Since this game isn't precompiled for Linux and only for Windows, Android, and Nintendo Switch, you're going to have to compile sources yourself for actually getting the game to work.
For compiling the Sonic 1 Forever binaries, you are going to want to git clonethis URL here using the --recursive switch.
Before you actually compile the binaries, you will need to get dependencies for your operating system, since I did this on Debian, I ran this command: sudo apt install build-essential git libsdl2-dev libvorbis-dev libogg-dev libglew-dev libtheora-dev libdrm-dev libgdm-dev. Do the command for your Linux distro in case if you don't run this on Debian, for Ubuntu though, it's as simple as removing libdrm-dev and libgdm-dev.
Now that you have all your dependencies, you can now run the make command, and now you just wait. You can also apply the -j switch with the amount of CPU threads in your computer if you want to wait less time.
If your binaries have finished compiling successfully, there should be a bin folder, and inside of that should be a Linux folder, and inside of that should be an executable with the name s1fs2a. When you launch the executable though, it will crash because there's no Sonic 1 Forever mod or a regular Sonic 1 Data.rsdk file. You will need to grab those on your own.
Once you have the Sonic 1 Forever mod and the regular Sonic 1 Data.rsdk file, you will have to put the Data.rsdk straight in the executable folder, along with making a new folder called "mods" (all lowercase), and put the Sonic 1 Forever mod in there.
If you launch the game now, it will recognize that there is a Data.rsdk inside your executable folder, but it will still crash because you don't have the Sonic 1 Forever mod enabled. You are going to want to grab this ini file and put it in your "mods" folder: (remove the .cfg from the file for it to actually work)
The mod config isn't the only ini you need to grab for the TAS. You need to grab this ini for it to work. (Once again, remove the .cfg from the file for it to work)
Once you've got both .ini files, you are going to want to make sure your "Abilities" settings are like this, as the TAS movie will not play right with the default "Abilities" settings:
After all of that, it should be fine to play the TAS.
Intro
Sonic the Hedgehog Forever is a mod for the Sonic 1 2013 version made by Team Forever. It features new moves for some of the characters, like Sonic with the dropdash from Sonic Mania, and Tails with flight cancellation. Besides for new moves though, the physics are very similar to the original 2013 port of Sonic 1.
Goals
Try to beat the game as fast as possible (TAS aims for TAS time and not IGT)
Perform glitches in certain areas to make the TAS entertaining
Manipulate inputs to help complete the game quicker
Times
Level/Act
Time
Green Hill Zone Act 1
0:16.91
Green Hill Zone Act 2
0:13.96
Green Hill Zone Act 3
0:27.05
Marble Zone Act 1
0:33.55
Marble Zone Act 2
0:47.98
Marble Zone Act 3
0:50.95
Spring Yard Zone Act 1
0:19.85
Spring Yard Zone Act 2
0:23.00
Spring Yard Zone Act 3
0:44.15
Labyrinth Zone Act 1
0:28.23
Labyrinth Zone Act 2
0:45.26
Labyrinth Zone Act 3
0:55.23
Star Light Zone Act 1
0:17.10
Star Light Zone Act 2
0:13.81
Star Light Zone Act 3
0:33.05
Scrap Brain Zone Act 1
0:23.68
Scrap Brain Zone Act 2
0:30.00 (score tally is less and faster once timer hits 30 seconds)
Scrap Brain Zone Act 3
0:16.06
Final Zone
1:13.85
Framework used
libTAS 1.4.8 was used for making this TAS.
The TAS itself was made on Debian 13 (Trixie) on a ThinkPad T520.
Other notes
This TAS could be improved if TAS-only strategies could be discovered for this game, along with inputs being a little less sloppy, especially with Tails carrying Sonic to specific spots of a zone. Overall though, This TAS improves all WR RTA times by at least half a second. Hopefully this TAS is a little bit enjoyable. (Encode by Emil_Borg)
Challenger: As I said in the submission topic, this is a great mod in addition to the fact the remaster version of the classic Sonic game became TASable for sure.
The work and dedication to this run, while it mentions it can be improved, I watched the current WR of this category and I can confirm this TAS beats all record acts, with some of them being even faster thanks to clever strategies.
is super refreshing to see that remake for the classic sonic 1, it's a shame that zips were appearantly patched though :p
regarding optimization, im only unsure about if you could have jumped earlier at 7:40 and if that spring couldnt be activated in another way that's potentially faster at 14:15, but those arent a big deal. outside of those 2 potential minor mistakes, it looks well optimized. voting yes 👍
Joined: 4/24/2026
Posts: 36
Location: International
ShgofcTAS wrote:
is super refreshing to see that remake for the classic sonic 1, it's a shame that zips were appearantly patched though :p
I'll be correcting you ever so slightly in this. There's a bit of terminology for what's considered a zip and what's considered a so-called level wrap, at least in a Sonic game, it's just that both are called zips due to visual similarities and functions.
