Sonic 3 & Windows DEMO 1 Release

I've shown progress of my shitty hack in this forums in other threads... And fuck this game! Sonic can suck Mario's cock with this & Knuckles And Toils bullshit. That project was mistake and here's video full of airhorns dedicated to Sega - fuck you and fuck your gamez!!!

Spoiler

Happy April Fools Day! I will work on this project, don't worry!

 

Why the hate?

 

Look at the date when your clock hits 12:00AM, this is too forced btw.
Edit: Im an ass, but this is too predictable.

 

Oki, enough April Fools shit. Like I've shown on video I need some time to fix level layout (I have other projects to handle). I will still working on this project. Stay tuned for updates.

EDIT: Issue with chunks is fixed! Stay tuned for more. :3

 

This looks pretty cool! Can't wait for a download link.

 

Time for release first demo of my hack. It has one level Windows Zone, all Sonic 3 Special Stages are edited, two new SMPS I've made for Flamewing's sound driver. Stay tuned for more updates and here's video:



...and download link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wop7efrr1f6bwui/Sonic 3 & Windows Demo 1.bin?dl=1

Special Thanks goes to JDPense for help with putting Flamewing's driver and fixing level order glitch after beating Windows Zone and Ralakimus for help in usage of Blue Balls program and thank you all for support and major thanks for people who made hacking tools and tutorials.

 

This hack is more frustrating and boring than anything else. The art styles seems too simplistic to fit in a Sonic game and lacks a background. Additionally, the priority of some walls alternates and there are unnecessary palette cycles. When playing as Knuckles, you can see Launch Base Zone's background on the side. The level design lacks anything interesting such as ramps and consists of long stretches with enemies in the way and repetitive platforming over bottomless pits that is impossible unless you use Knuckles' or Tails' abilities. Even then, there are enemies in the way that you have to be lucky to avoid as Knuckles. And don't get me started on the section where you have to fly/glide over a bottom less pit with monitors that hurt you in the way. The music in the first level is very repetitive gets annoying quickly. The special stage music is a lot better, though the ring collection sound overrides the drums. The second stage, which you can access by resetting the game, looks a bit better artistically, tough still very repetitive, but the level design is unfinished.

My recommendation is to restart the project and start experimenting more with what can be done in the game. Try to figure out how to work with the palette cycle and background deformation and figure out how you can improve your art. You could also find another concept for a hack that you could work better with because I feel that making things look like an operating system doesn't fit a Sonic game nor does it allow for many creative ideas.

Edit: You stated that you are working on multiple projects at once. I feel that reserving other projects for later and focusing on one or two things at a time can allow you to put more time and effort in whatever you're working on.

 

I have tested this hack with Tails.
As soon as I start the game, instead of being taken to "Windows" Zone, I meet this.


A player should not have to use the level select just to visit a level. Even if the only way to get to the level select is placed in this layoutless AIZ.

Before visiting "Windows"/Launch Base Zone, I wanted to visit the other levels.

Hydrocity:


I think this is the only zone I liked in this entire game. I like the changed art.

Marble Garden:


The "art" is weird and the layout stops after few chunks. Hoped I could play something.

Carnival Night:



Oh no! Tails has disappeared! Where could he be? (Spoiler: Definitely not inside those blue* chunks)
Okay, the zone is unplayable and I don't like the art here. Looks too simple.
*I see them blue, but I'm not sure if they're actually blue

Ice cap:



We're interrupting this Sonic 3 & Windows review to show you New Super Mario Bros 2
Okay, I actually like the "golden" palette. I always wondered if one could change a zone to make it "golden".

And finally, the zone we're all waiting for.

Windows Zone



I did not like it at all. It looked way too placeholder-ish and bland, as there was nothing interesting in the layout.
The art reminds me of Windows 95, and the music was boring.
Also, do NOT, for any reason, put a single bottomless pit in this zone or any possible Launch Base Zone you're going to make. Because no, you won't die, but you will be taken to Glitchland. THEN you die.

I didn't like that much Special Stages. Especially the fact that you have to get few rings to get a perfect bonus.
Only exception for the music. It reminded me of my childhood. (Click here after you listened to the special stage music)

Shortly, this hack was boring. Hope you make something fun and interesting in the future.

 

No surprise here Razor already recorded a playthrough, also Lord already knows how I feel about this hack, so ill just be posting the playthrough. (Got nothing better to do right now)

 

Ah so the music in Launch Base is a remix of The Rolling Stone's "Start Me Up". They used it to promote Windows 95 back in the day, and I thought the song sounded familiar. Anyways while I haven't personally played it myself, going by a few videos I've watched of the hack the level layout really needs a overhaul, since it's only designed with Tails and possibly Knuckles in mind. Good luck making it through the game as Sonic alone. The artwork does reflect Windows pretty well, but it's just bland. I know it's supposed to be the default Windows 95 theme, but there are other themes that the level could have been based around. The player also shouldn't have access to unfinished levels, I know it's just a demo but they could have been blocked from access by the player with some ASM edits. The hack needs lots of work, also it's best to focus on one project at a time. (I have issues with this myself... But focusing on one thing at a time can really help you polish the project.)

 

So... holy shit. This is something to see and something horrible to play as it is in it's current state. I'll avoid mentioning points of criticism dealt out by others ( Even if I do want to mention inescapable/bottomless pits land ) but I'll focus on the point that in that slap dash work of what is clearly Dimps taking inspiration from Straight Line Zone. It genuinely seems like you did not edit the levels past a certain point, as while playing through that reskinned LB1 if you take off flying right after the fire shield and plow straight on ahead you'll see shit like the random special ring in the middle of who knows where. I'd give you props on making the music sound like old adlib music, but I don't think that was intentional. I have also heard fantastic things out of adlib and soundblaster based drivers but this genuinely sounds below bland and stilted. Otherwise, bugs and glitches that have already been posted, poor layout, etc etc etc, polish things up for your next release.

 

I was almost gunna post after your April Fools Day post that yes, you should cancel your hack cos it looks bad and you should feel bad, but it felt a bit mean so I kept my mouth shut. Now that I've played it, yeah, your hack is bad and you should feel bad, cancel that shit baby

 

Okay, so I played several of zones of this hack that I was able to access and now I feel I should give my two cents on what I've played.

Windows Zone Act 1
Honestly, this level was too short and a bit flat in design. Maybe spice it up a bit by adding more various/different types of 128x128 chunks relevant to the Windows theme.

Mushroom Hill Zone Act 1
The only thing edited here was the palette and some of the FG art. Nothing much to say. The palette is okay, but I am not huge fan of the tile arrangement of the FG chunks.

Flying Battery Zone Act 1
I liked the very beginning part of this level in terms of level design but I couldn't finish it at midpoint. I can tell this level is still being developed. I also like the art to the zone.

Sandopolis Zone Act 1 and Lava Reef Act 1
Again, not much to say here. The palette looks alright.

As for the other levels, I can't give my feedback on since I wasn't able to access them.

Conclusion
Decent start to a project, but I feel that this hack was way too early in development to be released. I recommend waiting until you have levels that are fully baked to showcase and only allow access to those polished levels. Trust me, I've did that before with some of my projects and learned it the hard way. But keeping trying, this project has potential and I love to see what other creative ideas you can come up with for this project.​