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Sonic timeline

HISTORY OF GAMES
EVERY SONIC GAME ON RECORD:
1991 - 2004/5

Here you will find general information on all Sonic-related games ever created, excluding versions released on the PC or Master System.

Sonic The Hedgehog (1991)
Systems:
Sega Genesis, Sega Gamegear
Facts:
First Sonic game ever made, frequently referred to as "Sonic 1", Sonic debut, Robotnik debut.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (1992)
Systems:
Sega Genesis, Sega Gamegear
Facts: First time Sonic morphed into Super Sonic, Tails debut, Silver Sonic debut, Robotnik's Death Egg ship debut.

Sonic CD (1993)
Systems:
Sega CD
Facts: Metal Sonic debut, Amy debut, time travel is available.

Sonic Chaos (1993)
Systems:
Sega Gamegear
Facts: Two storylines for Sonic and Tails.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (1994)
Systems:
Sega Genesis
Facts: Knuckles debut, Floating Island debut, Robotnik rebuilds the Death Egg for the second and last time.

Sonic & Knuckles (1994)
Systems:
Sega Genesis
Facts: Two storylines for Sonic and Knuckles, Tails does not appear, connects to other Sonic games for extra bonus levels to play through.

Sonic The Hedgehog 4 (1995)
Systems:
Sega Genesis
Facts: Partener "HOLD!" gameplay debut where players could breifly control their computer companion, was never released in any country, was originally called 'Sonic Crackers'.

Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (1995)
Systems:
Sega Genesis, Sega Gamegear
Facts: Tetris-like gameplay, based on the animated TV show series by DiC.

Sonic's Pico Studio (1995)
Systems:
Sega Pico
Facts: Education-based children's game, no true storyline.

Sonic Spinball (1995)
Systems:
Sega Genesis, Sega Gamegear
Facts: Basically a Sonic-based pinball game.

Sonic Drift (1995)
Systems: Sega Gamegear
Facts: Sonic-based racing game in racing cars, not released in the USA.

Knuckles Chaotix (1995)
Systems:
Sega 32X
Facts: Second and last game to use partener "HOLD!" gameplay, Charmy debut, Vector debut, Mighty debut, Espio debut.

Sonic Triple Trouble (1995)
Systems:
Sega Gamegear
Facts: Fang debut.

Sonic Drift 2 (1996)
Systems:
Sega Gamegear
Facts: Sonic Drift sequel, which was released in the USA.

Sonic Labrynth (1996)
Systems:
Sega Genesis
Facts: Direct Sonic through mazes, save a Chaos Emerald.

Tails Adventure (1996)
Systems:
Sega Gamegear
Facts: Takes place during Sonic & Knuckles, inventory gameplay, most abilities must be learned.

Sonic: The Fighters (1996)
Systems:
Arcade
Facts: Saturn version release was cancelled, Bean debut, Bark debut.

Wacky Worlds (1996)
Systems:
Sega Genesis
Facts: Not a Sonic game, studio-based creativity game, had Sonic and Tails cameo appearances, no true storyline.

Sonic X-Treme (1996)
Systems:
Sega Saturn
Facts: Early Sonic Adventure-style game, was never released.

Sonic 3D Blast (1996)
Systems:
Sega Saturn, Genesis
Facts: Diagonal camera perspectives to simulate RPG-like gameplay.

Sonic Jam (1997)
Systems:
Sega Saturn, Tiger Game.com
Facts: Sonic 1+2+3 and Sonic & Knuckles all in one for Saturn, the Tiger version was basically Sonic 3D Blast.

Sonic R (1997)
Systems:
Sega Saturn
Facts: Racing game on foot, not in cars.

Sonic Adventure (1999)
Systems:
Sega Dreamcast
Facts: Storyline followed by six characters, Chaos debut, Big debut, E-102 debut, Tikal debut, online gameplay for score competition, VMU minigames with 'Chao' A.I lifeforms, Robotnik builds the Egg Carrier (the Death Egg's successor)(it's later destroyed).

Sonic Pocket Adventure (2000)
Systems:
NeoGeo Pocket Color
Facts: 2D Sonic Adventure based gameplay but with only Sonic playable.

Sonic Shuffle (2000)
Systems:
Sega Dreamcast
Facts: Sonic-based party game, several minigames, Void debut.

Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)

system dreamcast
Facts: Storyline followed by six characters (three grouped as 'good' and three grouped as 'dark'), Shadow debut, Rouge debut, VMU minigames with 'Chao' A.I lifeforms, online gameplay for score competition.

