This page is for the 2012 Retro Engine version. For the original 1995/1996 versions, see Sonic CD.
Sonic CD (2012) is a cartoon side view platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. It is enhanced remastered version of Sonic CD that uses the Retro Engine developed by Christian Whitehead.
The Retro Engine remaster of Sonic CD was originally developed for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Android and iOS devices in 2011. It was later ported to Windows through Steam in 2012. The Retro Engine remaster is notable in that it is not a direct port of the Sega CD version nor emulation, but rather rebuilt from scratch using the engine which allows for an array of enhancements such as native widescreen presentation, 60 FPS Special Stages, higher quality FMV cutscenes, the ability to use the Spin Dash mechanics from Sonic CD or Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and includes both the Japanese and North American soundtracks. The success of the 2012 Retro Engine remaster of Sonic CD lead Christian Whitehead to continue working with Sega and a collaboration with Headcannon to develop similar remasters for Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for Android and iOS devices in 2013, both of whom also went on to collaborate with PagodaWest Games to develop Sonic Mania in 2017. This game was delisted on Steam on May 2022 but it has been re-released as part of Sonic Origins.
The game physics and speed in Sonic CD (2012) are tied around 60 FPS, meaning slowdowns on lower end machines and speedups with high refresh rate monitors. Despite featuring multiple resolution scaling options, the game has a persistent smoothing effect, making it impossible to provide a sharp pixel image quality. A mod loader for the Steam version of the game was released in 2017, allowing for modifications to be possible. An open-source decompilation port of Sonic CD (2012) developed by Rubberduckycooly and other contributors was released in 2021, featuring various improvements and a built-in mod loader similarly to the mobile decompilation ports of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
General information
- Official developer site
- Sonic Retro - A huge fan site for everything Sonic the Hedgehog. Mods for all the games can be found here.
- Steam Community Discussions
Availability
Essential improvements
- An open-source decompilation of Sonic CD (2011). Requires the
Data.rsdk file from the Steam version or extracted from the mobile version's APK to run, however, the former is recommended for better compatibility with unofficial fixes and mods.
- Allows the game to be displayed with nearest-neighbor and pixel-perfect scaling, features keyboard and controller remapping (via editing its
settings.ini), native x64 and x86 Windows support, a built-in mod loader, and full support of the updated scripts from the mobile version, allowing for features the official PC version never received.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
Save game data location
Video
- Use the decompilation port for unstretched scaling and support for aspect-ratios other than 5:3.
- Glitches appear in aspect-ratios wider than 5:3 with the Steam scripts. Use the mobile scripts to alleviate the glitches with wider aspect-ratios.[citation needed]
- The game's graphics in this re-release appear rather blurry, regardless of resolution selected and the in-game Nostalgia video filter does not provide a clear nearest-neighbor image. Use the decompilation port for native Nearest-neighbor/pixel-perfect support, or follow this guide by TheA_Gamer554 for a workaround to make the vanilla game run in a pixel-perfect scaled image; pre-made 4:3 and 15:9
setup.dat files are available to download.[1]
Input
Xbox 360 Controller layout for the game.
Audio
In-game soundtrack selection menu.
| Audio feature |
State |
Notes |
| Separate volume controls |
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| Surround sound |
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| Subtitles |
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Song lyrics are not subtitled. |
| Closed captions |
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| Mute on focus lost |
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| Royalty free audio |
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Localizations
| Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
| English |
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Only for the North American songs and a few Sonic voice samples. The Japanese songs use their instrumental versions due to licensing issues; use the Restore Lyrics mod.[Note 2] |
| French |
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| German |
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| Italian |
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| Spanish |
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Issues fixed
Game runs too fast.
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Limit the Framerate to 60FPS[citation needed]
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Set monitor on 60hz.[citation needed]
|
Game configuration program giving errors and refusing to show any options on the "Video Mode"
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Install DirectX[3]
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- Download DirectX.
- Open dxwebsetup.exe and proceed with the installation (Untick "Install Bing Toolbar").
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Other information
API
| Technical specs |
Supported |
Notes |
| Direct3D |
9.0c |
|
| Shader Model support |
3.0 |
|
| Executable |
32-bit |
64-bit |
Notes |
| Windows |
|
|
|
Modifications
- Mods require the Sonic CD Mod Loader for the Steam version; the decompilation port can load mods natively, however, toggling and rearranging the load order of each mod requires the developer mode to be enabled in
settings.ini (see this tutorial for details). A mod loader for the decompilation port is also available. Mods are generally not compatible with each other unless they are created to be compatible.
- The load order priority for mods in the Steam version is top to bottom, whereas the decompilation port's load order priority is bottom to top.
FMV replacements:
- Sonic CD original 4:3 videos - Replaces the stretched 16:9 videos with the original 4:3 versions, pillarboxed to 16:9. Also fixes the speed of the Ending version of Sonic Boom from the US soundtrack.
