Announcing Sonic GX - a new episode of Sonic the Hedgehog for Amstrad GX-4000

[GUNHED]

Great news!!! 

btw: Is a version for floppy disk planned too? 
Or does the game use the special features of the ROMs in the cartridge and is the use of ROMs therefore a prerequisite for the game to function properly?

[krusty_benediction]

How do you plan to release it?
With a physical copy we can buy ? A file we have to transfer in some way?
Both?

The game will be released as a simple .CPR file, freely accessible to everyone.

For two reasons:

• We don't want Sega to think we are making a financial profit from the game. From the beginning, this project has been made by fans for fans!
• We want our game to be played as much and as easily as possible. The more it is played, the more attention it brings to the GX-4000 console!

ok. I would have bough a physical version
good luck for the last steps

[norecess464]

btw: Is a version for floppy disk planned too?
Or does the game use the special features of the ROMs in the cartridge and is the use of ROMs therefore a prerequisite for the game to function properly?

Sonic GX relies on the Lower ROM mapping from the RMR2 of the ASIC. In other words, the first 8 physical ROM banks of the cartridge are frequently used as Lower ROM.
Because of that constraint, running Sonic GX from a floppy disc is impossible/unsupported.

[GUNHED]

btw: Is a version for floppy disk planned too?
Or does the game use the special features of the ROMs in the cartridge and is the use of ROMs therefore a prerequisite for the game to function properly?

Sonic GX relies on the Lower ROM mapping from the RMR2 of the ASIC. In other words, the first 8 physical ROM banks of the cartridge are frequently used as Lower ROM.
Because of that constraint, running Sonic GX from a floppy disc is impossible/unsupported.

Well, I expected that. Thanks for the information nevertheless.

The world of ROM-banking inside the 6128plus is heavily underestimated by people doing software for non-ROM media. But it can work wonders for sure.

Great that you use all the powerful features of the new hardware!!! 

[norecess464]

The world of ROM-banking inside the 6128plus is heavily underestimated by people doing software for non-ROM media. But it can work wonders for sure.

The tile rendering routine greatly benefited from the combined lower and upper ROM banking. The code executes from ROM but writes data to RAM.

On the other hand, the GX-4000 has only 64KB of RAM.

The 6128plus, however, has its precious C2 mode, providing 64KB of fully aligned extra-RAM, which is absolutely fantastic too. 😉

[GUNHED]

The world of ROM-banking inside the 6128plus is heavily underestimated by people doing software for non-ROM media. But it can work wonders for sure.

The tile rendering routine greatly benefited from the combined lower and upper ROM banking. The code executes from ROM but writes data to RAM.

On the other hand, the GX-4000 has only 64KB of RAM.

The 6128plus, however, has its precious C2 mode, providing 64KB of fully aligned extra-RAM, which is absolutely fantastic too. 😉

Indeed! But I love &C3 too, to allow upper ROM to access all 64 KB Video RAM. But the Plus can do more of course, as you described. 

[lmimmfn]

The world of ROM-banking inside the 6128plus is heavily underestimated by people doing software for non-ROM media. But it can work wonders for sure.

The tile rendering routine greatly benefited from the combined lower and upper ROM banking. The code executes from ROM but writes data to RAM.

On the other hand, the GX-4000 has only 64KB of RAM.

The 6128plus, however, has its precious C2 mode, providing 64KB of fully aligned extra-RAM, which is absolutely fantastic too. 😉

I'm dumb 😀, the C2 mode is just ram banking? How is that different from the standard 6128?

[norecess464]

I'm dumb 😀, the C2 mode is just ram banking? How is that different from the standard 6128?

No difference.
&C1, &C2, &C3 and all the rest -- they only work on an Amstrad CPC 6128 / 6128plus (or 464/664s with dedicated expansion).
It's quite funny because I clearly remember my mistake at the beginning -- trying to use &C3 RAM banking to swap &4000 <> &C000 VRAM addresses on the GX-4000 (which, of course, didn't work).
That was the first time I experimented with an Amstrad 64KB machine.

[rexbeng]

• The official release is planned for the Benediction Coding 5 event in France at the end of October

That's great news! Also, would this be the first ever CPC release coming from the US?

(oh, wait!)

[Prodatron]

• The official release is planned for the Benediction Coding 5 event in France at the end of October

That's great news! Also, would this be the first ever CPC release coming from the US?

