Sonic 1 on the SNES - But does it work on Real Hardware?

[@redhotsonic]

TYPICAL! An hour before I uploaded this, an update has come out for the game, haha! It now has sound effects, the monitors does give you speed shoes and invincibility (plus music) and the shield, and Sonic can now die. No boss still, but the boss area locks the screen so you end up stuck there. The results for this new update is the EXACT same as the results in this video :) Please note: All three of these consoles are 1-chip SNES's. However, a friend of mine had a PAL SNES that isn't the X-Chip series and that also produced the same outcome. Also at 5:48, slight correction, the 10-ring monitor DOES work and will award you with 10 rings as promised.

[@m3nmin]

Aight. Good vid!

[@giovannidotgen]

The 1-up also works, but let's be real, do you need lives if you can't die?

[@najhydro]

Cool.

[@King._-Omar]

Hey @redhotsonic

[@Cliffordlonghead]

Awesome Video

[@lostglaceon9274]

If anyone says that the screen-crunch makes the game impossible, _I'll just send them the original GBA version._

[@gigaslave]

(Laughs in Stealth's tech demo)

[@lostglaceon9274]

@@gigaslave Well yeah, that was the reason I said "original" lol

[@granvillimus]

To be fair, Stealth's demo has the same screen crunch as the official port. But the official version has broken physics and constant lag spikes that ruin any sense of consistency to the speed. I actually have no trouble playing Stealth's version even with the screen crunch because of how great the physics and performance is (it even eliminates all of the remaining lag from the Genesis original).

[@Essu_]

You mean the worst version of the game by far?

[@astracrits4633]

OH GOD NO---

[@comicfan1324]

Mario: “Get off my console, you Blue Rat! I’ll sue!” Sonic: “No copyright law in the universe is going to stop me!”

[@hypercosmicthehedgehog1525]

Nice

[@Tom-jw7ii]

Hey, you! Get off my console!

[@Mechaghostman2]

Blast lawyering.

[@lemonadesnake]

@@Tom-jw7ii Hey you! Get off my cloud!

[@cool3nikola245]

Wise words brotah

[@megadriveleo]

The SNES can actually go to 512 pixels in width instead of the usual 256, but with only very few games.

[@GottaBeFrank]

Green hill zone's theme on a SNES is absolutely amazing.

[@Sh-hg8kf]

Then you'll love this. All of this is on the snes kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHW6k59pjrCdoJI

[@keithmorrison8373]

It is but i still perfer the original because well its the original and also the synth used on the genesis is just amazing sounding and it has more synth sounds then an snes

[@2DCheese]

it reminds me of the GBA version

[@Plasmariel]

@@keithmorrison8373let me explain... the SNES has a sample-based sound chip. It can play literally any sound it wants

[@PS1Fan1991]

I actually have to admit that I am glad that Sonic was exclusive like Mario. Yes, the games would have been awesome to be played on both the MegaDrive/Genesis and the SNES/Super Famicom, but I think that competition between the two is what brought out the best in both companies in how they developed the games. Even though I was only really young when the console wars for Nintendo and SEGA, I have heard from family, seen footage of the ads and I have seen commentary on it. Despite the negative aspects of the console war, it brought out the best in the companies in their exclusive content and the fans were so passionate about their preferred console. That was an amazing rivalry. I grew up with both Nintendo and SEGA and I love both.

[@ghhn4505]

Oh absolutely. I doubt Sega would have such a vast library of IPs had they not been a console manufacturer as well. Who knows, if Sega had always been third party, we may have never gotten NiGHTS, Jet Set Radio, Super Monkey Ball, Yakuza, etc etc, and same with Nintendo.

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

Well yeah, there's no point in two competing consoles if they don't each offer SOME exclusives.

[@Garrulous64]

I also liked the music on this version a bit more. Sounds more cheery.

[@triggr3]

It's Garrulous 64

[@Interlude_DRL]

Hello Garrulous64

[@WizzOfIzz]

Hi Garrulous

[@MugTang1]

What was the demo music RHS was referring to? M Sato?

[@superamonguspro4261]

Sup garrulous64

[@goblinmcgameface]

God, how the console wars in the 90’s would’ve gone down had we seen something like this earlier...

[@fungo6631]

There was Somari on the NES.

