Sonic 1: The Super Challenges release! (Sonic Hacking Contest 2025 contribution)

Sonic 1: The Super Challenges release!
(Sonic Hacking Contest 2025 contribution)

Release details

 

    A game mod DeltaW, the rest of the development team, and I have been working called Sonic 1: The Super Challenges has been released this week for the Sonic Hacking Contest 2025! The devteam and I have been working on the game mod since 2024 for the Sega Genesis, with support added for Sega CD Mode 1 functionality too!

 

 

S1SC Trailer

 

SHC25 Trailer
 

About Sonic 1: The Super Challenges

 

    Sonic 1: The Super Challenges is a game mod of Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit) for the Sega Genesis that focuses on the Super and Hyper forms of Sonic and his friends. Each of the characters have special move sets, based on their Super or Hyper forms.

Playable characters in this game mod include:

• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Tails the Fox
• Knuckles the Echidna
• Classic Amy Rose! (from Sonic Origins/Sonic Superstars)
  

   The game features you playing through Sonic 1 in Super/Hyper forms of the characters. You lose rings faster as you proceed through with this hack, so make sure to be aware of your ring counter. There are leaderboards, 2 game difficulties, alternative soundtracks, lots of super music options, multiple game modes, and so much more!

Features: 

• Game modes
  
• Island Dash 
• Endless Dash
• Clock Dash
• Randomized Dash
  
  
• Game Difficulty settings
• Normal Mode
• Hard Mode
  
  
• Features
• Leaderboard System
• Tracks the top 4 records across every game mode
• Showcases the best time based on settings
• Number of rings collected
• Character/super form selected
• Game difficulty selected
• Instruction Menu 
• Settings
  
• Piano-roll based Sound Test (for the FM soundtrack) 
• New credits screen
  
  
• New Monitor powerups
  
  
• Other features
  
• Select a wide range of Super Sonic themes from a playlist to play or have the game randomise them for you per level
• Save SRAM support to save your records and attempt to beat it the next time you play the game
• Sega CD Mode 1 support
• Add a custom Redbook CD audio soundtrack if a Sega CD add-on is attached

 Full details on the game mod is available at the Sonic Retro Wiki page article.

 

My (GenesisDoes) contributions to the game mod

 

 

   While on the devteam, I (GenesisDoes) contributed to the game's music and to playtesting the game on real Sega Genesis and Sega CD hardware, for QA and bug testing.

 

Specific SMPS songs I converted, ported, and contributed to the ROM hack

• Kenny Loggins - Highway to the Danger Zone (MIDI conversion)
• Crash Team Racing - Tiny Arena (MIDI conversion)
  
• Socket/Time Dominator - High Speed Area (port) 
• Socket/Time Dominator - Time Trial (port)
  

   All of these songs (except Danger Zone) I recycled from my own Socket the Hedgeduck game mod. Danger Zone was a unique song cover composed for this game mod. The other Socket songs were tweaked to use Sonic 1 DAC drums. Tiny Arena was improved with PSG backing chords, better FM instruments, and usage of various DAC samples within the Sonic 2 Clone Driver complete set.

 

   I also greatly contributed as a regular playtester of the game, finding and reporting bugs, and testing for issues on real Sega Genesis and Sega CD hardware.

 

Sonic 1 Super Challenges
SMPS music I composed

S1SC Credits (GenesisDoes)

Release pages

 

SHC25 Entry
Sonic Stuff Research Group thread (SSRG)

   I hope players will enjoy the game mod as much as our team has had developing it! Remember to watch the livestreams of this year's game mods and our game during the Sonic Hacking Contest 2025, and to vote for our hack to win a few trophies 😉.

- GenesisDoes