SAGE 2020: SONIC GALACTIC IS A SHOWSTOPPER!
2D Sonic fangames seem to be a dime a dozen these days, but that doesn’t mean the quality of these projects are suffering. Au contraire, with each and every expo, there’s bound to be a handful to impress the masses. One of this years showstoppers is Sonic Galactic, and if we didn’t know any better, we’d think it was a comprehensive Sonic Mania overhaul.
It isn’t. This one’s home grown, built from the ground up by Starteam, and it shows promise as one of SAGE 2020’s best entries.
Sonic Galactic presents itself as another entry in the Classic Sonic games as many fangames do, but where Galactic sets itself apart is not simply by enhancing the graphics and sound or improving the controls (both of which are hard to do!), but by introducing a brand new hero to the mix, and bringing new life to an old fan favorite. Fang the Sniper joins Sonic, Tails and Knuckles on their latest journey to kick Dr Eggman to the curb, but a new face joins the cast: Tunnel the Mole.
What I love about Sonic Galactic is that they could’ve easily phoned-in these additional characters, but they very clearly put in some work to ensure that each newcomer has a special ability that compliments the core gameplay. Fang’s iconic cork-gun is used to double jump, but there’s a finesse to how far you can launch depending on how long you hold down the jump button. Meanwhile, Tunnel the Mole introduces a new dash-and-burrow ability that destroys enemies in its wake, and even stick to ceilings if timed right. It’s a pretty neat technique that shows some promise for interesting playthroughs.
Controls are nice and tight as you’d hope: it feels just like a genuine Classic Sonic game, but the masterful spritework and composition in addition to the aforementioned new abilities lend this project it’s own soul. I simply wanted to play more. I was ready to move onto the next Zone and see what else they had in store, but it looks like we’ll have to wait just a little longer for the rest.
It’s charming through and through, and I believe it can stand toe-to-toe with an official SEGA release if given enough time and discipline. Sonic Galactic can be downloaded at it’s booth at SFGHQ, and is absolutely worth your time! Be sure to give every character a shot!
