Sonic the Hedgehog: Isle of Magnetic Artifacts

Created by Neo Team Kyukyoku

Title screen

Sonic the Hedgehog: Isle of Magnetic Artifacts (SHIMA) is a hack which aims to overhaul Sonic 1 using a Japanese-inspired aesthetic. The main feature of this demo is Blossom Gardens Zone, the resting area of the isolated, star-god worshipping Kuratranos tribe. BGZ is a fast-paced experience littered with swift-acting enemies, height-granting gimmicks, driving music, and advanced graphical effects. This new zone can be traversed with three playable characters: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna. Sonic, in particular, features a set of unique sprites, the dropdash ability, and a new companion: Abbey the Flicky. Abbey can pick up nearby rings and circle potential targets for Sonic, including hidden monitors.

Some things to note:

There is an experimental parallax effect which suffers from minor graphical glitches.
Don't forget to check out the sound test. While the soundtrack is far from complete, you can find several arrangements, remixes, and original compositions which we plan to utilize in later releases.

Sonic being shot from a flower cannon

I began contributing object code to the project in early 2021. Through discussions on Discord, I also ended up playing a large role in planning and creating assets. On of my biggest achievement was creating a second background which scrolled independently of the foreground and background planes.

Tails running through a loop

SHIMA won various awards at the Sonic Hacking Contest 2022, including the judged and community retro trophies award 1st place, best visual, and best sound. Since the demo's release in 2022, its been on hiatus.

Knuckles launching from a springboard out the water

Downloads:
v1.01 Demo (Sep 2022)
v1.00 Demo (Sep 2022)

Neo Team Kyukyoku Members

AngelKOR64: Character programming
Chron D: Music arrangement
DeltaWooloo: Level layouts, music arrangement, object ports, programming, sound effects
DaxKatter: Music arrangement
Dio-ZX: Character art, object art
Drag109: Level art
fuzzy: Level art, programming
iced t: Level art, object art
Inferno: Level layouts
Inktitious: Level art
Jerry: Level layouts
KatKuriN: Level art
KGL: Level layouts
Kurk: Team Leader, level layouts, music arrangement, music composition
ManiacShard: Object art
NaotoNTP: Object art
ProjectFM: Creative direction, level art, music arrangement, music composition, programming, story planning
Raendom: Programming
Rivet: Programming
two^: Concept art
yami: Level layouts, music composition

Former Members

AmzroSevca: Concept art, story planning
Gemini0: Former team leader, general art, level layouts, programming
jrm1007: Concepts, object art
Kilo: Concept art, programming
lavagaming1: Programming
NotQuiteHere: Music arrangement
poly: Logo, music arrangement
Sr. Gandy: Character art
XGSOAP: Character art

Playtesters

Accel
BladeOfChaos
Certainly Glitchy
Cosmic Eternity
DaxKatter
fengish
GGK912
Hooded Edge
KCEXE
KNIJohn
Matty
Meara Blanchette
MDTravis
Professor Renderer
PX
Sleekflash-16
Sr Paradoxo
soapyy
TheInvisibleSun
UnusualSeeker

Resources

AsuharaMoon: Wind-Up Koi sprites
AURORA☆FIELDS: SMPS2ASM and AMPS
CartoonsAnimate22: Tails and Knuckles sprites
CuckyDev: GHZ ball base
flamewing - Ultra DMA Queue + optimized Kosinski (improved by vladikcomper and MarkeyJester) and Enigma decompression code
Lone Devil: Metal Sonic sprites
MainMemory: SonLVL and Drop Dash programming guide
MarkeyJester: DualPCM and sound test
Mikel Nash: Sonic 3-style super sonic sprites
Observer: Sprite rips
ShibaMayo: ShibaSaturn sprites
snkenjoi: Flex 2
The Eighth Bit: Space Queens MIDI
TheOneMusaab: Sonic 2: The Alternative Sprites
tildearrow: Furnace
Teck: Super Mario Land - Ending Theme MIDI
vladikcomper - optimized Nemesis decompression code
ValleyBell: mid2smps, SMPS Converter, SMPS Research Pack
VladislavSavvateev: DMF2AMPS

Assets from:

Capcom no Quiz Tonosama no Yabou
Cave Story
Freedom Planet
High Seas Havoc
Mega Man Series
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
Ristar
Sangokushi Retsuden: Ransei no Eiyuutachi
Shinobi III
Sonic Series
Touhou Project Series