Sonic the Hedgehog - Sega Genesis

Korean versions? Hardcore. The American Sonic 3 artwork is much better than the abomination we got over here in the UK.



As a kid I always thought it was the coolest thing. Now it just looks like something a kid would draw. Something else that I was thinking of (that might actually need a new topic): how the hell is Sonic 2 is the best selling Sonic game (of all-time) when Sonic 3 was released to a much larger console userbase (and at the peak of Sonic's momentum)?

Was the fact that Sonic 2 was included as a pack-in included in the sales figures? Have I just answered my own question? You decide.

 

Woah do we have scans of the Korean games in the Wiki? If we do not, can you scan those?

 

You have to think of it logically

lots of people seeing Sonic 3 on the shelves could get the impression that 1 and 2 needed to be played first for it to be "understood". We all know that's not the case but I think it's the primary reason the industry tends to avoid using numbers for too long (with the exception of things like Final Fantasy... Mega Man... Dragon Quest... Ultima... and actually I should probably be quiet because I'm killing my own arguement)

Sonic 3 was included as a pack-in later in the console's life mind you. As was Sonic & Knuckles. But I'm guessing by this point there was a Sega Saturn looming above driving sales away from the Mega Drive.


but we're going off on a tangent here I think. And I agree, scans would be nice of those Korean copies!

 

Don't know if you remember 360, but new games on the Mega Drive were mega fucking expensive! Mega expensive to the point where it was talked about extensively on games shows like "Bad Influence", "Movies, Games and Videos" and "Gamesmaster" about getting cheap imports from the States. Sonic 3 (or in modern terms, Sonic 3 Episode 1) was £55-60 brand new, (and people complain about Sonic 4 Episode 1 being $15, which goes to show how bad it is). And considering Sonic was absolutely massive here back then, you had millions of kids wanting a piece of the action. And the most cost effective way in for the kids without mega rich parents, was the 16 month old, reduced price, rave reviewed Sonic 2 (taking into account the kids with model 1 Mega Drives who didn't get Sonic 2 as a pack-in). Besides, many of those kids who played the shit out of Sonic 1 would naturally want to progress to 2 anyway. Sonic 3 though in my circles at least was massive, and talked about by everyone. But looking back, most kids bought theirs preowned or borrowed it off me for extended periods of time (cheeky fuckers!).

While I was Mega hyped about Sonic 3, and really loved it (and still love it) and it's surprise continuation in Sonic and Knuckles, and while I acknowledge the ways in which it's superior to its predecessors, for some reason I far and away prefer Sonic 1 and 2.

 

Oh man now that you mention it you're dead-on. I completely forgot that the UK in particular was one of Sega's most important markets (I think we're just behind Japan at the moment) and that the 90s was a time when both Sega and Nintendo completely ripped us off. I remember getting Sonic and Knuckles something like 6 months after it was released for £45.

I just ran £45 through an inflation calculator and got this: £45.00 in 1995 is equivalent to £59.15 in 2011. That figure in dollars is $96.24 meaning Sonic and Knuckles at a reduced price was almost 100 dollars (for us now in 2011) and over 130 dollars (at its original price). Jesus man we were totally getting shafted. Thanks for the nostalgia kick in naming those shows. I remember the days without the Internet where Movies, Games and Videos and Gamesmaster were legendary TV to watch. I always taped Gamesmaster. I still remember watching the last episode.

I would agree with you that Sega's pricing there definitely had an influence on Sonic 3's sales. I think the shame here is that when Sega was fading with the Dreamcast one thing they did was reduce all game prices down to £30 (from £40) and it had no effect. I think there's some games industry karma going on there.

Cool observation though. Any other theories?

PS. You're also right about people buying Sonic 3 preowned. I remember sending my Dad to go and get Sonic 3 and him coming back saying he got it preowned for £29 because its full-price was ridiculous.

 

How much of this stuff do you have, and could you possibly make scans for both Sonic and Sega Retro (read and possibly respond at this thread)? This is something we don't really have adequate documentation on, so it would surely help. Thanks!

 

The games are in storage (as is my scanner) as I'm moving house. I'd be more than happy to do it for the wiki when I get myself sorted and set up, these pics were taken a while ago. I've had these since 2008 when I lived there, never really thought that nobody on here wouldn't have seen them before.

Sonic 2 Korean version practically doesn't exist, I searched the country high and low and every shop keeper said I'd have a better chance of striking oil, it was released during a licensing hitch between Sega and Samsung and so suffered from delivery shortages, it does exist but in a year of living there I never came across it, I even had some friends there search the korean equivalent of eBay for it with no success. For those of you that don't know, Samsung acquired the license to distribute Sega hardware and software as the koreans hate the japanese and wouldn't touch something with a Sega logo on it. Same goes for Nintendo which was distributed by Hyundai.

