This is the sixth piece in Mama Robotnik's Sega Obscura ResetEra Series:
Sega Obscura 1 - The Sega Saturn was the best console EVER for…
Sega Obscura 2 - Sonic 1 (8-bit) is a better game than Sonic 1 (16-bit)
Sega Obscura 3 - The first "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" released hates Sonic, and hates us all
Sega Obscura 4 - The Eleven SEGA "Zeldas"
Sega Obscura 5 - The extraordinary Sega game that played the player
Sega Obscura 6 - The ambitious Sonic game from 2009 that you will never, ever get to play
Sega Obscura 7 - When Sega took on Zelda, they really went for the jugular
Sega Obscura 8 - The most consistent sequence of fuckups in the entirety of the history of video games
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes, it doesn't take long for a Sega product to become Sega Obscura. While the other articles in this series have focussed on content from well over twenty-years ago, today's exploration is of a much more recent Sega release.
User generated content is now mainstream. Minecraft is still as gargantuan as ever, and Super Mario Maker 2 is hotly anticipated. Content creation has always been a part of the industry of-course, but it was back in 2009 that we saw this move beyond mods and hacks, with titles such as Little Big Planet, Scribblenauts, and the aforementioned Mojang behemoth.
But something else came out in 2009, something that should have made waves, something that should have rightfully been a franchise phenomenon.
It was in September of that year, to no fanfare at all, that Sega released the Sonic Level Creator. Sega Europe commissioned Mediatonic to develop the package in Flash for their new PlaySEGA.co.uk portal.
PRESS START
The Sonic Level Creator offered an efficient, intuitive interface that allowed the user to easily create vast landscapes and playgrounds in the style of the 16-bit original. From moving platforms, ramps of varying inclinations, tunnels, bridges, overground areas and underground areas, the player was invited to recreate and reimagine the fun of the series.
The tileset was fresh and vibrant – a lakeside plateau of gem-trees and sparkling rocks, littered with ruined pillars and tiled walls. It showed a clear influence from Green Hill, Marble and Hill Top – while retaining a character of its own.
To up the action and exploration, the player could add from a range of Sonic 1-era enemies (both ground bound and airborne), collectable rings and power-up monitors. These could be added in quantities far higher than the original games supported (e.g. hundreds of enemies), allowing for some interesting possibilities.
The game contained all the familiar Sonic sound effects alongside some new, chirpy music tracks, giving the game a legitimate 16-bit feeling.
LOCK ON
Behind the simple interface lay complex possibility. Enormous levels could be created, emulating the tiered multi-path structure of the early Sonic games. Here is one level – the second image shows the low (green), middle (yellow) and high (red) paths available to the player.
As mentioned above, power ups and enemies could be added in enormous numbers, allowing bridges and walls of villains for Sonic to smash through and bounce off.
The only mandated element was the traditional act-completion signpost, as long as this existed, the level was good to go, and could be saved onto the Sonic Level Creator online database.
LEVEL SELECT
Users who accessed the Sonic Level Creator level database could search for levels, ask for a random level, or access levels shared via URL across the internet. They'd play through the level, and have their completion time recorded at the end. The option was given to rate the levels on a 1-5 scale to support quality control on the database.
The gameplay experience was solid and completely playable, though there were refinements to be had. For the most part, the engine reproduced the momentum-based physics of the original Sonic games, though as you'd imagine for a new software release, some collision detection glitches could make themselves apparent – they could infrequently disrupt playthroughs and infuriate purists.
On the whole though, while not perfect, the experience was devotedly loyal to the original games. No homing attacks, no boosts, no stupid friends or annoying voiceovers. It was a very fun return to classic Sonic, with a feel that Sega wouldn't give us again for a very long time. It was also, for a web-based Flash product, an impressive offering.
Soon, there were hundreds of levels to choose from, with more still in development.
HIDDEN PALACE
It wasn't long until the Flash assets were identified within the PlaySEGA website. It was clear that Sega had big plans.
Green Hill and Marble Tilesets from the Sonic Level Creator
Labyrinth and Spring Yard from the Sonic Level Creator
Star Light and Scrap Brain from the Sonic Level Creator
There were texture files for all of the original Sonic zones, and sprites for zone-specific mechanics such as electric switch platforms.
It looked like there was ambition for the Sonic Level Creator to become something far closer in scale to what Super Mario Maker would be a decade later.
BAD FUTURE
And then suddenly, it was gone. PlaySEGA was shut down with little warning, Sega weren't open to comment, and the Sonic Level Creator and all of its levels – some of which were legitimately amazing – ceased to exist.
The system that PlaySEGA used was never preserved, meaning that there is no way to experience it. All that we have left are a few screenshots and GIFs that I've found across the net, proving that the remarkable product actually existed.
NO WAY
What happened? How could an actual competently-made Sonic Maker fail? How did a legitimately licensed product featuring one of gaming's most recognisable icons, with a huge fanbase, simply appear and disappear in barely a few months?
