Metroid: Chozo Artifacts

John Coulter 
Art & Games University 
NES Metroid 1  
January 2026 

Metroid: Chozo Artifacts 

   Games are an artistic medium, filled with stories and richly designed worlds. Just as with literature and film, game elements are crafted with creativity and intent. Art and Games University explores these elements, cataloging the many references to art and culture in virtual landscapes. From AAA titles to indie projects, the university studies every detail, bringing attention to the under-recognized art forms within gaming. To do so, over three hundred games have been documented through one hundred percent exploration and completion, and then the data was carefully compiled for fifty of these: with the list of documented and dissected games growing regularly. The research found the data and evaluation of art objects in games are under-studied. This research is important to document. Many focused hours were invested in locating the artwork, researching the cultures that inspired the objects and settings, and calculating the vast numbers of artwork found in video games.  

   Metroid 1 for NES (1987) includes some stellar examples of art inspired by history and visual culture. Metroid is an iconic franchise beloved by fans. The science fiction, action-adventure, 2D platformer follows protagonist, Samus Aran, as they blast through the caverns on planet Zebes.  The Galactic Federation has sent the orange-armored space bounty hunter, Samus, to the Planet Zebes to stop the Space Pirates, including the abominations Kraid, Ridley and Mother Brain, from using Metroids as biological weapons. Along with the game Castlevania (1988) by Konami, the unique open world, non-linear, exploration-based maze crawling elements in Metroid spawned a genre known as Metroid-Vania, a style of gameplay that is still addictively popular today. 

   Released in 1986 in Japan and 1987 in North America, Nintendo’s Metroid 1 was developed by a small team from Nintendo R&D1 and Intelligent Systems. The development team was directed by Satoru Okada and Yoshio Sakamoto. Yoshio Sakamoto is the creator of the Samus character and has worked on almost every Metroid title. Gunpei Yokoi, designer of the Game Boy, acted as producer for Metroid 1 (1987). 

   Designers, Hiroji Kiyotake, Yoshio Sakamoto, and Hirofumi Matsuoka worked on the 8bit visuals found on planet Zebes, with Mastuoka primarily responsible for the background and environment design. The look and feel of the game, from Samus Aran’s armor to the Chozo ruined sculptures, are the hard work of these three artists. 

    In a breakdown of the statistical makeup of the art and cultural objects found in Metroid 1 (1987), there is a total of only thirty-eight art samples, coming in at forty-second out of fifty for total art in Art & Games University Season One. Averaging 7.6 per level, which is well below the average 188.8 total art per game. This is not to say the game is devoid of art and culture sites or finely crafted environments. The visual style of many video games is dictated by the medium and the limitations of the hardware at the time. Bright colors and blocky pixels force a certain aesthetic upon the developers regardless of the subjects depicted. The five areas in Planet Zebes’ are Brinstar, Norfair, Ridley’s Hideout, Kraid’s Hideout and Tourian and each have a distinct look and feel. Sculptures make up seventy-six percent of the art in the NES presentation of Zebes. There are zero paintings, textile works, ceramics, or musical instruments.

   Through a cultural analysis of the aesthetic and style of the works found on Zebes, common themes emerge. Egyptian stone ruins, the designs of H.R. Giger, and Ridley Scott’s space horror Alien (1979) provided major inspiration for the style, subjects and setting of the Metroid 1 (1987) game. Metroid.fandom.com (2024) has an excellent article on all the comparisons between the games and the films, including quotes from developer Yoshio Sakamoto and composer Hirokazu Tanaka on how the film inspired elements of the game. There are many additional comparisons, references and homages, including a female protagonist battling face-hugging aliens, the enemy named “Ridley,” and the H.R. Giger inspired designs of the biomechanical Chozo statues. 

 

   There are three primary cultures represented in the NES version of Metroid 1 (1987):  the Galactic Federation, the Space Pirates, and the ancient Chozo civilization. While artistic examples of each are rare in the original NES title, each culture is expanded upon in further entries in the series, such as Super Metroid (1994) and Metroid Prime (2002). 

