Mess' em up!
Sonic and the Fallen Star is a Retraux Sonic Fan Game by StarDrop Studios released in July 2022. The game has been noticed not only for its simple yet effective gameplay, but also for its dream-like visuals which give the impression of playing a lost Sonic game from the mid-late 90s.The game starts as Sonic and Tails are on a plane trip. While looking at the horizon, Sonic notices an island and sees a star-like meteor falling from the sky: he then asks Tails to land the plane on this island, and so starts an adventure to find the pieces of the Fallen Star before Eggman.
The developer of the game has worked on for a year and a half(-ish, as they say on the trailer video description
) with the goal to learn the process of game development. Noticed at the SAGE 2021, the fangame appeared finished at the 2022 edition.
The game includes 9 zones, the possibility to play Sonic or Tails, and a fully original soundtrack by Hollie Taylor. You can download the game and the music here.
A sequel, titled Sonic and the Moon Facility, was revealed on the 14th of August 2023.
Sonic and the Fallen Star contains examples of the following tropes:
- Adaptational Dye-Job:
- Downplayed with Tails. While he remains yellow, his shoes are colored blue instead of red like they're depicted in canon. This is a reference to an infamous piece of official art for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that miscolored his shoes to be blue.
- Metal Sonic is usually blue like Sonic and only changes colors when he is either powering up or in a unique form (like the red Metal Sonic Kai in Knuckles Chaotix) Here, however, he is colored red by default.
- Downplayed with Tails. While he remains yellow, his shoes are colored blue instead of red like they're depicted in canon. This is a reference to an infamous piece of official art
- Added Alliterative Appeal: All the zones have an alliterative title, Sonic CD style.
- Amusement Park of Doom: Carnival Crater is a literal example as it happens on a Lethal Lava Land and the attractions are made to put Sonic or Tails in the most dangerous hazards possible.
- Astral Finale: Stardom Sanctuary, the location of the True Final Boss, happens in space.
- Badass Adorable: While Sonic and Tails are always this, they look even cuter in the game's art style and some of the animations make them look even more badass.
- Big Honking Traffic Jam: Tropical Tracks Zone mixes this with Palmtree Panic, as it has a speedway in the background in Act 1 and the Act 2 boss is a train conducted by Eggman.
- Bubblegloop Swamp: Bubble Blossom is a forest with underwater sections and pipes transporting your character everywhere to make you feel lost.
- But Thou Must!: While you can choose between Sonic or Tails before selecting a game file, you always play Nova Sonic for the True Final Boss battle.
- The Cameo:
- In the intro cutscene for Discount Districts, Amy Rose appears on a "Mystic Star" advertising, accompanied with her hug sound effect. This panel appears at many places during Act 1.
- In the same level, there are many "Honey" advertisings.
- Before the Act 2 boss of the same Zone, Eggman destroys a statue of Knuckles.
- Gusty Greenhouse has flower sculptures of Mecha Sonic and Silver Sonic before reaching Metal Sonic.
- The bunny mascot◊ Sonic was supposed to be can be seen as a statue in Raspberry River.
- Egopolis: Discount Districts is a city in the glory of Sonic, with statues of him and Tails, commercials for speed shoes and chili dogs stands everywhere. This example is unique as the worship is not due to Sonic having control over the city, but rather because of Amy's influence, as the countless "CD" signboards can testify.
- The Gadfly: After having looked at the panel mentioned above, Tails taunts Sonic about how Amy is obsessed with him and laughs.
- Green Hill Zone: Sapphire Sights Zone follows the series' tradition, as it is a tutorial zone which teaches how to use the different game mechanics.
- Hailfire Peaks: Many areas combine an area thematic with another.
- Jungle Japes: Raspberry River happens in a jungle around a river with giant raspberries.
- Lightning Bruiser: Thunder Turbine's robot happens to be extremely fast and nimble while being as powerful and resistant as Eggman's other machines.
- MacGuffin Delivery Service: This is the plan that Eggman ultimately decides to fall on; having already obtained one of the Fallen Star's fragments, he decides to let Sonic and Tails gather the remaining four, and then take them all from them when they arrive at his base.
- Metropolis Level: Discount Districts happens on a big city with advertising (including a familiar pink hedgehog) and tall buildings which require precision to climb. If Sonic or Tails fails some platforming sections in Act 2, he will fall on a subway track where the vehicle goes at full speed and makes him lose all his Rings.
- Mobile Factory: Thunder Turbine is Eggman's main base and contains a machine to extract the Fallen Star's energy.
- Mythology Gag:
- Sonic strikes the pose seen on the Dreamcast box art◊ of Sonic Adventure when jumping through a rainbow ring in the special stages.
- The game has many references to Sonic CD, from Sonic's animations which refer to the animated cutscenes to the alliterative titles, but also Wacky Workbench's angel statue which is hidden in Frozen Fountain.
- Discount Districts has Chao in Space promotional posters.
- Some of the loops◊ in Strawberry River Act 2 are based on a scrapped loop design◊ featured in concept art for Sonic 1.
- Sonic strikes the pose
- Neglected Garden: Surprisingly averted with Gusty Greenhouse, considering it is Eggman's base and the mad scientist is known for his disdain for vegetal life.
- Nostalgia Level: During his second phase, Metal Sonic transports Sonic or Tails into the Bad Future of Stardust Speedway.
- Shout-Out: The Kirby Warp Star sound effect can be heard when the Fallen Star pieces fly to different locations.
- Slippy-Slidey Ice World: Frozen Fountain is a snow and ice level with slippery floors, icing enemies, and ice cubes Sonic or Tails has to break by being in an ice cube himself, or by pushing them in a cauldron. It combines with Eternal Engine as some sections happen on a conveyor belt where giant ice cubes fall.
- Super Mode: Alongside the usual Super Sonic, after the final boss, Sonic fuses with the Fallen Star and transforms into Nova Sonic to fight the True Final Boss.