The games themselves are the US versions on Japanese chipsets as were all games in the 90's as a Korean would rather have english text over Japanese, not that it matters much in Sonic MD games. I also have a Samsung Megadrive II which is basically the Asian version in a MkII case with different lettering, colours and logos.

There was also a Samsung Saturn. I did manage to find a Samsung Saturn controller and some korean games (Virtua On and Sega Rally - which came in a box about 10 inches wide and 15 inches tall...not kidding). However the System appeared to fail almost instantly and the country relied on US imports after that. Same goes for Sega CD, there is no official release of the attachment however many of the stores carry US games.

As for the Korean Master System. It does exist but it has a completely different name. I never saw one (and I'd be a wealthy man if I did, they're highly sought after) and I never saw any games either other than pirate carts. I have a feeling that the Master System was never licensed and so the console that exists in Korea is a custom clone made only to play the masses of multicarts produced (of which I found thousands for moth MS and MD, they were around £0.50 each and I bought a handful but they've all been passed onto collectors.)

I only in lived in the country for a year and I researched Korean gaming intensely and at one point owned a Korean SNES, Neo Geo, NES, Gameboy (or Comboy as they're both known). Alas most of my stuff was sold for profit when I returned as I'm not much of a hoarder, only Sonic stuff is ever held onto.

Any questions please ask.



Some other stuff:

Korean Sonic Compilation:



PC Collection:



A different version:



More pics of Sonic 1:



More of Sonic 3:



Either pirated or baldy sun faded:



Internal artwork of PC Version:



Internal of alternative PC version:

 

I own Sonic 2 Korean version, looks exactly the same as the JP one from box to manual, only difference is it's all translated to Korean. I remember mentioning it before and some said I should get it dumped, but I guarantee it's probably 1:1 with the JP version.

I can't get over how odd EU's version of Sonic 3 was. It's bad enough they just call it Sonic 3, and ditched "the Hedgehog." Just makes it feel awkward.

 

^ 1:1 with the US version, the Koreans released all of their games with the US romset. I guess it was easier for Samsung to communicate with Sega US than Sega JP.

That explains a lot after what I mentioned about a brief fight between Samsung and Sega. Clearly they just got the Japanese cover edited to make up for lost time and sales.

EDIT: Added some more info to my post above.

 

Hahahahahaha. Thanks man. I needed a laugh.

Wow didn't know that. Do you know the reason behind that? I'm a bit too tired to hit up Wikipedia here.

 

War, arguments over heritage and genetics.

You'd think they'd have gotten over it by now but not by far. Even the school kids I was teaching had the hatred running through them. Koreans are nice and cool on the outside but there are some deep seated issues underneath the surface.

Samsung weren't doing it like Tectoy they were doing it to totally disguise the origin of the consoles. Back in the day of no internet and virtually no paper publications from Japan or supporting Japanese releases they probably got away with this quite successfully.

 

I think I can add to this . Yes, 20th century was dark times between Korea and japan. Hatrism grew and grew . Now, it decreased a bit.

Samsung was able to get away with the licensing rights because japan was in bad economy time at 1990 and 2000.

Samsung was never interested in releasing japanese games until IMF

Also, I just saw your classic edition and its so hiliarious because , there is so many pirated games...

Sonic 2 + and Sonic 3+ .. HAHA and Sonic Studium? Hilarious!

(I'm not quesioning your collection if it is real. I just found funny how samsung thought it was a actual game, not pirated.)

( If you want me to translate some korean, just ask)

 

LOL! My "Mighty the Armadillo" hack is on that collection! 8D (See number 4) http://info.sonicretro.org/Mighty_the_Armadillo_%28hack%29

Also, Sonic the Hedgehog 2Z - http://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_2Z

EDIT: Fixed. =P

 

It was sold in dollar stores I think. I am pretty sure. Usually, most games were sold in dollar store-ish type stores . I don't remember seeing any normal store that only sells games. Now, they actually have gaming-only stores. Anyway, the first one in the list is Metal sonic in Sonic 1. Hahahahah. Also, I hope you guys noticed but on those lists, It says Sonic collection 2....... Huh... Collection inside collection? Seems idiotic to me.

The game that Twimfy showed to us looks ... recent ( The Pc edition) It shows that it is compatible with Xp. Possibly I think what he has was released in 2000 to 2004.

( If you have any questions on the list of the games. Feel free to ask !)

 

I would LOVE to make a hack just for the soul purpose of getting it on a pirated cart/CD, that would seriously make my life.

Who wants to make Kail the Radical Dude in Sonic the Hedgehog? I'll give you candy, and if it get's pirated, I'll give you gold

 

this box always brings back some awesome fucking memories, as a kid I use to draw that sonic pose often, a few years back we found one of them in a clean out, magical.

I owned a SMS for around a year before owning my own megadrive with sonic 1 packed in (not built in), then a year or so after that sonic 2 game out.

best childhood ever.