Some of my favourite Twitter accounts are run by people fascinated with the construction of a particular video game or franchise. Supper Mario Broth leaps readily to mind, an account that keeps up a seemingly endless stream of Mario-related ephemera.
The latest in this particular online oeuvre is Classic Sonic Deconstructed, a Twitter account dedicated to the dissection and study of the physics in Mega Drive-era Sonic the Hedgehog games.
The area Sonic’s position needs to be within to be affected by these vertical fans in Oil Ocean.
The area moves up and down to give it that waving motion!#SonicTheHedgehog pic.twitter.com/OAKrEh6AuN— Classic Sonic Deconstructed (@SonicPhysics) December 5, 2022
The Classic Sonic Deconstructed account uses clear visual overlays and snappy explanations of how Sega created the unique physics of classic, 2D-era Sonic games. Sonic’s relationship to physics is a critical component in the design of those older games — the sense of speed and inertia, for example. The verticality those facets opened up, for another. Classic Sonic Deconstructed pulls back the curtain on the hidden tricks and sleights-of-hand the team used to get it all to work smoothly. So far, some of my favourite discussions have been about collision, and the creative way Sega got Sonic to run smoothly around the series’ iconic loops.
Collision with the floor faces 1 of 4 directions based on the currrent floor angle. Which this switch happens Sonic can pop out a few pixels.
The angle range for wall collision is smaller than floor/ceiling collision, and this results in a bigger jump when walking onto a wall. pic.twitter.com/Pr9EMhVFqz
— Classic Sonic Deconstructed (@SonicPhysics) September 27, 2020
The Classic Sonic Deconstructed account has been around for a while. It was first opened in January 2020, and has been posting regular updates ever since. It’s run by a content creator and developer that goes by Lapper.
Sonic has 2 sensors that look for terrain tiles below him.
He adjusts to the position and angle of the tile found closest to him.
When it’s steep enough, the sensors snap to face horizontal, rotating the entire platformer framework on it’s side for 360 movement. #SonicTheHedgehog pic.twitter.com/FG08zAyWJr— Classic Sonic Deconstructed (@SonicPhysics) December 6, 2022
For a fan of these games since the early days like me, this account could be classed as a highly addictive substance. I’m turning notifications on. Give me more odd Sonic facts, Lapper.
You can follow Classic Sonic Deconstructed on Twitter.
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