[@douglasgsousa]

@@fungo6631, yes, but Somari wasn't even close to Sonic. Not a game that could have ended the console war

[@Sh-hg8kf]

@@douglasgsousa Hummer games did make some impressive ports tho. They made a damn near amazing port of Genesis alladin complete with proper animations to the nes. Too bad all of Hummer Team's music had horse crap music

[@digimaks]

I'm sur that's not straight port but quite a massive engine re-write to accomodate SNES. Could be the reason sounds are absent, to compensate for memory.

[@fungo6631]

@@digimaks No. Sounds are kept in the APU RAM. Especially since they're synth sounds, they can be really small.

[@undergamer1361]

5:01 Can we just appreciate how well timed that censorship was?

[@rowboat10]

i would like but its at 53 likes

[@undergamer1361]

@@rowboat10 Nice like number right now though.

[@rowboat10]

@@undergamer1361 nah im gonna wait until there's 91 likes then I'll like it

[@QuadroKiller]

He put the soundeffect himself, there are no sound effects in the snes version of the game

[@undergamer1361]

@@QuadroKiller It still played as soon as Sonic hit the spring. Thus, my point still stands.

[@dse763]

You forgot one important thing : Sonic 3 monitors !

[@Tokuto-kun]

Ok, I desperately want to see this project finished. It'd be nuts to see Sonic 1 running on SNES hardware.

[@onionhat745]

I like Sonic's sprite palette more on the Genesis, but his face some nice shading on the SNES. It is such an interesting feat, I'd like to hear a full SNES remix of the traditional level themes.

[@shinyhappyrem8728]

It should be noted that this is intended to be an engine demo, not a port of the SEGA game. IIRC the creator wants to use it for his own original game(s).

[@Epsilonsama]

Sad but understandable. Porting the entire game is a ton of work and the game will not be as good as the original. The screen crunch is real and Sonic needs all the screen realstate you can gate/

[@RobertSeeJen]

I can't wait to see how this port will handle Labyrinth Zone when the rings scatter. That slow down just murdered that frame rate. I hope they continue working on this.

[@leartmuharremi5765]

Sonic Fans in the 2000's when Sega said that they will not make consoles and future Sonic games will be released on Nintendo consoles: 0:15

[@jeffreysimmons7664]

Nice

[@legamerb.m.m.9871]

@IceColdLightningbluesonic Lol

[@Adrian.R850]

"Blasphemy! Betrayal! Backstabbing of the highest range!"

[@snapdragonzoroark]

:(

[@SonicEclipse456]

Me: *Sees Sonic 1 on a SNES* Me: What did you just bring upon this cursed land?! Seriously though, this is actually impressive.

[@theformer1337agent]

i agree

[@cookieblobber]

This idea has been a huge dream of mine ever since I got into Sonic. I always wondered if it was really possible to play Sonic on the SNES, or if those SEGA buzzwords about Blast Processing were really true this whole time

[@granvillimus]

Blast processing describes something that was technically "real", but it didn't mean what Sega's marketing department claimed. It was discovered by Sega programmers at the time who were showing off a hardware trick to the executives. It allowed more colors than was normally possible on Genesis via some hardware tricks. It was not related to CPU power. It was also never used in any Genesis game, licensed or unlicensed, because it only works on static non moving images (Digital Foundry covered a single homebrew tech demo of the feature). The developers weren't happy that marketing used the term in a deceptive way. Incidentally, the same trick worked on the SNES as well. The SNES port of Mortal Kombat 1 adapted it for use with sound processing instead, using it in an ingame form to help with the voice samples.

[@DhavidSetiawanKilluaDhavid]

Remember what it said on Sonic Mania "Genesis Does" No, I'm not bashing Nintendo.

[@mariareis3008]

⁰00⁰

[@RadicalSharkRS]

since when was nintendont was bashing anyone? take criticism dumbass

[@DhavidSetiawanKilluaDhavid]

@@RadicalSharkRS No, I don't want another war exclusivity!

[@gigaslave]

Well, Nintendoes what Sony don't :V

[@RadicalSharkRS]

lol jk

[@HEXlDEClMAL]

4:43 don't worry. Your wife just wants to make sure you stay hydrated.

[@tuomasgaming4210]

Nintendoes what SEGA does.

