This weeks original posting focuses on a community project that I have been following since the very beginning of the project. Sega's Sonic The hedgehog 2, released in November 1992, became a worldwide best selling video game for the Sega Genesis and became a nostalgic icon for many. When Sega released Sonic the Hedgehog 2 the console hardware used to run the game was nowhere near as sophisticated as the technology we have now. Games then were held tight to a limited color palette and 16 Bit processing power and not to mention the sound processing was terrible, though the tunes played are quite catch and nostalgic themselves. Now, we can generate more than 5 times the processing power and we can produce lossless audio for games as well. We are also not limited to a small selective color palette either. So with all of this ability that we have in the 21st century, we should be able to make new great games right? Yes, and now actually. The community at the Sonic Retro Forums have taught an old dog new tricks. They have created a new game based nearly entirely off of an old one. With this comers Sonic the Hedgehog 2 HD. The community, most of whom are trapped in nostalgic moments of ring collecting and midi synthesizers, have decided to test the limits of new technology in this new HD era with old ideas. Created entirely from scratch, they have produced new HD resolution visuals based on the 16 Bit counterpart and have made a playable demo. The community has not just recreated a cultural classic, they have revived it. The new HD version is scaled in many ways to look and feel just like the '92 version with the exception of new sprites, resolution, and a new soundtrack. This is not only interesting because of the amount of work done, but this is incredible because it is a community project with no influence from Sega at all. Not even a cease and desist order! It is also amazing to see concepts of the old such as art and sound being re-engineered for today's technology. Here is a link to the demo for t hose who want to see what has become of this project.
http://www.logotypes.se/sonic/HD/TechDemoSecondRelease.rar
http://www.logotypes.se/sonic/HD/D3D_dll_files.rar
http://forums.sonicretro.org
I think this is awesome. I don't play too many video games anymore but I was always a fan of the classics. Mario Kart and Sonic at the top of my list. I think its great when technology can be used to enhance the classics rather than always creating something new. If I was given the chance to chose over a new prototype of a game or playing one that I have loved for years the choice would be obvious. It's like when they re-release Disney movies every 10 years and everyone goes crazy. It's because our culture loves being nostalgic. I will definitely be keeping track of this work as it progresses.
ReplyDeleteI do have to admit I was never fortunate enough to own a Sega Genesis during my childhood. My family was a Nintendo family, but I was able to play Sonic games at my friend’s house. I really enjoy learning about fans remaking old games to give them a new look to help make them look updated and new again. Sonic can definitely use a makeover since all of his current generation games are failures at best.
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing other game remakes like GoldenEye Source and Black Mesa Source, I really want to make some of my favorite games and place them in the current generation with advanced graphics. Games that come to mind are: Power Rangers, Shadow of the Empire, and Pokemon Snap.
It’s very amusing that by how much our society has come to be swayed by flashy effects and complicated gameplay, that a complete revisitation of previous and now almost primitive themes could be such a hit. In part, it is refreshing sometimes to just be able to go back and play through the classics. An eye opener for how much times have changed, that’s for sure! It is interesting though how Sega chose not to intervene with the community’s plans, especially towards such a widely-known concept.
ReplyDeleteThis idea reminds me slightly of the current development of Open ITG. When the makers of In The Groove were sued for copyright issues with Dance Dance Revolution, the community behind it took it upon themselves to keep the spirit of In The Groove alive making their own game layouts, maintaining the existing In The Groove machines, and even creating their own step-charts!
This is a really cool project, and I'm glad to see the attention that is being given to older games. My fondest gaming memories are from when I was a kid playing N64. Although the graphics and sound weren't the greatest, the pure playability and fun of those games have yet to be recreated. The idea of merging this level of fun with todays advanced technology is brilliant. As Jess mentioned, nostalgia seems to be an intrinsic part of our culture. I hope that more old games will receive the same treatment.
ReplyDeleteI played everything when I was younger and other than the graphics, what was so fun about sonic was the game play and the story, even if it was based on its two directional levels (back and forth). I think it's great that they took the time to upgrade it and bring it back. I still really don't mind playing the older 16bit color version because it is a classic and it still is fun. This is just kind of like a refresher to update it to our standards of video games and graphics now. As long as they don't change the original 'story' content theme stuff and completely ruin it like some movies do with remakes. But I agree it would be nice to see older games come back this way for all of us t enjoy again.
ReplyDeleteYou know, this sort of reminds me of a bunch of Source mod games that started up when Valve's Steam client was gaining momentum. The one mod I was very curious about was one that based its design around the "Secret of Mana" game that originally released for the Super NES. They got a good distance on starting their production with concept art, an early, working environment, and even a redesign of a monster: the rabite. But unlike "Sonic 2: HD," this crew met with a cease and desist order by Square-Enix: the original creators of that game and license holders for the series.
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