Sonic P-06

Last updated
Sonic the Hedgehog: Project '06
Sonic P-06 Custom Box Art.png
Box art mockup by ChaosX
Developer(s) ChaosX (Ian Moris)
Publisher(s) ChaosX
Series Sonic the Hedgehog (unofficial port)
Engine Unity
Platform(s) Windows
Genre(s) Action-adventure, platform, beat 'em up

Sonic the Hedgehog: Project '06, or simply Sonic P-06, is an upcoming platform game developed by Argentine programmer Ian "ChaosX" Moris for Microsoft Windows. It is an unofficial remaster of the 2006 video game Sonic the Hedgehog , originally developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega.

Contents

As the original game is infamous for its poor quality, the PC port aims to fix its issues, as well as restore content scrapped during development. As of April 2023, the project has had five demos released, with each demo getting a bug-fix patch that would address certain issues, while also adding more quality of life improvements, based on fan feedback.

Gameplay

Project '06, a remake of the 2006 video game Sonic the Hedgehog , is a 3D platformer. [1] As of Release 5, the game features all nine playable characters: Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog, Silver the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Rouge the Bat, E-123 Omega, Blaze the Cat, and Amy Rose. [2]

Although a faithful recreation, [1] Project '06 features various changes designed to improve the experience. The time spent on loading screens has been significantly reduced. The graphics are more detailed and the game uses different color grading. Character attributes have been altered: for example, Sonic and Silver now move faster, while Tails and Knuckles' moves from Sonic Adventure (1998) and Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) have been reintroduced. [2] Players can also choose between various cosmetic options, for example, make Sonic's animations resemble those from a 2005 prerelease showing. [2] While Project '06 is planned to include all of the original game's stages and boss battles, including those that were originally downloadable content, the game's hub worlds and story modes will not be included in the final release. [3] [4]

Development

Background

Sonic the Hedgehog (commonly referred to as Sonic '06) is a 2006 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was intended to be a reboot of the Sonic franchise, [2] with a more realistic setting than previous games. [5] The game faced serious problems that forced Sonic Team to rush development. [6] Because of it, the game received negative reviews upon release for its story, controls, camera, bugs, and long load times. According to Engadget : "Many consider Sonic '06 to be the lowest point in the franchise... Most Sonic fans want to forget the game was ever released." [2]

The game was never released on Windows personal computers, so some Sonic fans have made unofficial efforts to develop a port. [2] Beginning in 2015, [7] a group led by developers Gistix and Mefiresu worked on a port of Sonic the Hedgehog using the Unity game engine, and released a number of demos between 2017 and 2018. [2] [8] Although development on the project has continued, progress has slowed, and Gistix is no longer involved. [2] In December 2020, Mefiresu announced that the project was cancelled. [9]

Production

Project '06 is being developed by Argentine programmer Ian "ChaosX" Moris. Moris had been a Sonic fan since childhood, when he received a Sega Genesis with a copy of the original Sonic the Hedgehog (1991). [2] He played through the Genesis Sonic library. When he got a PlayStation 2 (PS2) in 2010, he played its Sonic releases, as he was "addicted to Sonic the Hedgehog and gaming overall by that point," and when he got a computer, he played more Sonic titles like the Sonic Adventure games. [2] It was after getting the computer that Moris learned of the 2006 game, and it immediately fascinated him. "Its advertisements, atmosphere, tone and sound, CGI, graphics... everything resonated with me... It grabbed my attention like crazy." [2] Moris unsuccessfully attempted to get a copy of the game despite being aware it had been poorly received; this did not matter to him. [2]

It was during this time that Moris began to dabble in game development, having learned of the Sonic fangame community. He began working in Blitz3D before switching to Unity in 2014. His first project in Unity was the World Adventure Project, an effort to port the 2008 game Sonic Unleashed —which, similar to the 2006 game, he had no way of playing—to Windows. [2] He abandoned the World Adventure Project after realizing he had the ability to remake Sonic the Hedgehog in Unity and thus be able to experience it, despite the low quality of his computer setup. [10] He also saw the opportunity to fix its problems and restore content that had been scrapped during development, "[giving] it a second chance." [2] Although he had never played the game, Moris, from analyzing gameplay footage, had a strong sense of what he needed to recreate. He made a folder housing gigabytes of reference material, including footage from both prerelease and post-release. [2]

