Ultimate Flash Sonic: A Fan-Made Tribute to a Gaming Icon
By Jack Cooper
A true gem from the golden age of Flash gaming, Ultimate Flash Sonic stands as a testament to fan creativity and passion. Created by a then 17-year-old developer known as Dennis-Gid (also as menace.ch), this fan game was uploaded to the popular platform Newgrounds on February 21, 2004. It quickly became one of the most widely played and well-regarded Sonic fan games of its era.
A Familiar Feel with a Fan's Touch
Ultimate Flash Sonic was designed as a tribute to the Sonic Advance series on the Game Boy Advance, particularly Sonic Advance 2, from which it borrows most of its visual assets and musical cues. The gameplay delivers a classic 2D side-scrolling platformer experience that will feel instantly familiar to any Sonic fan. Players navigate through levels using the arrow keys for movement and the spacebar to perform actions like jumping and the iconic spin dash.
The game was a technical achievement for its time, crafted in Adobe ActionScript 2. Dennis-Gid implemented a clever tile-loading technique that ensured high frame rates, all within a modest file size of 1.4 megabytes.
A Roster of Iconic Characters
Players can choose from an impressive lineup of six characters from the Sonic universe:
Sonic the Hedgehog: The famously fast protagonist.
Tails: Capable of flying for a short duration.
Knuckles the Echidna: Though in this version, he lacks his signature gliding and climbing abilities.
Cream the Rabbit & Cheese: Accompanied by her Chao, Cheese, Cream can also fly.
Amy Rose: An unlockable character.
Shadow the Hedgehog: The final unlockable character, a cool addition as he wasn't playable in the Sonic Advance games.
Initially, four characters are available, with Amy and Shadow being unlocked sequentially after completing the game. While the character roster is large, it's worth noting that only Tails and Cream have their distinct flight abilities; the others control identically to Sonic.
Zones and Progression
The adventure unfolds across two primary zones, each with its own acts:
Leaf Forest
Ice Paradise
Progress in the game is saved through a straightforward password system. For players who want to experience everything the game has to offer without playing through it multiple times, the master password 595313131313131 unlocks all characters and cheats.
Cheats and Unlockables
Completing the game with different characters rewards players with a variety of cheats that add new layers of fun and replayability:
Sonic Run 2: Changes Sonic's running animation to the one seen in the first Sonic Advance.
Tails Follow: Makes Tails trail behind the current player character.
Behind: A quirky cheat that places the character in the background, behind scenery objects.
Big Cheese: Increases the size of Cream's companion, Cheese, to match her own.
Jukebox: Adds a music selection feature to the pause menu.
Moon Jump: Activates a low-gravity environment for floatier jumps.
Legacy of a Fan-Made Classic
Despite some quirks, such as a recurring typo in the end-of-act message stating "Sonic Got Trough Act 1," Ultimate Flash Sonic is remembered fondly for its solid controls and level design that captured the essence of the official games. Its creation by a young, passionate developer in the early 2000s highlights a significant era in internet and gaming culture. For many, it served as an introduction to the Sonic series and remains a beloved piece of fan-made history.