   Metroid’s Chozo are an ancient, nearly extinct, humanoid-bird race, that was once powerful throughout the galaxy. The Chozo have inhabited Zebes, SR388, Tallon IV, Elysia, ZDR and other planets, but their home-world is unknown. They were an artistic, spiritual, technology, and warrior centered society. The Chozo perfected technology to a point of interplanetary colonization, they built sentient robots, and mastered genetic engineering.   Through a form of techno-shamanism, the Chozo of Tallon IV ascended beyond their physical bodies to a spiritual ghost form that can interact with the material world. The ancient Chozo race made many types of cultural objects. Their stone and metal works have lasted centuries past their society’s collapse, adding a layer of mystery to exploring the ruins of extant culture. 

   While technologically advanced, many Chozo preferred the simple natural elements of stonework, and used stone extensively in their architecture and sculpture. Their artistic subjects tell the history of their species, and are stylistically similar to Egyptian, Mesoamerican and Native American cultural designs. 

   In contrast, as war and defense-based societies, the Galactic Federation and the Space Pirates have few examples of traditional fine art such as paintings or sculptures across all their appearances in games. The Galactic Federation are a galactic military force with advanced space technology. They have a bureaucratic, military centric style, that is almost devoid of decoration and art, focusing entirely on budget-friendly functional designs. 

   Metroid’s (1987) Space Pirates are a criminal organization of monstrous aliens. They have advanced technology and weaponry, and little interest in the arts. In Metroid Prime 1 (2002), the Space Pirates research bioweapons and species mutations, keeping extensive encyclopedic digital libraries on these subjects.

   Still, most of the art found in Metroid 1 (1987) for NES is of Chozo design. Though limited by the 8-bit hardware restraints of 1980’s home-consoles, the stylistic art of the Chozo is seen in later games disclosing additional cultural features. Viewing details from other Metroid games adds context to the works found in Metroid 1. The GBA game, Metroid: Zero Mission (2004), revisits the locations and events on Zebes from Metroid 1, (1987) revealing additional higher resolution details of the Chozo’s work.  Zero Mission also offers a slightly expanded map with Crateria and Chozodia, an important and ornately decorated temple next to Brinstar. The stone sculptures and reliefs of the Chozo in Zero Mission are overtly ancient Egyptian in influence, with flattened 2D representations of figures shown in “Aspective” or “Frontality” style and stone relief hieroglyphics.

   The first subject examined is a seated Chozo figure. The stone Chozo sculptures resemble humanoid bird like figures, and are seated, holding an offering item. The offering grants suit and power upgrades. Eight seated Chozo sculptures are found in the 1987 NES version, with many more appearing in subsequent titles. Four can be found in Brinstar, and four more in Norfair. 

   These are similar to stone sculptures and reliefs from Mesoamerican and Egyptian cultures. In future games the Chozo artwork has much more in common with Egyptian, Mayan and Native American cultural designs;  however, due to the hardware limitations of the NES, Metroid 1’s (1987) pixel aesthetic is quite simple. The pixelized subjects add to the mystery of the caverns of Zebes. The seated, helmeted, possibly dead figure, is also similar to the fossilized Engineer found in the spaceship wreckage in Alien (1979). 

   Three of the offering items, held in the claws of the hidden Chozo sculptures, are small sculptures themselves, each taking the form of a red gryphon creature clutching various colored orbs. These item-sculptures are given detailed illustrations in the game’s official instruction manual (1987, 1989). 

    There are also several small stone works, that are again likely created by the Chozo. The subjects depicted are not sculpted forms of the Chozo themselves, but of demonic creatures. We know from in game file names for the SNES (1994) version, that these works are known as “Koma,”  which refers to a type of guardian statue. These are often found in pairs near elevators.

   At the entrance to Planet Zebes’ underground area of Brinstar, there are blue stone carved Koma demon faces. They are likely Chozo carvings. Their Super Metroid (1994) and Zero Mission (2004) presentations are almost identical;  yet, in the SNES (1994) adaptation they have glowing eyes. At the elevator entrance to Norfair, there are two short purple, red and gold pointed eared, biomechanical Koma sculptures flanking the elevator platform on either side. The elevator sculptures appearance in Super Metroid is very similar to their NES counterparts; however, their Zero Mission presentation further indicates them to be small Chozo stone statues, giving them a more spiral form. 

