Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 Soundtrack

	Album Title: Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 Soundtrack
	Record Label: DCT Records
	Catalog No.: POCS-21032/4
	Release Date: October 19, 2011
	Purchase: Buy at CDJapan

Overview

Polished, stylish, and downright fun, Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog single-handedly propelled the Genesis to international success. Yet despite the massive popularity of its music, it never received a soundtrack release until now, even though other defining games from the same year (Super Mario World, Final Fantasy IV, and Street Fighter II) did. The reason for the delay? Whereas other companies relied on their staff composers, Sega outsourced the music production for Sonic the Hedgehog and its sequel to one of the biggest names in the J-Pop industry at the same — Dreams Come True’s Masato Nakamura — and hence did not own the copyright.

Twenty years later, the record producer decided to publish the soundtrack for both titles through his personal label. The results was worth the wait. The three disc release featured the Genesis sound versions, original demo tapes, and vocal themes from the two games. It was supplemented with a bilingual booklet featuring commentary from Yuji Naka, an interview with Masato Nakamura, and rare illustrations from the game planning stage.

Body

Like most classic soundtracks of the time, the main appeal of Sonic the Hedgehog was its catchy quality. Having just made it big in the J-Pop scene, Masato Nakamura certainly knew how to create great hooks and knew these could still be expressed on the Genesis’ few channels. In particular, the punchy chord progressions and airy pop-flavoured melody of “Green Hill Zone” remain unforgettable to most old-school gamers. It’s no wonder, then, that the track has gone on to become a staple in concert tours like Video Games Live. Another timeless highlight is “Star Light Zone”, which is much more mellow and sentimental. Even the title theme and various jingles boast a hummable melody — which essentially provides the main theme for the soundtrack — and it’s gratifying to revisit each of them twenty years later.

That said, the score was also very effective for representing the diverse stages of Sonic the Hedgehog. “Green Hill Zone” complements the action of the first stage with its fast tempo and adventurous progressions. However, the serene synthesis of the synth melody ensure it still fits a stage filled with greenery. It’s clear that Nakamura also carefully studied the game’s initial illustrations to represent more demanding stages. The game’s most industrialised stages, “Spring Yard Zone” and “Scrap Brain Zone”, are complemented by heavy synth punctuations and the former even channels funk influences. With its shift from its unresolved verse and boundless chorus, “Labyrinth Zone” is a great fit for the back-and-forth exploration of a maze.

While most of the soundtrack has an adventurous aura, there are a few darker tracks used at the climax. “Final Zone” is especially effective at showing the climax is near with its crisis motifs and snare rolls. But like several other tracks on the soundtrack, it lacks the development to fully satisfy on a stand-alone basis — looping after just 21 seconds — and is mostly based on repetition. “Boss” meanwhile pushes the Genesis’ sound chip to the limits with its big dissonant chord progressions. The soundtrack closes with a medley of various favourites, including “Green Hill Zone” and “Title”. While a rushed and disjointed effort, it’s enjoyable to hear the tracks pieced together in a jubilant way. The medley goes to show there isn’t a dull moment in the Sonic the Hedgehog score.

For Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Nakamura developed the approach of the previous soundtrack to produce a more fleshed-out compositions. Just like “Green Hill Zone”, the music of “Emerald Hill Zone” is poppy, fresh, and adventurous. But this time round, the writing is considerably thicker — particularly thanks to some delightful countermelodies — and there is a greater emphasis on funk stylings. “Chemical Plant Zone” is also a vast improvement on the industrial pieces from Sonic the Hedgehog, thanks to its combination of top-notch synthesis and catchy motifs. A particular highlight are the synth bends and close harmonisation at the bridge. This is one of the Genesis’ most technically impressive tracks and really demonstrates Nakamura’s experimental leaning.

