Has SEGA Ever Officially Called Sonic the Hedgehog “Sonic 1”?

I want to talk about Sonic 1. Specifically, the term “Sonic 1”.

Following the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 1992, fans began to call the first game “Sonic 1”. The name is an easy way to differentiate the original 1991 game from Sonic the Hedgehog the comic series or the junior novel or OVA or 2006 game or 2020 movie or even the character himself. Fans have even given the Master System and Game Gear Sonic the Hedgehog the name “Sonic 8-bit” to make things less confusing.

But has SEGA ever officially called Sonic the Hedgehog “Sonic 1”? Well, actually they have! And a lot earlier than you might think. In July 1995, Sonic Compilation released to the PAL Mega Drive and featured Sonic 1, Sonic 2 and Mean Bean Machine. Right there on the cover you see “SONIC 1” and upon booting up the game a graphic of Sonic standing next to a big number one greets the player. The compilation released to the American Genesis in August 1997, making it the last Sonic game to be released for the console.

While this was the first appearance of the name Sonic 1 on a console, the name officially debuted at an even earlier date with the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2: SEGA’s Official Player Guide in 1993. Right there on the cover is seen an official logo for Sonic the Hedgehog 1 in the big blue bevel and embossed font.

So there you have it! Sonic 1 is not only a term fans use, but a term once officially used by SEGA!