Christian Whitehead | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Other names | The Taxman |
| Occupation | Game programmer |
| Employer | Evening Star |
| Known for | DevelopingSonic the Hedgehog video games |
Christian Whitehead, also known asThe Taxman,[1] is an Australianvideo game programmer and designer.[2] He is most recognized for his work creating updated ports of early games inSega'sSonic the Hedgehog series, as well as being a lead developer of an original game in the series,Sonic Mania. In late 2018, Whitehead co-founded indie development studioEvening Star, which launched its first game,Penny's Big Breakaway, in early 2024.
In 2006, Whitehead worked as a freelance 3D animator with the company Kine Graffiti. Since 2009, he has focused on game development, developing variousfangames based on theSonic the Hedgehog series, starting with a 2007fangame entitledRetro Sonic. The game became notable after its release for its accuracy to the games, despite not being aROM hack ormodification to an existingSonic game.[3]Retro Sonic later merged with two otherSonic fangames,Sonic XG andSonic Nexus, to formRetro Sonic Nexus.[4][5]
In 2009,Sega asked fans for ideas on a game to port toiOS. As a response, Whitehead produced a "proof-of-concept" video ofSonic CD running on aniPhone using his own custom engine, the "Retro Engine".[6][7] In an interview withSteven O'Donnell ofGood Game: Spawn Point, Whitehead proclaims that he spent "about a year or so" convincing Sega to let him work on theSonic CD port.[8] In 2009, a video regardingSonic CD from Whitehead was taken down, leadingEurogamer to report that Whitehead possibly faced acease and desist letter from Sega, which Whitehead claimed was false.[9][8] The port was released forXbox 360,PlayStation 3,iPhone andAndroid in 2011.[9] His remake was so successful that he, along with developer Simon "Stealth" Thomley of the studio Headcannon, would later be commissioned to remasterSonic the Hedgehog andSonic the Hedgehog 2 for mobile devices.[7]
Although he, along with Headcannon, released a proof-of-concept video for aSonic the Hedgehog 3 remaster in 2014, Sega did not greenlight the port, which Thomley assumed to be in part ofMichael Jackson's contribution to the music.[10][11] In 2015, it was announced that Whitehead would be involved in his first non-Sonic game,Freedom Planet 2.[12] In 2017, Whitehead, in collaboration with Headcannon and PagodaWest Games, developed and released their own original title in theSonic series, titledSonic Mania.[13][14] In 2018,Sonic Mania was re-released asSonic Mania Plus, which added additional content to the original game.Sonic Mania Plus was developed by Whitehead, Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, and the now included Hyperkinetic Studios.[15] Whitehead also contributed to the development ofSonic Origins, providing a new version of the engine used in the remasters.[16]
In late 2018, Whitehead and other development members behindSonic Mania founded their own studio Evening Star,[17][18] where he serves as creative director and lead engine architect.[18] In 2022, the studio signed a publishing deal withPrivate Division; their first title,Penny's Big Breakaway, was released in 2024.
The Retro Engine is primarily tailored for creatingtwo-dimensional games like those released for 32-bit or below-era consoles, such as theSega Saturn,Sega Genesis or theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System. For this reason, the engine focuses more onraster graphics andpalette manipulation, although it does feature support forwidescreen graphics and online functionality.[19]
Whitehead created the Retro Engine for use inRetro Sonic in 2007. He would also use the engine to develop remasters ofSonic the Hedgehog andSonic the Hedgehog 2 using the engine, released for mobile platforms in 2013.[20][21] A proof-of-concept remaster ofSonic 3 & Knuckles proposed by Whitehead and Thomley but not approved by Sega was to use the engine.[20] The engine went on to see further use withSonic Mania, as well as its downloadable contentSonic Mania Plus, before being converted to full 3D forPenny's Big Breakaway. This iteration was initially called the Star Engine, as it was revamped for the new game, but was changed back to strengthen ties with Whitehead's previous work, as well as to avoid confusion with another studio's engine named STARENGINE.[22][23]
The Retro Engine was also used by Sega for their compilationSonic Origins in 2022, which includes remakes ofSonic the Hedgehog,Sonic the Hedgehog 2,Sonic CD, andSonic 3 & Knuckles (with the music problems solved by compositions of original tracks); Whitehead updated the engine for the release but otherwise had no involvement.[24][25]
| Year | Title | Collaborator(s) | Publisher | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Retro Sonic | — | self-published | Windows,Dreamcast |
| 2008 | Sonic Nexus | Brad Flick and Hunter Bridges | self-published | Windows,Mac OS X |
| 2011 | Sonic CD | BlitWorks (PC/Console port)[26] | Sega | Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,iOS,Android,Ouya,Windows,Apple TV,Amazon Fire TV |
| 2013 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Headcannon | Sega | iOS,Android,Apple TV,Amazon Fire TV |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Headcannon | Sega | ||
| 2017 | Sonic Mania | Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, Hyperkinetic Studios (Plus update),Tantalus Media (Switch port), Lab42 (Mobile) | Sega | Nintendo Switch,Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S,PlayStation 5,PlayStation 4,Windows,Android,iOS |
| 2022 | Sonic Origins | Headcannon andSonic Team | Sega | |
| Freedom Planet 2 | GalaxyTrail | GalaxyTrail | Windows,macOS,Linux | |
| 2023 | Sonic Origins Plus | Headcannon and Sonic Team | Sega | Nintendo Switch,Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S,PlayStation 5,PlayStation 4,Windows |
| 2024 | Penny's Big Breakaway | Evening Star | Private Division | Nintendo Switch,PlayStation 5,Xbox Series X/S,Windows |
However, after a few weeks, Whitehead's website was taken offline, as was the YouTube video he released to show off his work. It seemed as though Sega's lawyers had issued a cease-and-desist and ordered his work to be scrapped.
