# Sonic the Hedgehog

> Play Sonic the Hedgehog online free: the 1991 Mega Drive original, from Green Hill Zone to Dr. Robotnik. Cheats for unlimited lives and rings.

- Play in the browser: https://yesthisgame.com/sonic-the-hedgehog/
- Category: Adventure
- Made by: a third-party developer; hosted and played on Yes This Game
- Price: free, no download, no sign-up

## In short

Sonic the Hedgehog is the 1991 Mega Drive original. Run through Green Hill, Marble, Spring Yard, Labyrinth, Star Light and Scrap Brain Zone, collect rings, free the animals from Dr. Robotnik's robots and find the Chaos Emeralds in the Special Stages. Play it in your browser with keyboard, gamepad or an on-screen pad on phones, and switch on unlimited lives or unlimited rings with the cheats button.

**How to control it:** Press Play, then Start (Enter). Keyboard: arrow keys run, Z, X or C jumps, hold down while running to roll. Phone: on-screen cross, A, B, C and Start. The magic wand button next to full screen opens the cheats.

**Sonic the Hedgehog** is where it all started. Sega's blue hero runs, rolls and spins through loops and springs to stop Dr. Robotnik, who has trapped the animals of South Island inside his robots. Collect rings to stay alive, finish a stage with 50 rings to jump into the giant ring and the Special Stage, and find the six Chaos Emeralds. It is the 1991 Mega Drive game, and it plays right here in your browser with no download.

Keep going: [Sonic the Hedgehog 2](https://yesthisgame.com/sonic-the-hedgehog-2/), [Sonic 3](https://yesthisgame.com/sonic-the-hedgehog-3/) and [Sonic & Knuckles](https://yesthisgame.com/sonic-and-knuckles/).

## How to play

1. Press **Play** under the title picture, then **Start** (Enter).
2. Run with the arrow keys and jump with **Z** , **X** or **C** . Jumping on enemies destroys them.
3. Hold down while running to roll into a ball.
4. Rings protect you: when you are hit with rings, you drop them instead of losing a life.
5. Break the TV monitors for rings, a shield, speed shoes, invincibility or an extra life.

## Controls

**Computer:** arrow keys move, **Z** (A) jumps, **X** (B) jumps, **C** jumps (all three jump), Enter is Start and pauses. Move the mouse over the game to show the bar with pause, restart, sound, save state, load state and full screen buttons.

**Phone and tablet:** the Mega Drive pad appears under the game: the cross, **A** , **B** , **C** and **Start** .

A USB or Bluetooth gamepad also works.

## Cheats

Press the **magic wand** button next to the full screen button above the game. A small panel opens over the game, and the game waits until you close it.

- **Unlimited lives:** you never run out of lives.
- **Unlimited rings:** always 50 rings, so a hit never costs a life.

Reloading the page turns the cheats off again.

## About Sonic the Hedgehog

Sega released Sonic the Hedgehog for the Mega Drive (Genesis in North America) in 1991. It was made by Sonic Team, with Yuji Naka as lead programmer and Naoto Ohshima designing the characters, and music by Masato Nakamura. The game has six zones of three acts each plus a final zone, and it made Sonic Sega's mascot.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sonic the Hedgehog free to play here?

Yes. You can play it free in your browser on Yes This Game, with no download and no sign-up.

### How many Chaos Emeralds are there in Sonic 1?

Six. You find them in the Special Stages, which you reach by finishing an act with at least 50 rings and jumping into the giant ring.

### Can you do the spin dash in Sonic 1?

No. The spin dash was added in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

### Can I play it on my phone?

Yes. On a phone or tablet an on-screen pad appears under the game.

### Can I save my progress?

Yes. The bar under the game has save state and load state buttons that keep the game in your browser on this device.