Sonic the Hedgehog (JP) is the platform game that launched the career of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Team, initially released for the Sega Genesis in 1991 and later re-released on the Virtual Console for the Wii. This game was the first game to propel the Genesis into mass popularity in North America. After it was released, it eventually replaced Altered Beast as the bundled game with the console. The game featured many novel elements which contributed to its popularity and helped to promote the uptake of 16-bit consoles.