Sonic the Hedgehog: Genesis

 Game Boy Advance
User Score
2.4

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 120 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 120
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 120
  3. Negative: 95 out of 120
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  1. WizardMinecraft
    Jun 17, 2018
    10
    Its awsome ok? its fine its great its everything about sonic 1 put on gba form
  2. Kirbyfan180
    Jan 30, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's not bad but its easy for me I play thes on my gba emulator on android 2 times… Expand
  3. SonicUndergroun
    Nov 20, 2022
    10
    this game is an absolute icon in the sonic the hedgehog franchise, this is much better than terrible games such as sonic adventure 2, sonic generations, sonic unleashed, etc.
  4. JacobJ.
    Mar 11, 2007
    9
    Absolutely awesome! Sure, it has lag here and there, but the rest is awesome. It actually improved the jump hight!
  5. SonicDude
    Mar 25, 2015
    9
    I agree the game has its flaws but that doesn't mean it's a bad game. The game can be slow and a little bad but still I like the game . This game has the spin dash and it is just like sonic from the Sega genisis kinda
  6. StevenV.
    Oct 15, 2009
    8
    I didn't find this game so bad. The only thing I found that is bad is that the game is slow at times. Other than the slow parts, I enjoyed Sonic the Hedgehog on Game Boy Advance. I think it's good, but could have been better without the slow parts.
  7. JacobM
    Feb 14, 2009
    7
    I don't understand why everybody hates this! Sure, it's laggy and glitchy, but I think the save system and Spin Dash are great additions! You should give it a shot, even if you're not a Sonic fan.
  8. DistH
    Feb 27, 2021
    7
    It's a Great game!! a shame that everybody hates it. + it's too easy with the spindash. the music is good. but it's a bit laggy.
  9. Steve
    Oct 11, 2009
    6
    I got Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis after seeing the bad reviews, and I disagree with them. The game does have slow downs and a different feel, but I still got some enjoyment out of playing this game. In my opinion, it is an ok game.
  10. Zilcell
    Nov 11, 2011
    6
    This version of Sonic the Hedgehog is too easy and the controls are terrible. I especially didn't like the new sound effects which removed the feel of Sonic that I liked from the original.
  11. Silverhedgehog6
    Sep 15, 2021
    6
    I know people said this is WORST Sonic handheld Games, but there is another WORST than Sonic Genesis, Sonic 06, Sonic Boom Wii U, Sonic 4, Sonic Blast, and Sonic Free Riders. it's Sonic Jam on Tiger Game.com the Worst on Sonic Jam: the gameplay is really slower, music also all wrong during playing levels, Knuckles can't climbing and gliding, Tails can still fly but he's power it'sI know people said this is WORST Sonic handheld Games, but there is another WORST than Sonic Genesis, Sonic 06, Sonic Boom Wii U, Sonic 4, Sonic Blast, and Sonic Free Riders. it's Sonic Jam on Tiger Game.com the Worst on Sonic Jam: the gameplay is really slower, music also all wrong during playing levels, Knuckles can't climbing and gliding, Tails can still fly but he's power it's completely uncheck they didn't make level design, this version is missing Sonic 1 and also can't go up kind of properly What is GOING ON? this game is not made by SEGA and Sonic Team, it was a made by Tiger Electronics. i rather be Sonic Jam on Sega Saturn, Tiger Electronics WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH SONIC?… Expand
  12. Untitled94
    Aug 16, 2017
    4
