FAQ/Upload FAQ

What should I upload here?

Anything that is Sonic the Hedgehog-specific content. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Official character artwork
• Promotional artwork
• Promotional screenshots
• Concept art
• Comic book & trade paperback covers
• Scans of home video releases

If its got Sonic or his friends on it, we want it digitally archived.

What should I not upload here?

Anything set to be shared between multiple Retro wikis should be uploaded to the RetroCDN. For example:

• Box art for Sonic the Hedgehog games
• Magazine scans which feature both Sonic the Hedgehog and Sega games
• Template images which all wikis can benefit from

For content best suited on another dedicated Retro wiki:

• Sega-specific content - use Sega Retro
• NEC-specific content (that is games related) - use NEC Retro

Content not permissible on any Retro wiki:

• Personal files

If you are unsure if a file you want to upload would be best suited on Sonic Retro or on the Retro CDN, please contact a Wiki Sysop or Administrator.

Can I upload a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog 2?

Materials used by Sonic Retro are copyrighted by Sega Corporation and third parties that have a direct relationship with the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Sonic Retro asserts that its use of any copyrighted material constitutes as fair use under United States copyright law. However, that does not give users of the Retro wiki family of sites carte blanche on what can be uploaded to Sonic Retro, Sega Retro, or the Retro CDN. The mirroring of certain material could be constituted as piracy. Sonic Retro is not a piracy site, nor does it condone the act of piracy.

Examples of what not to upload:

• Final versions of commercial software (ROMs, ISOs, executable files, etc) available from Sega and its licensees
• Audio files (.mp3, .flac, etc.) of commercially available music from Sega and its licensees
• Full scans of commercially available printed material (Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW comics), etc.) from Sega and its licensees

However, elements of the above can be added to the wiki in specific ways. Examples of what is permitted under fair use:

• Screenshots of commercially available software
• Short audio cues (i.e., to compare an early version of a song to its final release)
• Previews of commercially available printed material provided by the publisher
• Small scanned excerpts from full works allowed under fair use

If you are unsure if a file you want to uploaded would fall under piracy or fair use, please contact a wiki sysop or administrator.

You allow ROM hacks? Can I upload (x) that I just found/just made?

While Sonic Retro does not allow commercial ROMS on its platform, it does allow for ROM modifications (also known as "ROM hacks") to be uploaded on its platform. For further details on which ROM modifications are and are not allowed on Sonic Retro, please read our hack policy.

You allow fan games? Can I upload (x) that I just found/just made?

Sonic Retro does allow for fan games to be uploaded on its platform. For further details on which fan games are and are not allowed on Sonic Retro, please read our fan game policy.

How do I upload?

The standard Mediawiki upload form is a no-frills option for getting files onto Sonic Retro. Add a file, check its name, add a description and click "upload".

Software restrictions mean the standard form will likely fail if the file is more than 100MB.

I have a file that is more than 100MB, what should I do?

Contact an adminstrator. We do not forbid files larger than 100MB - it is purely a software restriction.

How do I replace a file that already exists?

When viewing a file, there will be an "Upload new version of this file link". Use this.

How do I know if my file is good enough?

Consult the help page for guides, or ask around - someone will know the answer. Typically if a file needs attention, someone will contact you.

Does Sonic Retro already have this file?

If you can't find the file on Sonic Retro or the Retro CDN, the answer is "probably not". You should upload it.

What types of files does Sonic Retro want?

Typically:

• Images (PNG, JPEG, GIF)
• Vectors (SVG)
• Documents (PDF)
• Magazine scans (PDF)
• Audio (WAV, MP3)
• Videos (MP4)
• Archives (ZIP, RAR, 7Z)

Or as a general rule, "anything useful".

I have something to scan! How should I do that?

Be sure to check out our scanning guide. If you are scanning something that is multiple pages, we also ask that you upload the content as a .pdf as opposed to multiple files. And as always, ask yourself: is what I'm scanning meant for Sonic Retro, Sega Retro, or applicable to multiple wikis in the Retro family of sites?

I want to upload a screenshot of a game! How should I do that?

If you are taking a unique screenshot of a game and then want to upload it to Retro, be sure to check out our screenshots guide.

Can I use this file?

Absolutely.

Everything uploaded to Retro wikis is being made available to the general public free of charge. We are more than happy for others to mirror the contents of our wikis or to distribute content as they see fit - the important thing is that the information is accessible.

Equally if you are uploading a file, you are agreeing to this philosophy. This is not a means of becoming rich and famous - the file you upload will be used.

Can this file be removed?

If the content is considered useful, assume not. Ideally we only want to be removing content if there's something to replace it with.

Anything else I should know? (Naming, tagging, etc.)

To make things easier for the users of Retro, we try to have our files not only properly named, but also tagged. To understand more about both of these concepts, please check out the following:

• Manual of style/Naming files
• Image tagging