TIL: Sonic CD Has A Pitch Demo On The DS

[Magmavision2000]

While looking for ROMS to put on my R4 Card (Thanks ClassicGMR!), I got bored and googled "Sonic CD DS" and didn't expect much. But not only did I find out there is a port of Sonic CD on the DS, but you can also get it on Headcannon's website! It was made so Christan Whitehead could show Sega that making a Sonic CD remake was possible.

 

He commissioned stealth (the maker of this pitch) to reverse engineer the game and make a build that could be presented to Sega in late 2009-2010. After it got accepted, Stealth tried to see if whitehead could help get his DS port accepted, but due to Sonic CD being Whitehead's first project with Sega, he didn't want to risk a falling out happening so he denied. Thus, canceling the DS port.

 

Fortunately, stealth released the prototype onto headcannon's website and you can download it!

 

[jhd]

I am a bit confused -- the very same person who commissioned the demo later cancelled the entire project? That seems like an utter waste of resources! 

 

  

[Mikebloke]

On 4/27/2020 at 2:06 AM, jhd said:

I am a bit confused -- the very same person who commissioned the demo later cancelled the entire project? That seems like an utter waste of resources! 

 

  

I guess for a fangame developer to actually be commissioned by the original license owners to do official ports (and then his own game: SonicMania) was worth it to drop the trial ports. He's clearly done well for himself with the proof of concept project as his name on a sega game is an instant buy for me. Hopefully he can do more. Interestingly he was denied the right to do a Sonic 3 android port, presumably this is down to Sega calamity legal situation where they can never remember which rights they do and don't own.