Moris started with the few pieces of the original code that are accessible, and began by remaking each level while ignoring or hiding the problems that are present in the official game. [2] However, he has had to develop much of P-06 from scratch, such as the animations, textures, shaders, and typefaces, and gathered some assets from Unity. Moris recruited numerous individuals to help development. Scottish developer "Gotta Play Fast" used Autodesk 3ds Max to combine the separate model files for Sonic so he would work better in Unity, while "Beatz" assisted in creating textures, model rigging, and polishing collision detection. Other contributors include "JeraCyclo Gaming", "DaGuAr", "Volcano the Bat", "WizGenesis", "Giygas", "Acro", "LuRodSil", "NonamiEight", "Hero", "Sajid", "LuRodSil", "HyperBE32", "Knuxfan24", Thomas James Baker, [11] and "BrianuuuSonic". [2] Dialogue restoration, editing and script rearrangements were handled by Lost Impact Productions. [11] Many contributors consider their work minor, as much of the actual development is handled by Moris. [2]

Release

Moris released the first demo of Project '06—containing two levels, "Wave Ocean" and "Kingdom Valley"—in April 2019. [2] [12] An update containing bug fixes, improved widescreen support, and other minor improvements, was released the following month. The second demo, which added the three levels; "Dusty Desert", "Flame Core", and "Radical Train", was released in October 2019, and a bug-fix update was released in November. Following the November update, Moris took a break to focus on other projects. He is unsure when the remake will be complete: "A wild guess would probably be in two years, but I'm very unsure about that." [2] A third demo was released in July 2020 which added the rest of the stages in Sonic's story, [13] [14] followed by an update in August 2020 that addressed numerous bugs in the previous build. [15] After the August build, Moris took a break from the project to work on another fangame, Sonic Riders Overdrive. A fourth demo was released in September 2021 that added Shadow and all of his campaign levels, [16] followed by a bugfix update later that month. [17] The fifth demo, which added all of Silver's stages to the game, was released on April 19, 2023. [18]

Reception

Reviewing the first demo, Nathan Grayson of Kotaku wrote that while Project '06 still suffered from flaws such as poor level design, it was "already a marked improvement" over the original game, with fewer glitches and a better feel. [1] Nick Summers of Engadget called Project '06 a "remarkable feat" and said it demonstrated that Sonic remained culturally relevant despite poorly received games. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonic the Hedgehog (character)</span> Video game character

Sonic the Hedgehog is a character created by the Japanese game developers Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima. He is the star of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and the mascot of the Japanese video game company Sega. Sonic is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speed. He races through levels, collecting rings and avoiding obstacles, as he seeks to defeat his archenemy, Doctor Eggman. He is accompanied by supporting characters, such as his best friend and sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower, self-proclaimed girlfriend Amy Rose, and friendly rival Knuckles the Echidna.

<i>Sonic Adventure</i> 1998 video game

Sonic Adventure is a 1998 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. It was the first main Sonic the Hedgehog game to feature 3D gameplay. It follows Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Big the Cat, and E-102 Gamma in their quests to collect the Chaos Emeralds and stop Doctor Robotnik from unleashing Chaos, an ancient evil. Controlling one of the six characters—each with their own abilities—players complete levels to progress the story. Sonic Adventure retains many elements from prior Sonic games, such as power-ups and the ring-based health system. Players can play minigames such as racing and interact with Chao, a virtual pet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadow the Hedgehog</span> Video game character

Shadow the Hedgehog is a character who appears in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. He was created by Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa, designed by Kazuyuki Hoshino, and first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 (2001).

<i>Sonic Adventure 2</i> 2001 video game

Sonic Adventure 2 is a 2001 platform game developed by Sonic Team USA and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. It features two good-vs-evil stories: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna attempt to save the world, while Shadow the Hedgehog, Doctor Eggman, and Rouge the Bat attempt to conquer it. The stories are divided into three gameplay styles: fast-paced platforming for Sonic and Shadow, third-person shooting for Tails and Eggman, and action-adventure exploration for Knuckles and Rouge. Like previous Sonic the Hedgehog games, the player completes levels while collecting rings and defeating enemies. Outside the main gameplay, they can interact with Chao, a virtual pet, and compete in multiplayer battles.

<i>Sonic X-treme</i> Canceled video game by Sega

Sonic X-treme was a platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute from 1994 until its cancellation in 1996. It was planned as the first fully 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game, taking Sonic into the 3D era of video games, and the first original Sonic game for the Sega Saturn. The storyline followed Sonic on his journey to stop Dr. Robotnik from stealing six magic rings from Tiara Boobowski and her father. X-treme featured open levels rotating around a fixed center of gravity and, like previous Sonic games, featured collectible rings and fast-paced gameplay.

