Sonic's a big success for Orange

Mobile phone operator Orange is celebrating the success of retro icon Sonic The Hedgehog, which charted in second place in the UK mobile download charts during February - despite only being available from a single network operator at the time.

The iconic blue hedgehog took the gaming world by storm when first appearing on, and largely contributing to the success of, the Sega Megadrive console. After many years of sequels, spin-offs and adaptations on practically every format available, the little blue creature's fast-paced adventures have been recreated for the mobile platform.

Bringing the infamous Green Hill, Marble and Spring Yard zones back to life on the small screen for retro addicts and new fans that are too young to remember the original, Sonic's famous spin attack is easily triggered and controlled using single-finger gameplay. Players must guide the fury fiend through booby-traps, pitfalls, lava pools and avoid or attack a horde of enemies as they attempt to rescue the woodland animals trapped in a laboratory by the evil Dr. Robotnik.

The mobile version was launched in February, and its download sales success marks the first time that a mobile game available solely from one operator has charted in the top five of the UK mobile game downloads chart.

Java game download chart data is supplied courtesy of ELSPA and is compiled using information supplied by the UK's network operators Orange, O2, Vodafone, 3 and T-Mobile.

Orange customers can download the game for a cost of GBP 5 from Orange World, by texting 'games sonic' to 247.