Sonic the Hedgehog launched on the Sega Genesis in 1991, and collecting golden rings has been central to the series ever since, with the sparkling chime marking each pickup. As Sonic games spread across consoles and generations, the ring sound became one of gaming's most recognisable audio cues. It later travelled beyond gameplay into memes, streams and short-form videos, where creators use it as shorthand for a reward, a lucky moment or a nostalgic callback to classic platform games.