[@halo3odst]

No, last time i checked they still shut down AM2R

[@tuomasgaming4210]

halo3odst that has nothing to do with sonic

[@halo3odst]

Sonic mania. Boom

[@halo3odst]

Yeah, boom was what happened when Nintendo bought a license to make a sonic game and then subcontracted the development to “big red button.”

[@DJWingoYT]

next: mario on the genesis

[@granvillimus]

Mario World would probably be very easy to port. It's not a technically impressive SNES game. It only uses the SNES 2.68mhz mode (as opposed to the 3.58mhz used by the more impressive games on the system). Most levels also only use 2 background layers and a minimal amount of colors. The only challenging parts would be the boss fights and the ghost houses. Most bosses use mode7. However, you could probably bruteforce these effects with CPU power. Mega Turrican supports CPU-drive sprite rotation, and there are several other homebrew Genesis games with mode7 like effects (there's even a SNES homebrew game that has sprite rotation without using mode7). The ghost houses used color math transparency on some of the sprites. I've yet to see any Genesis game, licensed or unlicensed, handle true transparency effects. So i'm not sure if those effects are possible on Genesis. But most of the game shouldn't be a problem at all.

[@zanegandini5350]

@@granvillimus I'm pretty sure the Genesis was incapable of transparency effects entirely, so if that was to be ported over dithering would have to be used in place of transparencies. And yeah, it could use some computer trickery to get some mode 7-like effects, but it heavily strains the cpu. Given that Super Mario World never has too much on screen, it might be possible, but not easily so.

[@granvillimus]

@@zanegandini5350 Correct, Genesis cannot natively handle real transparency effects. I don't know if there's any way this could be bruteforced via some sort of software rendering (at least within what the 68000 can handle), but i've never seen it done, even via homebrew efforts. Basic rotation and scaling however likely could be done via bruteforcing the CPU. I've seen rotation done in at least one official Genesis game (Mega Turrican) along with several homebrew games. And as I mentioned, even one SNES homebrew game demonstrated CPU-driven sprite rotation without the use of mode7 (Alisha's Adventure). Mario World handles its mode7 effects in an extremely primitive way, so i'd assume it's possible.

[@BinglesP]

*That really cool song from-not-from Mario 3 Bokpyr Cbeta plays* FUCK YEAH

[@cool3nikola245]

Somari: let me introduce myself.

[@MrTrickBrick]

Great video, RHS! Very in-depth, and kudos to TaigoSC - it's super impressive!

[@maliciousbugman]

I believe this is the fellow also working on a port of Mega Man X to the Mega Drive. Perhaps that might need to be tested as well on real hardware, even if it's a different blue blur?

[@amso7169]

Isn’t there a Mega Man X3 bootleg on Genesis?

[@maliciousbugman]

@@amso7169 there indeed is, however from what I recall it wasn't what I'd call... competent.

[@amso7169]

Dillon Bullock It’s pretty bad, but considering bootleg standards, it’s not awful.

[@maliciousbugman]

@@amso7169 I suppose not. Though among the bootleg ports, Somari and NES SMW are probably the most competent of the pack.

[@AidGum]

Imagine Gunstar Heroes on the SNES. I dare that system to run that game.

[@maplemudkip5963]

Sonic in SNES Me : that's illegal

[@official.SeanUnits]

Mario in MD Me: that's illegal

[@Mysgelatin]

*Well you're not wrong*

[@Mysgelatin]

@IceColdLightningbluesonic y'mean wrong?

[@girrafeb]

CRASH ON NINTENDO NEVER WILL HAPPEN 👌

[@girrafeb]

@@official.SeanUnits WAIT CRASH VS MARIO VS SONIC VS ALEX KID VS ME

[@not_kjb]

Rhs, I got your video as an ad for a mobile game...

[@zapitnow5071]

Finally, now we can find out if Nintendo can do what genesis does!

[@gnbman]

Impressive. Very nice. Now let's see Paul Allen's PS1 port of Super Mario 64.

[@p_yoshi]

that ad is having an identity crisis

[@dbzenthusiast8152]

The sprite for sonic in this version is actually somewhat better than the mega drive version. Sonics shade of blue is more vibrant and darker, which overall looks slightly better. Same with the level assets. This is probably due to the snes having a slightly more advanced colour palette than the mega drive.