    Not sure how they were able to screw this up, but they did. This is the worst port of Sonic 1 I've ever played. To be honest, I was able to enjoy some of it, but only just a little bit at the time. It was one of the only ways at the time to play the Genesis version of Sonic 1 on the go, but Sega Genesis Collection on PSP came out the same year with Sonic 1 and 2, both much better ways toNot sure how they were able to screw this up, but they did. This is the worst port of Sonic 1 I've ever played. To be honest, I was able to enjoy some of it, but only just a little bit at the time. It was one of the only ways at the time to play the Genesis version of Sonic 1 on the go, but Sega Genesis Collection on PSP came out the same year with Sonic 1 and 2, both much better ways to play it on the go. Now there's just all kinds of better ways to play it on the go. And it's not even a GBA hardware limitation problem, it was just a bad port.… Expand
  13. grimreapersims
    Jan 19, 2022
    4
    ....................................................................................................................................................................................................blank
  14. mrsonic
    Jun 20, 2022
    4
    worst sonic 1 port i ever seen im truly dissapointed this game is so slow than orginal sonic 1 and orginal sonic 1 fun is gone in this port.. play the game you will understand
  15. KendylKlownfish
    May 3, 2011
    3
    An effortless port that could turn off newcomers faster than the hedgehog himself. Pros: Alright for a quick Sonic run or two; the additional Spin Dash and save system are helpful. Cons: A lot of glitches and slowdowns; unresponsive controls; horrendously redone soundtrack and cheap audio; it's lousy next to ports like Mario and Zelda.
  16. conserd
    Oct 3, 2013
    3
    You'll be surprised how atrocious this port is it has horrendous sound terrible sound and loaded with bugs not only is the GBA more powerful than the Genesis and this was released in 2006! when the DS was released! Just pretend this game doesn't exist and your life will be better.
  17. BlueSpeed
    Jan 21, 2016
    3
    Sonic 1 gets a 8/10.
    Sonic genesis gets 3/10
    This game has a major slowdown like ROL but that game was a little more enjoyable.The music is well....idk how to say it its not like the original sonic 1 ok.And the camera consentration on sonic is just horrible.if you wanna get this game pleaseeee just get the original sonic 1 not this one.
  18. VoltronGuy
    Mar 17, 2020
    3
    I hate to be negative here, but Sega did not make a great port of Sonic 1 to the Game Boy Advance. The music is horrible (even for the Game Boy Advance), it's laggy, there's many slowdowns and the screen crunch is horrible. It's definitely torturous if you play Marble Zone or Labyrinth Zone. So, I give it 3 out of 10.
  19. SonicFan20
    Nov 16, 2022
    3
    Its still sonic the hedgehog but MAN! and i mean MAN how did Sega Mess up a Port of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!? How Is this possible. one of the most Ported video games ever. It has Slow mo, lag, Crappy audio. the original game is still good but this makes the original unrecognizable. the New additions added to this version is just anniversary mode. its just the spindash. this port is the worstIts still sonic the hedgehog but MAN! and i mean MAN how did Sega Mess up a Port of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!? How Is this possible. one of the most Ported video games ever. It has Slow mo, lag, Crappy audio. the original game is still good but this makes the original unrecognizable. the New additions added to this version is just anniversary mode. its just the spindash. this port is the worst video game port ever besides that weird mario PC port. 3/10… Expand
  20. SamHalls2016
    Aug 16, 2020
    2
    Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis is one of the worst Sonic games I've ever played.
    Remake!? More like rip-off! Other bad or mediocre Sonic games have at least one minor plus.
    *Sonic Spinball brings a few minutes of enjoyment. *Sonic Labyrinth has nice sprites. *Sonic Blast doesn't have terrible music. *Sonic 3D Blast has controls that are easy to get used to. *Sonic the Fighters has a    Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis is one of the worst Sonic games I've ever played.
    Remake!? More like rip-off! Other bad or mediocre Sonic games have at least one minor plus.

