[Rika Chou]

I don't remember if he ever released that, but I remember him posting about it.

[vladikcomper]

Speaking of the engine. Here's a quote from the man who did massive research in Ristar years ago, figured out many RAM addresses and how they worked with the engine, as well as game formats, including objects. The post quoted is from the exact same thread that Rika Chou linked above.

JoseTB, on 21 March 2008 - 10:41 PM, said:

I'm surprised nobody asked what's up with the similarities between the ristar/sonic engines btw. But just to clear it up, they are close, but not exactly the same. I think either someone got the original source and reworked it completely from there, or they had the original "concepts" and implemented them differently.

For those who are interested, Ristar's memory map and objects format are documented in the first post of that thread.

[Alien Treasure]

Thanks, Vladi and Rika! I'm gonna download drx's stuff and PM him about the disassembly... Maybe this will be my first project on here! Wish me luck! :D

[KingofHarts]

Looked at the topic noted above. Boy did I learn a little bit. I never knew what this Star compression format was, and on GitHub there is a decompressor for Star compression. For those who don't know (being anyone new to Ristar hacking), this game uses Nemesis and Star compression

Anyone could find that out on the drx topic or the GitHub but I thought I'd note that for anyone new to hacking this game who are viewing the latest posts...

[Sith]

I have no knowledge of code or disassemblies so I leave those insights to the tech members.
What did always strike me though is how different the S1 color palettes were compared to later Sonic games on the Genesis/MD and how Ristar is so similar to S1 in styles of colors used.

[ICEknight]

Sith, on 23 December 2013 - 05:17 PM, said:

What did always strike me though is how different the S1 color palettes were compared to later Sonic games on the Genesis/MD and how Ristar is so similar to S1 in styles of colors used.

...What do you mean by this? Ristar seems to show a more advanced use of the Mega Drive's colors, in my oppinion.

[Sith]

I didn't mean the number of colors on display, more like the kind of colors used and the contrast level they create.
The colors on Sonic 1 were brighter and more aggressive, as Ristar's are. Maybe they changed it to reduce the possibility of epileptic seizures?

This post has been edited by Sith: 24 December 2013 - 08:57 AM

[Dark Sonic]

Sith, on 24 December 2013 - 08:52 AM, said:

I didn't mean the number of colors on display, more like the kind of colors used and the contrast level they create.
The colors on Sonic 1 were brighter and more aggressive, as Ristar's are. Maybe they changed it to reduce the possibility of epileptic seizures?

... How in the world would Sonic 1 cause seizures?

[Jayextee]

Dark Sonic, on 24 December 2013 - 10:56 AM, said:

... How in the world would Sonic 1 cause seizures?

I've seen this happen, for real. Interestingly, it's not the colours that cause them but the lack of spindash.

[Ell678]

Jayextee, on 24 December 2013 - 01:18 PM, said:

Dark Sonic, on 24 December 2013 - 10:56 AM, said:

... How in the world would Sonic 1 cause seizures?

I've seen this happen, for real. Interestingly, it's not the colours that cause them but the lack of spindash.

That's funny, I thought the spike bug caused that.

[Sith]

You have to be susceptible to epileptic seizures to be at risk but yes it's not a joke.
Bright colors and flashing effects in video games can be hazardous to such people.
S2's palette was easier on the eyes than S1's. It's like reducing the risk by not putting the cat with the milk.

A friend of mine (who plays Star Trek Online) his wife is a good example. She got headaches from playing STO with its moving environments, flashing lasers and bright colors.
She was diagnosed with something similar to epilepsy but less dangerous. Now she only plays Dark Orbit because you can turn the backgrounds off in that shitty 2D space game.

Moreover, the manuals also warn for the risks of epilepsy. Most people will never ever get struck by a seizure, only a few people are at risk.

I am not saying that this is the reason why they altered the Sonic game palettes because we don't know; but it is at least possible. I guess you should ask the devs.


Well I bet the lack of spindash and the spike bug cause a different kind of 'seizure' with some people. :P

This post has been edited by Sith: 26 December 2013 - 03:10 PM

[Dark Sonic]

I always thought that Sonic 1 had some of the least vibrant colors in the entire Genesis series (or at least the levels didn't have too much color variety). Sonic 2 or CD I always thought were the more colorful ones (And Sonic 3 in some aspects)

This post has been edited by Dark Sonic: 26 December 2013 - 07:54 PM