One of the reasons why SEGA has always been a better company than Nintendo, at least on a human level, is the goodwill it has shown its fans throughout its history, never pursuing them for expressing love for its licenses. Unlike Nintendo, which shuts down left and right any tribute to Mario and friends, SEGA encourages fans to modify their classics as much as they like.
That goodwill has allowed fans from all over the world to keep the company's legacy alive during its tough moments, and today, fortunately, there has been a revival of the blue hedgehog in the form of games like Sonic Mania. In fact, Sonic Mania began as a fan game, so good that SEGA decided to hire the team and release it with its official seal. The SAGE (Sonic Amateur Games Expo) is a celebration of that mutual love.
The "Sonic Amateur Games Expo" has a long history on the web. It is from the 'Old Guard', so to speak. No amateurs. Its beginnings date back to 2000, when the first ROM hacks by users began to be exhibited and shared, as well as games made in Adobe Flash, which at that time were exploding on sites like Newgrounds.
It wasn't until 2005 that, by popular acclaim, it became an annual event. Since then, every year this virtual space serves so that fans can meet, talk about their passions, and for developers to show what they've been working on all year. In addition to presenting games, during the week-long event an agenda is organized with different activities, including tournaments, talks, and demonstrations. Not bad, eh.
This year, SAGE closed with a total of over 40 games in different stages of development. Many of them of the highest quality and all, of course, in homage to SEGA's hedgehog. The best part is that you yourself can visit the expo, right now, just by clicking here. In the video above you can see an animated catalog of everything you'll find. Because yes, there's a lot to download and play. But if you're a busy person and want our recommendations, here are the ones we liked the most. The best of the best.
Crash N Tense Adventure
One of the best games of the expo, without a doubt. Sonic doesn't show its face here; instead, it's Crash Bandicoot (Sony's frustrated mascot) who has to overcome all the dangers of each level (with all his special moves!). All in a beautiful hand-drawn 2D, super colorful and very well animated. With simple controls and many types of moves to execute, controlling the old and beloved Crash is a true pleasure. Thank you SAGE for resurrecting this unjustly forgotten character!
Allegro - The Melodic Warrior
Coming out of a music box, Allegro is an ode to the mascots of the 90s, including Sonic. He is a fast character, complex to control and full of musical effects. Allegro's superpower is to transform into a line that can travel anywhere in the level. Of course, it depends on a counter that decreases as you use the power. To recharge the counter you must collect musical notes, which make funny sounds when you pick them up. Also, passing through portals gives you different powers, depending on the portal's color, useful for moving around the level or discovering secret areas. Super colorful and fun.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/xaO575VG2A4Sonic 2 HD
One of the highlights of the expo, the high-definition remake of Sonic 2. A gem! We already dedicated a full article to this marvel, so I invite you to go here and find out all about it.
Sonic World
Forty playable characters in a 3D adventure that tries (and succeeds) to reproduce the gameplay mechanics of "Sonic Adventures" and "Sonic Heroes". Yes, you read that right. No less than 40 characters, in a completely 3D world made up of 50 levels, each with all kinds of missions. Everything a Sonic fan could ask for. At least if they like the original 3D versions.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/31pxbvw9Y88Bingo the Multiva
Don't ask me what Multiva is, because I couldn't tell you. But it looks like a water droplet with sports shoes. What I can tell you for sure is that the demo has all the vibe, even though it's still a bit rough. It's not a Sonic game, but - as could not be otherwise given the context of the expo - it looks a lot like it. Multiva does everything the hedgehog does, but with renewed colors and enemies. In other words, it looks like 99% of the Sonic clones of the 90s. Which is not bad at all.
Astral World Alpha
A rather limited demo in terms of options and levels, but worth it just to enjoy a beautiful pixel art made with evident love and dedication. More than a tribute to Sonic, Astral World is a tribute to Freedom Planet, a game that started as a mod of Sonic. Pure inbreeding, yes, but the best kind.
Sonic AGES
A project in development (with lots of placeholders), whose main attraction is the delicate animation of the hedgehog. Sonic has never looked so cute. Not even in the HD remake we talked about recently (which also took part in this SAGE edition). Illustrated as if it were a cartoon, really very pretty. In Sonic AGES, the blue hedgehog will traverse levels that don't stray too far from the spirit of the originals. I liked it.
Clash Force 2
At first glance, Clash Force 2 seems more like a Contra clone than a Sonic one. With three characters to choose from and a weapon to shoot everything that moves, you'd think they forgot to put the hedgehog somewhere. But once you start playing, you discover what kind of inspiration it takes from Sonic and enjoy it even more. A fast game that offers a new but recognizable experience. It's a short demo, but it serves to whet our appetite for the concept.
Sonic Pixel
A very short demo that seems to use Sonic Advance graphics (though I'm not sure) and that boasts its pixelated aesthetic from the very title. It only presents one level, but it's very pretty, designed like many of the levels from the original games. A brief joy.
And there you have them, the best games of SAGE 2017. There are many more, like Chao Resort and a demo of Sonic Utopia (a 3D open-world game), both games presented on NeoTeo a while back. If you want to see which titles were left out of the list, you just have to click here and discover the gallery. There's something for everyone. Don't miss them! Want more Sonic? Play the sensational Sonic Time Twisted right now and/or investigate the mysterious arcade machine of the hedgehog.
