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1.26.2011
1.15.2011
S2HD World Premiere
Tonight marks the World Premiere of Sonic 2 HD! For the first time since the project’s technical demonstration in 2008, the curtain has been pulled away to let the world see what Team S2HD has been building up. We hope this answers many of the questions long-time fans of the project have had, and that everyone is just as excited as we are for what’s to come.
For those who haven’t seen S2HD since the Tech Demo, you’ll notice that just about everything has been rebuilt from the ground up. What isn’t as obvious is that everything behind the scenes was scrapped as well: shortly after the Tech Demo’s release, the engine used was thrown away in favor of an even more accurate engine in the works--one capable of far more expansion than was originally imagined. In the year that followed the art direction also saw massive changes, and, from late spring of 2010, the finalized art style brought about the last wave of changes to everything that had been created previously. All of Sonic’s movement frames were redone. All the Badniks were scrapped and redesigned. Many of the level art assets underwent the same treatment. The result of these changes is reflected in what you now see.
By the fans, for the fans, spread the word: the alpha release of Sonic 2 HD will arrive Q1 2011!
By the fans, for the fans, spread the word: the alpha release of Sonic 2 HD will arrive Q1 2011!
1.11.2011
Staff Attack! Act II
Scanline99
S2HD Visuals & Animation Director
S2HD Visuals & Animation Director
The talents of the artist the staff came to call ‘scan’ were obvious from the first time he made himself known to the project. A remarkably gifted illustrator, he arrived on the scene with a product of his own design, an image that stunningly captured the original artstyle of the Sonic 2 in a mock promotional work he had done in the past out of his respect and passion for the franchise. The acclaim by the staff was immediate, but scan had only shown the surface of his abilities.
After his formal invitation to become a staff member, scan began to reveal the depth of his knowledge surrounding all elements of animation, illustration, and a technical mastery that combined the two with the critical content creation packages being utilized by the project. He went on to tackle the many gaps S2HD was experiencing in graphic design, constructing a new and far more appealing logo for the project, and single-handedly worked out the complexities of designing the titlecards, menus, and interfaces that would be used throughout S2HD.
Scan’s work did not stop there. With these visual foundations in place, he went on to deconstruct and expand on the entirety of Sonic's sprite animations, imparting the knowledge to the team needed to build a level of animated fluidity not possible in the original game. This process was then applied to many other project assets; the movements of the game’s many characters and sprites have scan’s animation theory and analysis applied right down to the finest details. Midway through 2010, scan prepared a standardised colouring and rendering manifesto intended to give all game assets ranging from the gameplay sprites and level art to the frontend a more consistent look as well as streamlining the artist's workflow and with the help of Cerulean Nights and Vince embarked upon a rooted implementation of its methods throughout the project.
By the time the project has reached its completion, scan will have also been responsible for the game’s opening introduction, the animated ending sequence, and a host of subtle changes that S2HD would not be the same without.
After his formal invitation to become a staff member, scan began to reveal the depth of his knowledge surrounding all elements of animation, illustration, and a technical mastery that combined the two with the critical content creation packages being utilized by the project. He went on to tackle the many gaps S2HD was experiencing in graphic design, constructing a new and far more appealing logo for the project, and single-handedly worked out the complexities of designing the titlecards, menus, and interfaces that would be used throughout S2HD.
Scan’s work did not stop there. With these visual foundations in place, he went on to deconstruct and expand on the entirety of Sonic's sprite animations, imparting the knowledge to the team needed to build a level of animated fluidity not possible in the original game. This process was then applied to many other project assets; the movements of the game’s many characters and sprites have scan’s animation theory and analysis applied right down to the finest details. Midway through 2010, scan prepared a standardised colouring and rendering manifesto intended to give all game assets ranging from the gameplay sprites and level art to the frontend a more consistent look as well as streamlining the artist's workflow and with the help of Cerulean Nights and Vince embarked upon a rooted implementation of its methods throughout the project.
By the time the project has reached its completion, scan will have also been responsible for the game’s opening introduction, the animated ending sequence, and a host of subtle changes that S2HD would not be the same without.
Cerulean NiGHTS
S2HD Sprite Artist
Despite the efforts put in to refining Sonic’s sprite on a regular basis, the Badniks of S2HD had seen only-halfhearted attempts at completion. All this changed when Cerulean NiGHTs, or ‘CN’, decided to contribute his work to the project.
CN embodied the ideal contributor the project staff had kept an eye open for. A relentless work ethic coupled with an eagerness to receive feedback, whether critical or lauding, his initial submissions of two Badnik sprites were the first real steps the project had taken toward bringing the game’s many enemies to life. At the same time, the process he laid out with his work and the explanations he provided along the way would become the official production method the staff has now documented as the only acceptable way to create the game’s sprites.
