“Because I wanted this to feel like a Mega Drive game, I was constantly self-imposing limitations on the art and graphical effects. If it wasn’t possible on Mega Drive, we didn’t do it. There are never more than 64 colours on screen at one time, because that’s how it would’ve been in the 1990s! I did a lot of research by playing and listening to a lot of old Sega games. Not just Sonic. It had to feel real. For the music and effects, we also used a tool called F-M Drive that emulates the sound of the Mega Drive’s Yamaha sound chip. It was important to get that twangy sound.”
LIVE AND LEARN
So would Copeland suggest people make a fan game to learn the ins-and-outs of video game design? He definitely still seems enthusiastic about fan games and their capacity as a learning tool, but also believes that any would-be developers that take on such a challenge should know when to stop iterating and move on. “It is definitely a great learning experience! The learning advantage of a fan game is the fact that you have a finished product to reference before you even start. You have a predefined target to aim at. If you are developing an original game, you spend so much time struggling to find out if your initial idea will even be fun. But by making a Sonic fan game, I don’t find myself questioning if the game is inherently flawed. I already know that Sonic is fun! I’ve played real Sonic games, and they are a blast.” he says, still obviously a fan.
DREAMS COME TRUE As for Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble 16-Bit and its audience reaction? Well, the fans love it, as the passion project rightfully deserves to be loved, and Copeland is pleased with how everything turned out in the end. “As a developer, you should always prepare for the fact that strangers on the internet are going to be very mean to your game, but I can’t believe what a small percentage the naysayers make up. The majority of comments I get are heart-warmingly positive. I’ve had people tell me it’s their favourite game, or tell me it made them smile so much they shed a tear. I’ve even had people tell me they play it with their son
as a bonding thing. Since the moment the game came out, my social media has not stopped ringing. It’s just message after message, comment after comment, and it’s so positive.” says Copeland. “After five years of not knowing if anyone would really play it, I cannot begin to tell how satisfying it is to see so many people having fun. That’s what video games are for after all. Like Reggie Fils- Aimé once said, “It’s not fun, what’s the point?” If you are making something, believe in it and finish it. Make a splash on your tiny corner of the world. You can do it!”
Sonic probably should’ve had another seat added to the biplane a while ago.
“So if my game is not fun, it’s not a fundamental design
issue, it’s a me-issue. Then I’ve got to figure out what I’m doing wrong to get back to that gold standard of those wonderful 16-bit Sonic games. It’s very educational. Just understand that creating and finishing are two different skill sets. Creating is an art that never ends. Finishing is the art of deciding when it ends. Too many creatives never develop the latter skill set. Keep your team small. Keep your scope small. Get it finished. You’ll learn more from finishing something in five years than from creating something endlessly over ten years or more.”
September 2022 MCV/DEVELOP | 61
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