- Restore Lyrics Japanese Songs HQ - Replaces the instrumental Opening and Ending songs[Note 3] used by the Japanese soundtrack with the versions with vocals, as found on the original Japanese and European Mega CD releases.[Note 2]
- Sonic CD AI Upscaled and Regrained Videos - A mod similar to the ones above but the videos has been upscaled to 1280x960 using Topaz Video Enhance AI neural network with artificial film grain applied to recreate the look of analogue 35mm/16mm anime scenes. The vocals from the Japanese soundtrack are also restored.
Bugfixes/improvements:
- Parity Updates and Fixes - Various fixes and restorations relating to the mobile version's sprites in the decompilation port when using the Steam version's data files, as well as enabling the game's software and hardware renderer to be independent from the platform being used.
- Fixed Decomp Menu - Fixes the menus and title screen graphic of the Steam version's data files when played in the decompilation port while adding functionality to unused menu options and restoring the game's achievements by using the Time Attack menu system as a base. This mod is built-in for Sonic CD Restored, the ...And Knuckles for Sonic CD Restored add-on, and Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic CD mods.
- Fixed Title Cards - Fixes an issue in the decompilation port where stage title cards are displayed incorrectly with a display width of 424 pixels instead of 400.
- Time Warp Fixes - Decreases the amount of time needed to initiate time travel to resemble the Sega CD version while fixing an issue with the vertical conveyer belts in Quartz Quadrant Zone.
Audio/video enhancements:
- Palmtree Panic Past Redbook Music Restoration - Replaces background music from the past version of Palmtree Panic with the Redbook CD Audio version found on the disc for a beta version of the game.
- Missing Music Restoration for JP & US Soundtracks - Remasters both Japanese and US soundtracks with the highest quality sources available while restoring missing music tracks from their respective soundtracks.
- Separated U.S. Past Themes - Replaces the re-used Japanese Past Zone music tracks with unique ones composed for the US soundtrack.
- Custom Soundtrack - Adds the ability to customize the game's soundtracks. Requires Missing Music Restoration for JP & US Soundtracks (base mod and Bonus Tracks) and Separated U.S. Past Themes (base or Mix version).
- Non-Wavy Tidal Tempest Flowers - Changes the flowers in Tidal Tempest Zone to no longer look distorted and wavy when out of water.
- Sonic Sprite Fixes - Fixes various issues with Sonic's in-game sprites and animations. Compatible with Sonic CD Restored.
- FMV Accurate Amy Rose Shoes - Corrects Amy's shoes to make them accurate to her FMV and official artworks.
- Metal Sonic with Red Eyes - Corrects Metal Sonic's eye color to match with official artworks and promotional material.
- Consistent Eggman - Fixes the inconsistent art design of Dr. Eggman's in-game sprites in certain parts of the game.
- '93 Colors - Restores the game's color palette to resemble the Sega CD version on original hardware.
Total conversion:
- Sonic CD Restored - A fangame that primarily aims to recreate the glitchless speedrunning experience of the original 1993 version of Sonic CD. Separate versions for 4:3 and 16:9 resolutions are available for the Steam version as well as a standalone port based off the mobile decompilation. This mod also adds Amy Rose as a playable character and comes with the Enhanced Hybrid and Unified OST to replace the default Japanese and US soundtracks respectively (they still exist in-game, but require conditions to be unlocked). Requires the Sonic CD Mod Loader if using the mod with the Steam version. No longer compatible with Sonic CD & Knuckles.
- Sonic CD & Knuckles - A mod that adds Knuckles the Echidna as a playable character while merging extensive options from CheatFreak's Sonic CD Tweaks mod, such as toggles for Time Travel Overhauled, higher quality 16-bit sound effects, customizable soundtrack and other additional settings. It also includes some additional bugfixes while fixing physics inaccuracies and behavioral issues for the base game and the required mods. No longer compatible with Sonic CD Restored.
System requirements
| Windows |
|
Minimum |
| Operating system (OS) |
XP |
| Processor (CPU) |
Intel Pentium 4 1.0 GHz |
| System memory (RAM) |
1 GB |
| Hard disk drive (HDD) |
321 MB |
| Video card (GPU) |
DirectX 9.0c compatible
Shader model 3.0 support |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data (use Wine regedit to access Windows registry paths). Games with Steam Cloud support may store data in
~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/200940/ in addition to or instead of this directory. The app ID (200940) may differ in some cases. Treat backslashes as forward slashes. See the glossary page for details.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Japanese, when in reference to the Sonic CD soundtracks, refers to nationality only and not language spoken. All songs in Sonic CD with vocals are sung in English only.
- ↑ OP: Sonic - You Can Do Anything
ED: Cosmic Eternity - Believe in Yourself
References
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