Just got it and posting my initial thoughts.
Looks great, sounds great. I really can hear the difference in music and sound (maybe a non-musician wouldn't notice?). The constant 60FPS is nice too.
Starting my normal speed run play in Act 1, I immediately notice that they have fixed a small glitch/bug.
Jumping up underneath the monitor at the start of GHZ 1 in order to get a small boost is no longer possible. I also noticed that some of the enemy start positions are different, as I ran into an sdurf that I normally wouldn't have. Not that either of these two things affect the quality of the port, but I thought should point them out anyways, as they are changes from the original.
Just got to GHZ Act 3. Awesome port so far.
EDIT: Robotnik's Ball in GHZ3 doesn't flicker D: I loved that flicker.
EDIT: I'm just gonna post all the gameplay changes I notice here, because I have no life:
Green Hill Zone Act 1:
-
Can't jump up under monitor at start for speed boost
- Final two sdurfs have different initial positioning
Green Hill Zone Act 2:
- First two sdurfs have different initial positioning
Green Hill Zone Act 3:
- Red spring on bottom path hits Sonic back with less force. However, just like the Genesis version, after touching the spring Sonic will still roll back to the initial platform of the Act unharmed, as long as no buttons are pressed.
- Cannot attack Robotnik until he releases ball and chain
Marble Zone Act 1
- Sonic can no longer roll into blocks to push them
Marble Zone Act 2
- While riding a green block over lava, Sonic can no longer duck to pass through walls/purple bricks.
- Sonic will no longer do the awkward "
air walk jump" when jumping after pressing against a one-brick-width wall.
Marble Zone Act 3
- New crumbling bricks before boss
Spring Yard Zone Act 1
- After touching the first red spring in the stage, Sonic can no longer jump off the wall in order to reach the hidden platform behind him. Player is forced instead to roll off wall.
Special Stage (All)
- Regarding the destructible color-changing blocks - Sonic can fit through a gap one block wide. In the Genesis version a gap had to be two blocks wide.
Special Stage 3 *MAJOR CHANGE*
- In the Genesis version of this stage, if you pressed nothing at all, Sonic would end up at the center of the stage where the emerald is. In the Taxman port, Sonic will instead touch a GOAL (Aw man...can't use my old trick). EDIT: I found that holding left immediately and not letting go will get Sonic to the center where the emerald is.)
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That's probably all for now, leaving to ACEN soon!