Sonic CD (2011) Post-Release Bugs/Fixes/Suggestions

This is down to the fact that on the console version of the game, the settings cannot be loaded until the user picks their memory card / hard disk after pressing start. Blit Software were the dev team behind making the game compliant with console standards, I just provided the basic functional port of the game and engine for them to use on console SKUS. This is also why the pause menu on the console doesn't have a restart option whereas the mobile versions do.

This was an intentional change.

The speed is 'as close as I can get' since the UFO path algorithm had to be changed to fit in with 60fps instead of the uneven 20-30fps of the Mega CD version. Since it has essentially has been completely remade I wouldn't bother doing a direct comparison.

The US soundtrack was something that was added in the Eleventh hour when we finally had legal confirmation that the tracks could be used. I realize you guys would like to have your cake and eat it too as far as blending both together but for the moment I wouldn't expect it to be patched in.

 

Same thing happened to me, after realizing that spinning wouldn't work I decided to just run for the hell of it...and it worked.

 

According to this video the game is slowed down when not using a gamepad on Android. Is this intentional, or do the touchscreen controls slow the game down?

 

Alright, here are my beefs with the game so far (PC version):

General

• Sonic doesn't disappear when a time warp is activated. This can lead to embarrassing situations where Sonic runs into a wall and just stands there for a few moments before the game switches to the time warp cutscene.
  
• The centisecond counter doesn't reset between time attack attempts. It seems like it starts at 0'00''00, but as soon as the game gives you control it skips back to where it was in the previous attempt. This, of course, makes the time attack mode impossible to take seriously at a competitive level.*
  
• At the end of a zone, while off screen, if you jump right as the game locks your controls and the score tally comes up, the jump sound will loop over and over until the next stage starts.*
  
• You seem to lose your shield whenever you warp.
  
• Not sure if this is intentional, but invincibility sparkles and shields become invisible when the time warp trail is visible.
  
• This is probably intentional, but in Sonic 2 spindash mode, the camera doesn't pan when charging a peelout. This is a bit of an inconvenience because the pan also serves as a visual cue as to when the move is charged.
  
• Collecting speed shoes in Sonic CD spindash mode doesn't lift the air speed lock.*
  
• Something seems off about the peelout and spindash animations, but I can't quite put my finger on it. The peelout animation might not be fast enough, and the Sonic 2 spindash animation is supposed to reset every time you push the jump button.
  
• No control configuration menu of any sort.
  
• Intro and credits play with constant hiccups (it's not the animation frame rate, the music skips too).
  
• I'd love to see a "free" mode where you can pick any stage and timezone and play through it without any time warp panels.

Palmtree Panic

• When you jump on one of the 3D ramps, Sonic's jumping sprite ignores the perspective.
  
• You can "store" a jump through that weird whooshy tunnel thing in Zone 1. Jump just as you enter the auto sequence and when you come out you'll resume jumping.
  
• Can't jump over the 3D quarterpipe at the end of Zone 1 Present. Sonic hits a brick wall and falls down in the special animation like when you walk over it.

Collision Chaos

• If you travel in time, return to the present and make your way back to the start of the stage, the spike barrier is back and you have to watch Amy get kidnapped again.
  
• The sound the frog-egg breakaway blocks make has been changed for some arbitrary reason.
  
• The rippling water at the bottom of the stage is a bit messed up. The blue part leaks out the top and the orange part leaks out the bottom. (screenshot) (screenshot) Note that in the original game, the blue part also leaked at a few locations, namely the one in the screenshots, but not as much, probably due to the game's new screen size (240 lines instead of 224).*
  
• Considering that you went out of your way to add real transparency effects to several graphics (invincibility sparkles, shields, water surfaces, searchlights), I'm surprised to see you didn't modify the rippling water at the bottom of the stage.

Tidal Tempest

• It's possible to make the game skip the background change at the start of Zone 1 with a large enough jump. (screenshot) Note that I did not jump over the first wall in the level.*
  
• If Sonic warps while underwater, the time warp sequence will show Sonic (and the sparks, maybe) in his underwater colors.
  
• The flowers in this stage still have baked ripple effects. Considering the standard ripple effect now also affects objects, the flowers should really be changed to normal so the ones at the end of Zone 3 don't look so derpy.

Quartz Quadrant

• (nothing to report)

Wacky Workbench

• As mentioned in this post, the music for Wacky Workbench Past is missing a small segment at the end of the song that prevents the hi-hat from going silent.*
  
• The shattering ice sound effect which is shared with the frog-egg blocks from Collision Chaos is identically changed.
  
• Related to the added transparency effects noted in Collision Chaos, the circular conveyors in this stage still use crosshatch dithering to simulate transparency.

Stardust Speedway

• (nothing to report)

Metallic Madness

• Why is it that mini Sonic looks down when he's bouncing on a spring?
  
• The smooth rotation in the final boss's blades looks great when he's flying around with the continuous sound effect, but when he rolls on the ground he makes very distinct separate sounds which are supposed to go with the choppier, more mechanical rotation. The rotation effect should probably be reverted in this circumstance.

I may update this list as I come across more stuff.

* New/changed

 

Looks like Sonic may not have traveled forward enough.

Oh, in regards to time travel-- if you run into a different era post at the same time the screen starts to go white during time travel, you'll instead travel to that era. Happened to me by accident in Collision Chaos Zone.

 

This was obviously done to make the peelout consistent with the Sonic 2 spin dash, which doesn't pan either. If you enable the original spin dash (which pans) the peelout does as well.

 

I had my monitor at 85hz, and the game was running at 85hz along with it... almost 42% faster. Felt like I was playing a 50hz PAL game on a 60hz NTSC system.
Changed my refresh rate to 60hz, and the game works perfectly. And here I was playing the first two zones wondering how Taxman could screw up the physics so badly. :P

Why is the game clock locked to the monitor refresh rate?

 

But Spencer made a fitting GF theme and they changed it back from the JAP release, If this could be reverted it would be nice! (Since it's one of the few chances we can to hear the zone theme for a longer time as we can't play the time attack in GF...

 

Probably an oversight on the team that ported it. Again, I cannot stress this enough that I wasn't involved in the PC port beyond providing the game + engine for XBLA.

I'll try and pass these issues along, but it's also worth contacting SEGA tech support direct with these PC issues.

 

I can't help but feel this is my computer being shit but starting the game up it'll open a window and immediately crash. As far as I know, I meet the requirements, so I don't quite understand...

If it helps, here's my specs:

OS: Vista
Processor: Intel Core2 Quad CPU 2.66GHz
4GB Memory
Direct X 10

I'm not exactly the smartest with system specifications but I believe this is the important stuff.

 

Install the latest DirectX.

 

I am already using the latest DirectX my computer is capable of running; I can't install DX11.

EDIT: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/14149000/gah.png

This happens immediately after the game is run. Something's happening somewhere.

 

Heh what's going on here.

My first playthrough was in Sonic 2 spindash mode (it's the default) so I didn't catch this. It's fine in Sonic CD spindash mode. (I still think the peelout should always pan, though).

 

I'm the fastest thing alive.

 

*Bows down to Bartman*

Seriously though, how the hell did you achieve that? As far as I know, there's no slow-mo option on Sonic CD. :P

 

The best I've ever done in Palmtree Panic Act 1 is like...17 seconds.

That was on GEMS though. Wish I had money to get CD 2011 on Steam.

 

Me and Marc confirmed it. In the main game mode, if you hit the last signpost in a level, let time run out, the timer resets. Then it's simply a mad dash to the end level.