    *Sonic Spinball brings a few minutes of enjoyment.
    *Sonic Labyrinth has nice sprites.
    *Sonic Blast doesn't have terrible music.
    *Sonic 3D Blast has controls that are easy to get used to.
    *Sonic the Fighters has a decent quality for its time.
    *Sonic Schoolhouse brings enjoyment for young children.
    *Sonic R seems easy when you play as Knuckles.
    *Sonic Shuffle doesn't have terrible minigames, but they're still boring.
    *Shadow the Hedgehog had a good gunfight.
    *Sonic '06 had an awesome soundtrack.
    *Sonic Unleashed had cool cutscenes.
    *Sonic and the Secret Rings had a strong appeal and offer more than 15 minutes of enjoyment.
    *Sonic and the Black Knight had a cool boss fight.
    *Sonic Free Riders doesn't have bad graphics (although I can say that that game is even worse, but that's beside the point).
    *Sonic Dash has a variety of gifts to give out if you complete missions.
    *Sonic Lost World had decent boss fights and great graphics.
    *Sonic Boom had a decent story and Tails acts more maturely.
    *Sonic Forces lets you create your Sonic OCs, despite the lacklustre level design.

    Besides the spin dash in anniversary mode, there isn't anything remotely good about this game. It's just a rehash of the first game from 1991 and would be better off not existing.    … Expand
  21. ingenting
    Jun 23, 2020
    2
    Great game and an absolute classic game, but a very poor port to the GBA unfortunately.
  22. Mattia9336
    Jul 26, 2020
    2
    The fact that it was released so late in the GBA life makes the game even worse. Nintendo had shown how to port games on the system.
  23. BiggestSonicFan
    Sep 7, 2023
    2
    Controls Are So Bad It Gives FPS Drop Single Second Gameplay Is Not Good Beside The Controls
  24. MetalReviewer
    Mar 7, 2022
    2
    An awful remake of a 16-bit classic. Play the original, or any other port instead. This one is not, and never will be worth your time.
  25. MaxP.
    Feb 27, 2007
    1
    Horrible lag and small screen make this game totally unplayable. Get the original or the mega collection instead.
  26. TyF.
    Nov 22, 2007
    1
    This is why Sega now is a piece of garbage, they are really rushing Sonic games and this is one of them! Sega, how dare you!! How dare you not putting Sonic in the same care that Nintendo did with Mario. Sega, you are nothing more then a company with no heart.
  27. JoeS
    May 21, 2008
    1
    A true disappointment if ever there was one. I grew up with the original Sonic game. It was the first Genesis game I ever played. How they could have botched the translation so terribly is beyond me. The addition of the spin dash and the slightly higher jump is cool, but what is with all the lag? The lag makes the whole thing unplayable! Whoever did the port on this one deserves to be fired.
  28. Luigibarqs
    Nov 13, 2010
    1
    There is only one word that describes this game, "BROKEN".
    Almost everything that made the original game a masterpiece is loss in this portable remake.
    The physics are a disaster, the lag is unacceptable, the audio is poor quality at best, graphics tend to freak out and act strangely from time to time, resolution is so awkward its next to impossible to see what is going on around you,    There is only one word that describes this game, "BROKEN".
    Almost everything that made the original game a masterpiece is loss in this portable remake.
    The physics are a disaster, the lag is unacceptable, the audio is poor quality at best, graphics tend to freak out and act strangely from time to time, resolution is so awkward its next to impossible to see what is going on around you, glitches related to poor programing are quite literally everywhere, the spindash does not even work correctly and there are even a few spelling errors in the sound test menu. The only bonus features are save feature, a level select (you need to unlock each stage manually by reaching it) feature and a sound test feature (unlocked by game completion most likely). Due to absurd amounts of lag and wonky physics, it is incredibly difficult to complete Labyrinth Zone Act 3 and sometimes if you are killed during the boss in this stage you are respawned at a checkpoint stuck underwater with no way to escape but waste your lives on drowning or quitting and returning to the title screen. The game is awful and nobody should waste their hard earned money on this rushed and broken nearly unplayable mess of a game.    … Expand
  29. SonicKlonoa216
    Aug 3, 2011
    1
    Oh man I can't believe I have to Review on this. Every Sonic Fan weather it is the Classic or Modern Sonic Fans, It is really bad. The positive is the Spin Dash, a Save Feature and the Concept. Everything Else fails badly. Loads of Glitches, Bad Sound like Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, The Jonas Bros and Rebbecca Black, Awful Controls and Abysmal Gameplay. End of Story. Do not buy this gameOh man I can't believe I have to Review on this. Every Sonic Fan weather it is the Classic or Modern Sonic Fans, It is really bad. The positive is the Spin Dash, a Save Feature and the Concept. Everything Else fails badly. Loads of Glitches, Bad Sound like Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, The Jonas Bros and Rebbecca Black, Awful Controls and Abysmal Gameplay. End of Story. Do not buy this game instead get Sonic Classic Collection for the DS or SEGA Genesis Collection for the PSP.… Expand
  30. Robinson2511
    May 28, 2014
    1
    Oh god, what the hell happened here, how can transform one of the best platformers ever made, into a travesty that can't even support moving text without lagging like hell, not to mention glitches that put Sonic 06 to shame, a frame rate like a PowerPoint presentation running at half-speed, and music that makes Shadow the Hedgehog sound like a masterpiece in sound design, hugely disappointing!
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
33

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 5 out of 6
  1. AceGamez
    20
    I truly am blown away by how terrible this port turned out to be.
  2. Nintendo Power
    60
    Considering that "Sonic Mega Collection" for GCN already boasts a perfect version of the original Sonic, this game is a bit of a tough sell, but at least the inclusion of the 'hogs trademark Spin Dash adds some appeal. [Jan. 2007, p.112]
  3. Play Magazine
    40
    There are a few minor twists in the Anniversary Mode, such as the ability to use the Spin Dash that was introduced later in the series, but none of it matters when the fundamentals are so thoroughly screwed. [Dec. 2006, p.92]
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