Who made Sonic the Hedgehog?

Sonic the Hedgehog was published by Sega, released in 1991.

What kind of game is Sonic the Hedgehog?

Sonic the Hedgehog is a action, platform game for the NES / Famicom.

Can two people play Sonic the Hedgehog?

No. Sonic the Hedgehog is a single-player game, so it has no two-player mode.

How much data does Sonic the Hedgehog load?

The Sonic the Hedgehog ROM is 172 kB. It is fetched once when you press play and then cached by your browser, so returning to the game does not download it again.

Which emulators can run Sonic the Hedgehog?

Sonic the Hedgehog runs on NES / Famicom and Nestopia UE (Accurate). You can switch between them from the emulator list further down this page if one performs better on your device.

Sonic the Hedgehog Game (1991) - NES

Name: Sonic the Hedgehog
Availability: InStock
Author: Sega

Action / Button	Keyboard Key
D-Pad (Up / Down / Left / Right)	`Arrow Keys`
Button A	`Z` or `J`
Button B	`X` or `K`
Button X / Turbo A	`A` or `U`
Button Y / Turbo B	`S` or `I`
Select	`Shift`
Start	`Enter`

Gamepad Input	Retro Function	Keyboard Key
D-Pad / Analog	Character Movement / Steering	`▲` `▼` `◄` `►`
Button A (East)	Primary Action / Attack / Fire	`Z` / `K`
Button B (South)	Secondary / Jump / Cancel	`X` / `J`
Button X / Y	Special / Turbo / Extra Fire	`A` / `S`
Select	Insert Coin / Select Option	`Right Shift`
Start	Game Start / Pause Game	`Enter`

Gamepad Input

Retro Function

Keyboard Key

D-Pad / Analog

Character Movement / Steering

▲ ▼ ◄ ►

Button A (East)

Primary Action / Attack / Fire

Z / K

Button B (South)

Secondary / Jump / Cancel

X / J

Button X / Y

Special / Turbo / Extra Fire

A / S

Select

Insert Coin / Select Option

Right Shift

Start

Game Start / Pause Game

Enter

Emulator Core Engine	Technology	Multiplayer	Gamepad	Touch	Ads	Action / Switch
EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)	`WebAssembly / JS`	YES	YES	YES	NO	▶ ACTIVE
NES / Famicom (Recommended)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡
Nestopia UE (Accurate)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡

Emulator Core Engine

Technology

Multiplayer

Gamepad

Touch

Ads

Action / Switch

EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)

WebAssembly / JS

YES

▶ ACTIVE

NES / Famicom (Recommended)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Nestopia UE (Accurate)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Sonic the Hedgehog is the iconic 1991 action platformer by Sega, defining the genre with its emphasis on momentum and speed. Players guide Sonic through diverse zones, collecting rings to stay alive and rolling into a ball to defeat robotic enemies, all to stop Dr. Robotnik from using the island’s animals for his machines.

How to play

Your goal is to reach the signpost at the end of each act while collecting rings. Holding at least one ring protects you from taking damage from a single enemy hit. Use the Arrow Keys to move and duck, and press Z or X to jump or spin attack.

Tips

Keep one ring: As long as you hold at least one ring, you cannot be defeated by standard enemies or spikes, making it your most important lifeline.
Use momentum: Rolling down hills increases your speed significantly, allowing you to clear large gaps and loop-de-loops.
Explore for monitors: Look out for item monitors scattered throughout the levels, which can provide shields, invincibility, or extra lives.