Sonic the Hedgehog platforming of the main levels. The 16-bit "Sonic the Hedgehog " consisted of a giant rotating maze, which many considered a major technical achievement. The most common special stages, however, were segments with the character running through a long tunnel to collect certain items. 3D "collect item" levels, as in "Sonic 3" and "Sonic & Knuckles", used the same perspective but had Sonic collecting all the blue-colored orbs on the surface of a giant sphere. Finally, "Sonic Advance 2" employed a 3D ring-collecting stage, and "Sonic Chaos" ("Sonic and Tails" in Japan) used a variety of gimmicks for its levels.
Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics) pre-reboot continuity. The "Sonic the Hedgehog" comic debuted in the US as a four-part miniseries (cover-dated 1992 to Feb. 1993). This was followed up a few months later by the ongoing series "Sonic the Hedgehog" (July 1993 – December 2016). Numerous one-shot specials and a reprint series followed. The comics follow the adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends, called the Freedom Fighters, who battle against the evil Doctor Eggman. Initially based on the plot of the 1993 animated series, the comic later incorporated elements from the video games and other media. Ken Penders, former writer of the comic,