   Upon entering Kraid and Ridley’s territory unique distinctive carvings are visable. Kraid is an enormous reptilian creature and powerful Space Pirate. His lair is deep below Brinstar. The initial entrance to Kraid’s Hideout has a large hideous blue face carved into the cavern walls. The sculpture is stylistically different from the Chozo works shown in game previously. This monstrosity appears unchanged but more fully fleshed out in Super Metroid (1994).  The blue cave carving appears extremely stylized in Zero Mission (2004) and is more consistent with the Chozo’s Egyptian style. 

 

   In the depths of Kraid’s Hideout is the entrance to the Boss Lair. Both the entrance to his lair and the lair interior are, architecturally, shaped like a fanged reptile made of stone. The Mayan temple Chicanná II features an ornate-stone fanged serpent faced facade, designed in the Mayan Puuc style. Chicanná means “House of the Serpent” in Mayan. Kraid and the Space Pirates likely added these designs recently and they are unrelated to the Chozo Ruins.  But they could have been pre-existing Chozo ruins, repurposed by the Space Pirates. The details of Kraid’s dungeon entrance facade are expanded upon in their Super Metroid (1994) appearance, however this incredible monumental stonework is heartbreakingly not present in Zero Mission (2004). Kraid’s architecture is a highlight of the artwork included in this Metroid (1987) game. 

   Sliding over to Norfair and Ridley’s Lair there are similar works to those found in Kraid’s. Where Norfair links to Ridley’s Lair, next to the elevator, there are two large monster faces carved from crude ruddy and violet stone. They are sculpted directly into the cave and are similar in style to the blue carving at the entrance to Kraid’s Hideout. This massive red carving along with Kraid’s blue counterpart, are the largest sculptures shown in the NES version of Metroid (1987). Both cave carvings make an appearance in the Manga style Official Strategy Guide Victory Techniques for Metroid, by Wanpakku Comics (1986). 

   These red faces are drastically changed and re-interpreted in their Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1994) and Game Boy Advanced (2004) appearances. As shown in the Zero Mission (2004), they have a Chozo stylization and less grotesque form. The location and form in Super Metroid (1994) are extremely altered. The once singular site is divided into three locations and forms: the first, a large stone face, the second, carved claws near the elevator, and finally, a more detailed sculptural form of Ridley’s face, as the door and facade to his Dungeon Lair. 

   Moving past the demonic monuments of Norfair and Ridley’s Lair, more art is located on the path to Ridley’s Boss Chamber. The deepest section of planet Zebes, Ridley’s Lair, is the site of intensely hot volcanic ancient ruins. Their depiction in Metroid 1 (1987) is limited to fuchsia, green and teal square stone blocks with carved patterns, and similarly colored smooth cylindrical columns;  however, as before, the stylization and ornamentation of the Chozo ruins in Ridley’s Lair are greatly expanded upon in the later 16-bit games.

   The Super Nintendo (1994) columns display elaborate capitals. They have similarities in form to Ionic and Corinthian decorum, including elongated volutes, or spiral rolled scrolls. Additionally, they have the Egyptian-Chozo style engravings. Chozo bird form sculptures adorn many of the columns found in the SNES (1994) version of the lava-filled dungeon. The column shafts remain consistently smooth, simple and undecorated across all versions. 

   Contrastingly, columns throughout Brinstar are often Tuscan or Doric, with un-fluted shafts and simple rocky bases and capitals. Deep within Zebe’s there are also metal pipes that function similar to columns but may also be entirely mechanical pipes and non-decorative. These simplistic columns appear largely unaltered in their SNES (1994) and GBA (2004) debuts. 

The Hall of Pillars is a notable location, slightly above Ridley’s Lair. This hall contains both breakable stone block pillars, and unscalable tall metal pillars. 

   Ridley’s actual boss lair contains fuchsia stonework with fangs similar to Kraid’s Lair and the Chicanná II ruins. With slightly more detailed graphics, these motifs appear nearly identical in their SNES (1997) counterpart. The fang motif is not confined to Ridley’s Boss chamber in Super Metroid (1997), but extends beyond the facade, into the tunnels nearby. This giant stone design is also, sadly, not present at all in Zero Mission (2004) but is instead replaced with a mechanical chamber.

