That's actually pretty sweet. The whole shebang might need to be moved upward a few pixels though - the space between the options and the bottom of the Heroes logo is pretty cramped in comparison to the top of the screen. I think the Heroes font needs some more solid toning as well - it looks pretty muddy as is, especially compared to the background behind it.
In case anyone is curious, here is the complete set of level select icons for the combined hack: I threw in Wood Zone and Hidden Palace there too, but just to fill up space. The Robotnik icon is for the delete save feature; I still need to come up with an icon for undelete and another for setting game options for new games (such as Sonic 1 only, Sonic 2 only or Sonic 1 & 2).
Just to throw a suggestion onto the table: starpost. The context being that you fucked up, and can go back to where you were (sorta) with it all.
Yeah, as I noted when someone else suggested this earlier, I'd support Sonic Retro Heroes (no the Hedgehog, probably no colon) over Classic. But it rather looks as though the decision's been made, and I am but a peasant in the peanut gallery anyway, so! A few things I meant to post a while back: * I actually like how Sonic uses his animation from slides, etc. when he gets hit, for what it's worth! I saw someone mention it ages ago. * Should all three characters get the shield? It seems to make things a bit too easy. (I can understand CPU characters keeping their shield, like how CPU Tails never dies when hit, and I'd support this as a way to ‘store’ a shield by getting it then switching to another character, but that's about it IMHO.) * Shouldn't Tails get tired more quickly when carrying two characters? :P * I have no desire to play a Special Stage with three characters, given the agony of my recent attempts to pass stages 5–7 with Tails in tow (thankfully, I was playing S1&2 and realised that I could reset and change character without losing my save. Fuck you, Tails), so it can't come soon enough that you make them optional!
Or, perfect AI that knows where all the rings are; but perfect ring requirements demanding you not miss a single fucking thing to let the side down. I want this, actually. edit: Didn't see the '1' there. Whoops. Yeah, disregard. And/or trash. ^^;
I did quite a bit of investigation on the matter, and unfortunately had to drop the idea -- the Sonic 1 Special stage uses almost every scrap of VRAM, and it makes at least two different objects use each and every palette entry (except for the background, which does not share palette entries). The only way this would be even remotely possible is by removing the fish/clouds/birds morphing background and settle for something else: that background takes up nearly $7000 bytes of VRAM in pattern name tables, not counting (a) $4000 in pattern name tables that are necessary, (b) $1000 bytes in one pattern name table that is shared with tiles and (c) the tiles used by the background. This is almost half of VRAM right there, all taken up by the fish/clouds/birds.
Just got my privileges back to post now after being a pending member; first of all, I'm glad you went for Cinossu's design, that font is brilliantly made (Probably custom too which is even nicer!) Looking at the design picture in the hack, did you decide to keep the "Sonic the Hedgehog" text in? Spoiler Just to compare. This is the original Cinossu gave you, which is in no way bad. And here are three alternates. Giving a tad bit more space. EDIT: More. More on the topic of the game itself, I keep watching your V0.07 video over and over, in awe of the progress of the hack. Will the short cuts Tails and Knuckles are able to make going too be capped off? I don't know the limitations personally if in the options menu their can be a "Cap illigitimate shortcuts" option? You've also made clear that you would make it so Player 2 would have too press Start for him to enter the special stage along with Player one, otherwise no characters but P1 would be there at all, would it be safe to presume this would be another thing too enable in the Options menu? EDIT: For everyone who's a tad sceptical about the name not being able too branch into S3&K: Spoiler EDIT2: Added more pictures.
I'm gonna go ahead and third this one. Not just for the "Sonic Retro" plug, but to prevent any confusion with Sonic Classic. This is a really nice mockup. I like the way it doesn't take up too much space at the bottom of the screen.
A thought that hit me -- in the game options, I can have not only 'Sonic 1', 'Sonic 2', and 'Sonic 1 and 2', but also an emeralds run mode that only has special stages. This mode would probably not have an ending, and each time you fail to get an emerald you lose a life. Thoughts? Edit: I like this one; if I can afford the tiles (VRAM is pretty full because of Knuckles), I will switch to it. Edit 2: I can afford it (turns out it uses the same number of tiles) and have switched to it.
^I like that one as well. Hope it fits in there. ALso re: other teams, I just remembered that that requires special stage sprites! Welp, my work's cut out for me there XD
If you want to switch too the "Retro Heroes" and save VRAM at the edges: I can alter it for you. BAH. Probably because of the way I edited Cinossu's font, the gloss on Heroes is wrong in that picture, I also made sure it was centred correctly. EDIT: Glad to know it uses the same amount of tiles. I'll just leave this here. EDIT2: I don't know if you were happy with how far down it was originally. Huh.. Regardless, both are perfectly centred.
I already implemented it in the game. I am leaving a bit further down (but not much) than you are in either mockup. I also had to edit the colors a bit because Cinossu's version uses 17 colors (yours uses a few more due to some nearly identical colors).
Well, glad too be of 'some' help, look forward to playing a newly named game! If Flamewing decided to put the Chaotix team in, similar special stage sprites already exist!
When it is time for Team Chaotix, I will probably talk to E-122-Psi for his Charmy and Vector sprites, and then try to find a source for Espio. But first, I have to finish coding multi-team support, for which I will use Teams Mini, Super and Hyper. Somewhat unrelated: to any pixel spriters out there: would you mind doing an end-of-act signpost for Super Sonic? I realized I will need one for Team Super/Team Hyper. Edit: Nevermind: I found this sprite sheet that has not only a suitable base for the signpost, but also a very nicely done version of the ending Super Sonic sprite which I will be using (slightly modified).
Because you asked: Amy courtesy of E-122-Psi. I still have to do the ending palettes and pixel art, but Amy works on SCZ and WFZ (all the way in both levels). The Tornado still shares the same palette as Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, but Amy doesn't; if you count, the players + the Tornado have 17 colors (counting neither transparency nor the green eyes and socks). I left a clue in the image for those wondering how I do it. I guess anyone that can find the clue can probably guess how I am doing it anyway; but it is good to examine the clue more thoroughly in this case, for it has a certain element of bragging -- if you can understand it