(oh, wait!)

I doubt Trump can annex Canada by October, but we already had several cool US releases from @prevtenet last year

[GUNHED]

I'm dumb 😀, the C2 mode is just ram banking? How is that different from the standard 6128?

No difference.
&C1, &C2, &C3 and all the rest -- they only work on an Amstrad CPC 6128 / 6128plus (or 464/664s with dedicated expansion).
It's quite funny because I clearly remember my mistake at the beginning -- trying to use &C3 RAM banking to swap &4000 <> &C000 VRAM addresses on the GX-4000 (which, of course, didn't work).
That was the first time I experimented with an Amstrad 64KB machine.

Hmmm..... would &C3 work on GX4000 with 128 KB of RAM?

• The official release is planned for the Benediction Coding 5 event in France at the end of October

That's great news! Also, would this be the first ever CPC release coming from the US?

(oh, wait!)

Actually there was a game coming out for the CPC in the USA in 2013. It sold 111 physical copies. However it was coded in USA, Graphics and Songs from France, released from a German Software Company. But never mind, for sure the first release for the GX4000 / 6128plus on the North American Continent :-)

In addition LambdaMikel released quite some CPC stuff before (California actually).

[dthrone]

Neglecting @prevtenet releases and anything involving chickens, it's still a Northern American exclusive though?  It doesn't involve any chickens does it @norecess464, right? 

[norecess464]

The programming of Sonic GX is from North America, but the audio, graphics, and design are from France! Team work!

[eto]

Hmmm..... would &C3 work on GX4000 with 128 KB of RAM?

yes, if you piggy-back the RAM and add the resistor that signals the presence of 128K then it behaves exactly like a 6128 plus. 

[rexbeng]

The programming of Sonic GX is from North America, but the audio, graphics, and design are from France! Team work!

  Wait, considering the release date, are you suggesting that there's a possibility SonicGX could be the most significant collaboration between the States and Russia since WWII? CPC making history, gentlemen!

Jokes aside, looking forward

[norecess464]

We're aiming for a final release on November 1st, 2025!

I can't believe that I'm finally writing this:
YES, we've reached the completion of our remake of Sonic the Hedgehog for the amazing Amstrad GX-4000!

The game is now fully playable from start to finish, just as it will be in the final version.
Level design is 100% complete, including all the boss fights, bonus stages, a proper ending, and much, much more!

This summer, we'll be focusing on final gameplay tweaks, balancing, minor bug fixes, audio enhancements, and a few other finishing touches.

Thank you all for your patience -- we're now in the final stretch!

[RunForItMarty]

Wooooo that's awesome news! Congrats on setting the date.
(Day before my Birthday, what a present )

[BSC]

final release on November 1st, 2025!

But waitaminute, that can't be right! Evoke is happening in August .. https://2025.evoke.eu/ ;-)

[norecess464]

final release on November 1st, 2025!

But waitaminute, that can't be right! Evoke is happening in August .. https://2025.evoke.eu/ ;-)

With all the respect I have for people going to the Evoke demoparty (and I know few of them!);

I prefer releasing the game at a dedicated Amstrad event (Benediction Coding #5), triggering lots of discussions with friends about the game, the platform... than trying to compete for a prize with a bunch of random people/platforms.

[BSC]

With all the respect I have for people going to the Evoke demoparty (and I know few of them!);

I prefer releasing the game at a dedicated Amstrad event (Benediction Coding #5), triggering lots of discussions with friends about the game, the platform... than trying to compete for a prize with a bunch of random people/platforms.

I was joking  And playing with the fact that Evoke is waaay closer to me than BND#5  

[Prodatron]

We're aiming for a final release on November 1st, 2025!
I can't believe that I'm finally writing this:
YES, we've reached the completion of our remake of Sonic the Hedgehog for the amazing Amstrad GX-4000!

I played it last year on Benediction #4 thanks to Toto. It felt completely like a 16-bit game; it was just crazy that it still ran on a CPC! I look forward to seeing you on Benediction #5 this fall!

[scorp6128+]

We're aiming for a final release on November 1st, 2025!
´

Great news, thank you so much.
The proud GX4000 owners and the whole community are eagerly awaiting the release.

[Dubliner]

Congratulations and thank you so much for all the work. Can´t wait to play it