I don't have any definite answers. I did try to reach out to Mediatonic and Sega for their comments, but none were forthcoming, which is of-course their prerogative.
I think Sega were really onto something with this product, and if they had handled it differently, they could have struck gaming gold. Given that the system contained directories for further zone themes, someone somewhere must have imagined there was scope for the Level Creator to become popular and expandable.
Here is where I suspect they went wrong:
TRY AGAIN
So, there you have it. The Sonic Level Creator. I loved this product, and spent hours working on my levels, and playing on those the community offered up. Even though I enjoy perfect physics, I was happy to accept what was offered, with the anticipation of further updates, refinements and content. It looks like, for a while, that Sega wanted this too.
I'm going to end this article using Sonic CD metaphors.
The SEGA LEVEL CREATOR is the PAST
THE PRESENT came after.
The GOOD FUTURE is where the Sonic Level Creator was moved to its own platform, before the closure of PlaySEGA. Sega invested in the product, commissioning Mediatonic to fix the bugs and add the remaining zones. The monetisation model was reconsidered, and the system became free-to-play, with money made through enhanced features for level creators. The system was relaunched to enormous success, with hundreds of thousands of users playing and sharing levels from their smartphones and across Facebook. The Sonic Level Creator achieved its enormous potential.
Unfortunately, we didn't get all the TIME STONES and are living in the BAD FUTURE. The Sonic Level Creator was, inexplicably discarded by Sega, who would spend the remainder of 2009 focussing on Sonic and the Black Knight, "Project Needlemouse" and the Gameloft port of Sonic Unleashed.
SPECIAL THANKS
The GIFs were created using HellfireMisc's YouTube video, one of the only videos still around that shows the Sonic Level Creator levels.
Images of the tilesets are from the archives of The Spriters Resource.
Sega Obscura 1 - The Sega Saturn was the best console EVER for…
Sega Obscura 2 - Sonic 1 (8-bit) is a better game than Sonic 1 (16-bit)
Sega Obscura 3 - The first "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" released hates Sonic, and hates us all
Sega Obscura 4 - The Eleven SEGA "Zeldas"
Sega Obscura 5 - The extraordinary Sega game that played the player
Sega Obscura 6 - The ambitious Sonic game from 2009 that you will never, ever get to play
Sega Obscura 7 - When Sega took on Zelda, they really went for the jugular
Sega Obscura 8 - The most consistent sequence of fuckups in the entirety of the history of video games
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes, it doesn't take long for a Sega product to become Sega Obscura. While the other articles in this series have focussed on content from well over twenty-years ago, today's exploration is of a much more recent Sega release.
User generated content is now mainstream. Minecraft is still as gargantuan as ever, and Super Mario Maker 2 is hotly anticipated. Content creation has always been a part of the industry of-course, but it was back in 2009 that we saw this move beyond mods and hacks, with titles such as Little Big Planet, Scribblenauts, and the aforementioned Mojang behemoth.
But something else came out in 2009, something that should have made waves, something that should have rightfully been a franchise phenomenon.
It was in September of that year, to no fanfare at all, that Sega released the Sonic Level Creator. Sega Europe commissioned Mediatonic to develop the package in Flash for their new PlaySEGA.co.uk portal.
PRESS START
The Sonic Level Creator offered an efficient, intuitive interface that allowed the user to easily create vast landscapes and playgrounds in the style of the 16-bit original. From moving platforms, ramps of varying inclinations, tunnels, bridges, overground areas and underground areas, the player was invited to recreate and reimagine the fun of the series.
The tileset was fresh and vibrant – a lakeside plateau of gem-trees and sparkling rocks, littered with ruined pillars and tiled walls. It showed a clear influence from Green Hill, Marble and Hill Top – while retaining a character of its own.
To up the action and exploration, the player could add from a range of Sonic 1-era enemies (both ground bound and airborne), collectable rings and power-up monitors. These could be added in quantities far higher than the original games supported (e.g. hundreds of enemies), allowing for some interesting possibilities.
The game contained all the familiar Sonic sound effects alongside some new, chirpy music tracks, giving the game a legitimate 16-bit feeling.
LOCK ON
Behind the simple interface lay complex possibility. Enormous levels could be created, emulating the tiered multi-path structure of the early Sonic games. Here is one level – the second image shows the low (green), middle (yellow) and high (red) paths available to the player.
As mentioned above, power ups and enemies could be added in enormous numbers, allowing bridges and walls of villains for Sonic to smash through and bounce off.
The only mandated element was the traditional act-completion signpost, as long as this existed, the level was good to go, and could be saved onto the Sonic Level Creator online database.
LEVEL SELECT
Users who accessed the Sonic Level Creator level database could search for levels, ask for a random level, or access levels shared via URL across the internet. They'd play through the level, and have their completion time recorded at the end. The option was given to rate the levels on a 1-5 scale to support quality control on the database.
