After more than five years of anticipation, Sonic the Hedgehog has finally raced onto the Amstrad GX4000 and Amstrad Plus, thanks to a passionate team of developers known as Condense. The long-awaited fan project, titled Sonic GX, reimagines SEGA’s classic platformer for Amstrad’s hardware and is now available to download for free.
The Amstrad GX4000 and Amstrad Plus were 1990s-era gaming systems developed by British electronics company Amstrad. The GX4000 was a cartridge-based console built on the same architecture as the Amstrad CPC Plus computers, offering improved graphics and sound over the original CPC line. Despite technical innovations such as hardware sprites and smoother scrolling, the system was short-lived due to limited software support and stiff competition from SEGA and Nintendo. Because of this, Sonic GX’s release is a remarkable milestone for retro gaming fans, showcasing what the GX4000 and Plus were truly capable of.
Development on Sonic GX began back in 2019, with early footage showcasing its special stages gaining attention from retro gaming circles. The game was created by a small but dedicated team: NoRecess (programming), CeD (graphics enhancements), Targhan (audio), and TotO (design, support, and testing).
Rather than directly adapting the SEGA Mega Drive version, Sonic GX draws inspiration from the Master System release developed by Ancient. It features two-act stages modeled after Bridge Zone and Jungle Zone, along with an original third area known as Sky City Zone. The new zone introduces mechanics similar to those found in Scrap Brain Zone, such as conveyor belts and moving platforms, all optimized for the Amstrad’s capabilities.
Between acts, players can tackle unique special stages reminiscent of the ring-collecting challenges from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. These bonus rounds play out on a flat plane instead of the original’s curved perspective, adding a creative twist tailored to the system’s technical limits.
The result is a remarkably faithful 8-bit Sonic experience that pushes the GX4000 and Amstrad Plus hardware to their limits. Every pixel, jump, and loop feels lovingly crafted, a testament to Condense’s attention to detail and passion for the blue blur’s legacy.
Fans can download Sonic GX for free and experience this impressive homebrew milestone firsthand. It stands as one of the most ambitious Sonic fan projects ever completed for retro hardware, blending nostalgia and technical mastery in one electrifying package.
Stay tuned to Sonic City for more news and updates on Sonic fan projects and retro releases.
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