Sonic Heroes 2004

ps2 xbox GameCube pc

Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (2002)
Systems:
Nintendo Gamecube
Facts: Same as the original SA2 on Dreamcast, however, there are more expansive multiplayer modes.

Sonic Advance (2002)
Systems:
Nintendo Gameboy Advance
Facts: 2D Sonic Adventure 2 based gameplay but with only Sonic, Knuckles, Tails and Amy playable, could link to SA2: Battle on Nintendo Gamecube for Chao transferring.

Sonic Advance 2 (2002)
Systems:
Nintendo Gameboy Advance
Facts: Sonic Advance sequel with Sonic, Tails and Knuckles playable.

Sonic Mega Collection (2002)
Systems:
Nintendo Gamecube
Facts: Sonic 1+2+3, Sonic & Knuc

kles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic Spinball and Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine all on one disc.

 

Sonic Species: Hedgehog
Sonic's past is blurred from facts, however, we do know that he has dedicated himself to helping those who are in need and those who are in danger. His biggest enemy, Dr. Robotnik, has always set himself to destory Sonic and eventually claim world domination. But Sonic's not about to let that happen anytime soon. With several special attacks in hand, Sonic's best is his ability to morph into Super Sonic, which happens after he collects all 7 of the Chaos Emeralds and holds a large sum of golden rings.
Every Sonic game ever.

Miles "Tails" Prower Species: Fox
Tails was only a young pup when he was abandoned by his family because he was born with two tails. Eventually he ran into Sonic and the two became best friends, continuing to fight for the sake of the world and counting on each other. He doesn't let the insults get to him about his two tails, because in the end, they're his ultimate weapon for flying, attacking, and speeding along the way.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic The Hedgehog 4
Sonic Chaos
Sonic Triple Trouble
Sonic Drift (1 & 2)
Tails Adventure
Wacky Worlds
Sonic: The Fighters
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic R
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Shuffle
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle
Sonic Advance
Sonic Advance 2

Knuckles Species: Echidna
Knuckles was once a mean and unforgiving prankster - that was until he met Sonic. His eternal duty as being the great grandson of the Echidna King is to protect the Master Emerald on Angel Island and all its psychic power - a duty passed on to him after his relative Tikal had passed away. At first Knuckles was tricked into becoming Dr. Robotnik's friend, but after Robotnik betrayed him and tried to steal the Master Emerald, Knuckles became pals with Sonic and started to fight for both the Master Emerald and the world.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Knuckles' Chaotix
Sonic Triple Trouble
Sonic Drift (1 & 2)
Sonic: The Fighters
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic R
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Shuffle
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle
Sonic Advance
Sonic Advance 2

Amy Rose Species: Hedgehog
Amy may very well be Sonic's biggest fan, but also the most annoying. She is younger than Sonic, so her constant following and praising may become a problem at times. However, Amy plays quite an important role in Sonic's history - that is, when she actually does something to help him out.
Sonic CD
Sonic Drift (1 & 2)
Sonic: The Fighters
Sonic R
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Shuffle
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle
Sonic Advance

Dr. Robotnik (aka Eggman) Species: Human/Robot
The evil doctor who, ever since being a kid, loved to build robots and use them for his own evil ways. Dr. Robotnik is simply set out to take over the world, but Sonic and his pals continue to stop his plans. However, Robotnik is very consistent, so Sonic has to always count on him coming back for more trouble. Robotnik has been known for incredible technological creations such as the Death Egg, the Decoy Sonics, the Egg Carrier, and the eventual control of the ARK Space Station.
Every Sonic game ever, except for Sonic's Pico Studio, Tails Adventure and Wacky Worlds.

Silver Sonic Species: Robot
This was the very first highly-intelligent robot that Dr. Robotnik built. It was known mainly as a Decoy Sonic, for it looked almost exactly like Sonic himself. However, his history was short, for Sonic quickly destroyed it after it tried to kidnap Tails.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic Adventure
(in Egg Carrier regeneration tank)

Metal Sonic (aka Mechasonic) Species: Robot
Metal Sonic is Silver Sonic's successor. It's much more powerful and faster, and Robotnik can rebuild it whenever it gets damaged. It's been known to kidnap Amy and also try to steal the Master Emerald a couple of times in favor of Robotnik. Sonic's battles with this Decoy Sonic have been great, but fortunetly Sonic has always won - so far.
Sonic CD
Sonic Drift 2
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Triple Trouble
Sonic Adventure
(in Egg Carrier regeneration tank)
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

