Okay, so Sonic The Hedgehog ZX is basically a romhack of the original Sonic 1, but with some wild twists. You still get that classic Genesis speed and loop-de-loops, except now there are new zones, different enemy placements, and even a few surprises if you’ve played the original to death. The first time I booted it up, I thought I knew Green Hill Zone—then I hit a spring that launched me somewhere completely unexpected.

It’s not just a lazy reskin, either. The physics feel tweaked—Sonic’s momentum is a little different, and some jumps take getting used to. If you’ve memorized every pixel of the original, this’ll trip you up in the best way. And yeah, it’s still punishing if you rush in without thinking, just like the old days.

Definitely one of the better Sonic hacks out there if you’re craving something familiar but fresh. Just don’t blame me when you get stuck in a new trap.