A version of Sonic the Hedgehog was developed by Ancient and released in 1991 for Sega 's 8 @-@ bit consoles , the Master System and Game Gear . Its plot and gameplay mechanics are similar to the 16 @-@ bit version , with different level themes and digital assets . The level design is flatter , with no vertical loops , and Sonic cannot re @-@ collect his rings after being hit . The game has a different soundtrack , composed by chiptune musician Yuzo Koshiro and including his compositions and adaptations of music from the 16 @-@ bit version . It was the final game released for the Master System in North America . The Master System version was re @-@ released for Wii 's Virtual Console service in North America on August 4 , 2008 , and in Europe on August 8 . The Game Gear version was re @-@ released for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on June 13 , 2013 , and included as an unlockable game in Sonic Adventure DX : Director 's Cut for GameCube and Windows and Sonic Mega Collection Plus for PlayStation 2 , Xbox , and Windows .