Overview:

Hello everyone! My name's Jesús and for this year's SHC '24 I'm bringing to SADX a brand-new gamemode where every ring counts: Ring Rush! You can find it on the Trial sub-menu as a dedicated menu option. (The version featured in this year's contest is equal (feature-wise) to the standard v1.0.0 release that you can find on GameBanana).

Ring Rush will put your exploring and collecting skills to the test in a 9-level gauntlet in which your objective is very simple: Just finish the Rush with the highest amount of rings possible.

But be careful, you only have limited lives during the Rush and your rings will be constantly draining (and that drain will get faster the further you progress!). If either your rings or lives hit 0 that's it! Your Rush will be over!

This mod doesn't require any dependencies, but for the best experience it's heavily recommended to use HD GUI and high resolutions since this mod contains a lot of custom HD sprites. You might also need to use a 100% savefile to access all the contents, you'll be able to find one in the Extra Downloads section. As a side-note, I recommend using programs like .7zip or WinRAR to extract the files (W11 native tool is very limited and can sometimes fail to extract everything properly).

If you end up giving this mod a chance and enjoy it, I heavily recommend to check out and download the GameBanana version of the mod, this one offers automatic updates and you'll be able to keep up with the latest additions and fixes to the gamemode.

With that said, please be sure to read the following sections to know which features and modifiers this mod includes, alongside some useful compatibility notes.

Features:

• A singleplayer, ring-based "score attack" gamemode that will put you in a 9-level gauntlet. This gamemode has been added in such a way where it doesn't fully replace any existing modes, same applies to any custom mechanics. That means that you can still play the rest of the game normally!
• Custom-made and coded menus with +100 textures made from scratch that try to follow the original DC aesthetic as much as possible.
• No levels have been edited, this means that Ring Rush is fully compatible with any* level mod (Like Beta Windy Valley, Spyro Levels...). So go ahead and try adding your favorite custom levels to the mix!
• Currently only Sonic is available, alongside some... Metal counterpart... (That green button on the Dreamcast controller is looking pretty nice on that character selection screen...).
• 5 different options and variables to make your Rush a bit different, you can choose from 3 different level orders and 2 difficulty options. All of them are selectable within the added menus! No config options required.
• When you succesfully finish a Rush, your score will be saved! There's an unique score track for each combination of level order + difficulty, and you can always reset the selected combination score before you start a Rush.
• The mod will automatically handle some of the incompatible mods or required mod orders and show you a window with what you need to do to start the game.

Modifiers:

During a Rush, many mechanics and powerups are altered to adapt to the new conditions:

• Your rings will be constantly draining, and if you get hit you'll only lose a set amount (but you can't recover them!). The effect of both things will get stronger every 3 levels you clear and will be different depending of the difficulty you choose.
• Traditional 1ups have been disabled, instead you'll start every Rush with a set amount of lives (you can't have more than specified), these lives will protect you from bottomless pits.
• Additionally, just like in old Arcade games you'll be able to gain one life back when hitting certain thresholds.
• Not liking how your Rush is going? Pause the game then press Y + LT + RT, this will restart it from the very beginning!
• 1up itemboxes have been replaced by the Time Stop powerup. Inspired by the unused powerup with the same name, getting one will freeze the ring drain for 10 seconds. Make them count!
• Normal Barriers are now upgradeable! If you have one, the next one you pick will be upgraded to a Magnetic Barrier.
• Magnetic Barriers have been nerfed for this mode though... They now last for 20 seconds before they are downgraded back to a Normal Barrier. Picking any type of barrier will refresh the timer.
• If you are in a snowboard, you'll be able to "recharge" the Magnetic Barrier by using the unused crouch feature (Action Button), but have in mind that any other actions (including movement) will stop the refilling. See how long can you extend your stint before it runs out!
• In addition, if you have a barrier when finishing a level... It'll carry over to the next one!
• 5-ring itemboxes are no more, they now act as a 10-ring one.
• ?-ring itemboxes now give a fixed 20-ring amount instead of a random amount.

Compatibility Notes:

Due to this mod modifiying a lot of common functions and mechanics (specially menus which are very limited), there's a couple important notes regarding compatibility that you'll need to know before playing.

More than ever, is recommended to load Ring Rush on the BOTTOM of the list to ensure there isn't any conflicts or unintended behaviors. You can check which mods I've found to be incompatible or compatible* down below:

• Incompatible Mods:
• Character Select.
• Incremental Ring Loss.
• Modern Life System.
• SA2 Conversion (compatibility with this will be added in a future update).
• Compatible Mods (*If you use any of these, just make sure that Ring Rush is loaded BELOW them):
• Better Tails AI.
• Dreamcast Conversion.
• HD GUI.
• HUD Plus.
• Multiplayer.

For the case of Compatible Mods*, following the recommended Mod Order will ensure that Ring Rush features work correctly during a Rush and that the features of the listed mods work correctly during normal gameplay.

This mod features some checks via the Mod API to prevent the game from starting when it finds an incompatible mod loaded or if it finds a wrong mod order. It'll show you a window telling you what is the issue and how to fix it.

And as usual, be sure that your Mod Loader, Manager and mods are up to date!

For any other issues not listed here, please feel free to report them in the Comments down below or GameBanana page.

Installation:

1. Make sure you have the latest version of the SAModManager and Mod Loader installed.
2. Download the mod from the box down below. If you use the One Click Install, skip to Step 4.
3. Extract the contents of the .7z into your "mods" folder, located inside the SADX install directory.
4. You should now be able to see the mod listed in your mod list just enable it by checking the box next to the name and hit the "Save" button.
5. Enjoy!

- Special Thanks:

That's everything for now! As usual, I've spend quite a lot of time into making this mod and ensuring the best possible quality and gameplay experience for you to enjoy, as I always like to do.

I hope you enjoy this new gamemode! Feel free to share your thoughs, feedback, high scores and media (videos, screenshots...) with me, I'll appreciate it! You can do it in the comments down below or tag me at @Jesus_97_MC on Twitter. You can also find me on YouTube, GameBanana and GitHub.

And as usual, huge thanks to ItsEasyActually, Sora, Kell and the others for their invaluable help and feedback with my mod. Some things and features wouldn't have been possible without their direct help or their useful public repos. They're the best!

If you are interested in SADX modding, I recommend checking out the X-Hax server for more information, tools and help.

With that said...

Thank you for playing!