An entertaining five minutes

[Locit]

I was wandering around Sonic Retro and came upon Sonic: Pixel Perfect. It's an early build to be sure, but it's pretty interesting. So far only the first level, "Azure Lake Zone" seems to be complete, but it's basically the entirety of Green Hill Zone has been redone in a completely new layout and nice graphical touches. The music is taken from the Sonic 3 multiplayer level of the same name, and enemies are taken wholesale from various early Sonic games- Sonic 1 and CD from what I can tell. Still, the layout of each level is really fun to play through. Time progresses with each act, starting during the day, moving on to evening, and ending with night for the final area, which has a slightly modified version of the standard ball-and-chain Eggman fight.

You can get the first beta here, so check it out! Tell me if it's actually fun, or if I've just completely lost it.

[Rob-Bert]

I've periodically browsed around that forum. I can definitely say that my favorite hack-in-progress on that site is Sonic the Hedgehog: Extended Edition. Despite there not being many updates released to the public, it seems to be the most professionally made hack out of all of them.

What about that Sonic Megamix? It's biggest and most robust hack on the site, but I think it's overrated. Have a look at it and you may understand why.

[Ritz]

Pixel Perfect never really impressed me, but I'll give it credit for serving primarily as a graphical overhaul with additional layouts, something that's become surprisingly rare as of late. On that note, the hacking community is in a dire state, as everyone active seems to be concerned exclusively with creating what I've come to know as "feature parades"; hacks where people (ab)use ASM code to add all manner of superfluous mechanics to the Sonic 1 (Backporting the Spindash, adding an S3-esque save functionality when savestates render this gesture completely worthless, etc.) with little to no regard for actual gameplay. I find S1 to be monotonous enough as it is without people diluting the core mechanics- running through it again with the addition of a level hub and the ability to play as either Tails or Knuckles when the game's level design hasn't been altered to accomodate their abilities just doesn't make the experience any more gratifying!

Sometimes, I actually find myself pining for the days of the lowly palette and layout hacks, where everyone's sole motive was to take the original games and keep the experience as fresh as possible with what little technology they had at their disposal. Nowadays, all anyone really cares about is enlarging their e-penis by tacking on all manner of useless, albeit moderately impressive technical crap that no one's really interested in playing. With that said, Sonic 2: Advanced Edit is the one hack left in the wild that's truly worth busting a nut over, and progress has slown to a crawl there. The guy behind Chimpo Q is an amazing artist, but you're kidding yourself if you think he'll ever even manage to complete the first zone.

[Rob-Bert]

The feature parades is one of the reasons why I prefer Sonic Extended Edition out of all the other Sonic 1 hacks. It's additions are relatively medium-scale, there actually are going to be new levels in the final version, there actually are going to be areas in the game where the backported abilities are necessary, and over all each of these features have been implemented in one of the cleanest, smoothest ways I've seen.

At least feature parade hacks are better than hacks that just change the palette or whatever.

[Tweaker]

I hope you don't consider Megamix a "feature parade," because I feel that severely underrates the effort that our level designer has been putting into making the game much smoother. See for yourself.

[FlashTHD]

I hope you don't consider Megamix a "feature parade," because I feel that severely underrates the effort that our level designer has been putting into making the game much smoother. See for yourself.

What's this? You've come to defend yourself? And forgot to mention your brand new exciting feature filled youtube trailer that you've hyped up at many other places? How careless! There, I fix for you.

Whoops?

[Ritz]

I hope you don't consider Megamix a "feature parade," because I feel that severely underrates the effort that our level designer has been putting into making the game much smoother.

I do, actually! In fact, I'd say it's a prime example of a feature parade- at least, your last release was. The game is still rife with extraneous add-ons, but your latest additions (New art, actually respectable layouts) add a layer of genuine novelty to the game, so as long as the extra fluff doesn't detract from the gameplay any, you're in the clear.

Advanced Edit is still way better though

[Crazy Penguin]

So has anyone ever hacked Sonic 2 or 3&K to give Super Sonic a full sprite set?

[Forza Johnman]

To be honest, I do think Sonic Megamix is kinda cool. It's like "What if Sonic Rush was made with the Sonic 1 game engine?"

But can someone tell me, what is it with the addiction of putting the Sonic CD jump sound effect into hacks of Sonic 1?

[P.P.A.]

I hope you don't consider Megamix a "feature parade," because I feel that severely underrates the effort that our level designer has been putting into making the game much smoother. See for yourself.

tbh, that was always my opinion of Megamix (the feature parade thing). It kinda lacks.. a concept, a soul, something that ties it together.

Also on-topic: Everyone who hasn't, play Sonic Turbo. It's the best hack I've ever see.

