At this point, Sonic fan games are their own genre. There are so many Sonic fan games out there, all lovingly crafted by a community that's very into this style of game, that it should be no surprise that there's an entire online expo showcasing their work.
What is surprising is how the Sonic Amateur Games Expo (SAGE) has grown beyond Sonic games. There are actually more indie game demos showcased in the online expo than there are fan-made titles, and you can take a look at all 200+ titles for the next week.
From today until Friday, September 9, the Sonic Amateur Games Expo will host over 200 games and mods. What started as a celebration of Sonic fan games from the fine folks at Sonic Fan Games HQ has since grown to include indie developers from around the world as they all come together to celebrate their work over the course of a week.
Fan-games have become perhaps the best way for nostalgic fans to get more of the game they loved as a kid. For example, Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit reimagines the Game Gear classic as a Sega Genesis title, but remastered in the style of Sonic Mania and Origins. There's all new map layouts, new enemies, entirely remade bonus levels, and even story-based cutscenes that help slot the game into the overall arch of Sonic's Genesis titles.
And it's not just Sonic fan titles. You'll find Pac-Man, Megaman, Kirby, and Mario in the fan-section of the Sonic Amateur Games Expo. And in the case of Mushroom Kingdom Fusion, you'll even see them all jumbled into a single game.
But the biggest section of games shown off during the Sonic Amateur Games Expo are all-new indie games, many of which draw heavy inspiration from classic games of the '90s. Such as Over Jump Rally, an all-new racing game inspired by 1994's Sega Rally but made in Unreal Engine 5. Or there's Berserk Boy, a game that seems to take the Mega Man X formula with a totally new set of powers for the player to explore.
Check out the Sonic Amateur Games Expo website for the full list of available demos, and the schedule page to watch Twitch streamers play the more than 200 games and mods featured.