<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
companion	O
to	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
game	O
Sonic	B-Application
the	I-Application
Hedgehog	I-Application
for	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
Game	O
Gear	O
and	O
Master	O
System	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ancient	O
—	O
a	O
studio	O
founded	O
by	O
composer	O
Yuzo	O
Koshiro	O
for	O
the	O
project	O
—	O
developed	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
Sega	O
published	O
it	O
to	O
promote	O
the	O
handheld	B-Application
Game	I-Application
Gear	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
is	O
a	O
side-scrolling	O
video	O
game	O
similar	O
in	O
style	O
to	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
game	O
,	O
but	O
reduced	O
in	O
complexity	O
to	O
fit	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
premise	O
and	O
story	O
of	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
are	O
identical	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
game	O
:	O
as	O
the	O
anthropomorphic	O
hedgehog	O
Sonic	B-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
races	O
through	O
levels	O
to	O
rescue	O
the	O
imprisoned	O
animals	O
Doctor	O
Robotnik	O
plots	O
to	O
turn	O
into	O
robots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gameplay	O
is	O
similar	O
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
collects	O
rings	O
while	O
avoiding	O
obstacles	O
,	O
but	O
is	O
paced	O
extremely	O
slower	O
as	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
version	O
focuses	O
more	O
on	O
exploration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
some	O
level	O
themes	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Green	O
Hill	O
Zone	O
,	O
are	O
borrowed	O
from	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
game	O
,	O
others	O
are	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
features	O
a	O
different	O
soundtrack	O
from	O
Koshiro	O
,	O
which	O
comprises	O
new	O
material	O
alongside	O
some	O
rearrangements	O
of	O
Masato	O
Nakamura	O
's	O
tracks	O
for	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
acclaimed	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
for	O
its	O
level	O
variety	O
,	O
visuals	O
,	O
gameplay	O
,	O
and	O
audio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
believed	O
that	O
it	O
compared	O
favorably	O
to	O
its	O
16-bit	B-Application
counterpart	O
,	O
although	O
some	O
criticism	O
was	O
directed	O
at	O
its	O
low	O
difficulty	O
and	O
short	O
length	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
has	O
been	O
rereleased	O
through	O
Sonic	B-Application
game	O
compilations	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
received	O
several	O
sequels	O
,	O
beginning	O
with	O
Sonic	B-Application
the	I-Application
Hedgehog	I-Application
2	I-Application
in	O
1992	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
Ancient	O
's	O
first	O
game	O
and	O
the	O
only	O
Sonic	B-Application
game	O
they	O
developed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
the	I-Application
Hedgehog	I-Application
is	O
a	O
side-scrolling	O
platform	O
game	O
similar	O
in	O
gameplay	O
and	O
style	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
16-bit	B-Application
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
game	O
of	B-Application
the	I-Application
same	I-Application
name	I-Application
,	O
save	O
for	O
several	O
new	O
and	O
altered	O
game	O
mechanics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
,	O
the	O
anthropomorphic	O
hedgehog	O
Sonic	B-Application
ventures	O
to	O
rescue	O
the	O
animal	O
population	O
of	O
South	O
Island	O
from	O
the	O
diabolical	O
Doctor	O
Robotnik	O
,	O
who	O
plots	O
to	O
turn	O
them	O
into	O
robots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
the	O
original	O
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
collects	O
rings	O
,	O
which	O
protect	O
him	O
from	O
being	O
hit	O
by	O
an	O
enemy	O
or	O
obstacle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Losing	O
all	O
lives	O
results	O
in	O
a	O
"	O
game	B-Application
over	I-Application
"	O
message	O
;	O
if	O
so	O
,	O
they	O
must	O
restart	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
travels	O
through	O
six	O
levels	O
called	O
zones	O
,	O
each	O
consisting	O
of	O
two	O
main	O
acts	O
and	O
a	O
boss	O
battle	O
with	O
Robotnik	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
level	O
themes	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Green	O
Hill	O
Zone	O
,	O
are	O
borrowed	O
from	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
version	O
,	O
others	O
are	O
original	O
,	O
and	O
all	O
the	O
level	O
designs	O
are	O
different	O
and	O
contain	O
no	O
vertical	O
loops	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
player	O
has	O
over	O
50	O
rings	O
,	O
they	O
can	O
access	O
a	O
pinball-esque	O
bonus	O
stage	O
where	O
more	O
rings	O
and	O
continues	O
can	O
be	O
collected	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1990	O
,	O
Sega	O
released	O
the	O
Game	O
Gear	O
,	O
an	O
8-bit	B-Application
handheld	B-Application
game	I-Application
console	I-Application
designed	O
to	O
compete	O
with	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
worked	O
on	O
Sonic	B-Application
the	I-Application
Hedgehog	I-Application
for	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
Genesis	O
and	O
Sega	O
wanted	O
to	O
increase	O
consumer	O
awareness	O
of	O
the	O
Game	O
Gear	O
by	O
producing	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
Sonic	B-Application
for	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
22-year	O
old	O
composer	O
Yuzo	O
Koshiro	O
had	O
recently	O
started	O
working	O
with	O
Sega	O
,	O
having	O
been	O
asked	O
to	O
compose	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
for	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
version	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Revenge	I-Application
of	I-Application
Shinobi	I-Application
(	O
1989	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
a	O
general	O
manager	O
,	O
whom	O
Koshiro	O
met	O
while	O
working	O
on	O
The	B-Application
Revenge	I-Application
of	I-Application
Shinobi	I-Application
,	O
asked	O
him	O
to	O
start	O
developing	O
a	O
Game	O
Gear	O
version	O
of	O
Sonic	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
was	O
created	O
specifically	O
for	O
the	O
Game	O
Gear	O
,	O
but	O
Sega	O
also	O
had	O
Ancient	O
develop	O
a	O
version	O
for	O
the	O
Master	O
System	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
selling	O
well	O
and	O
had	O
similar	O
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Porting	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
to	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
hardware	O
was	O
impossible	O
,	O
so	O
Ancient	O
built	O
their	O
Sonic	B-Application
from	O
scratch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
decided	O
to	O
make	O
their	O
version	O
completely	O
different	O
from	O
its	O
16-bit	B-Application
counterpart	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
first	O
phase	O
,	O
Ancient	O
developed	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
version	O
in	O
mind	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Koshiro	O
thought	O
reinventing	O
Sonic	B-Application
for	O
8-bit	B-Application
hardware	O
was	O
challenging	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
did	O
not	O
work	O
at	O
Sega	O
and	O
had	O
never	O
developed	O
a	O
game	O
before	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Koshiro	O
composed	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
and	O
sought	O
to	O
retain	O
the	O
feel	O
of	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
converted	O
Masato	O
Nakamura	O
's	O
16-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
score	O
to	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
programmable	O
sound	O
generator	O
to	O
start	O
,	O
but	O
ended	O
up	O
using	O
only	O
three	O
of	O
those	O
tracks	O
;	O
the	O
remainder	O
of	O
the	O
music	O
is	O
Koshiro	O
's	O
work	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
Game	O
Gear	O
version	O
was	O
developed	O
first	O
,	O
Sega	O
released	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
for	O
the	O
Master	O
System	O
in	O
Europe	O
in	O
November	O
1991	O
,	O
and	O
worldwide	O
for	O
the	O
Game	O
Gear	O
on	O
December	O
28	O
,	O
1991	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Master	O
System	O
had	O
failed	O
to	O
gain	O
a	O
foothold	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
so	O
its	O
version	O
of	O
Sonic	B-Application
became	O
a	O
collector	O
's	O
item	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
World	O
Report	O
described	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
weird	O
"	O
release	O
for	O
the	B-Application
franchise	I-Application
because	O
it	O
did	O
not	O
focus	O
on	O
speed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
it	O
was	O
profitable	O
for	O
Sega	O
,	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonics	B-Application
sales	O
were	O
"	O
nowhere	O
near	O
as	O
well	O
"	O
as	O
those	O
of	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2003	O
,	O
Sega	O
released	O
Sonic	B-Application
Adventure	I-Application
DX	I-Application
:	I-Application
Director	I-Application
's	I-Application
Cut	I-Application
,	O
an	O
enhanced	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
1998	O
Sonic	B-Application
game	O
Sonic	B-Application
Adventure	O
for	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
and	O
Windows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
player	O
progresses	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
they	O
will	O
unlock	O
all	O
12	O
Sonic	B-Application
games	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Game	O
Gear	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Game	O
Gear	O
version	O
is	O
also	O
available	O
through	O
Sonic	B-Device
Mega	I-Device
Collection	I-Device
Plus	I-Device
(	O
2004	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
compilation	O
of	O
Sonic	B-Application
games	O
for	O
Windows	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
released	O
the	O
Master	O
System	O
version	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
digital	O
distribution	O
service	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
in	O
August	O
2008	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
Europe	O
the	O
following	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Game	O
Gear	O
version	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
in	O
the	O
west	O
on	O
June	O
13	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
December	O
4	O
,	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
acclaimed	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
agreed	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
polished	O
recreation	O
of	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
game	O
,	O
with	O
ACE	O
and	O
Mean	O
Machines	O
writing	O
those	O
who	O
owned	O
that	O
version	O
could	O
still	O
enjoy	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ACE	O
was	O
impressed	O
to	O
see	O
the	O
Genesis	O
version	O
's	O
main	O
features	O
brought	O
to	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
systems	O
intact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
also	O
considered	O
its	O
visuals	O
"	O
top-of-the-line	O
"	O
for	O
an	O
8-bit	B-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retrospective	O
reviews	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
rerelease	O
on	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
were	O
likewise	O
positive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
wrote	O
that	O
although	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
as	O
visually	O
appealing	O
,	O
fast	O
,	O
or	O
ambitious	O
as	O
its	O
16-bit	B-Application
predecessor	O
,	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
the	I-Application
Hedgehog	I-Application
was	O
still	O
a	O
competent	O
game	O
in	O
its	O
own	O
right	O
,	O
with	O
unique	O
level	O
designs	O
that	O
managed	O
to	O
retain	O
the	O
feel	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
Life	O
believed	O
it	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
platformers	O
for	O
the	O
Master	O
System	O
and	O
felt	O
it	O
was	O
an	O
interesting	O
piece	O
in	O
the	O
Sonic	B-Application
franchise	I-Application
's	O
history	O
,	O
and	O
found	O
the	O
Game	O
Gear	O
version	O
easy	O
to	O
recommend	O
to	O
those	O
who	O
played	O
the	O
16-bit	B-Application
version	O
and	O
were	O
looking	O
for	O
a	O
new	O
experience	O
,	O
and	O
those	O
who	O
were	O
just	O
starting	O
to	O
play	O
Sonic	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpy	O
,	O
reviewing	O
Sonic	B-Device
Mega	I-Device
Collection	I-Device
Plus	I-Device
,	O
felt	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
and	O
Sonic	B-Application
Chaos	I-Application
(	O
1993	O
)	O
were	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
only	O
Game	O
Gear	O
installments	O
worth	O
playing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamesRadar+	O
named	O
the	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
the	O
fourth	O
best	O
Game	O
Gear	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
and	O
Retro	O
Gamer	O
named	O
it	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
Master	O
System	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
was	O
Ancient	O
's	O
first	O
game	O
and	O
the	O
only	O
Sonic	B-Application
game	O
they	O
developed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beginning	O
with	O
its	O
1992	O
sequel	O
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
the	I-Application
Hedgehog	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
all	O
subsequent	O
8-bit	B-Application
Sonic	B-Application
platformers	O
were	O
developed	O
by	O
Aspect	O
Co	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Bridge	B-Application
Zone	I-Application
level	O
's	O
track	O
became	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
famous	O
pieces	O
of	O
Sonic	B-Application
music	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
basis	O
for	O
Tails	O
 '	O
theme	O
in	O
Sonic	B-Application
Adventure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
,	O
a	O
fan	O
remake	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
,	O
featuring	O
widescreen	O
gameplay	O
and	O
new	O
playable	O
characters	O
,	O
levels	O
,	O
and	O
game	O
mechanics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
fanmade	O
Commodore	O
64	O
port	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
December	O
2021	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
original	O
Z80	O
assembly	O
code	O
hand-translated	O
to	O
the	O
6510	B-General_Concept
CPU	O
.	O
</s>
