Hobby #12: Mark the Echindna/Damizean’s 3d Sonic Engine

Whoo, it’s been a while since my last blog post, eh? Well, I decided to write up a new one. This one is a 3D, fully open source, Sonic the Hedgehog game engine!

What is an engine? It’s the core of every game, the raw coding that just does enough to make it work; the authors and developers usually add characters and stages and a story and whatnot after they’ve made the core engine. This engine is based off of the old Sonic games (no, not the new 3D ones!), except it’s 3D. It essentially has everything the old games had – speed, jumping, spindashing – and little else character-wise. It kind of gives you a nostalgic feel. Oh, and did I mention it’s fully open source? Yes, my friend, you can make 3D characters and levels to use in it if you’re keen enough on the 3D modelling, blitz 3D code and the engine itself. In fact, I feel like showing you a rather small gallery of pictures that I have from a level I made in it, complete with recoloring sonic:

Racing through a giant log

Overlooking the city

In the somewhat big city

In the castle courtyard

The funny thing about these pictures is that they’re all from the exact same level. Much variety, no? I’ve been doing 3D modelling for- well, actually, not very long now. But wouldn’t you say I’m okay at it since I built this level? I probably will make a 3D modelling hobby post at some point in the near future. That is, when I’m better at it. Also, if anyone is wondering why my sonic is brass-colored instead of blue, I recolored his textures.

I really wish I could make a link to the engine, but links seem to be going fast or something, as the place where I got it not too long ago is gone. Quite odd, I would say. And now for the ratings!

Pros:
Fully open source
Has a classic feel
Is all about speed, momentum and skill like Sonic games should be
Easy to edit

Cons:
A few glitches
No rings, moniters etc or maybe I’m missing something
Is DX7 and uses Blitz3D (AKA uses really old software as the basis)