Sonic 2 Retro Remix
From Sonic Retro
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Sonic 2 Retro Remix |
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Version: SAGE 2010 Revision 1 |
Last release: 7 August 2010 |
System: Sega Mega Drive / Genesis |
Original game: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit) |
Credits: Thorn, DNXDelta |
Sonic 2 Retro Remix is a large-scale ROM hack of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive, created by Thorn and DNXDelta. The goal of the project is to create a 2D Sonic the Hedgehog game that requires exploration to progress, as well as the requisite platforming and sheer speed. A mission system akin to those of the 3D Super Mario games is implemented as the means of progressing from one level to the next. Missions involve earning Chaos Emeralds in scavenger hunts, boss battles, speed runs and score attacks; most require learning each level's ins and outs, instead of just finding the easiest way to the goal.
Contents
Origin
The project began after a rift in the design team of Sonic 1 Pixel Perfect led to the creation of two separate hacks. Since then, S2RR has moved beyond basic art and layout modifications into actual code editing and creation. Modern Sonic moves such as the wall kick and midair actions coupled with retro Sonic physics put the game in a league of its own. The game won several accolades in the 2009 Sonic the Hedgehog Hacking Contest and has been provided assistance by many of the Sonic hacking scene's prominent hackers.
Gameplay
Sonic is currently the only playable character (though DNXDelta would like to re-implement Miles "Tails" Prower). The player now has infinite Lives; the original game's life counter is replaced by one for collected Chaos Emeralds, and 1-Up monitors are absent.
Classic Mode
Classic Mode needs little explanation; the aim is simply to clear each Act, as in the classic Sonic games. No Special Stages are available in Classic Mode, and some acts from Adventure Mode aren't in the level progression.
Adventure Mode
In Adventure Mode, Zones consist of an overworld area and acts. Barriers in the overworld prevent progression to other Zones until Sonic has collected a certain number of Chaos Emeralds, which are earned by completing each Act's various missions. Giant rings in a Zone's overworld warp Sonic into its the Acts, and present the player with descriptions of or clues to the Act's six missions, and thus how to collect its six emeralds. Three emeralds require the player to find them hiding in the level or to defeat Dr. Robotnik in a boss battle. One emerald requires the player to reach the goal within a time limit. One emerald requires the player attain a certain score (double scoring for collected and retained rings, and end-of-Act bonuses included). The final emerald is awarded for finding and opening all seven of the emerald monitors in each level.
Sonic can exit an Act to the overworld at any time, by pausing the game and pressing A. Any emeralds collected prior to exiting are retained.
Controls
All moves from the original Sonic the Hedgehog 2 are available, occasionally with some slight alterations. The {{A}{} button is no longer a jump button, and jumping out of a spin attack is now controllable. The "speed cap" behavior, which slowed you down to a manageable speed if you left the ground at high speed, has been removed. New moves include:
- Midair Curl: Press while in the air to enter a Spin Attack (assuming Sonic is not already spinning).
- Homing Attack: Press during a midair spin attack to dash at the nearest monitor or badnik. If no targets are within range, a jump dash will be performed automatically.
- Jump Dash: Press during a midair spin attack to dash forward quickly.
- Wall Kick: Hold while pushing the D-pad in the direction of a wall to latch onto it. Press , , or to jump from the wall. Repeatedly wall kick off of opposing walls to climb, but don't latch on for too long or you'll fall to the ground. (Wall kicking previously appeared officially in Knuckles' Chaotix by Mighty the Armadillo, and in several Super Mario games.)
- Midair Boost: After being launched by a spring or seesaw, press plus a direction to boost in that direction, incorporating a radial spinning attack if horizontal.
- Exit Act: Pause the game and press to return to the overworld. Any emeralds collected prior to exiting are retained.
Zones
As of the Sonic Amateur Games Expo 2010 release, Sonic 2 Retro Remix features the following Zones:
Cascade Valley Zone
Based on Sonic 2's opening Emerald Hill Zone, this level features plenty of paths to explore and simple badniks to destroy. The zone changes from a coastal area to a large waterfall as you progress from act to act. Ziplines, various loop designs, and brief underwater areas make speedy movement a must, but exploration is the name of the game and you'll need to look high and low for emeralds in order to progress to the next zone.
- Act 1: 6 emeralds
- Act 2: 6 emeralds
- Act 3: 6 emeralds
- Overworld: 2 emeralds
- ???: 1 emerald
Chemical Plant Zone
- Unlocked by collecting 2 emeralds
While the sheer amount of steep downhill slopes and speed boosters makes getting from start to finish a cinch, learning which of the tangled paths gets you there fastest takes some time. Switches control the water level in the second act, and the floating platforms that move with it are key to collecting emeralds or navigating the trickier passages.
- Act 1: 6 emeralds
- Act 2: 6 emeralds
- Overworld: 1 emerald
- ???: 1 emerald
Frosty Peak Zone
- Unlocked by collecting 8 emeralds)
This cold modification of Hill Top Zone inexplicably houses lava sure to punish misjudged jumps. Passages on the mountain's surface tend to be straightforward, but the caves underneath are labyrinthine and susceptible to magma flows. Badniks here are well-protected, so think twice before planting a homing attack onto a shield of fire.
- Act 1: 6 emeralds
- Act 2: 6 emeralds
- Overworld: 1 emerald
- ???: 1 emerald
Casino Night Zone
- Unlocked by collecting 13 emeralds
With architecture straight from prototype versions of the original Casino Night Zone, this zone is less a platforming challenge and more a pinball machine. Bumpers, flippers, and giant springs are activated using the , , and buttons. Badniks are scarce here, so score attacks are largely based on how quickly you can grab large collections of rings and bring them to the finish.
- Act 1: 6 emeralds
- Act 2: 6 emeralds
- Overworld: 2 emeralds
Metropolis Zone
- Unlocked by collecting 18 emeralds
It's all upstairs from here, as the one act in this zone is twice as tall as the others so far. All of the familiar traps from the original Metropolis Zone return here, with some areas forcing you to use moves you didn't have back in 1992 just to progress. With no more locked doors between you and the finish, this zone's missions are entirely optional.
- Act 1: 6 emeralds
- ???: 1 emerald
Downloads
Download Sonic 2 Retro Remix |
Credits
Main
Contributions
- Tweaker: music, coding
- nineko: music
- Puto: music
- qiuu: coding
- StephenUK: coding
- BlackHole: wall-cling sprite
- Blast Processing: wall-cling sprite
- Blue Emerald: text screen background concept art
- Neo: emerald monitor sprite
- All of Sonic Retro for its bevy of Sonic hacking information, and to The Sonic Center for teaching Thorn to play on a high level, allowing for more complex level designs
Tools
The following tools were used in the making of this game (generic text/hex/image editors, Genesis emulators, and assemblers notwithstanding):
MIDIs
Some of the game's music tracks were based on freely available MIDIs created by the following people from VGMusic:
- Jarel Jones
- Rune Walsh
- Monster Iestyn
- Vincent
External links
- Sonic 2 Retro Remix home page
- Main thread at Sonic Retro
- Video speedrun by Thorn of (slightly earlier) SAGE 2010 release
- Video walkthrough by Thorn on YouTube