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Sonic CD (Retro Engine) |OT| Where We're Going, We Don't Need Backbone

Teknoman

Member
I'm just gonna play it as it comes on my first playthrough, and I'll try and go for the good ending on my second playhtrough. Seems to be the best way.

Can't get enough of the Japanese soundtrack. I'm glad the American soundtrack is there too though. Having options is never a bad thing!


That really is the best way. That way you have the off chance of experiencing all possible zone outcomes. Then go for a second good playthrough ending with Sonic, then a third with Tails.
 
The game gives you the option to either play it like a regular Sonic game and get the Time Stones to get the best ending like the Chaos Emeralds in Sonic1/2/3&K or to treat each level like a giant playground and travel to the past to destroy the generators to get the best ending. You don't have to do both, but there might be an achievement tied to doing so in the remake.

breaking the Metal Sonic monitors just causes animals to be jumping around the stage in later time periods

EDIT: Missed the post I was replying to by a country-mile. :p
 

Teknoman

Member
The game gives you the option to either play it like a regular Sonic game and get the Time Stones to get the best ending like the Chaos Emeralds in Sonic1/2/3&K or to treat each level like a giant playground and travel to the past to destroy the generators to get the best ending. You don't have to do both, but there might be an achievement tied to doing so in the remake.

breaking the Metal Sonic monitors just causes animals to be jumping around the stage in later time periods

EDIT: Missed the post I was replying to by a country-mile. :p

Yeah there are achievements for all 3 I think. Badnik teleporters, metal holograms, and collecting time stones. Not to mention beating the game like normal.
 

Zen

Banned
No, terrible levels, sloppy feeling controls.
People should Just watch the Intro and Outro on Youtube.

I'm sorry that you found large levels to be disorienting. The only bad level in the entire game is Wacky Workbench. This is one of the best Sonic games ever made.
 
Honestly I'd go for seeing Sonic 4: Episode 1 redone in this style, right down to the 16-bit graphics, music and redone level layouts.

Just out of morbid curiosity of course.
 
Sonic 3 + Knuckles ported like this is the sensible thing to do after this, really. It's the only way you could one-up the amount of effort put in/right decisions made with CD.
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
You guys. The demo is fantastic. I'd purchase this from EU PSN if I had the capacity to. Unfortunately I'll have to wait a week.

I'm nostalgia-ing so hard here. omg... I have always loved the level aesthetic and colour palettes in Sonic CD, and seeing the vibrancy of the levels on my TV in widescreen... it's just... :O

$5 is seriously a steal for this game.

Man after that they should just throw an art and sound team at him and have him work at remaking the gamegear titles on the engine.

And then maybe port Chaotix (I just really want to play the special stages in 60fps wide screen, okay?)
I love the way you think, Lijik. The Game Gear titles would benefit a lot from using this engine. I just want to see a remade Sonic Triple Trouble, tbh. I really like that game very much. Though doing Sonic 3&K is probably a good next step, imo. The work on Sonic CD, at least from the demo, is very reassuring and I'd like to see this engine used again for another 2D Sonic game.

The aesthetics of Desert Dazzle look great. Maybe DLC if they're up to it.
 
Bitter old Mama Robotnik here.

I wasn't planning on playing this until it came out on Steam, and quite frankly I felt a bit sick giving any money to a Sega after what they've done to Sonic over the last ten years. Alas, I couldn't resist. The lure of Sonic CD, one of my fondest games, proved too much. I just hope none of it ends up in that incompetent menace Iizuka's paycheque.

I dug my Xbox out from the spare room where it has been unused for over a year, blew the dust off it and connected it to the internets. After a crapload of updates I finally used that spare 400 MS points to buy the game.

I have now just completed it. Some thoughts:

(1) The game is superior to the original Sega CD release, and every port and emulation attempt since. The widescreen view adds to the game, smoother animations have been employed where appropriate, the Special Stages are significantly improved, the music now loops elegantly, slowdown has been eliminated, the framerate is consistent, the menus and interface are both clean and absolutely fitting with the game, the extras and achievements are inspired and the value presented for such a small cost is absolutely outstanding. This is a dedicated piece of quality work.

(2) This is the best thing to come out of Sega with the word "Sonic" in the title since Sonic Jam.

(3) The level design will remain as divisive as ever I imagine. I love it, its a voyage into an abstract platforming wonderland, unashamedly a game of thematic nonsense worlds rather than the narrative-continuity of everything from Sonic 3 onwards. It looks and sounds as wonderful and as silly as it did all those decades ago.