<i>Shadow the Hedgehog</i> (video game) 2005 video game

Shadow the Hedgehog is a 2005 platform game developed by Sega Studios USA and published by Sega. It is a spin-off from the Sonic the Hedgehog series starring the character Shadow. It follows the amnesiac Shadow's attempts to learn about his past during an alien invasion. Gameplay is similar to previous Sonic games, featuring fast-paced platforming and ring collecting, but introduces third-person shooter and nonlinear elements. Shadow uses a variety of weapons to defeat enemies and complete missions that determine the plot and playable levels.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble</i> 1994 platform game

Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble is a 1994 platform game developed by Aspect and published by Sega for the Game Gear. It is the sequel to Sonic Chaos (1993) and features classic side-scrolling Sonic gameplay. The player controls either Sonic the Hedgehog or Miles "Tails" Prower as they venture to protect the powerful Chaos Emeralds from Doctor Robotnik, Knuckles the Echidna, and series newcomer Nack the Weasel. Sonic and Tails' unique abilities, as well as various power-ups, can assist the player in gameplay.

<i>Sonic Chaos</i> 1993 video game

Sonic Chaos is a 1993 platform game published by Sega for the Master System and Game Gear. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog and his sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower in their quest to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds from Doctor Robotnik, who has stolen them to construct nuclear weapons. Gameplay involves running through stages, collecting rings, and defeating enemies. It is largely based on the Master System version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and is thus considered a follow-up to that game. Chaos is the first Sonic game for the Master System and Game Gear to feature Tails as a separate playable character with his own unique abilities.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (2006 video game) Platform game by Sega

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2006 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. It was produced in commemoration of the Sonic series' 15th anniversary and as a reboot for seventh-generation video game consoles. Players control Sonic, Shadow, and the new character Silver, who battle Solaris, an ancient evil pursued by Doctor Eggman. Each playable character has his own campaign and abilities, and must complete levels, explore hub worlds and fight bosses to advance the story. In multiplayer modes, players can work cooperatively to collect Chaos Emeralds or race to the end of a level.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 2</i> 1992 video game

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 1992 platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute (STI) for the Sega Genesis. Players control Sonic as he attempts to stop Doctor Robotnik from stealing the Chaos Emeralds to power his space station. Like the first Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), players traverse side-scrolling levels at high speeds while collecting rings, defeating enemies, and fighting bosses. Sonic 2 introduces Sonic's sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower and features faster gameplay, larger levels, a multiplayer mode, and special stages featuring pre-rendered 3D graphics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Eggman</span> Video game character

Doctor Ivo"Eggman"Robotnik is a character created by the Japanese game designer Naoto Ohshima. He is the main antagonist of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Eggman is a mad scientist who seeks to steal the mystical Chaos Emeralds, defeat Sonic the Hedgehog, and conquer the world. Eggman and his "Badnik" brand of military robots serve as bosses and enemies in the Sonic platform games. His distinctive characteristics include his red-black-yellow clothing, baldness, pince-nez sunglasses, and large mustache.

A fan game is a video game that is created by fans of a certain topic or IP. They are usually based on one, or in some cases several, video game entries or franchises. Many fan games attempt to clone or remake the original game's design, gameplay, and characters, but it is equally common for fans to develop a unique game using another as a template. Though the quality of fan games has always varied, recent advances in computer technology and in available tools, e.g. through open source software, have made creating high-quality games easier. Fan games can be seen as user-generated content, as part of the retrogaming phenomena, and as expression of the remix culture.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I</i> 2010 video game

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I is a 2010 platform game developed by Dimps, with assistance from Sonic Team, and published by Sega. It is a sequel to Sonic & Knuckles (1994), following Sonic as he sets out to stop a returning Doctor Eggman. Like the Sonic the Hedgehog games released for the Sega Genesis, Episode I features side-scrolling gameplay, with movement restricted to a 2D plane. The player races through levels collecting rings while rolling into a ball to attack enemies. The game also features special stages in which the player collects Chaos Emeralds and online leaderboards comparing level completion times and high scores.

<i>Sonic After the Sequel</i> 2013 video game

Sonic After the Sequel is a 2013 platform video game created by Brazilian student Felipe Daneluz (LakeFeperd). It is an unofficial game based on the Sonic the Hedgehog series and set between the official games Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Daneluz's second Sonic game, it follows Sonic Before the Sequel, which is set between the original Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Like its predecessor, After the Sequel stars Sonic the Hedgehog and his sidekick Tails in a quest to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds from Doctor Eggman.

