Today, with the assistance of hex editors, disassemblies and specific Sonic Hacking Utilities, fans have been creating more extensive modifications. level art changes and original level layouts.major art (title screen, HUD, et al.) changes.Over time, as the scene learns more about the underlying code behind the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the extent of these modifications has expanded. While earlier hacks were simple, such as minor palette changes, a number of hacks today are very complex.
Starting with the early documents penned by Cyan and saxman, to the Nemesis guides, the Sonic Community Hacking Guide, and beyond, researchers have used their understanding of the Sonic games to alter them in various ways. From the emergence of Cyan Helkaraxe's Sonic 1 Beta Hoax in 1999, the production of hacks has been a vital part of the Sonic research community and scene. Sonic hacks are altered versions of Sonic the Hedgehog games that have been edited through the process of ROM Hacking. Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog is a hack that allows a player to play as Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog, a feature that Sega intended to be possible using Lock-On Technology, but ultimately removed due to technical problems.
