated enough. But when there are so many better Sonic games out there - Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic Mania, heck even the Sonic Advance games - the only merit I'd see in playing Sonic 1 is either for the ROM hacks like I've mentioned (I highly recommend the spindash ROM hack or the Super/Hyper Sonic in Sonic 1 ROM hack) or for those seeking to see how the blue blur's humble beginnings looked like nearly 30 years ago.
There is a better version of this game out there, however it's stuck in Sonic Origins for $45. While Origins itself is not a good deal overall, the version there is objectively better than the original in so many ways that it makes it difficult to return to the original game.
But you know what's even better than the Sonic Origins version? Sonic 1 Forever. That is how you should play this original game.
Influential for its time, definitely, but has aged like milk. When your best zone is the first zone - you know you have a problem, in my opinion.
Honestly...I'm not so sure if I do recommend the original Sonic 1 or not. If I ever go back to Sonic 1 - I usually do it to play the plethora of ROM hacks for this game, from simple changes like adding the spindash or huge changes like revamping the entire game, I'd be hard-pressed to tell you that I replay the original 1991 release very often. It's because this game feels dated to play.
Don't get me wrong - I acknowledge that this game was incredibly revolutionary for its time. This game birthed one of my favorite franchises of all-time and the influence it had on making Sega a powerhouse in the 90s can't be overstated enough. But when there are so many better Sonic games out there - Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic Mania, heck even the Sonic Advance games - the only merit I'd see in playing Sonic 1 is either for the ROM hacks like I've mentioned (I highly recommend the spindash ROM hack or the Super/Hyper Sonic in Sonic 1 ROM hack) or for those seeking to see how the blue blur's humble beginnings looked like nearly 30 years ago.
There is a better version of this game out there, however it's stuck in Sonic Origins for $45. While Origins itself is not a good deal overall, the version there is objectively better than the original in so many ways that it makes it difficult to return to the original game.
But you know what's even better than the Sonic Origins version? Sonic 1 Forever. That is how you should play this original game.
Influential for its time, definitely, but has aged like milk. When your best zone is the first zone - you know you have a problem, in my opinion.