<i>Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric</i> 2014 video game

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric is a 2014 action-adventure platform video game developed by Big Red Button and published by Sega for the Wii U. Along with Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal and Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice for the Nintendo 3DS, it is a spin-off of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series and part of the Sonic Boom franchise, which consists of an animated television series, which the games serve as a prequel to, a comic series by Archie Comics, and a toyline by Tomy. The story follows Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy, who, after Sonic accidentally awakens Lyric, the last Ancient, from his thousand-year imprisonment, must stop him from acquiring the Chaos Crystals, which he plans to use to power a robot army and wipe out all organic life, while battling Doctor Eggman, Metal Sonic, and Shadow.

Retro Engine Multiplatform game engine

The Retro Engine, also known as the Retro Software Development Kit, is a multiplatform game engine developed by Australian programmer Christian Whitehead, used in games from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Music of <i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> Music composed for video game franchise

Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created and owned by Sega. The franchise began in 1991 with Sonic the Hedgehog, a side-scrolling platform game, and has expanded to include printed media, animations, feature films, and merchandise. The music of Sonic the Hedgehog has been provided by a number of composers, ranging from Sega sound staff to independent contractors and popular bands. It covers a wide array of genres, including pop, funk, rock, metal, ska, punk, hip hop, R&B, jazz, electronica, trance, breakbeat, drum and bass, disco, ambient, world, orchestral, and lo-fi.

<i>Sonic Origins</i> 2022 video game compilation

Sonic Origins is a 2022 video game compilation. It features remasters of the first four platform games in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series—Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), Sonic CD (1993), and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994)—originally released for the Sega Genesis and the Sega CD. The games are playable in their original format and a new widescreen format that removes lives. Origins adds additional game modes and missions, which allow players to unlock content in a museum.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Grayson, Nathan (April 22, 2019). "Fans Are Trying To Fix The Notoriously Bad Sonic 2006 With A Remake". Kotaku . Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Summers, Nick (December 11, 2019). "One fan's struggle to fix the worst game in Sonic history". Engadget . Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  3. ↑ @ChaosX2006 (June 4, 2024). "There'll be no hub worlds and no story mode in Project 06" (Tweet). Retrieved June 5, 2024– via Twitter.
  4. ↑ @ChaosX2006 (June 5, 2024). "- Last Episode's End Of The World stage - Boss Fights for all stories including EOTW - Team Attack Amigo & Very Hard difficulty DLC - Silver Medal implementation w/ unlockables - A lot of general QoL improvements/additions/changes - My ability to live a normal life again 🗿" (Tweet). Retrieved June 5, 2024– via Twitter.
  5. ↑ Eddy, Andy (May 24, 2006). "E3 2006: Sonic Team Interview". TeamXbox . pp. 1–3. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  6. ↑ Shea, Brian (November 14, 2016). "Where Sonic Went Wrong". Game Informer . Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Leif (January 8, 2017). "Some Modders Have Spent Over a Year Remaking the Worst 'Sonic' Game for PC". Motherboard . Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  8. ↑ Miller, Daniel (January 10, 2017). "[Watch] Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 has been remade into a game that doesn't suck". GameZone. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Пожалуй, надо поставить официальную точку в.. | ~ Mefiresu ~ | VK". vk.com. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  10. ↑ @ChaosX2006 (December 31, 2021). "Ah yeah, and playing it at lowest settings still getting only about 15 to 10 fps" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-01-23– via Twitter.
  11. 1 2 Project '06 - Dialogue Restoration (Featurette) , retrieved 2021-08-06
  12. ↑ Co, Franz (April 23, 2019). "Sonic 2006 fan remake tries to fix the games flaws". GameRevolution . Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  13. ↑ ChaosX (July 14, 2020). Project '06 – Demo 3 Release (video). Retrieved December 23, 2020– via YouTube.
  14. ↑ White, Lucas (July 15, 2020). "Sonic 2006 Fan Remake Project '06 Demo 3 Released, Includes Full Sonic Trial Campaign". Siliconera . Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  15. ↑ ChaosX (August 4, 2020). Project '06 – Update v3.5 Release (video). Retrieved December 23, 2020– via YouTube.
  16. ↑ ChaosX (September 6, 2021). Project '06 - Shadow Release (video). Retrieved September 9, 2021– via YouTube.
  17. ↑ ChaosX (September 28, 2021). Project '06 - Shadow Release v1.5 (video). Retrieved September 28, 2021– via YouTube.
  18. ↑ ChaosX (April 19, 2023). Project '06 - Silver Release (video). Retrieved April 19, 2023– via YouTube.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.