The mobile remasters of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 by Christian Whitehead and Headcannon have been successfully decompiled and released to the public.
For the first time, fans can finally play the ports on PC without the need for an Android emulator.
The backstory
The mobile remasters, running on Retro Engine, are widely considered to be the definitive versions of the classic titles. They have gained fame in the community for its well-made, polished feel compared to the original Mega Drive iterations.
Despite this, the remasters never saw an official release on consoles or PC, which was in stark contrast to the 2011 Sonic CD remaster, also made by Christian Whitehead and his crew, that saw a multifaceted release.
The decompilation
After years of development, Retro Engine Modding Community members ‘RubberDuckyCooly’ and ‘RMGRich’ have made a brand new decompiler for both Sonic titles.
The way it works is the following: the user will need to clone the repository provided on GitHub, copy the ‘data.rsdk’ folder within the game (if instructed), then build using the integrated development environment of choice.
The interface is barebones, and some glitches have been noticed, but the team is working to improve on these issues and aspects.
Be that as it may, fans have already found ways to make it play in platforms such as the PlayStation Vita and the Nintendo Switch.
The user can customize the game in ways never thought before as well, such as expanding the screen size by altering the ‘settings.ini’ file.
It’s also been stated that modding is a possibility for those that are interested in doing so, similar to the efforts made towards Sonic Mania, and 2011’s Sonic CD.
The decompilation can be accessed on GitHub.