   Near the entrance to the final area, Tourian, there are two blue stone sculptures, one of Kraid and one of Ridley. This site is best to visit before defeating the Space Pirate bosses. After each boss is defeated the corresponding statue crumbles, and when both are defeated the path through is unlocked to Tourian.  Kraid and Ridley’s Tourian entrance sculptures make an appearance in Zero Mission (2004), they are larger, but similar in style and function, and turn to rubble upon completing specific missions and revealing a new path forward. Kraid and Ridley’s statues also appear in Super Metroid (1997), albeit altered in form. Super Metroid contains three main bosses before Mother Brain, and the three bosses appear as one singular, fused, sculpture in Super Metroid. 

   Identifying who sculpted the Ridley and Kraid sculptures found in the Tourian Entrance is difficult. There could be a space pirate in the game responsible. Zebesian Space Pirates, with crustacean morphology, aren’t in Metroid 1 (1987), leaving the only contenders to be Kraid, Ridley, or Mother Brain. Excluding the Kraid and Ridley architectural facades and the Tourian entrance sculpture, Space Pirates are not often shown creating or collecting art. Their home-world, revealed in Prime 3 (2007), is industrial and devoid of creative expression. 

   In addition to the settings of Zebes, Samus’s wardrobe warrants analysis. Samus sports three different outfits in NES’s Metroid 1 (1987). The Power Suit and The Varia Suit are Chozo armor created specifically for Samus, as an orphaned human raised by the Chozo.  Metroid Prime 3 (2007) reveals that the Chozo scientist, Dryn, is a key creator of the Power Suit technology. Many of the Chozo artifacts were left specifically for Samus, as prophesy predicted her heroic return to Zebes and other locations. The colorful metal suits resemble medieval knight’s armor to a slight degree but are unique space armor designs. In addition to the biomechanical metal armor suits, Samus also wears a bright-red one-piece bathing suit and red boots - a popular eighties California beach style. In the first Metroid (1987), Samus sports red, green, light green and blonde hair. Her signature blonde style would not become standard until later.

   The ruins on Zebes in the 1987 Metroid 1 for Nintendo Entertainment System are full of cultural artifacts from the Chozo, and examining and analyzing their work in additional games such as Super Metroid (1994) and Metroid Prime (2002) provides unique insights. This study found Metroid 1 (1987) for NES to include predominately art directly inspired by H.R. Giger, the Alien film franchise, and ancient stone ruins of Egypt and the Americas.

Works Cited

Aliens. Dir. Ridley Scott. 20^th Century Studios, 1979. Film.

Castlevania 1. Directed by Hitoshi Akamatsu, Nintendo, 1988. Nintendo Entertainment System game. 

Metroid 1. Directed by Satoru Okada and Yoshio Sakamoto, Nintendo R&D1 and Intelligent Systems, Japan 1986 and North America, 1987. Nintendo Entertainment System game. 

Metroid 1 Official Game Manual, Nintendo. 1987, 1989.

Metroid.fandom.com. Wikitroid contributors. List of Similarites Between Metroid and Alien. 

https://metroid.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_similarities_between_Metroid_and_Alien. Metroid.fandom.com. 2024. Web. 25 Sep. 2024.

Metroid Prime. Directed by Mark Pacini, Retro Studios, Nintendo, 2002. GameCube and Wii game. 

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Directed by Mark Pacini, Retro Studios, Nintendo, 2007. Wii game.

Metroid Fusion. Director Yoshio Sakamoto and Takehiko Hosokawa, Nintendo, Nintendo R&D1, 2002. Game Boy Advance game.

Metroid: Zero Mission. Director Yoshio Sakamoto, Nintendo R&D1, 2004. Game Boy Advance game. 

Super Metroid. Directed by Yoshio Sakamoto, Nintendo R&D1 and Intelligent Systems,  1994. Super Nintendo Entertainment System game. 

Yuu, Minazuki [Rinu Monota]. Victory Techniques for Metroid. Japan: Wanpakku Comics. 1986. Wikitroid Metoid.famdom.com Web. Sep. 2024. 

Sonic the Hedgehog: South Island Ruins

John Coulter
Art & Games University
Sonic the Hedgehog 1
January 2026

Sonic the Hedgehog: South Island Ruins

   Video games are a form of art. Like books, they tell stories, and like movies, sculptures, and paintings, they depict stylized subjects and worlds. Every game element—from a simple tree branch to a complex character—is thoughtfully crafted by artists and designers. Art and Games University catalogs and analyzes these in-game art pieces, studying their in-game roles, cultural significance, and connections to real-world art history. 