[@qweezinator6420]

I hope everyone knows that the genesis was planned to have VR capabilities, would love to see some experimenting with that

[@Liam3072]

It does slow down significantly more, and more often than the original game though. I mean it's a super impressive demo but you can't deny it's sluggish.

[@redhotsonic]

I'm not sure what video you were watching. Because as you can see, it was super smooth for me. The only time it became sluggish was when a lot was happening on the screen like I originally pointed out but as mentioned, even the Mega Drive (Genesis) does this.

[@Liam3072]

@@redhotsonic I can't think a lot of situations where the Megadrive would choke in Sonic 1, apart from when losing rings. Whereas the SNES demo struggles when there are multiple badniks each shooting their projectile for example, or when sprite-made backgrounds are destroyed (edges of ground) if the whole part is visible on screen. For example in your video at the very moment you say it chokes up a bit, we can see the game starting to slow down a lot with only three badniks and 8 rings. According to TiagoSC: "The cause of the biggest slowdows is the fact that objects are loaded on a border of 128 pixels around the screen, just like the original, and as I used 8/16 sprites, the sprite list hits more than 100, it is a part that consumes a lot of cpu." I don't really see the point in denying that this first demo (apparently the newer one has better performance) chokes more often, mainly due to the sprite limit being reached more often (due to the game using more, but smaller, sprites apparently).

[@lw7918]

@@Liam3072 cope

[@HOURHAK]

​@@lw7918spring yard zone signs

[@cooloneuk]

This definitely looks very promising. I really hope this project gets finished and we get to try the final product. I'll be here waiting 😁😁😁

[@Oysterblade84]

Great work redhotsonic! Really loving your videos, very entertaining and very funny, love the intro with the misses ha ha!

[@SwiftAsTheWind]

Hello, it's me, Sonic the Hedgehog on the SNES! WAHOOOOOOOOO!

[@MeeraRustshieldSystem]

[COMPRESSED WAHOO]

[@insertusernameyt]

Hey, its me, Sonic the hedgehog on the sega genesis ALRIGHT!

[@PONTOCRITICO]

Forcing to use screens 256 pixels wide was the biggest sin Nintendo could have committed with the SNES. That doesn't fit in 4th generation video games.

[@dusanstojsin4938]

HEY GUYS, IT'S ME SONIC ON THE SNES, WOOOOO!

[@TuxerTuxar]

But literally.

[@KrispyNoKen]

*sees Sonic on SNES* Me: 😬 what sorcery is this?!

[@trashycannoey]

why there is no mario in this sonic gamem

[@fungo6631]

There is Sonic on the NES.

[@HyperrealisticLuigi]

*"He's too dangerous to be kept alive!"*

[@Kitsuna_Gacha]

6:10 Sky Sanctuary: **sweats nervously**

[@gigaslave]

Even with modernized and optimized ASM code, the slower SNES processor bus still chugs when you scatter rings and sprite tearing is a bigger issue than on the Megadrive. Nevertheless it is an impressive tech demo.

[@granvillimus]

Slowdown when dropping lots of rings happens on the Genesis as well, especially in areas such as the spiked bridge below the swinging and floating platforms.

[@fungo6631]

Well, keep in mind that several instructions on the SNES take up less cycles than on the Megadrive.

[@ju2tunknown]

there's an ad for some sort of emulator using this video as its ad, I could tell because it's easy to tell RHS thumbnails lol

[@redhotsonic]

An ad for an emulator? And it's using my video? In what way?

[@ju2tunknown]

@@redhotsonic instead of linking their own video showing off their emulator, clicking on it just sends you to this video

[@ju2tunknown]

​@@redhotsonicthe app is called "retro64 emulator"

[@redhotsonic]

@@ju2tunknown oh, so it's a different video being played during the ad, but if you click it, it brings you here?

[@ju2tunknown]

@@redhotsonic no, this video _IS_ the ad.

[@najhydro]

"WHAT!" ~RHS~

[@NerdGames864]

I am consficating this thing

[@darkambience]

Awesome, read about this a month or so ago. Nice to see it in action. Enjoyed the vid, subscribed.