(4) The inclusion of both soundtracks probably makes this the definitive version of a great game.

(5) The only single downside is the instrumental music that replaces the JP/EU intro and outros, but the quality of the rest of the package outshines their absence. The replacement music still fits.

(6) To Sonic Team: MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA you stupid bastards. This one bloke has just created the definitive version of Sonic CD that improves on the game in significant, substantial ways. The ENTIRE RESOURCES OF SONIC TEAM were only able to produce this utter shite when they miserably tried to port Sonic the Hedgehog 1 to a superior system. You are the worst development studio in the industry, and this wonderful Sonic CD project provides yet more evidence that Sonic is infinitely better when out of your reach. My opinion is, as always, that you shouldn't be allowed remotely near any form of videogame development, ever.

(7) I'm going to double-dip and buy this on Steam when it comes out. Quality like this should be rewarded.

(8) I really hope Sega use this young man's talents in another project post-haste.

(9) "SEE YOU NEXT GAME" with its new meaning made me laugh out loud, what a charming touch that is.
 

Dachande

Member
(6) To Sonic Team: MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA you stupid bastards. This one bloke has just created the definitive version of Sonic CD that improves on the game in significant, substantial ways. The ENTIRE RESOURCES OF SONIC TEAM were only able to produce this utter shite when they miserably tried to port Sonic the Hedgehog 1 to a superior system. You are the worst development studio in the industry, and this wonderful Sonic CD project provides yet more evidence that Sonic is infinitely better when out of your reach. My opinion is, as always, that you shouldn't be allowed remotely near any form of videogame development, ever.


I love it.
 
The console version of Generations seemed fine to me.

Sonic Cycle posts are still rather irritating to read, especially after good steps in the correct direction like Colours, Generations, and now, Taxman's edition of Sonic CD. I think most of us felt the same way about Sonic 4's inadequacies.

I'd even argue that sonic 4 was a step in the right direction by getting rid of friends, gimmicks, and going back to basics with a simpler 2D game. I also like that sonic 4 is an experiment that they can keep improving and tweaking with each installment.
 

Synless

Member
Wait, only one guy did all this? And Sega let him? That's amazing. I played the demo and it looked like a better port than all the games in the Sonic Collection.
 

iavi

Member
Wait, only one guy did all this? And Sega let him? That's amazing. I played the demo and it looked like a better port than all the games in the Sonic Collection.

He had the help of a team. Blit, they're listed in the credits with Christian Whitehead/Taxman as the lead engineer, and I've been trying to find out more about them. Nothing comes up. If they're a team assembled for this project, holy shit, get these guys more projects.
 

Cafeman

Member
I think we found a bug - keep watch for it to see if you noticed anything. Got all the time stones and still had levels left to play. Next level, went to the past and the machine was already destroyed and all futures were good from this point on - perhaps its supposed to be that way though, I can't remember from the original.

However, after beating the game and starting a new game using Tails, the 1st Past level had an already-destroyed Egg machine and it said "good future was made" at end of level. That doesn't seem right. I started to think "maybe you don't need to go to the past as Tails", but after another level or two, it had reset and the Egg existed un-destroyed. Not sure if it was just a rare one-time event for us, if some in-game switch perhaps hangs once you get all the time stones, or what. But its no fun to go to the Past and have no Egg to destroy!

In other news - its cool, as flying Tails, that only his rotating tails destroy enemy but if you hit with your head/belly you'll get hurt and lose rings.
 
(6) To Sonic Team: MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA you stupid bastards. This one bloke has just created the definitive version of Sonic CD that improves on the game in significant, substantial ways. The ENTIRE RESOURCES OF SONIC TEAM were only able to produce this utter shite when they miserably tried to port Sonic the Hedgehog 1 to a superior system. You are the worst development studio in the industry, and this wonderful Sonic CD project provides yet more evidence that Sonic is infinitely better when out of your reach. My opinion is, as always, that you shouldn't be allowed remotely near any form of videogame development, ever.


Very sad, but true. There is no way someone could defend Sonic Team's quality as a game developer after this. The pretty models and music of Generations mean nothing if the game isn't up to snuff. Not to say it's bad, but it's far from what could have been.

Here's a thought, Sega: Get rid of Iizuka and put in Chris Whitehead. At least find something else for Iizuka to do, I'm sure he knows how to fetch coffee.
 

