Sonic ERaZor
From Sonic Retro
| Sonic ERaZor |
|---|
| Version: Sonic ERaZor 7 |
| Last release: September 8, 2024 |
| System: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive |
| ROM size: 1,062 KB |
| Original game: Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit) |
| Credits: Selbi |
| Thanks: vladikcomper, MarkeyJester, DalekSam, fuzzy, Chaotic SoFa, ajcox |
Sonic ERaZor is a ROM hack of Sonic the Hedgehog created by Selbi. This hack is unlike many others, featuring a (bizarre) in-game story line and ridiculous challenges/mechanics, as well a ton of cutscenes, story screens, and easter eggs. Furthermore, while not originally intended as such, the hack is often summarized as "What if Michael Bay directed Sonic 1?" due to its rampant use of explosions and focus on action.
The name ERaZor, with its upper- and lowercase letters, is a mix of the word eraser and the German word Scherz (meaning "joke" in English). Despite the naming similarities, it has nothing to do with Erazor Djinn or Sonic Eraser.
When first released back in early 2010, Selbi stated that this hack had no goal whatsoever, and any ideas he came up with just went in. Today's releases have a lot more structure and thought-out gameplay elements. The difficulty has been steadily balanced with each new release, mostly due to negative feedback regarding the frustrating game design of the earlier ones. However, it deliberately remains tough and has never abandoned its roots as a difficult game.
In 2024, the hack received its first update in over eight years with the release of the Seventh Public Release, which introduced Casual/Frantic Mode (a unique difficulty selection specifically built around ERaZor's identity).
Levels
Sonic ERaZor's levels are based on those of its source game. The level order, however, deviates a lot.
Pre-Game
Intro Sequence
A short cutscene showcasing Sonic running at high speed through a Green Hill Zone-based level with a hot palette, while being chased by a Buzz Bomber which shoots exploding bullets at him. At the end of the sequence, Sonic launches himself into a giant ring trap, which teleports him to Uberhub Place, kicking off the events of the game.
Uberhub Place
This is the overworld of the hack (which is actually based on Spring Yard Zone of all things). From here, the player can enter the tutorial and the options menu, or select the level they want to play by jumping into the respective tubes. Each beaten level unlocks a new door and awards a trophy. By default, the player returns to this stage automatically, though this behavior can be disabled in the options.
Tutorial Place
The optional but recommended first level of this game. It was designed to teach players the various unique aspects of this game. Information monitors are spread around the level, which will display useful tips in a small text box by pressing 
. The level contains guidelines to the controls, the Inhuman Mode, the Hard Part Skippers, Trial-and-Error sections, and Gravity Control. This entire stage can be skipped by jumping into the Giant Ring to the left of the player as they enter the stage.
Main Game
Night Hill Place / Green Hill Place
The true first level of the ERaZor. It's a darkened version of the source game's Green Hill Zone. Sonic can't defeat the altered Badniks in the waterfall section. The patient player can try to destroy them with the hidden invincibility power-up, or the impatient can simply try to avoid colliding with them. At the end of this level is a boss fight with a Crabmeat, which shoots a lot of exploding balls.
After defeating the Crabmeat, Sonic is launched into the second half of the stage: the original first act of Green Hill Zone. However, the differences are immediately apparent, as all enemies in this section are covered in explosions or related to explosions otherwise. At the end of this level is a boss fight with a hypercharged version of the GHZ boss battle with 3 wrecking balls.
Special Place
This mini-stage is based off the Special Stages, with the major difference that this one doesn't rotate. Instead, the player is required to carefully move Sonic through the stage and avoid the many, many GOAL blocks. If Sonic touches one of these, the stage won't end though, but he will be teleported to the last checkpoint he collected.
Ruined Place
Half-way through this level, which is based on Marble Zone, Sonic is forced to activate an S-monitor. This enables Inhuman Mode, which allows Sonic to propel himself into the air by firing exploding bullets when pressing . From there, the player must navigate through a maze with spiked walls, ceilings and floors, which will teleport Sonic back on contact. Furthermore (in Frantic Mode only), standing on the ground also causes rings to be drained incredibly fast. Think of the movie Speed, but with a hedgehog, because the player dies upon reaching zero.
Labyrinthy Place
This level takes the claustrophic atmosphere of Labyrinth Zone to the extreme. Thematically, the stage is about the camera crew taking revenge of the player after the previous level. The camera behaves like Jungle Zone Act 2 from the Sega Master System version of Sonic 1: as soon as Sonic lands on higher ground, the screen will rise and lock; if he then hits the new bottom of the screen, he will die. At a few points in the stage, this behavior is disabled to allow the player to drop down. The stage ends with a helpless Jaws badnik.
Unreal Place
The second Special Stage also follows the same idea as the first one, being a non-rotating labyrinth the player must navigate through. This one stage has a different direction though: upon touching a certain block, Sonic will automatically float, restricting the player to only the 
and 
buttons. The movement can be reversed by touching an UP or DOWN block, and checkpoints are scattered around the level. At the end of the stage, the remaining 2 Chaos Emeralds need to be collected.
