Sonic 3D Blast to get unofficial patch from original programmer, 21 years later



Sonic fans, or those who grew up with the Sega Genesis might remember one game out of the copious amount of early Sonic spinoffs; Sonic 3D Blast, or, for those across the pond, Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island. The game released more than 20 years ago, back in 1996, for the Sega Saturn, PC, and Genesis. Now, the lead programmer from the game, and founder Traveller's Tales--the company behind Sonic 3D--Jon Burton, has announced that he will be creating an unofficial patch for the game, to add features that were never implemented in the old game. Burton plans to add things like a level editor, the ability to go Super Sonic, slight gameplay improvements, and more. There's no planned release frame for this "director's cut" of Sonic 3D, but regardless of what happens, this is quite a random and interesting reveal.
 

Justinde75

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Why would he sell it...i mean why would you pay when you can download it for free?
Because he is doing work. He could certainly team up with sega and release that version if they would release it for Virtual Console. Im almost 100% sure that you would scream for money if you would the same amount of work that he does.
 

chrisrlink

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Because he is doing work. He could certainly team up with sega and release that version if they would release it for Virtual Console. Im almost 100% sure that you would scream for money if you would the same amount of work that he does.

yeah i can see a switch vc of this versiom or a 3ds w/ sterioscopic ability
 
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Cool, lately I've been seeing videos 'bout various fact of this game by this dude. They're interesting.
Ya know, I remember someone once made a mod to, like, turn super sonic, but it was just a recolor and nothing else.
I know I'm hoping for too much, but I'd love if he also changed the sprite to make sonic look like super sonic when he transforms.

we need gameplays with tails and &Knuckles and multplay!!
Ahah, I'd love this too, but I guess to do this he'd have to pretty much redo the game from the grounds up?
 

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The update video looks very promising, pretty much everything that he has done looks well thought-out. I've never played the original Sonic 3D Blast but hey, this looks like the right time to do so!
 
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Metoroid0

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Because he is doing work. He could certainly team up with sega and release that version if they would release it for Virtual Console. Im almost 100% sure that you would scream for money if you would the same amount of work that he does.
Im saying why would YOU buy it if HE is GIVING YOU FOR FREE... Im not saying you cant put some money in his private bank account if you really want to.
 

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I played Sonic 3D Blast in my younger years and kinda enjoyed it. I revisited it not that long ago and the game gave me the worst headache...the camera and the movement just triggered something in my brain that made it hurt lol.

I've heard the Saturn version is a little smoother, and I believe I got a copy of it in a game lot I bought not too long ago so maybe I need to give it a try on there. Never knew there was a PC version though, I have Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic CD for PC laying around somewhere but I'm not sure if they'd run on a modern machine. Plus the Sega CD version of Sonic CD is the definitive way to play IMO :P
 

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Because he is doing work. He could certainly team up with sega and release that version if they would release it for Virtual Console. Im almost 100% sure that you would scream for money if you would the same amount of work that he does.
Not to mention, an official release would give the mod and game much more exposure.
 

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Last edited by CheatFreak47,
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jumpman17

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For anyone who hasn't watched this guy's Youtube videos, he does a bunch of interesting videos about how they did programing for their Genesis games back then. I remember when I saw that opening video at the start of Sonic 3D Blast as a kid and was amazed. That's one of his videos, how they managed that.
 

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For anyone who hasn't watched this guy's Youtube videos, he does a bunch of interesting videos about how they did programing for their Genesis games back then. I remember when I saw that opening video at the start of Sonic 3D Blast as a kid and was amazed. That's one of his videos, how they managed that.
The one with the glitched VRAM or something? :P
 

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Hmm, but since the steam version has workshop support (IIRC), won't that mean the patch will be compatible with the steam version too?
The Steam version is the emulated Mega Drive version instead of being the true native PC port made in 1997 or the Saturn version. This native port is more alike to the Saturn version, with better graphics and a brand new soundtrack by Richard Jacques, along a new half-pipe special stage. As a matter of fact, the Saturn version is the definitive version with weather effects and a better half-pipe special stage, but the PC version has save support.

Sadly, every rerelease so far is basically an emulated Mega Drive version, probably because Saturn emulation is unfeasible for a commercial release, feels bad.
 
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Metoroid0

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Just because you can get it for free doesnt mean its the right thing to do.
He is not chargin it or youre not stealing from him for christs sake. He is RELEASING that pach for public, and if you feel like it and have money you can put money on his bank account. Its not wrong thing eather
 

RocketRobz

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The patch is just that; a patch to the original Genesis ROM. In order to implement a widescreen option, he'd need to either remake the entire game or get it working on a Genesis emulator that supports widescreen (no such emulator exists, to my knowledge).
Or he can compress the graphics horizontally (Sonic only, in this screenshot):
s1built000.png


or add black borders, and let the TV zoom in, cropping them out:
s1built001.png
 

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