[gr4yJ4Y]

But can someone tell me, what is it with the addiction of putting the Sonic CD jump sound effect into hacks of Sonic 1?

Seconded. I never liked the Sonic CD jump sound effect.

[Rob-Bert]

I'm surprised nobody has attempted a Metroidvania-style Sonic hack yet. I think that would be quite the feat, and quite fun to play.

[James McGeachie]

But can someone tell me, what is it with the addiction of putting the Sonic CD jump sound effect into hacks of Sonic 1?

I seriously wonder this as well. I've seen it in several fan games and everytime I wonder how someone could actually want that noise in their game. It's part of the reason why I flat out don't enjoy playing Sonic CD, it genuinely irritates me.

[Cuckooguy]

The thing with Metroidvania is that it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable because one of the focuses of those types of games is that you become more powerful as the game goes on so you have more versatile skills to reach areas you previously couldn't. I don't think a Sonic game like that would work.

[Rob-Bert]

Unless they started you off with a Sonic fresh out of Sonic 1, with only a Spin Attack, and later on you'd get a Spin-Dash, a Super Peel Out, the Shield powers from Sonic 3, the ability to play as Tails and Knuckles, and I guess Mighty's Wall Jump from Chaotix, all of which would be required to complete certain puzzles or access new areas.

[Shadow Hog]

I've entertained the idea... generally it starts with Sonic losing pretty much everything he has (including his trademark speed) at the opening, and getting it back gradually (his speed being the first thing, natch). By the conclusion of it all, you're pretty much in familiar territory, albeit perhaps with some new moves here and there.

It also had a really lousy plot, which I shall spare you the details of. Be grateful.

But yeah, didn't even the Sonic Adventures have elements of this? Unlock Casinopolis via Light Dash! Unlock Red Mountain via Light Dash Attack! Get special power-ups in SA2 using power-ups you gained later in the game! Granted, for most of these the ability was in plain sight right next to the objective which required it, but I can see it sort of working in a larger environment, either 2D or 3D.

[Frieza2000]

That trailer was pretty good. The level design is a bit busy and chaotic in places, but that's not necessarily bad as long as it's well planned. And that boss was great! But not the voice clips. Those were lame.

The thing with Metroidvania is that it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable because one of the focuses of those types of games is that you become more powerful as the game goes on so you have more versatile skills to reach areas you previously couldn't. I don't think a Sonic game like that would work.

Tails Adventure. You gradually find health and flight expansions, and new moves both required and optional.

[Rob-Bert]

If they could take level design like the kind present in Sonic CD, then figure out a way to connect them all with respect to backtracking, we'd have a pretty solid foundation for a Sonictroidvania game setting.

[Tweaker]

I hope you don't consider Megamix a "feature parade," because I feel that severely underrates the effort that our level designer has been putting into making the game much smoother. See for yourself.

What's this? You've come to defend yourself? And forgot to mention your brand new exciting feature filled youtube trailer that you've hyped up at many other places? How careless! There, I fix for you.

Whoops?

You're a fucking dick. Does adding something new to the game that didn't exist before immediately make something a feature parade? It doesn't make any sense.

Not just that, but you've talked shit about Megamix from day one as if absolutely nothing about it is redeeming. Justify your whining or go choke on a cock, asswipe.

I do, actually! In fact, I'd say it's a prime example of a feature parade- at least, your last release was. The game is still rife with extraneous add-ons, but your latest additions (New art, actually respectable layouts) add a layer of genuine novelty to the game, so as long as the extra fluff doesn't detract from the gameplay any, you're in the clear.

Megamix was never a "feature parade"--the level design just blew, and therefore didn't stand out amongst all the features that were added to the game. That will definitely change with the addition of Nova as our level designer (of, you guessed it, Pixel Perfect fame. How quaint).

tbh, that was always my opinion of Megamix (the feature parade thing). It kinda lacks.. a concept, a soul, something that ties it together.

So all those times you were cumming buckets over it at TSC were staged? How lovely.

But can someone tell me, what is it with the addiction of putting the Sonic CD jump sound effect into hacks of Sonic 1?

It's a personal preference. Any other occurrences of the sound are likely in the same vein, but I doubt it's for any specific reason.

Unless they started you off with a Sonic fresh out of Sonic 1, with only a Spin Attack, and later on you'd get a Spin-Dash, a Super Peel Out, the Shield powers from Sonic 3, the ability to play as Tails and Knuckles, and I guess Mighty's Wall Jump from Chaotix, all of which would be required to complete certain puzzles or access new areas.

The idea of gradually obtaining moves is interesting, but I already passed the idea on to Puto for his hack, Sonic 1 Remastered. I don't see much point in using the same concept, since it shows a clear lack of originality between different hacks available.

