Adventures with Chaotix

Japan also didn't care about Sonic

 

Yes, that is true, but HEDGESMFG wasn't talking about delaying the game so that it could release on the Saturn.

They were talking about porting the 32X game as is to the Saturn, akin to the PSX port of Mega Man X3.

 

Keep in mind that multiplatform ports of titles were common in that era, with there typically being 2 entirely separate versions between either SNES/Genesis for many games, or portable vs console versions. Porting Chaotix would have been comparatively cheap, just as Wii U to Switch versions of games are now, and Saturn already had several 2D titles on it, regardless of western 2D perception at the time.

Of course, saturn games aren't exactly any more widely available than 32X games, so my preservation desires here are kind of pointless anyway. It's still a struggle for me to even play a decent fully working version of 3D Blast Saturn on any modern hardware, compared to other versions. Even with retroarch, I still have input lag issues.

I guess I've just always had a strange attachment to the game and really want to play that hypothetical better, more accessible version of it. I understand it's flaws, and of course recognize it'll never deserve to be a true classic, but I also don't think it should be neglected/abandoned the same with Sonic Team wants to do with Shadow/06 (and to a lesser extent, Heroes).

 

I disagree. The Saturn had a way longer shelf life than the 32X, and even today it's much easier to find Saturn games than 32X games.

 

Ah, fair enough. Sorry for misunderstanding your post.

 

All I want is a way to experience Chaotix without the rubber band mechanics.

The game is gorgeous, I totally dig its vibe, the soundtrack is so good. But actually experiencing any of these things is an exercise in frustration, because my characters are violently wobbling around half the time.

 

I mean, I can totally see the game for what it is, nor would I ever consider it anywhere near the level of the Mega Drive trilogy or CD.

But that hasn't stopped me from appreciating it. I love the visuals, characters, soundtrack and atmosphere, and underwhelming gameplay isn't enough to prevent me from enjoying those aspects of the game.

 

I always play Chaotix carrying the partner. It's the closest to get around the rubber band mechanic.

 

Chaotix would honestly lend itself well to Mania's Encore Mode gameplay.

 

I say embrace the tether. Try to get good at using it, or just play with a friend. I can't imagine there's much joy to be found in carrying your partner the whole way through levels that aren't designed for traditional Sonic gameplay, with physics that are otherwise nerfed compared to the other classic games. If you're somehow having fun don't let me stop you but the tether is a really neat mechanic if you're willing to figure it out.

 

Here is an Action Replay codes to play Knuckles' Chaotix Solo (without the Combi Link). "FFFCEA:00". The partner will still tag along, but you are free to move by yourself. You will occasionally find yourself progression-locked because you need both partners to progress (Elevators for example), but you can usually call them. If not, know they still are following your controller inputs while off-screen, so you can attempt to navigate them to your current position.

Chaotix has so much untapped potential, and I'm surprised more has not been done with the game. Projects like Sonic Classic Heroes allow me to experience these characters outside their only 2D appearance, but the level concepts and music make me wish the core game was embraced more. I still sometimes fantasize about an idealized solo hack, inserting regular S3K physics, turn the combi-ring into a shield-like power-up so it still has some use, restoring Sonic and Tails without removing Mighty, and cleaning up the endings a tad. Though I'm not beholdant to the source code, and would also be content with porting these characters and move sets to the retro engine decomp.

 

A Chaotix mod for Mania attempted to do this but was never finished. It did prove that porting several Chaotix assets into the RDSK engines are at least possible.



I have a copy and have played it. It's only got one act for each level, and no time of day mechanic, but it is a fun mod. Too bad it's been taken down and isn't as easily accessible. I can't even recall where I found it now.

 

I’ve actually done both: Spending time to learn how to use the rubber band mechanics and also using the partner carry method.

I definitely do recommend trying to learn the rubber band as once you get the hang of it is a unique experience, and it’s rewarding to figure it out.

But overall, I prefer the partner carry method. Chaotix’s stages are perfect for high-speed ring collecting which I found works better when carrying a partner. There’s a fantastic rush from whizzing around the stages as fast as possible and racking up a large ring count to spend maximum time in the 3D bonus stage (which is the best part of the game, especially in wireframe). It’s even better when you revisit a level at a different time of day and notice all the changes that occur.

The rubber band mechanics would be better if the level design made greater use of them. But I found them to be rather 1 note (and not even a particularly compelling note at that, although they are pretty fun when you initially figure them out. It’s just that the fun fades fast).

 

So we've already talked about Amazing Arena's other oddities, which got me thinking:

Why does the zone have mini-bosses when none of the others do? Why are they identical in each act? Why does the time of day affect their difficulty? Why are they optional? Why do they have a time limit? Why is the reward for beating them a measly 40 rings? Why do they resemble the much larger Robotnik mechs from 2 and 3&K so much?

 

Honestly, most levels just need a spring or two placed here and there. For switches, elevators and the like, you just need to remove one of the switches and have it only trigger via the one switch.
Botanic Base act 1 is pretty comfy with S2 style physics.

An old video from when I remade Botanic Base in Sonic MAX for Gamemaker Studio:



And a slightly better quality one with Sonic:

 

Well, Amazing Arena has a bit of a time theme, with the clocks and music. The minibosses being affected by time of the day goes with that.

 

Update: I cleaned up the RAM variable definitions, so now there isn't several thousand lines. PWM sample table has also been cleaned up and the actual sample data split into their own files. Sound banks are also in their own files, and I also turned the 32X data blobs into ASM files, with additional SH-2 program patches to point to them. Each sprite set has also been converted into singular ASM files, as opposed to every single frame split into their own binary files. Alternatively, I have set up a GitHub repository, if you prefer to look at it over there, instead.

 

Another update: I disassembled the sound driver. I haven't extracted the actual music and SFX data from the sound banks, but the driver code is buildable, with vibrato (modulation) and volume envelopes available for viewing/modification, alongside index tables for music and SFX. It's a start.

 

Amazing Arena's theme is that of a movie projector. The entire stage is the inside of a giant movie projector, and the minibosses are the projector displaying the robotnik movie. The conveyor belts in the stage are supposed to be the film being rolled.

 

A stage can have more than one theme you know.