Despite the increased number of stages, Masato Nakamura creates a unique theme for each one, ensuring a detailed accompaniment to the game. Whether the airy synth leads on “Sky Chase Zone”, nostalgic jazz improvisations on “Casino Night Zone”, or eerie synth soundscapes on “Mystic Cave Zone”, every track fits the mood of the games. Such approaches seem obvious, and even stereotypical, these days. But back in 1992, such exploration and experimentation using 16-bit sounds was rare. He even includes some new tracks for the two player mode, most notably “Emerald Hill Zone (2P)”, which are very loosely related to their single-player counterparts. All this means that there are some 25 tracks on the soundtrack, as opposed to Sonic the Hedgehog‘s modest but respectable 17.

That said, some of the tracks do not stand the test of time as well as those on the predecessor. The funk stylings of “Hill Top Zone” and “Casino Night Zone (2P)” may have been all the rage in Japan during the early ’90s, but simply sound cringe-worthy now and pale to the pop-flavoured compositions. “Oil Ocean Zone” likewise was progressive for its time with its Arabian-influenced tonalities, but now is a somewhat annoying prototype. It’s also unfortunate that Nakamura did not produce all-new jingles here, instead mostly recycling them from Sonic the Hedgehog. Thankfully, the climactic themes for the boss encounters and final stage are much more developed and accomplished this time, while the ending and staff roll themes resolve the soundtrack on an exuberant note.

The second disc of the soundtrack features recordings the demo tapes that Masato Nakamura submitted for the games. These original versions of the music feature more elaborate stylings and richer synth compared to their heavily downgraded Genesis versions. For example, “Green Hill Zone” really emphasises the contrasts between the bell leads and punctuated bass, whereas the 16-bit version sounds a little muddy. Meanwhile “Casino Night Zone” was evidently written for big band and the boss themes for orchestra. Even some relative disappointments from the original soundtracks, such as “Metropolis Zone” and “Oil Ocean Zone”, are much more enjoyable in these versions and make one wonder what arranged versions of Sonic’s classic tunes could achieve.

That all said, Nakamura still composed the themes with the Genesis’ limited sound chip and channel capacity in mind, so the tracks aren’t greatly different compositionally from their originals. And while the Genesis is inevitably limited, the Sega sound team did a good job of making the most of it while downgrading Nakamura’s compositions. Most therefore will still embrace the humble Genesis version that they are so familiar with. The demo version nevertheless provides a fresh new perspective on some classics and gives further insight into Nakamura’s intentions, so is certanly worth a listen. Whatever the version, both share the catchy melodies and distinctive stylings that made the Sonic the Hedgehog soundtracks so popular in the first place.

The third disc of the soundtrack features variations of “Sweet Sweet Sweet”. Created as a gift to the development team, the song is an arrangement of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ending theme and was featured in Dreams Come True’s album The Swinging Star. In short, it’s a typical ballad featuring sentimental synth orchestrals and a silky performance from Miwa Yoshida. The disc also features the English version of the theme, entitled “Sweet Dream”, and the more abstract Akon remixes featured in 2006’s Sonic the Hedgehog soundtrack. While not all will enjoy this song, it was a great way to draw mainstream listeners into game music and completes the set in a fitting manner.

Summary

In short, this album is a must-have for those that particularly enjoyed the soundtracks for Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It features the complete looped soundtracks for both games in their familiar Genesis versions and enhanced demo versions, with solid packaging to boot. Masato Nakamura did an excellent job producing two soundtracks that were simultaneously fitting, progressive, and memorable. It’s admirable that he has given into numerous fanboys’ wishes and finally published the soundtracks. Twenty years later, this should be worth the wait.

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Chris Greening. Last modified on August 1, 2012.

About the Author

Chris Greening I've contributed to websites related to game audio since 2002. In this time, I've reviewed over a thousand albums and interviewed hundreds of musicians across the world. As the founder and webmaster of VGMO -Video Game Music Online-, I hope to create a cutting-edge, journalistic resource for all those soundtrack enthusiasts out there. In the process, I would love to further cultivate my passion for music, writing, and generally building things. Please enjoy the site and don't hesitate to say hello!

Related Posts

Final Fantasy VII Remake Acoustic Arrangements →

Fleeting Symphony →

Final Symphony II – music from Final Fantasy V, VIII, IX and XIII →

The Primals Zepp Tour 2018 -Trial By Shadow- →