   Data was collected from a diverse pool of games with many systems sampled and decades of content researched. To complete this analysis, over three hundred games have been documented through one hundred percent exploration and completion, and then the data was carefully compiled for fifty of these; with the list of documented and dissected games growing regularly. Art and Games University’s research found that the data and evaluation of art objects in games are under-studied. This research is important to document. 

   One of the games studied for this research was Sonic the Hedgehog 1 (1991) for Sega Genesis. In Sonic’s first game, a high-speed 2D side-scrolling action platformer, the evil Dr. Robotnik has invaded the South Island in search of the chaos emeralds. Robotnik has captured Sonic’s animal pals and placed them inside enemy robots, known as Badniks. Sonic must use his super speed to save South Island. 

   This fast-paced game was developed by Sonic Team and published by SEGA in 1991. The early 90’s saw Sonic rolling onto the scene with fast sales and popularity. Large stages, detailed graphics boasting parallax layered backgrounds and smooth high-speed frame rates, helped Sonic leap into an early lead. In the nineties Mario (Super Mario World, 1990) had stomped the competition and SEGA was ultimately losing the console wars. The aesthetic reflects Sonic’s 1990’s development. Sonic is fast, has edgy blue spikes, and a thematic 1990’s environmental spin. The visuals are colorfully detailed 16-bit pixel sprites, and as 3D games were gaining popularity, utilize geometric patterns to simulate depth, in a manner similar to the pre-rendered 3D/2D hybrid graphics of Donkey Kong Country (1994) on the SNES. In contrast to Dr. Robotnik’s futuristic mechanical designs, Green Hill Zone’s totems, Marble Hill Zone’s stone ruins, and Labyrinth Zone’s aqueducts all give a sense of a mysterious lost culture on South Island. So, with Super Sonic speed, let’s roll! 

   Sonic 1 (1991) was created by an incredibly small and resolute development team under the direction of Hirokazu Yasuhara. Naoto Oshima is the creator of the character Sonic, as well as coding Sonic’s unique speedy roll. Additional character designs were created by the talented Jina Ishiwatari. Of note is the work of background and zone artist Rieko Kodama. Kodama was a pioneer in the early home console gaming field as a female designer with prominent rolls on iconic SEGA projects. They designed the look and feel of the worlds on prominent Sonic and Phantasy Star (1987) games. Kodama studied both archaeology and graphic design before working for SEGA. Kodama’s background assured that the cultural objects and ancient ruins found in Sonic 1 (1991) have acute real-world art historical references. 

   A statistical breakdown of the art found throughout South Island in Sonic 1 (1991) has a total of two hundred and ten art items documented. Sonic 1 has the thirteenth most art from our season one data, coming in behind Real Myst (2000), and ahead of Konami Krazy Racers (2001) for the GBA, and slightly above the average amount of art in a game, of 188.8.  The average art objects per stage in Sonic 1’s twenty stages are 10.5. Greco-Roman inspired architectural ruins and stone sculptures make up the majority of the one hundred and eighty-seven art and media objects found in the settings and backgrounds of Sonic 1 with Robotnik’s designs also contributing to the total. 

   The first stage in Sonic 1 (1991) is Green Hill Zone. While not the stage with most art, the tropical landscape has a unique subject not found in other Zones. The Green Hill Zone of South Island has wooden totem poles throughout. These have green paint, wings extending from the pole on some, and simple face motifs. 

   Northwest Native American tribes such as the Haida, Nuxalt, Kwakwaka’wakw, Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Coast Salish all practice totem building. A totem serves several functions including welcoming visitors, memorializing those that have passed on or family stories, recording myths and tales, and shaming people. The colors and animals represented on the pole have symbolic meanings. 

   The type, faces chosen, and colors for the Green Hill Zone totems are all likely created just for the Sonic (1991) game and do not have a specific cultural meaning or interpretation. As totems are made of wood, they often last a maximum of five hundred years, while the other ruins and archeological sites on South Island appear to be at least two thousand years old. The Green Hill Zone totem is certainly a unique subject within Sonic, and a distinct cultural artifact. There are no clues to whether the animals of South Island or past human inhabitants left these totems, as well as the stone ruins included in Sonic 1 (1991). Removed from the final edition of the game, gray stone sculptures appear in the Green Hill Zone. However, these stone faces are only accessible via cheats. 