Scar Night Place / Star Agony Place
In Frantic Mode only, before the actual level starts, a cutscene plays. It shows Dr. Eggman activating a machine to mass-produce Bigboms, which will then appear all over both acts.
The actual level is based on Star Light Zone, and it mirrors the hybrid design of Night Hill Place / Green Hill Place. It starts off with a short section where rings can be collected. After that comes a unique boss fight against the Walking Bomb, which cannot be attacked and requires the player to carefully wait for it to destroy itself. Each explosion exposes increasingly more shrapnel flying in random directions.
The second section begins right after the bomb boss has been defeated. Pressing a switch will cause the walls to start blinking red, as they are now harmful and must be avoided. Sonic is granted the ability he has been taught in the Tutorial Place: controlling his gravity by pressing or 
. In a similar manner as the stages before, the player must carefully navigate Sonic through this huge maze and do some mini-challenges from time to time. This essentially turns Star Agony Place into a giant Buzz-Wire Game featuring Sonic.
Finalor Place
This is the final boss. It's a significantly harder and faster version of the original boss fight, as the crushers are moving at the same time the energy balls are falling down, which will explode once they hit the ground. To make up for this, it's possible to score multiple hits in a single cycle. After defeating the boss, the player is faced with the final challenge of escaping the facility, leading through a familiar stage.
Music
| ID | Song Name | Original Game | Usage in Sonic ERaZor | Ported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $81 | Hockenheim-Ring | F1: Pole Position (SNES) | Night Hill Place | DalekSam |
| $82 | Dr. Cossack Stage 2 | Mega Man 4 | Labyrinth Place | DalekSam |
| $83 | Blade's Theme | Eternal Champions | Ruined Place | Spanner |
| $84 | Title Screen | Mega Man IV (GB) | Scar Night Place (Section 1) | DalekSam |
| $85 | Freeze Man Stage | Mega Man 7 | Uberhub Place | DalekSam |
| $86 | Spark Mandrill | Mega Man X | Options Menu | DalekSam |
| $87 | Stage 4-2 | Ninja Gaiden | Tutorial Place | Spanner |
| $88 | One up | Sonic the Hedgehog | Unused | - |
| $89 | Hidden Track | Tecmo Wrestling | Special Stage | Spanner |
| $8A | Opening Sequence | Super Street Fighter II Turbo | Title Screen | DalekSam |
| $8B | Ending (Troll Remix) | Sonic the Hedgehog | =P Monitor in Labyrinthy Place | - |
| $8C | Boss (Pinch) | Sonic Advance 3 | Green Hill Place boss | Eduardo Knuckles |
| $8D | Shutdown | Pulseman | Finalor Place (Intro) and Bomb Cutscene | Eduardo Knuckles |
| $8E | Act Clear | Sonic the Hedgehog | Unused | - |
| $8F | Game Over | Sonic the Hedgehog | Unused | - |
| $90 | Opening Stage | Mega Man X3 | Escape from Finalor Place | DalekSam |
| $91 | Ending Theme | Dangerous Seed | Invincibility | Spanner |
| $92 | Drowning | Sonic the Hedgehog | Drowning | - |
| $93 | Emerald | Sonic the Hedgehog | Emerald | - |
| $94 | Green Hill Zone | Sonic the Hedgehog | Green Hill Place | - |
| $95 | Ken's Theme | Street Fighter II | Intro Cutscene | DalekSam |
| $96 | Stage 7: Orn Base | Thunder Force III | Scar Night Place (Section 2) | Spanner |
| $97 | Opening | Gundam Wing: Endless Duel | Credits | DalekSam |
| $98 | Boss (Alternate) | Sonic Advance 3 | Crabmeat boss | Eduardo Knuckles |
| $99 | Dark Man (Proto Man) Stages | Mega Man 5 | Game Introduction | Eduardo Knuckles |
| $9A | Whirlwind | Shinobi III | Unreal Place | DalekSam |
| $98 | Boss (Pinch) - Alternate - Pinch | Sonic Advance 3 | Walking Bomb boss | Eduardo Knuckles |
| $9C | Shutdown - Dark Remix | Pulseman | ??? Unused ??? | Selbi |
| $9D | Push! | Zillion Push | Ending Sequence | Eduardo Knuckles |
| $9E | Final Boss | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Finalor Place (boss) | Spanner |
| $9F | Straight Ahead | Mega Man Zero 4 | Inhuman Mode (S-Monitor) | DalekSam |
Downloads
|
Download Sonic ERaZor
File: s1erz_Release7.zip (617 kB) (info)
Current version: Seventh Public Release (2024) |
Prior versions
- [2016] Sonic ERaZor - Sixth Public Release (info) (572 kB)
- [2014] Sonic ERaZor - Fifth Public Release (info) (572 kB)
- [2012] Sonic ERaZor - Fourth Public Release (info) (576 kB)
- [2011] Sonic ERaZor - Third Public Release (info) (536 kB)
- [2010] Sonic ERaZor - Second Public Release (info) (597 kB)
- [2010] Sonic ERaZor - First Public Release (info) (499 kB)
