The game 's development began in 1990 , when Sega ordered its AM8 development team to create a game featuring a mascot for the company . After considering a number of suggestions , the developers decided on a blue hedgehog with spikes along his head and spine and renamed themselves " Sonic Team " to match their character . Sonic the Hedgehog , designed for fast gameplay , was influenced by the games of Super Mario series creator , Shigeru Miyamoto . Sonic the Hedgehog uses a novel technique that allows Sonic 's sprite to roll along curved scenery , which originated in a tech demo created by the game 's programmer , Yuji Naka .