   Marble Zone is named for the many hilltop and subterranean marble ruins found throughout the game. With twenty-one art examples, Marble Zone: Act 3 has the most art of any single stage or zone in Sonic 1 (1991). The hilltops in the Marble Zone have three types of columns. First, a freestanding smooth gray marble column with a simple cylinder shaft, stair-step base, and layered capital, or top; this pillar has similarities to Tuscan, Dorian, and Ionic pillars. The second style is a freestanding blue stone column with a square shaft and a decorated base and capital. Though not exclusively used as such, Greco-Roman square columns were usually placed at the corners of buildings and were known as anta, or antae. They were frequently used in conjunction with round columns. A non-load bearing, decorative antae such as this, is known as a pilaster. The third style of column found in Sonic 1 (1991) are square shafted, ornate gray marble columns that support a gray marble building. These have a geometric diamond motif pattern in bas-relief, and the antae support a ruined marble structure. 

   The ruined marble structures in Sonic 1 (1991) exhibit many Classical Greek traits, including the decorative Ionic antae supporting adorning entablature and pediment on top. A pediment is traditionally a triangular element atop an entablature, atop a row of columns; however, the Marble Zone ruins are a uniquely trapezoidal form not found in many ancient ruins. These trapezoid forms are known as “Á pans pediment.” In addition to decorative relief, the pediment has red stained glass, or possibly red stone tiles. 

   The horizontal, rectangular strip of marble bas-relief carving atop the antae and below the pediment is called an entablature. The carved patterns are known as “Frieze,” and the vertical striped motif is known as “Triglyph.” These are one hundred percent in alignment with the Classical Greek style. The ruins most closely resemble the iconic Parthenon, from 400BC ancient Greece. Like the Marble Zone ruins, The Parthenon also has Triglyphs and decorated Frieze on the entablature. The ruins, shrouded in trees in the distant background, are consistent with those found in the foreground. There are round, Tuscan, or Doric free-standing pillars, as well as marble buildings with entablatures and pediments. Notably, there is one building with no pediment in the background. 

   Digging deeper, the next art subjects are the subterranean stone reliefs found below the Marble Zone. The lava-filled, purple stone, and white metal dungeon maze beneath the hills of the Marble Zone, has four different framed stone patterns. Displayed in four sizes of green frames, the floral pattern’s color is the same as the dark purple stones throughout the subterranean dungeon, and could be stone relief, painting, or textile; however, the lava would likely destroy anything not stone or metal faster than a Sonic speed runner. Mythological beings such as centaurs, flora, and fauna imagery are common motifs on ancient Greek reliefs. The floral patterns framed in the dungeons are in stylistic alignment with the rest of the ruins in the Marble Zone. 

   Additional ruins can be found in both the Labyrinth Zone as well as Scrap Brain Zone 3, and contain more examples of art inspired by history. The subterranean stone aqueducts are also inspired by ancient Greek culture; however, the columns and relief sculptures are all different than the ruins found in the Marble Zone. The monstrous polluting machines of Robotnik’s factory in Scrap Brain Zone appear to be built directly on top of South Island’s ruins, as demonstrated when Sonic falls below the Scrap Brain Zone at the end of Act 2.

   The columns found in the Labyrinth Zone are freestanding pillars that are thin and fluted with simple bases and capitals, similar to Classical Greek Doric columns. While round, stone-brick columns supporting a crumbling stone-brick bridge are found in Scrap Brain Zone 3. These columns feature no reliefs, decorations, or details. This suggests they were built at an earlier time than the other ruins. These are cut from large stones instead of a solid piece of marble like those previously examined. They are also crumbling and sliding down a cliff. Most of the background sprites are a palette swap from Labyrinth Zone’s yellow stonework, to a light gray. There is however an additional unique colonnade in this Zone. 