With the workflow for the sprites in place, CN expanded his view beyond the Badniks to the core characters as well. After consulting with Vincent on the methods he had been using to create Sonic, frame-by-frame, CN began to assist him in creating the additional animation frames that scan had laid the base for. Although two of them working on Sonic was producing faster, better results, CN felt that the process could be further streamlined. In a joint effort with scan, the two came up with the production method responsible for the final artstyle of S2HD. Taking full advantage of the content creation software’s capabilities, this completely overhauled all the sprites seen in the game and cemented his position as the staff’s primary Sprite Arist.
Just as the motions of the sprites can be attributed to scan’s animation expertise, so too can their faithful artistic designs be credited directly to CN. When not polishing the latest in the long line of assets needed for the final game, CN works as a staff leader to bring the project to its full potential, and is constantly reminding the team to never settle for less that its worth.
The final Act of the Staff Attack! is coming up, where we'll be looking at the project's background artist, it's musical talents, and more.
S2HD Sprite Artist
Despite the efforts put in to refining Sonic’s sprite on a regular basis, the Badniks of S2HD had seen only-halfhearted attempts at completion. All this changed when Cerulean NiGHTs, or ‘CN’, decided to contribute his work to the project.
CN embodied the ideal contributor the project staff had kept an eye open for. A relentless work ethic coupled with an eagerness to receive feedback, whether critical or lauding, his initial submissions of two Badnik sprites were the first real steps the project had taken toward bringing the game’s many enemies to life. At the same time, the process he laid out with his work and the explanations he provided along the way would become the official production method the staff has now documented as the only acceptable way to create the game’s sprites.
With the workflow for the sprites in place, CN expanded his view beyond the Badniks to the core characters as well. After consulting with Vincent on the methods he had been using to create Sonic, frame-by-frame, CN began to assist him in creating the additional animation frames that scan had laid the base for. Although two of them working on Sonic was producing faster, better results, CN felt that the process could be further streamlined. In a joint effort with scan, the two came up with the production method responsible for the final artstyle of S2HD. Taking full advantage of the content creation software’s capabilities, this completely overhauled all the sprites seen in the game and cemented his position as the staff’s primary Sprite Arist.
Just as the motions of the sprites can be attributed to scan’s animation expertise, so too can their faithful artistic designs be credited directly to CN. When not polishing the latest in the long line of assets needed for the final game, CN works as a staff leader to bring the project to its full potential, and is constantly reminding the team to never settle for less that its worth.
Gambit
S2HD Level Artist
Gambit’s introduction to the project had very little to do with the role he would eventually shoulder. One of the project’s major hurdles was the creation of the franchise’s iconic ring, and before it’s eventual, and final, recreation, his proposed design was what brought him to the attention of the staff.
Skilled in both Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Gambit wasted no time to produce more assets for S2HD after he was invited onto the staff. Having taken up the massive, and tedious, task of working with the game’s level artwork, he brought the game’s environment to life in a way those who had tried before could not. This attention to detail soon earned him the dedicated Level Artist position on the team.
Gambit describes himself as nearly OCD in everything he puts his mind to, and his work with S2HD is certainly proof of that. Where many artists would be content with the first or second revision to a given piece, Gambit has overhauled his work on the entire level art set multiple times without complaint when new art directions were decided upon, and in each instance the zones’ appearances proudly reflect the many hours spent on his part crafting them.
The final Act of the Staff Attack! is coming up, where we'll be looking at the project's background artist, it's musical talents, and more.
1.06.2011
Staff Attack! Act I
After summing up the history of the project, we thought another good way to look inside S2HD would be getting to know the staff members themselves. In Act I, we'll take a look at the longest veterans of the project.
Vincent
S2HD Project Leader & Character Artist
A hardcore Sonic fan, Vincent is motivated by his dream of seeing Sonic the Hedgehog's legend brought back in its full glory from the golden era of franchise’s original games. He firmly believes that Sonic’s world has very unique and precise rules to follow in order to feel original next to the classics.
Vincent has long considered that the most faithful way to bring Sonic into the HD era will be in a 2D format. Hand-drawing each animation frame, while time consuming, is the only way he feels will properly express the cartoon-like nature Sonic's motions and attitude; since he started work on the project, he has been responsible for the recreation of over 200 of Sonic’s individual frames. His ultimate goal is to translate the original artwork into a playable showcase of the designers’ vision during development.
In his role as the project leader, Vincent has been guiding the game’s progress and actively drawing character and level assets since the very beginning. He believes in a hands-on approach to promote teamwork, dedication and cooperation of staff members by taking active part in the project’s needs. Critical and sincere on the art feedback, and focused on the best result, he prefers to show improvements directly using file sources or visual mockups over explaining his ideas in words.
Vincent’s programs of choice are Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, which he uses extensively for advanced vector drawing, raster background painting and per pixel anti-alias control. Vincent is also knowledgeable with Adobe Premiere and After Effects.
Canned Karma
S2HD Project Manager, 3D Artist, Writer
A long time fan of classic platformers, ‘CK’ was drawn to Sonic 2 HD when he first heard about its existence on a gaming forum in the summer of 2008. Once he saw that the effort was more than just the typical fan game, he began offering suggestions to streamline the contribution process. Shortly after the project's tech demo release that September, he joined the staff as the Community Contributions Manager, and stepped into the Project Manager role soon afterward.