The new moves do have a purpose in the level design. The light dash in particular can allow Sonic to reach many new areas or shave a few seconds off his time while completing a level. Other plans include elemental paths that only Mighty can traverse, high paths that only Mighty and Tails can access, and of course the Knuckles-only breakable walls.

We're not retarded--we know Sonic level design. I guess I'm partially to blame for not revealing more information on the new layouts, though; I'm so used to seclusion that I forget everybody doesn't know what we've been doing under wraps. Believe me, though, the next release will be a nice treat.

That trailer was pretty good. The level design is a bit busy and chaotic in places, but that's not necessarily bad as long as it's well planned. And that boss was great! But not the voice clips. Those were lame.

The voice clips themselves are temporary--I have something more appropriate planned in place of the current ones. The Megaman X-esque boss intro can be disabled via the preferences menu, since I know it's drawn mixed reactions across the board. I think it's neat; then again, I thought it was neat in Megaman X, too. Eh.

[G.Silver]

I really liked the level design when I played MegaMix. The really interesting thing was how everything was made out of familiar chunks of stage, so no matter how it was scrambled there was always a familiar quality to it and it was not hard to predict what was coming and responding to it was very fast, since those reflexes are already pretty much ingrained in me. I suppose maybe any Sonic 1 hack would be like that, but even so. It felt worth playing and personally relevant, which is more than I can say for pretty much anything else the Sonic fan community has put out.

[FlashTHD]

I hope you don't consider Megamix a "feature parade," because I feel that severely underrates the effort that our level designer has been putting into making the game much smoother. See for yourself.

What's this? You've come to defend yourself? And forgot to mention your brand new exciting feature filled youtube trailer that you've hyped up at many other places? How careless! There, I fix for you.

Whoops?

You're a fucking dick. Does adding something new to the game that didn't exist before immediately make something a feature parade? It doesn't make any sense.

Not just that, but you've talked shit about Megamix from day one as if absolutely nothing about it is redeeming. Justify your whining or go choke on a cock, asswipe.

Yeah, hang the messenger, ect. See ya, Yosemite Sam.

Oh and since day 1? I remember casting doubt on it twice, when exactly was day 1? tip: not serious question

[Tweaker]

...

I just noticed I completely misread your post. My bad. :(

[P.P.A.]

tbh, that was always my opinion of Megamix (the feature parade thing). It kinda lacks.. a concept, a soul, something that ties it together.

So all those times you were cumming buckets over it at TSC were staged? How lovely.

iirc that was a while back, before I played it and when I wasn't such a jaded gamer with the ability to make my own opinions.
I'm not saying it's bad, not at all, it's a great hack. But it feels like a lot of stuff just was put in for the sake of it, without actually adding something to the experience, or sometimes even subtracting from it. Sonic's air dash for example. And... there's no consistency in the feel of the game. The levels (layouts apart) are just mishmashes of mostly ripped or edited graphics that don't really go together with each other (compare to Sonic 1's (beta) stage progression, Sonic CD's and Chaotix' unique, surreal style, heck even Sonic Turbo's palettes), all the Acts of a Zone have completely different music which also greatly ruins and sense of consistency... And yeah, the old, not that good level design didn't help either.

But can someone tell me, what is it with the addiction of putting the Sonic CD jump sound effect into hacks of Sonic 1?

It's a personal preference. Any other occurrences of the sound are likely in the same vein, but I doubt it's for any specific reason.

I like it too and don't really see why so many people think it's that annoying.

The new moves do have a purpose in the level design. The light dash in particular can allow Sonic to reach many new areas or shave a few seconds off his time while completing a level. Other plans include elemental paths that only Mighty can traverse, high paths that only Mighty and Tails can access, and of course the Knuckles-only breakable walls.

[/quote]
Character specific routes suck, they're limiting a character alone on one of two paths whereas a stage open for everyone to explore, just in individual ways would be a lot better imo. But I already didn't like S3K because of that (and its overall far too long level design), so that's nothing directly targeted at Megamix.

[gr4yJ4Y]

The new moves do have a purpose in the level design. The light dash in particular can allow Sonic to reach many new areas or shave a few seconds off his time while completing a level. Other plans include elemental paths that only Mighty can traverse, high paths that only Mighty and Tails can access, and of course the Knuckles-only breakable walls.

[/quote]
Character specific routes suck, they're limiting a character alone on one of two paths whereas a stage open for everyone to explore, just in individual ways would be a lot better imo. But I already didn't like S3K because of that (and its overall far too long level design), so that's nothing directly targeted at Megamix.[/quote]

I think you might be in the minority here, P.P.A. I loved the different routes for different characters in S3&K and wouldn't mind seeing it again if done right. From what I saw of the level design it looked well done.

It should probably be mentioned that I don't really follow this Sonic fan-game and hack business too closely, but I like to read about different opinions in level design.