If you’ve not picked up Retro Gamer issue 158 yet, check out our issue preview video above! It’s worth it, as we’ve got Nick wearing a silly hat.

The lead feature is a look back at Sonic’s early years, with Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka providing an insider perspective on the Mega Drive games that made the series so popular. Additionally we highlight the impact the series has had on fans, and in turn the impact fans are having with a first look at the exciting new 2D adventure Sonic Mania. You’ll also find a separate look at the mascot platform game boom that followed in the wake of the Sonic series.

Elsewhere in the issue, we’ve got all the features that you’ve come to expect from a great issue of Retro Gamer. We take a look back at the greatest handheld machines, as well as the French developer behind Another World and Flashback, Delphine Software. Licence To Thrill covers Top Gun, and you’ll find Ultimate Guides to Slap Fight and Super Smash Bros, plus in-depth features on the creation of the ZX81, Star Wars Episode I: Racer and Fur Fighters.

To pick up Retro Gamer 158, head to any good newsagent or order it directly from us via ImagineShop. Alternatively, you can get digital copies via Great Digital Mags. And if you enjoyed the Sonic feature, don’t forget that our new book Sega Archives is out now.