A zip is when you clip into a wall and go and at some high speeds inside the wall, which is something that is patched in this game. A level wrap is when you go to the far left of the level to end up in the other side, something that with few exceptions can be done without zips. And in Sonic Mania speedruns you can actually see some instances of "level wraps" by exploiting the death animation thus removing any interaction with objects.
To put it shortly, level wraps could theoretically be possible in Sonic 1 Forever.
I'll be correcting you ever so slightly in this. There's a bit of terminology for what's considered a zip and what's considered a so-called level wrap, at least in a Sonic game, it's just that both are called zips due to visual similarities and functions.
A zip is when you clip into a wall and go and at some high speeds inside the wall, which is something that is patched in this game. A level wrap is when you go to the far left of the level to end up in the other side, something that with few exceptions can be done without zips. And in Sonic Mania speedruns you can actually see some instances of "level wraps" by exploiting the death animation thus removing any interaction with objects.
To put it shortly, level wraps could theoretically be possible in Sonic 1 Forever.
I don't think zips are possible in Sonic 1 Forever/Sonic 2 Absolute, along with other RSDK games due to huge engine overhauls, and the fact the engine was made from scratch in the late 2000's and has a different physics system entirely compared to the Genesis games. 2 modern Genesis Sonic overhaul that I know has zips is Sonic 3 AIR and Sonic 2 Community's Cut, because their engines are similar enough to the actual Genesis games to still have zips. (Level wraps in Sonic Mania also require pauses, but the Genesis games don't require pauses for level wraps.)
Now it probably is possible to glitch into walls in the RSDK games, but not usually, you have to go essentially light speed and off screen to do that, and even then we only know it's possible to glitch through breakable walls, and not non-breakables. But yeah, that's my yapfest.
Don't talk to me until I've had my god damn sugar.
Amateur TASer
toolassisted.run will always suck in comparison to TASVideos, TASVideos has been around since Y2K after all.
And in Sonic Mania speedruns you can actually see some instances of "level wraps" by exploiting the death animation thus removing any interaction with objects.
Stockiel wrote:
Level wraps in Sonic Mania also require pauses, but the Genesis games don't require pauses for level wraps.
Actually Sonic Mania don't require death cancellation (Zombie Glitch) and pauses to perform a level wrap. You can do it without them.
In RSDKv4 (Sonic 1 2013, Sonic 2 2013) you can perform the Zombie glitch iirc in SYZ1, but due to the death animation everything freezes (even camera). But I'm not sure can you finish the level with death cancellation.
And I think the level wrap is similar to Sonic Mania, which I see it useless because S1 levels is too short for this.
Joined: 4/24/2026
Posts: 36
Location: International
styng wrote:
Actually Sonic Mania don't require death cancellation (Zombie Glitch) and pauses to perform a level wrap. You can do it without them.
In RSDKv4 (Sonic 1 2013, Sonic 2 2013) you can perform the Zombie glitch iirc in SYZ1, but due to the death animation everything freezes (even camera). But I'm not sure can you finish the level with death cancellation.
And I think the level wrap is similar to Sonic Mania, which I see it useless because S1 levels is too short for this.
I'm not sure if everything really freeze. If it's just a camera freeze then that's fine. All acts of Spring Yard Zone are pretty hard to optimize overall regardless of whether you're doing the original Sonic 1 or not so the level wrap is not too useless.
Also, I didn't mean to say that every level wrap in Sonic Mania requires the zombie glitch, it's just most of its famous ones such as in Studiopolis Act 1 or Hydrocity Act 1 do require it. But speaking of those, why do such level wraps need pausing anyway?
This mod is superb! Nice to see the remaster version being TASable after all.
The optimization looks pretty good, and while watching this run alongside the current WR run of "Sonic & Tails" category, I noticed a timesaver in the middle of Marble Zone 2 around 3:26 of the encode video - around 4:16 of the WR run, it's actually possible to jump on the first spiked chandelier without waiting at all by getting hit slightly to the left to allow Sonic falling down earlier than intended: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpZM3-qs8EQ
Also, the Labyrinth Zone 1 made me realize something between 9:13 to 9:29 (Sonic alone category WR): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic1CgqIw3ns
I'm not actually sure, but the Water Shield seems to save a little time at the time you get the shortcut despite the fact you need some backtracking at the beginning.
Meanwhile, nice job and Yes vote.
Wiki: HomePages/Challenger
Currently working as a Judge and planning new SNES projects for the 2026 year if possible :)
* Aryol
* Appleseed
* BlackThorne
* Joe & Mac
* Pac-Attack
* Super Bomberman 4
...and a few more surprises.
