Sonic R - Windows PC - Resort Island race as Amy Rose [HD 1080p 60fps]
14A quick for fun video this Friday, this was a test capture that we decided to uploaded to show the original Windows PC 1998 release working on Windows 7 64bit of Sonic R, there was a 2004 re-release that is supposed to work on newer machines but it appears to have had a very limited release in Australia only through the ValuSoft label range. Making that version rather hard to track down.
While guides like the one here: http://www.play-old-pc-games.com/2013/04/09/sonic-r/
Will help you get the 1998 version running on older machines using Windows 7 or above. The version of Direct 3D included on the game isn't supported by newer graphic cards and drivers. Causing the game to crash as soon as you select Direct 3D. That's on top of all the other issues that require DXWind for no keyboard controls and a patched main exe so that it runs on modern processors as they run too fast for the game. However, after much playing around with Direct 3D and not getting the game to work. We used a direct draw wrapper to force the game into direct draw instead and managed to get it working that way.
Direct draw wrapper (download at own risk)
http://www.bitpatch.com/ddwrapper.html
All you have to do is make sure you change the following option to the number 1 in the aqrit.cfg otherwise it won’t work: ForceDirectDrawEmulation = 1
[Edit Update] You can also use a wrapper program called dgvoodoo 2 to get Direct Draw and Direct 3D running. However Direct 3D doesn't support dynamic lighting, so the game looks better under Direct Draw.
You can fin it home page here: http://dege.freeweb.hu/
Finally once that was done, while playing in Direct Draw we then couldn't change the option settings for graphics as it crashed the game. So one install on an old XP machine later we then copied the setting file across having adjust the setting to maximum for direct draw to get around that issue.
Here's a copy of the option setting file called sonic.inf with the option put to the best for direct draw:
http://www.filedropper.com/sonicr (download at own risk)
All in all this is just one giant headache to get running and the music can sometimes stick after a race but that's the least of the problems you face getting this bad boy running! So for now its up and running on our PC and looking all shiny so to speak. The PC version included a number of weather effects and time of day settings for each race, that had to be cut from the Saturn version to hit its 1997 release date. The PC version was used as the basic for the Gamecube and PlayStation 2 ports included in the Sonic Gems Collection.
Also known as: ソニックＲ
Release: 1998
Developer: Sonic Team / Traveller's Tales
Publisher: Sega ( 株式会社セガゲームス )
Format: Windows PC
Sonic R is also available on Sega Saturn and is included on the Sonic Gems Collection for Nintendo Gamecube and Sony PlayStation 2. There is no current release available for sale however and the Gems collection was the last official release..
Randomised Gaming blog: http://randomisedgaming.tumblr.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rdmdgaming
All footage in this video is captured directly from PC via an Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro.