Since that time, eager Sonic fans have trawled the internet for insight into Sonic the Hedgehog in its pre-release format, taking technology showcases, TV spots and toy shows as vital sources of previously unseen screenshots and video clips of the game in its raw and unfinished form. But not all legends are born overnight.īeginning development in April 1990, the first title in the Sonic the Hedgehog series underwent countless aesthetic and gameplay revisions before its release little over a year later. With his attitude and blistering speed combined, the blue blur came to define an era. Where Alex Kidd and countless mascots before him had failed, in Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega finally found a hero to take on the mighty Mario and Nintendo. A little contextīursting onto the scene in mid-1991, Sonic the Hedgehog’s debut on the Mega Drive took the video game industry by storm. As the hunt goes on, MegaBites has discovered valuable insight and pieces of the puzzle that have remained hidden… Until now. While discoveries of Sonic 2 prototypes have continued to be unearthed over the years - as recently as November 2019 - in the decades since Sonic 1’s release, not a single playable prototype ROM has been found or is known to exist, not even one. There are few games that conjure the sense of intrigue and mystery as Sonic the Hedgehog’s Mega Drive debut in its alpha and pre-release form.