Mifune

Mehmber
Oh what a fun demo that was. I didn't really understand all the time travel stuff (didn't back in the day, either) but this definitely has my five bucks.

I had to laugh at some of this game's pretty devilish touches, like springboards that propel you into spikes.

Reminds me of how much I used to love Sonic. Might have to check out Generations.
 
Wait, only one guy did all this? And Sega let him? That's amazing. I played the demo and it looked like a better port than all the games in the Sonic Collection.

Yeah, he built the engine himself, promoted it in the right places (including clear explanations of what his engine did so well), and obviously Sega US caught wind and took appropriate action... for once.

Taxman's the name, showing up Sonic Team is his game.
 
Wait, only one guy did all this? And Sega let him? That's amazing. I played the demo and it looked like a better port than all the games in the Sonic Collection.
That's awesome. More companies with forgotten classics sitting around collecting dust instead of making money, should be open to things like this, Capcom.
 

Synless

Member
Yeah, he built the engine himself, promoted it in the right places (including clear explanations of what his engine did so well), and obviously Sega US caught wind and took appropriate action... for once.

Taxman's the name, showing up Sonic Team is his game.

That's very cool. I really hope they let him handle some other projects.
 

alf717

Member
Is the retro engine an emulator? I want to know more about how this engine came to be.

I got it with left over MS points. I waffled a bit with the purchase and when I hit confim buy I was still unsure but the music, the levels it was so worth it. I really want more like this. I hope the other classic Sonic title get touched up like this as well.
 

iavi

Member
Is the retro engine an emulator? I want to know more about how this engine came to be.

I got it with left over MS points. I waffled a bit with the purchase and when I hit confim buy I was still unsure but the music, the levels it was so worth it. I really want more like this. I hope the other classic Sonic title get touched up like this as well.

It's not at all an emulator. Here's an interview that details the Retro Engine and its RSDK
 

Dark Schala

Eloquent Princess
Did anyone start Tails mode yet? How is it?

(8) I really hope Sega use this young man's talents in another project post-haste.

(9) "SEE YOU NEXT GAME" with its new meaning made me laugh out loud, what a charming touch that is.
LOL. Is that what it really ends with? That's cute.

I'd love to see the Taxman engine utilized again. Or better yet, get his input for newer 2D Sonic games should they ever be developed. It's too bad they started on Sonic 4 prior to releasing Sonic CD because his input--or any other fan who created a good engine for older Sonic games, for that matter--would have been valued.

I'd even argue that sonic 4 was a step in the right direction by getting rid of friends, gimmicks, and going back to basics with a simpler 2D game. I also like that sonic 4 is an experiment that they can keep improving and tweaking with each installment.
Well, that's the thing really--the premise of it was really nice (Sonic only (though I'd prefer a Tails/Sonic/Knuckles dynamic again), 2D gameplay, etc). The execution of it was kind of lacklustre. Sonic 4 has its own share of problems, but who knows, maybe Sonic 4: Ep 2 might pleasantly surprise us. *shrug*

Now that Sonic CD is out, we should be getting new info about Episode 2 in the coming weeks, I guess.
 

alf717

Member

Thank you that was a good read. I would love to know more about how Christian pulled off 16:9 from a 4:3 game. I mean image other classics in 16:9 without it being stretched. I wonder if Toe Jam and Earl is possible with the Retro Engine.

Sonic CD on Android is just $1.99! Damn, definitely triple/quadruple dipping then.

It says:

Installs:
1 - 5

Is that like Andriod DRM?
 

Go319

Member
just bought it on aussie itunes!

fuck yes!!!! so cheap!

waiting on the US PSN version now.

so happy as i lost the actual CD for sonic CD years ago and only had its empty case sitting on my shelf for so long :(
 

Teknoman

Member
I'm not gonna be able to download until next week. What is the default soundtrack U.S. or Japenese? Also, default graphics filter?

Default is JP/EU soundtrack and graphics filter is smooth I think? Nostalgia filter is the best (seems like a fusion of smooth and sharp). Probably meant as a filter that shows how the game looked in most peoples heads so to speak.
 
I have a huge backlog of games to go through when I get home ranging from GOTY Contenders (Uncharted 3, Skyrim) to leftovers from last year (Black Ops) but is it strange that the game I'm looking forward to the most is Sonic CD?
and Daytona USA
 
Android version get! Will post impressions later.

Edit: Huh, in-game downloading of game files doesn't seem to be working for me. Will try again tommorow I guess.
 
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