Charmy Species: Bee
One of Knuckles' old time friends who was involved in Knuckles' Chaotix team - a group dedicated to protecting Angel Island and helping Knuckles out a bit.
Knuckles Chaotix

Mighty Species: Armadillo
One of Knuckles' old time friends who was involved in Knuckles' Chaotix team - a group dedicated to protecting Angel Island and helping Knuckles out a bit.
Knuckles Chaotix

Vector Species: Crocodile
One of Knuckles' old time friends who was involved in Knuckles' Chaotix team - a group dedicated to protecting Angel Island and helping Knuckles out a bit.
Knuckles Chaotix

Espio Species: Chameleon
One of Knuckles' old time friends who was involved in Knuckles' Chaotix team - a group dedicated to protecting Angel Island and helping Knuckles out a bit.
Knuckles Chaotix
Sonic: The Fighters

Bean (aka The Dynamo) Species: Bird
A low-level boxer who once challenged Knuckles to a match, but quickly lost (oops).
Sonic: The Fighters

Bark Species: Bear
Bean's friend, who equally got his @$$ kicked (oops again).
Sonic: The Fighters

Fang The Sniper (aka Nack) Species: Weasel
Fang was an independent bounty hunter who, at the same time as Sonic and Robotnik, was trying to gain control of the Chaos Emeralds, but only so that he could sell them for money. Fang was very sneaky and creative, but eventually he was defeated and vanished after a clash with Sonic.
Sonic Triple Trouble
Sonic Drift 2
Sonic: The Fighters

Big Species: Cat
Big and his best pal, Froggy, live out in the Mystic Ruins and enjoy the sport of fishing. Once Robotnik tried to use Froggy as an experiment, Big sent out to save his pal and eventually got involved with Sonic and his quest to stop Robotnik. After rescuing Froggy, Big returned home and would never forget the adventure he was on.
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Shuffle
Sonic Adventure 2
(making hidden cameo appearances)
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (making hidden cameo appearances)

E-102 Gamma Species: Robot
Possibly Robotnik's most intelligent creation since Metal Sonic - and that was a problem. After Amy spoke to the robot and asked it questions it couldn't understand, E-102's programming was shifted from bad to good. E-102 eventually helped Sonic by destorying an entire fleet of Robotnik's high-tech robots, but later destroyed itself so that it could never be taken back by Robotnik again.
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Shuffle

Tikal Species: Echidna
The great ancient relative of Knuckles. Tikal once rebelled against the Echidna King to try and show that the Master Emerald was very important and shouldn't be tampered with. The King didn't listen, and eventually they unlocked Chaos, an angry monster who thrived within the Master Emerald. After it was seen that Chaos exsisted, Tikal locked Chaos back in the Master Emerald, and was allowed to keep guarding it. Eventually, in time, she passed away and her duty was passed down to Knuckles. However, her spirit still runs throughout time.
Sonic Adventure

Chaos Species: Alien
The strange creature that lived in the Master Emerald. During the time Knuckles was guarding the Master Emerald, Chaos escaped thanks to Robotnik and absorbed the Chaos Emeralds to grow and eventually become a gigantic monster called Perfect Chaos. It then turned against Robotnik and tried to take over the world itself. Sonic was able to use the Chaos Emeralds himself and become Super Sonic. He battled the beast and eventually Chaos was returned to his original form and his anger was destroyed. Peace had finally thrived through the Master Emerald.
Sonic Adventure

Void Species: Alien
A mysterious creature who wanted to steal the Chaos Emeralds but eventually failed, thanks to the help of Sonic and his pals.
Sonic Shuffle

Shadow Species: Hedgehog
A strange creature who was created by Robotnik's grandfather on the ARK Space Station. His anger within him caused him to team up with Robotnik for world domination, but eventually he recalled that his ancestors wanted him to help earth, not ruin it. Shadow eventually teamed up with Sonic to help save the world from greater threats, and afterwards, he disappeared. Where could he have gone?
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

Rouge Species: Bat
A sneaky and seductive treasure hunter who works for the government. She once challenged Knuckles at getting the Master Emerald, however, she soon gave up at it once Knuckles saved her life from a deadly high fall. Rouge has also tried to investigate Shadow, but her plans were quickly disrupted after a series of chaotic events.
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

REQUIRES: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 cartridge, SONIC & KNUCKLES cartridge, SEGA GENESIS system, 1 GENESIS controller.