The gameplay experience was solid and completely playable, though there were refinements to be had. For the most part, the engine reproduced the momentum-based physics of the original Sonic games, though as you'd imagine for a new software release, some collision detection glitches could make themselves apparent – they could infrequently disrupt playthroughs and infuriate purists.
On the whole though, while not perfect, the experience was devotedly loyal to the original games. No homing attacks, no boosts, no stupid friends or annoying voiceovers. It was a very fun return to classic Sonic, with a feel that Sega wouldn't give us again for a very long time. It was also, for a web-based Flash product, an impressive offering.
Soon, there were hundreds of levels to choose from, with more still in development.
HIDDEN PALACE
It wasn't long until the Flash assets were identified within the PlaySEGA website. It was clear that Sega had big plans.
Green Hill and Marble Tilesets from the Sonic Level Creator
Labyrinth and Spring Yard from the Sonic Level Creator
Star Light and Scrap Brain from the Sonic Level Creator
There were texture files for all of the original Sonic zones, and sprites for zone-specific mechanics such as electric switch platforms.
It looked like there was ambition for the Sonic Level Creator to become something far closer in scale to what Super Mario Maker would be a decade later.
BAD FUTURE
And then suddenly, it was gone. PlaySEGA was shut down with little warning, Sega weren't open to comment, and the Sonic Level Creator and all of its levels – some of which were legitimately amazing – ceased to exist.
The system that PlaySEGA used was never preserved, meaning that there is no way to experience it. All that we have left are a few screenshots and GIFs that I've found across the net, proving that the remarkable product actually existed.
NO WAY
What happened? How could an actual competently-made Sonic Maker fail? How did a legitimately licensed product featuring one of gaming's most recognisable icons, with a huge fanbase, simply appear and disappear in barely a few months?
I don't have any definite answers. I did try to reach out to Mediatonic and Sega for their comments, but none were forthcoming, which is of-course their prerogative.
I think Sega were really onto something with this product, and if they had handled it differently, they could have struck gaming gold. Given that the system contained directories for further zone themes, someone somewhere must have imagined there was scope for the Level Creator to become popular and expandable.
Here is where I suspect they went wrong:
- The Sonic Level Creator was not marketed at all, and was simply advertised as part of the PlaySEGA overall package. It took a few days for awareness of the product to begin to spread. There might have been a hope for it to go viral, but if so, this was not successful at all.
A package with such appeal should not have been bound to a temporary website. Sega could have built a community around the Sonic Level Creator, with console tie-ins, competitions, promotions – they could have used Mediatonic's work as the foundations for something really ambitious
- The Sonic Level Creator included two components – the level player, which was free to access, and the creator itself, which was locked behind a paywall. This was not unfairly-priced – $5.95 a month, and as a reward for joining Sega posted out a Sega Saturn-themed USB controller (I still have mine). They also offered about a month of free access to the creator package, to prompt interest.
This shouldn't have been the model. The paywall was too much of a barrier, and immediately stifled the appeal of the product. Alternate considerations could have been an ads-based platform, or perhaps offering the default level theme for free while charging creators for access to the other level templates.
- The engine wasn't perfect by any means, but it was pretty good for a Flash-based user-generated-content offer. The physics were certainly better than some of Sonic Team's own dire efforts. Sega should have allowed the team to add updates, to patch and resolve some of the minor physics glitches so the product could reach the quality threshold it was almost at.
TRY AGAIN
So, there you have it. The Sonic Level Creator. I loved this product, and spent hours working on my levels, and playing on those the community offered up. Even though I enjoy perfect physics, I was happy to accept what was offered, with the anticipation of further updates, refinements and content. It looks like, for a while, that Sega wanted this too.
I'm going to end this article using Sonic CD metaphors.
The SEGA LEVEL CREATOR is the PAST
THE PRESENT came after.
The GOOD FUTURE is where the Sonic Level Creator was moved to its own platform, before the closure of PlaySEGA. Sega invested in the product, commissioning Mediatonic to fix the bugs and add the remaining zones. The monetisation model was reconsidered, and the system became free-to-play, with money made through enhanced features for level creators. The system was relaunched to enormous success, with hundreds of thousands of users playing and sharing levels from their smartphones and across Facebook. The Sonic Level Creator achieved its enormous potential.
Unfortunately, we didn't get all the TIME STONES and are living in the BAD FUTURE. The Sonic Level Creator was, inexplicably discarded by Sega, who would spend the remainder of 2009 focussing on Sonic and the Black Knight, "Project Needlemouse" and the Gameloft port of Sonic Unleashed.
SPECIAL THANKS
The GIFs were created using HellfireMisc's YouTube video, one of the only videos still around that shows the Sonic Level Creator levels.
Images of the tilesets are from the archives of The Spriters Resource.
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