A 3D modeler by trade, CK is versed in the Autodesk 3Ds Max and Softimage content creation packages and is responsible for all the character models seen in the game's Special Stages. To better assist the sprite artists, he has also worked to create 3D concept art when basic forms could not do the project's vision justice or needed accurate perspective reference.
Beyond his digital work, CK is the staff’s chief writer, and has drafted the majority of the public announcements issued by the project. When he is not actively creating 3D assets for the S2HD, he is coordinating staff activity; in his role as the Project Manager, he acts as the public relations officer for the project, and works closely with the staff leaders to plan the game's direction.
Although he would not personally claim it, LOst is the very definition of a living encyclopedia of Sonic knowledge. Having spent countless hours analyzing all facets of the franchise, he can readily explain at length details that would be lost on all but the most astute players. This keen grasp of all things Sonic related has allowed the project a familiarity with the game's roots that would not have been possible otherwise.
LOst's passion for the franchise is equaled only by his expertise in programming. The engine used for S2HD was built from the ground up by him alone, and the credit for S2HD's remarkably accurate physics can also be attributed to his coding skill. He claims his inspiration comes from Sonic's original programmer, Yuji Naka. LOst considers Naka to be a personal trainer of his, the man who showed him how to "look beyond the pixels" to understand how all areas of the game work in unison.
Since joining the project in the summer of 2008, LOst has been a wealth of information to the team and a cornerstone of optimism
---
Keep watching for the the next Staff Attack! In Act II we'll be introducing the team's core artists.
Vincent
S2HD Project Leader & Character Artist
A hardcore Sonic fan, Vincent is motivated by his dream of seeing Sonic the Hedgehog's legend brought back in its full glory from the golden era of franchise’s original games. He firmly believes that Sonic’s world has very unique and precise rules to follow in order to feel original next to the classics.
Vincent has long considered that the most faithful way to bring Sonic into the HD era will be in a 2D format. Hand-drawing each animation frame, while time consuming, is the only way he feels will properly express the cartoon-like nature Sonic's motions and attitude; since he started work on the project, he has been responsible for the recreation of over 200 of Sonic’s individual frames. His ultimate goal is to translate the original artwork into a playable showcase of the designers’ vision during development.
In his role as the project leader, Vincent has been guiding the game’s progress and actively drawing character and level assets since the very beginning. He believes in a hands-on approach to promote teamwork, dedication and cooperation of staff members by taking active part in the project’s needs. Critical and sincere on the art feedback, and focused on the best result, he prefers to show improvements directly using file sources or visual mockups over explaining his ideas in words.
Vincent’s programs of choice are Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, which he uses extensively for advanced vector drawing, raster background painting and per pixel anti-alias control. Vincent is also knowledgeable with Adobe Premiere and After Effects.
Canned Karma
S2HD Project Manager, 3D Artist, Writer
A long time fan of classic platformers, ‘CK’ was drawn to Sonic 2 HD when he first heard about its existence on a gaming forum in the summer of 2008. Once he saw that the effort was more than just the typical fan game, he began offering suggestions to streamline the contribution process. Shortly after the project's tech demo release that September, he joined the staff as the Community Contributions Manager, and stepped into the Project Manager role soon afterward.
A 3D modeler by trade, CK is versed in the Autodesk 3Ds Max and Softimage content creation packages and is responsible for all the character models seen in the game's Special Stages. To better assist the sprite artists, he has also worked to create 3D concept art when basic forms could not do the project's vision justice or needed accurate perspective reference.
Beyond his digital work, CK is the staff’s chief writer, and has drafted the majority of the public announcements issued by the project. When he is not actively creating 3D assets for the S2HD, he is coordinating staff activity; in his role as the Project Manager, he acts as the public relations officer for the project, and works closely with the staff leaders to plan the game's direction.
LOst
S2HD Engine Programmer
Although he would not personally claim it, LOst is the very definition of a living encyclopedia of Sonic knowledge. Having spent countless hours analyzing all facets of the franchise, he can readily explain at length details that would be lost on all but the most astute players. This keen grasp of all things Sonic related has allowed the project a familiarity with the game's roots that would not have been possible otherwise.
LOst's passion for the franchise is equaled only by his expertise in programming. The engine used for S2HD was built from the ground up by him alone, and the credit for S2HD's remarkably accurate physics can also be attributed to his coding skill. He claims his inspiration comes from Sonic's original programmer, Yuji Naka. LOst considers Naka to be a personal trainer of his, the man who showed him how to "look beyond the pixels" to understand how all areas of the game work in unison.
Since joining the project in the summer of 2008, LOst has been a wealth of information to the team and a cornerstone of optimism
---
Keep watching for the the next Staff Attack! In Act II we'll be introducing the team's core artists.
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