First, plug the Sonic & Knuckles game cart into your Sega Genesis alone. Turn it on. Start a game as Sonic. Keep moving to the right until you reach the first Pull-up Machine - it's 2 inches to the right of the groundhog who's next to the sneaker box. Jump onto either the left or right handle, and press left, left, left, right, right, right, up, up, up. You will hear a twinkle sound. Now, hold up + the A button as you connect the Sonic 3 cart on top of the Sonic & Knuckles cart. That's right - while the system in still on. So, you have just connected Sonic 3 to Sonic & Knuckles while holding up + the A button and while the system was on. Good - now press RESET. When the title screen appears, it will be the "Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles" screen. Press down 2 times. There, you will see a new option called "Sound Test". Press START. You will see every single level from both Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles! Great! You did it! Now, here's the tricky part. Look under the words "Angel Island" at the top there. You'll see a number highlighted in yellow. This is actually the hidden code for accessing the characters you want in whatever level you want! Yep - so you could play Tails in a level from Sonic & Knuckles, or Knuckles in a level from Sonic 3! Your choice! Using the C button, you can choose which characters you want - 01 is Sonic, 02 is Tails, 03 is Knuckles, and 00 is Sonic and Tails. Once you have the number of the character you want to play as displayed, use the START button to select the level you want to play at. Now, here's the last step - have fun!

Debug Mode: If you want Debug Mode as well, make sure the number of the character you want is displayed and start on Mushroom Hills 1. Now, do the same thing you did before with the Pull-up Machine. You'll hear that twinkle sound again. Press START then the A button to exit to the title screen. Now, go back to "Sound Test", and enter it. Now, when you select a level, hold the A button and press START. Press the A button to switch angles, press the B button then the A button to select objects, and press the C button to create an object. Press the B button to become your character again. Always use the C button to jump when you're not selecting objects or changing angles. Thanks for reading this!

Title Release System
Sonic The Hedgehog 1991 Mega Drive, Gamegear
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 1992 Mega Drive, Gamegear
Sonic CD 1993 Sega CD
Sonic & Tails 1993 Gamegear
Sonic Drift 1994 Gamegear
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 1994 Mega Drive
Sonic & Knuckles 1994 Mega Drive
Sonic & Tails 2 1994 Gamegear
Sonic Drift 2 1995 Gamegear
Tails' Sky Patrol 1995 Gamegear
Tails' Adventure 1995 Gamegear
Sonic Labrynth 1995 Gamegear
Sonic the Hedgehog CD 1996 Win 95
G Sonic 1996 Gamegear
Sonic 3D Blast
(finally made it to Japan only in 1999 ^^;)
1996 Saturn/Mega Drive
Sonic Jam 1997 Saturn
Sonic R
(developed by Sega of Eurpoe)
1997 Saturn
Sonic & Knuckles Collection 1997 Win95
Sonic the Hedgehog Screensaver 1997 Win3.1/95
Sonic R 1998 Win95/98
Sonic Adventure 1998 Dreamcast
Sonic Adventure International 1999 Dreamcast
Sega Archives FROM U.S.A. vol.1
(collection includes the 1995 Sonic Spinball)
2000 Win95/98
Sega Archives FROM U.S.A. vol.2
(collection includes the 1995 Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine)
2000 Win95/98
Sega Archives FROM U.S.A. vol.3
(collection includes Sonic the Hedgehog 2)
2000 Win95/98
Sonic Shuffle 2000 Dreamcast
Sonic Adventure 2 2001 Dreamcast
Sonic the Hedgehog Advanced
(developed by third-party)
2001 GBA
Edit

the other day, "Sonic on Nintendo? That's like pizza at McDonald's," I knew it was time to make some introductions. Even if you've spent the last decade with one or more of the Big N's controllers in your hands, you probably still know who Sonic is--the little guy has moved more than 25 million video game units worldwide, and has been mixed up in everything from movies to toys to comic books, and I even seem to remember a breakfast cereal. Even still, knowing the character is not the same as knowing the game. Below you'll find details on the first two Sonic games for Nintendo platforms, while our selective history of Sonic will fill you in on what happened in between. --
Sonic Boon
by Porter Hall

So when Amazon.com PlayStation editor David Stoesz said the other day, "Sonic on Nintendo? That's like pizza at McDonald's," I knew it was time to make some introductions. Even if you've spent the last decade with one or more of the Big N's controllers in your hands, you probably still know who Sonic is--the little guy has moved more than 25 million video game units worldwide, and has been mixed up in everything from movies to toys to comic books, and I even seem to remember a breakfast cereal. Even still, knowing the character is not the same as knowing the game. Below you'll find details on the first two Sonic games for Nintendo platforms, while our selective history of Sonic will fill you in on what happened in between. --Porter