   The Labyrinth Zone features four animal motif stone relief blocks, as well as several abstract floral patterns resembling those in the Marble Zone found on doors, small bricks, and movable cylindrical stones. Imagery of a stylized fish and a hog, with the hog only in the Game Gear Version (1991) appear as large stone reliefs in the background as well as smaller stone reliefs in the foreground. As representational images of animals, the artistry is more detailed than those in the Marble Zone, but they could easily have been constructed before, congruently, or after the ancient Greek inspired ruins elsewhere on South Island. Pigs such as Picky Pig, (Porker in the English translation) are native to South Island, though no living fish are shown in Sonic 1 (1991). As with all of the art on South Island; their creators, whether animal or human, are unknown. 

   The next subject has a unique style for Sonic 1 (1991). While the ancient Greeks did carve stone gryphons, centaurs, and other monsters, the stone sculptures of a horned creature from Sonic 1 appear most like a Gothic gargoyle. Some are fountains, whereas others shoot fireballs. The sculpture could be inspired by ancient Greek art but is likely Medieval or Gothic in inspiration. 

   Many of the gargoyle fountains pour water into the tunnels below. The entire Zone functions as canals and aqueducts, with changing water levels. While the Roman Aqueducts are the most famous, aqueducts have been traced back to Crete and the Minoans around 2000 BC. The Tunnel of Eupalinos is an ancient Greek underground aqueduct from 400 BC. 

   Shifting gears from ancient ruins to the maniacal mechanical designs of everyone’s favorite “Eggman,” Dr. Robotnik’s mechanical designs are in stark contrast to the natural world and ancient ruins found on South Island. As an invading force they are the stylistic antithesis to the rest of the setting.  His Badnik’s, or robot creations have fierce metal forms meant for destruction. The futuristic industrial architecture in Scrap Brain Zone looks like a smog filled landscape from Blade Runner (1982). 

   Some elements of design allude time travel throughout the Zones of South Island. Sonic 1’s (1991) stages are set in distinctly past and future settings. The Spring Yard Zone, an urban pinball themed amusement park, was originally the fifth stage, which would have placed the stages in chronological order by technological era. Director Hirokazu Yasuhara revealed that time travel was originally a planned gameplay element of Sonic 2 (1992). Extra evidence supporting the theory includes a four episode time traveling story arc in the 1993 animated series (Sonic the Hedgehog Cartoon, 1993), a prehistoric romp in the Sonic 2 Manga (Terada, 1992), and the Badniks, Redz and Rexon, from Sonic 2 (Sega Genesis, 1992). 

   The artwork of South Island in Sonic 1 (1991) is heavily inspired by ancient Greek marble ruins as well as Northwestern Native American totems. As an NPC Dr. Robotnik is an avid creator of artistic mechanical menaces, and his list of creations only grows with each game he makes an appearance. Saving the local animals, collecting the chaos emeralds and stopping the menacing Doctor in Sonic 1 (1991) for Sega Genesis provides ample views of multiple cultural sites that are historically significant and iconic to gaming.

Works Cited

Blade Runner. Directed by Ridley Scott. Performances by Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young and Edward James Olmos. Written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, Warner Bros., 1982. Film.

Donkey Kong Country. Directed by Tim Stamper, Rare/Nintendo, 1994. Super Nintendo game.

Konami Krazy Racers. Directed by Toyokazu Nonaka, Konami Computer Entertainment, 2001. Game Boy Advance game.

Phantasy Star. Directed by Kotaro Hayashida, Sega R&D 2, Sega, 1987. Sega Master System game.

Real Myst, Directed by Rand Miller and Robyn Charles Miller, Cyan Worlds, Inc, 2000. iOS game.

Sonic the Hedgehog Television Series Cartoon. Directed by Dick Sebath, Ron Myrick and/or John Grusd. Produced by DIC Productions, L.P. and Sega of America. 1993.

Sonic the Hedgehog 1. Produced by Yuji Naka, Sonic Team, 1991. SEGA Genesis game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 1(8-bit video game). Directed by Ayano Koshiro, Ancient/Sega, 1991. Game Gear Master System game. 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Directed Masaharu Yoshii, Sega Technical Institute, 1992. SEGA Genesis game. 

Terada, Kenji. Sonic the Hedgehog Manga series. Japan: Shogakukan. 1992. Print. 

Super Mario World. Directed by Takashi Tezuka, Nintendo EAD and Nintendo, 1990. Super Nintendo Entertainment System game.