It’s always an honour to share stories like this, and I deeply respect the brilliant developers who pour their efforts into projects that push the boundaries of old systems. Today, I bring you something truly special yet another milestone for the Sega 32X.
Back in January, I had the privilege of unveiling the demo of 32X Tomb Raider. Now, I’m equally excited to highlight another Sonic Robo Blast 2 (SRB2) rewritten for the 32X.
From Doom to Sonic: A Pathway to Innovation
If you’ve been following the 32x homebrew scene, you might remember (how could you not!) Doom 32X Resurrection. At the time, I joked with its creator, Vic, about tackling a Sonic Robo Blast 2 port next. While Vic didn’t take up the challenge, his stellar work on Doom 32X Resurrection laid the groundwork for what’s happening now.
Enter SSNTails, the retired co-creator of Sonic Robo Blast 2, and Saxman, the legendary founder of the Sonic ROM hacking community. Together, they decided it was time for the Sega 32X to finally have its own Sonic title.
A New Frontier for Sonic Robo Blast 2
This isn’t just a straight port. Bringing Sonic Robo Blast 2 to the 32X required a lot of rewriting to fit within the system’s tight 256kb memory constraint. Every aspect of the game has been reworked, from control schemes and player abilities to level designs, all tailored to the 32X’s hardware limitations.
The results? A game that feels like a love letter to the system, even with some notable sacrifices.
Sacrifices for Success
To make the game playable on the 32X, the development team had to make several compromises. Textures run at half resolution, some sprites have been scaled down horizontally, and some features have been stripped away to save precious ROM space. Despite these limitations, the game is visually impressive by 32X standards, capturing the essence of Sonic Robo Blast 2 while making it playable on 90s hardware.
At the time of writing, the game runs on real 32X hardware, though it has only been tested on NTSC systems. My own test version had some imperfections, including missing sound effects. However, emulation fans will be glad to know it works flawlessly on KEGA Fusion 3.64.
What’s Next?
This project is still evolving, and I can’t wait to see how it improves over time. Whether you’re dusting off your 32X or firing up an emulator, this is an achievement you won’t want to miss.