Sonic's New Home

Both of these games are built upon prior Sonic titles, and they will respectively acquaint you with both the first and most recent installments of the series.
Sonic Advance (Game Boy Advance, 2002): At the core of almost every Sonic game is the evil Dr. Eggman (formerly Dr. Robotnik), who's trying to rule the world using the powerful Chaos Emeralds while Sonic tries to keep him from achieving his goals. With its 2-D, side-scrolling, ring-grabbing, forward-rolling gameplay, Sonic Advance is very much a return to the series' roots. Unlike the original, in this game you can also blaze through as Knuckles, Tails, or Amy, plus you can network four GBA units and play off of one cartridge.

Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube, 2002): Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, which is based on the last Dreamcast installment (see below), can be played from both sides of this now-classic struggle. On the Hero side we have Sonic and his stalwart friends Tails and Knuckles; representing the Dark side is Shadow, a black hedgehog who looks very much like Sonic, and the treasure-hunting Rogue the Bat. The game has more than 150 missions in urban, forest, outer space, and dozens of other locations. This GameCube version has been enhanced with numerous two-player modes, such as a high-speed race between Sonic and Shadow, a Tails vs. Dr. Eggman shooting battle, a treasure hunt between Knuckles and Rouge, and a kart-racing mode. Of course, the big news of this game is that you can move your virtual pets, or Chao, between the GameCube and the GBA's Sonic Advance through the Cube Link Advance cable, letting players trade and travel with their Chao.

Hedgehog History

Sonic the Hedgehog has been Sega's main game mascot for more than 10 years. That's quite a feat considering how few other game characters have displayed that kind of staying power. Now that he's prepared to share Nintendo platform space with former rival Mario, we thought it would be a good time to see where else he's been.


  • Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Genesis, 1991): The platform game that started it all features Sonic on a mad dash to beat Dr. Robotnik. Later, an 8-bit version was released for the Master System and the portable Game Gear.
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis, 1992): A powerful sequel to the previous year's surprise hit, Sonic 2 introduced Sonic's sidekick Tails. The game was also adapted for the Master System and the Game Gear.
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Genesis, 1994): This game introduces Knuckles as Dr. Robotnik's unwitting foil in a sequel more complex than its predecessors.

  • Sonic and Knuckles (Sega Genesis, 1994): A continuation of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, this game allowed gamers to play as either Sonic or Knuckles. You could even connect the game cartridge to the previous installments of the series for added features.
  • Sonic Triple Trouble (Sega Game Gear, 1994): This was the first Sonic title made specifically for the Game Gear. It marked the introduction of Nack the Weasel.
  • Sonic Drift 2 (Sega Game Gear, 1995): This racing game allowed gamers to play as just about any of the characters in the Sonic universe, including Knuckles and Eggman (a.k.a. Dr. Robotnik).
  • Sonic 3D Blast (Sega Genesis): In this game, Sonic tries to stop Dr. R from turning birds into robots. However, the game is best remembered for evolving the series from its 2-D, side-scrolling roots to isometric 3-D. Sonic 3D Blast was also released for the Sega Saturn that year.
  • Sonic Jam (Sega Saturn, 1997): This anthology combined all the Genesis installments of the game while including some extras in a memorabilia section called Sonic Museum.
  • Sonic Adventure (Sega Dreamcast, 1999): Sonic's debut on the Dreamcast brought together several hallmarks of the earlier Sonic games: depth (50-plus game levels), amazing graphics (thanks to the Dreamcast's 128-bit processing power), and gameplay breakthroughs (Sonic Adventure introduced Chao creatures that gamers could play on the DC's Virtual Memory Units and trade over the Internet).
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: Pocket Adventure (NEOGEO Pocket Color, 1999): Developed by SNK, this was the first Sonic game on a non-Sega console platform. It contained adapted elements from the first two installments of the series, plus a two-player link option.
  • Sonic Shuffle (Sega Dreamcast, 2000): This party game spinoff allowed four players to compete in different board-game-style events.
  • Sonic Adventure 2 (Sega Dreamcast, 2001): Sonic Adventure 2 upped the ante of its predecessor with faster action reminiscent of the early Genesis-era games. Knuckles and Tails returned, as did the now-talking Chao pets. The game marked the introduction of the Bizarro Sonic named Shadow.
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