The original 1991 release of Sonic the Hedgehog truly is something special. There's a reason this classic platformer kicked off one of the most successful franchises in gaming history, with its seamlessly speedy gameplay and fantastic level design. But after more than 30 years of blasting through Green Hill Zone, you might be looking for a new way to play.

Now, a game developer has created what might be the best classic Sonic experience - and it even gives the game an unofficial multiplayer mode. Indie game developer Shane Lynch has managed to add both multiplayer and light gun functionality to Sonic the Hedgehog, making it the retro platformer/shooter hybrid we didn't know we needed until now.

Sonic might be fast but is he faster than a bullet? The Sonic 1 hack I've been working on allows player 2 to use a lightgun to blast badniks, power ups, and rings. WIP video below. pic.twitter.com/iG0kX85tlw

— Shane Lynch (@iequalshane) January 22, 2024

As you can see in the video, this set-up allows player two to help lend Sonic a hand, shooting the enemies in his path. They can also help Sonic collect rings and power-ups with the gun, kind of like Super Mario Galaxy's multiplayer from back in the day. But of course, this was pulled off by a single dev using hardware that the first Sonic game was never meant to be compatible with, making the whole thing even more impressive.

I can't even begin to understand all of the work that goes into a Sonic hack like this, so it's worth following Lynch for any updates on how the project is coming along. It looks like a whole lot of fun once it's up and running, especially if you can convince someone to play as Sonic while you hog the light gun. Or you could try to do both at once, for a laugh.

In the meantime, fans of the Sonic series incorporating guns will be looking forward to Shadow's debut in the third Sonic movie. Admittedly, he probably won't be walking around with a firearm like he was in his 2005 spin-off game, but we can dream, right? We recently got our first look at Shadow in the film - or his leg, at least. We're still waiting on a trailer though, so it remains to be seen if the film premieres this year.

Posted: Feb 01, 2024 12:29 am
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://www.thegamer.com/sonic-the-hedgehog-hack-mod-multiplayer-light-gun/