[@randypoffo4life]

I was a Nintendo kid. But Genesis/Megadrive was a great console. So many games that are gems. I own pretty much every mini today. the fact is I would have enjoyed all the consoles that were out there in the '90s but my mom was only going to buy me one. you have a few friends who had both Genesis and super Nintendo and I was able to experience it.

[@memelurd7341]

A suggestion I would have for this port is to use the sprite rotation capabilities of the snes

[@ErickGameplaysN64]

Mega Drive: Has Blast processing The SNES: Hold my beer!

[@igorivanov299]

It was just a fancy way of saying it had a faster processor. Which it did, can't argue against that fact, though the SNES basically had everything else superior, and so it should have, it came out two years after the Megadrive. That's a lifetime in the tech world. Nintendo was never about having the best hardware specs, from the original famicom to the switch today, it's always been about having great fun games.

[@jaggass]

As i owned both consoles back in the day it was always hard to decide which one is better. The only thing i didn't like about the Megdrive was how coarse some of the sounds were off some games.

[@danielcastillosyoutubechan2452]

I still remember i saw this video as a ad, wonder how redhotsonic reacted to that

[@satiosnewaccount4606]

This video for whatever reason was used as an ad. How the fuck.

[@ezekieledwards6459]

Yeah Idk how tf

[@eliel_360]

Really like that you put the demo tracks of Sonic 1 on this video

[@fgdx]

1:33 same pain, MUDDY GLASSES ! also pretty nice.

[@MrLtia1234]

This might have been a good time to try out the 512*384 screen mode- without the space restrictions on a cart and the whole thing could run in hi res emulating a similar aspect ratio to the MD. This would of course be a lot more work, though- redrawing graphics etc.

[@Rhyscele]

Dude you really good at this

[@ultimategamer4969]

0:22 I’ve got the exact same Sonic T-Shirt 😂

[@Kitsuna_Gacha]

Everyone talking about the main video. I loved it but my favourite part was the opening skit!

[@burp3267]

0:45 this is how the war between nintendo and sega began

[@MinecrafterPictures]

Sega: The Genesis does what the Super Nintendon't, playing Sonic with its hyper blast processing. ROM Hacker: Or does it?

[@theufighter1337]

The same ROM Hacker: SIKE! *Ports a slowdown-less Mega Man X to the Genesis*

[@michaelschwader7944]

With the exception of the CPU, SNES had superior hardware. More ram, more ram for gpu and better overall gpu and better sound chip. Add in the fact that the SNES had an additional cpu and sound chip that was used, which gave the carts direct access to them, the SNES was a beast. The FX chips in the cartridges also helped a great deal. I had a NES and then went to Genesis first before I got a SNES. I got one a year after the N64 had already come out.

[@niki75]

On paper yes. But the Mega Drive could do some neat tricks of it's own. Memory access was lightning fast and the 68k was a well used CPU so devs knew what it can do which allowed for approximations of the SNES graphics modes (Look at games like Toy Story or something more obscure like Red Zone) without any additional hardware in the cartridge. For example Sega had something like Vectorman that used pre-rendered graphics akin to DKC. And sega's answer to the FX Chip The SVP was actually more powerful. Now of course on paper the SNES is more capable on paper but specs arent everything. It's how you use what you've got that counts.

[@koolaid5929]

Dude, I absolutely loved the intro.

[@Jayteaseepiirturi]

That opening alone. No need to watch the rest! :D Okay, I will.

[@starleaf-luna]

'i knew that'd get him out of the house'

[@otaking3582]

Strange, this doesn't look like a hellish version of Speedy Gonzales

[@ashleybreadgirls1228]

Yo this is being used as an ad for a sketchy emulator on android

[@emeraldrangersWhite]

Ouch, my childhood pride with a Genesis took a hit

[@StaticTV80]

Not mine the snes is still a slow pile of junk.

[@PeruvianPotato]

​@@StaticTV80 Well you're going to have to grow up then because reality hurts

[@Sinn0100]

Meh, I have seen the Sega Genesis run Star Fox without any helper chips. What made it even cooler was you weren't forced to stay on rails. That's a full level of Star Fox with enemies intact. It even appears to run it a bit smoothie.

