Knuckles Clackers is a technically advanced Knuckles' Chaotix ROM hack for the Sega Genesis 32x addon. It is meant to be an unofficial fan-made sequel to Knuckles' Chaotix for the 25th anniversary of the US release of the game (in May 2020). It's goal is also meant to reverse engineer and to document the inner workings of the Knuckles' Chaotix game engine for research and technical purposes.

Its main focus is to create harder levels, less empty zones, and to create new content for the powerful Knuckles Chaotix game engine, as well as to implement proper loop chunk and pathswapping sections. Its other focus is to research and to document how the Chaotix engine works with a more annotated disassembly, and to tinker around with its advanced Sega 32x engine features.

This SHC demo build (v0.2c) features 4 acts of Techno Tower Classic and Sonic Factory (Tutorial) Zones.

Sega 32x Chaotix engine features:

• High-color Sega 32x sprite artwork
• SMPS32x music with simulataneous 6FM and 4-channel software PWM mixing for percussion
• Level data paging system for tiles, blocks, and chunks;
• Near-entirety of Genesis VRAM available for level assets
• Design levels with its 2 palettes lines each for both Plane A and Plane B FG/BG tilemap data
• Bytecode scripted Animated Art and Palette Cycling

The mod aims to be the first fully-fledged modification of Knuckles' Chaotix featuring:

• New levels
• Ports and edits of the beta Techno Tower and Speed Slider Zones layouts and assets from Sonic Crackers
• Other new zones
• New audio
• New artwork
• Genesis tilemaps, sprites
• 32x sprite artwork
• Genesis/32x palettes and palette cycling
• Genesis animated level art
• Assembly code edits where possible/necessary
• Game engine bugfixes and research
• Some restored/recreated Chaotix and Sonic Crackers beta content

Knuckles' Clackers features:

• New Zones
• Sonic Factory Zone (SFZ)
• Based on Sonic Advance 3's transporter area
• Replaces Tutorial Zone
• Techno Tower Classic (TTZC) and Speed Slider Classic Zones (SSZC)
• Ports of the beta Techno Tower and Speed Slider Zones and assets from Sonic Crackers to the Knuckles Chaotix game engine
• 1st act is a port of the only level from each zone from Sonic Crackers (act 1), with finished object layouts and other minor edits.
• Other acts (2-5) are original acts using the zone's chunks/and new assets
• Proto Palace Zone (PPZ)
• Replacement for Botanic Base Zone (BBZ)
• Act 1 is a port of Hidden Palace Zone (Sonic 2 Beta)
• Act 2 is a port of Proto Palace Zone (Sonic 2 2013 Mobile)
• Act 3 is a port of Hidden Palace Zone (Segapede prototype)
• Act 4 is a original layout
• Act 5 is a port of Hidden Palace Zone (Sonic & Knuckles, Lava Reef Zone Act 3)
• [TBD] Zones, replacements for
• Amazing Arena Zone (AAZ)
• Marina Madness Zone (MMZ)
• Isolated Island Zone (IIZ)
• World Entrance (WE)/Newtrogic High Zone (NHZ)
• The other new zones contain original artwork and assets
• New SMPS32x audio/assets
• Various conversions of music
• Full sound hardware utilization
• 6 FM channels
• 3 PSG channels
• 4 PWM channels
• Video game music (conversions from various filetypes)
• MIDI music
• Module music
• Music ports/conversions
• HyperDimension Neptunia music
• Other music
• New PWM Sample slots
• Restored Crackers DAC samples
• Backwards compatibility with for Sonic Crackers music ports
• Sound edits
• PSG Jump SFX
• Other SFX ports/edits
• New Art
• Genesis tilemaps, sprites
• Sega 32x sprite artwork
• Genesis/32x palettes and palette cycling
• Genesis level Animated Art
• Assembly Code edits
• Basic assembly code edits to get the new levels/ROM hack working
• Modified Dynamic Level Events
• Level Animated Art
• Palette cycling
• Etc.
• Restored/recreated beta and enhanced/edited game content
• Restored Sega Screen jingle
• Restored beta Character Select menu (Heavy and Bomb character)
• Restored Electoria beta song (Sonic Crackers) for Techno Tower Zone Classic
• Restored/edited beta Speed Slider Zone Sega 32x loop chunk spritemasker objects
• Unrestricted level select menu
• Unrestricted sound test menu (for SFX coordination flags $F0-$FF)
• Unrestricted Training Mode time-of-day cheat (undocumented cheat code , all 4 times-of-day)
• New game features and game objects
• Combi Breaker Monitor subtype
• Temporarily removes the Combi tether system (until partner is called)
• Properly working Sonic 2-styled loop and path swapper segments!
• With proper Sega 32x sprite priority
• Modified Intro cutscene with sound effects
• Engine bugfixes
• Ring Cap/Bonus Stage bugs
• Removal of Ring Cap (255 rings)
• Bugfixes for 1 second timing of Bonus Stage ring drain countdown
• Bugfix to save/restore the level timer when entering/exiting the Bonus Stage
• Fixes level time up Gameover issues