Sonic the Hedgehog Hack, but not just any hack

John Gibson · Sonic the Hedgehog Hack, but not just any hack

http://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_1_Megamix

We'll probably discuss this in November or December. This actually looks good, and it'd be nice to talk about a rom hack other than one from the NES or Super NES.

http://info.sonicretro.org/images/6/67/Sonic_1_Megamix_v3.0.zip

Splodge

This is pretty good.
I was skeptical at first. There are alot of Sonic hacks and very few good ones but this one seems really good.
I like how they've incorporated some of the moves from the 3D games. It takes a bit of getting used to, as a Sonic veteran, but I can see how it could work.

I look forward to seeing what your opinion of this is on the show.

John Gibson

What's funny is they took a music track from Moonwalker, also a Genesis game. I'm listening to it, and recognized it instantly.

Splodge

I think the weak point of alot of rom hacks is that alot of the time there is no original music. A heavily modified game can have alot of amazing custom-sprites etc. but if it has the same music as the original, it can feel like you're just playing another variation of the same game.
I don't mind the music change in this. Sure, it's from another game, but it still sets it apart from Sonic games that are already out.

There are a couple of rom hacks that put alot of effort into original music, though. I hear "Zelda 3C: Quest for Calatia" is going to have original music. I hope it's something fresh but still Zelda-esque.

John Gibson

I think it's hard to put original music together for existing roms. I remember when I made my own SMB hack, I could change around little bits of info in Tile Layer to alter the music a bit. Sometimes, it would come out really good, but then there'd be a glitch in the music that was my fault, hehe.

I'm sure there will be a final version where everything will be different, cause the second level still looks like Marble Zone, and the fourth still looks like Spring Yard Zone. They'll probably enhance it soon.

Splodge

You're right about the music - it is hard to change the music. I've only seen it done right a couple of times. I played a couple of amazing Japanese SMB hacks where the music was completely changed. But those games were really professional - you can tell a huge amount of work was put into them.

I'll definitely keep an eye on this game. I've recently ressurected my Mega Drive and I've been playing a bit of Sonic recently. I'll move onto this soon. It's good when you find something that's old and nostalgic but still completely new.