[@ShawnyBoiPiggyFan]

Why did a N64 emulator put this video as their ad even though sonic never had an N64 Game to begin with

[@someperson4536]

it's a fake emulator

[@ShawnyBoiPiggyFan]

@@someperson4536 either way some n64 emulator app put this as an ad in youtube

[@FriedMetroid]

The most cursed thing about watching this game is the subtly wrong color palette

[@chimericalical]

Uniracers: a SNES game made specifically to say “we could make sonic if we wanted to. Actually, you know what, here’s something even faster, lol.”

[@Icalasari]

3:03 - But 1.5k likes and 44 disliHOLY SHIT YOU TIME TRAVELLED

[@popppcattt2]

6:51 the pal contraption 😂

[@ghostchaser1631]

Sonic?...On SNES?!...WHAAAAAAA?!?! I like that header picture BTW, with Mario trying to stop Sonic from stealing his console. And if Death Battle is any indication, he would succeed too.

[@stuff31]

Waiting all day for this

[@SluggishRain]

*gasp* “MOOOM, CAN WE GET A SNES AND A FLASHCART FOR IT”

[@radicaledwards3449]

You frickin fricks just cant ever be quenched.

[@FurbyFanBEE-BOO]

There goes my blast processing... Now we need Super Mario World on Mega Drive.

[@virtualashez]

id honestly love to see the full game like this

[@GhostLordRetro]

Wow, your wife really likes it when you leave WAY too much!

[@madhatter8508]

Looking good. After he gets the boss working and this 1-level demo is "complete," I hope he goes back and fixes the graphics. Squash everything horizontally so it'll match the Genesis when stretched on 4:3 screen, then you can futz with the colors and details. It always bothered me how the cliffs in the back look to be at half the resolution of the foreground. Also the color of the sky needs to change. Add water effects and reflections in the background - the SNES VDP can handle that just fine and it shouldn't slow the game down.

[@rayjenboi]

Red hot sonic. just a few minutes ago, i was thinking you are going to make this. loll

[@KCDash4400cw]

4:19 why is there a s3&k monitor box in sonic 1

[@ThatSneakman]

"My glasses keep steaming up" Put the top of your mask over where your glasses rest on your nose, you shouldn't have that problem anymore.

[@IndieLambda]

Now we need Yoshi's Insland on Genesis.

[@TheTourist33]

Check out Yoshi in Sonic 2 demo

[@solarflare9078]

We would need to reprogram Mega Turrican's sprite engine for that. That game managed to scale and rotate a lot of sprites at a time.

[@fa1176]

Sonic : yare yare plumber, you weren't able to call my bluff on time.

[@jessicabufford3416]

The music is good really cheery. And looks like sonic more dark blue then he was but good video.

[@ArtyRTArtie]

Sonic on the snes Me: Somari

[@therollingcreeper1]

3:02 I have a feeling his wife was the one who disliked the video

[@reeferscientist7096]

The SPC-7000 is a wavetable synth. It shouldn't surprise anyone that it can sound exactly like a Genesis.

[@andresbravo2003]

I was laughing for this skit.

[@mineboom7377]

Mupen64Plus FZ is using this video to advertise itself. Why?

[@Megafan381.]

Same with retro64

[@brocknull6376]

Best ad Ever

[@DJNeoncat]

That green hill theme on the snes though... sounds so cheerful.

[@Brabbs]

This video was stolen by Mupend64 plus and used as an ad

[@vincentsblocks]

Wow have you ever heard of something called inspiration not the same vid!!!

[@TanakaMoon]

@@vincentsblocksMe when I defend blatant theft of work:

[@vincentsblocks]

Yup!!!​@@TanakaMoon

[@whippy89]

It is odd that there's assets from Sonic 1, 2 & 3 all in the same rom (S2 Springs, S3 Monitors)... Surely it would have been easier ripping assets from the same game? Still an amazing proof of concept demo nonetheless :D!

[@metroidmayhem8463]

Wow that music sounded great.

[@imamtedsed]

Oh, there's the spring sound! In 5:00 lol

[@MeeraRustshieldSystem]

Y'all talking about how impressive SNES Sonic looks and I'm here, thinking about SNES Sonic 4 (Seriously tho, this port is amazing!)

[@seanyproductions]

Now someone needs to port Super Mario World to the Genesis

[@MasterLinkuei]

TiagoSC is a God!

[@AndrewAmbrose]

If someone could make a Sonic 1 proof of concept like this for the PC Engine I will be extremely happy