I've also wondered this. The 8-bit games were wildly different experiences, but I've rarely gone back to them after experiencing the 16bit ones since I saw them for the poorly-performing rubbish they were. Which is a shame, because there were some excellent levels in Sonic 2 & Sonic Chaos. I'm sure Sonic Triple Trouble was a great game too, but it always performed too poorly to keep my attention. I always loved how the SMS got a third Sonic game before the Megadrive/Genesis did, back in the day. Zeonix; I like your idea and direction. The games don't need to be remade with entirely new graphics (at least, not yet) - I'd be over the moon just with the existing assets and layouts plonked into the S3K engine.
I'd be interested to see something like Melpontro's Somari remake. That seems like it would be more doable than recreating the games as Genesis hacks.
Yeah, I was about to say that. Just having the same exact graphics (the MD can also use the SMS/GG "wide" low-res mode) but with the S3K physics would be amazing already, and probably a more realistic goal in the short term.
On the question of Game Gear remakes... Painto has a Bridge Zone in his hack... I myself am doing Bridge, Jungle and Sky Base, along with the SMS Bonus Stage for my hack. Shame no one has remade Triple Trouble for the S3K engine... talk about something to jump on a Patreon bandwagon for... Art style looks great, though the trees could be improved a little bit. My biggest complaint is the proportion of the forground compared to Sonic. I feel like the foreground should be a lil bit larger.
Yea, the pillar sonic is layin on is actually 1x1 scale to the GG Tiles, the ones to the right are 1x2 scale, the grass is actually the exact same grass as the GG, I didnt really know what to do with it, but the dirt has been changed to spiky texture shape.
I just found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oor6CEMC11c It looks pretty much what I imagine a remake would/should look like in my head, but what do I know? :D
Scale is a really important consideration. I've thought about this for a while and feel that 1.5x horizontally and 1.2x vertically would be ideal for layouts. This matches up with Sonic's sprite size between the 16-bit and 8-bit games, and would space rings that are 16 pixels apart (common in 8-bit) to be 24 pixels apart (common in 16-bit). As for physics, assuming that scale, 8-bit Sonic jumped slightly higher, ran slightly slower and accelerated much faster than 16-bit Sonic. Some levels would need to be tweaked to take the lower jump of 16-bit Sonic into account. Alternatively, a 1.25x horizontal and 1.0 vertical scale could work, wouldn't have to tweak the ledge heights. Each 32x32 would easily translate to 40x32. I don't think all of the graphics need to be scaled. Smaller stuff that closely follows the grid should probably be left as-is, whereas decorations (like bushes, trees, etc) should be scaled up and aspect ratio corrected. Iceknight, what are your thoughts on my proposed scales?
You're going to have to specify what game you're talking about, because Sonic 1 SMS != Sonic 1 GG != Sonic Triple Trouble and everything in between as far as scaling goes.
That hack makes Sonic and Tails look like giants. A few good appoaches, but overall it just looks weird. Most of the time I just enlarged the graphics by x2, though sometimes I also incorporate the original tiles into the texture (Meta Junglira Zone for example) So... what would you recommend for Chaos' and Triple Trouble's graphics? And does the Game Gear actually has square pixels btw? I just found this forum post via a quick google search, but I don't really understand all the technical stuff there, especially how the GG's aspect ratio corelates to the Master System's. Maybe I should also check how the (hacked) SMS versions of Chaos, Triple Trouble and Tails' Adventure look on tv in direct comparison to their GG counterparts
Sorry for the doublepost, but I just made a few photos of Triple Trouble SMS running at 60Hz on a tube tv. (for now only GTZ, sorry) I actually have the feeling the size ratios in this game are actually all over the place. Some graphics look like they were made with square pixels in mind (title screen, wheels on SPZ carts) while others look like they were intended to be stretched on a tv screen. (Sonic, Wood Buttarundorf, bumper bubbles) Compare to the screenshots in the Game Gears actual resolution http://www.mobygames.com/game/game-gear/sonic-the-hedgehog-triple-trouble/screenshots I also stared on my GG's screen through magnifier, but that left me even more puzzled. For the bare eye, the pixels actually look taller than wide, still the overall picture looks a bit wider than it appears in the internal resolution. Almost seems like they just sometimes forgot to account for the stretching then :v:/> The big ring and Sonic himself look a bit squashed here I believe for the level tiles it's more subjective though, the loops look way less narrow and more like the Mega Drive countrparts here Notice how Sonic looks like a perfect sphere In the end it seems the aspect ratio correction should just be decided on a per tile/sprite base, depending on what looks more natural
While it may not be a Game Gear game. I am however remaking an 8-bit sonic title for the genesis using sonic 2 as a base. More info when I get the first zone done.
I don't have any pixelling or tilesets to contribute, so instead, in hopes of perhaps inspiring someone, I slapped together a sort of concept art mockup thing (more as training to later do my own stuff)
Thanks! This actually gives me a few ideas. The structure on the chunk pattern looks pretty interesting. I'll try to incorporate it into the tileset. (btw Someone mind to have a look on the RWZ palette? For the optimal range of blues)
someone did make 16 bit versions of Sunset park and the Triple trouble title screen http://www.spriters-resource.com/custom_edited/soniccustoms/sheet/39466/ http://www.spriters-resource.com/custom_edited/soniccustoms/sheet/33836/ http://www.spriters-resource.com/custom_edited/soniccustoms/sheet/33828/
That spot in the water looks pretty simlar to the spot in Sonic 3 Angel Island Zone....act...2? hit off a ramp over water that contains that exact shaped ground with spikes and ring box and spring...... you didnt retexture angel island zone did you? >.>