Christian Whitehead facts for kids

Christian Whitehead, also known as The Taxman, is a talented video game programmer and designer from Australia. He is famous for making updated versions of classic Sonic the Hedgehog games for Sega. He was also a main developer for a brand-new Sonic game called Sonic Mania. In late 2018, Christian helped start his own game studio, Evening Star. Their first game, Penny's Big Breakaway, came out in early 2024.

Christian Whitehead's Gaming Journey

Christian Whitehead started his career in 2006 as a freelance 3D animator. He worked with a company called Kine Graffiti. Since 2009, he has focused on making video games.

Early Fan Games

Christian began by developing fan-made games based on the Sonic the Hedgehog series. One of his first fan games was Retro Sonic, released in 2007. This game became well-known because it felt very much like the official Sonic games. It was special because it wasn't a simple change to an existing game. Later, Retro Sonic joined with two other fan games, Sonic XG and Sonic Nexus. Together, they formed Retro Sonic Nexus.

Working with Sega

In 2009, Sega asked fans for ideas to bring their games to iOS devices. Christian responded by showing a "proof-of-concept" video. It showed Sonic CD running on an iPhone using his own special game engine. This engine is called the "Retro Engine".

Christian shared that he spent about a year trying to convince Sega to let him work on the Sonic CD port. In 2009, a video about Sonic CD from Christian was taken down. Some people thought Sega had sent him a legal warning, but Christian said this was not true.

The updated Sonic CD game was released in 2011. It came out for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone, and Android. This remake was very successful! Because of this success, Sega asked Christian to remaster more games. He worked with another developer, Simon "Stealth" Thomley, from a studio called Headcannon. Together, they remastered Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for mobile devices.

New Sonic Adventures

In 2014, Christian and Headcannon showed a video for a possible Sonic the Hedgehog 3 remaster. However, Sega did not approve this project. Simon Thomley thought it might be because of Michael Jackson's music contributions to the original game.

In 2015, Christian announced he would work on a game that wasn't Sonic-related. This game was Freedom Planet 2. Then, in 2017, Christian worked with Headcannon and PagodaWest Games. They created a brand-new game in the Sonic series called Sonic Mania.

Sonic Mania was very popular! In 2018, it was re-released as Sonic Mania Plus. This version added more content to the original game. For Sonic Mania Plus, Hyperkinetic Studios also joined the development team. Christian also helped with Sonic Origins, a collection of classic Sonic games. He provided an updated version of the engine used in the remasters.

Evening Star Studio

In late 2018, Christian Whitehead and other developers from Sonic Mania started their own studio. They named it Evening Star. Christian is the creative director and lead engine architect there. In 2022, Evening Star signed a deal with Private Division to publish their games. Their first game, Penny's Big Breakaway, was released in 2024.

The Retro Engine

The Retro Engine is a special tool Christian Whitehead created to make two-dimensional (2D) games. It's perfect for games that look like they came from older consoles. These include systems like the Sega Saturn, Sega Genesis, or the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The engine focuses on detailed graphics and color changes. It also supports widescreen displays and online features.

How the Engine Developed

Christian first created the Retro Engine in 2007 for his fan game, Retro Sonic. He later used this engine to develop the remasters of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. These mobile versions were released in 2013.

The engine was also planned for the Sonic 3 & Knuckles remaster. However, Sega did not approve that project. The Retro Engine was used again for Sonic Mania and its extra content, Sonic Mania Plus. Later, the engine was updated to create full 3D graphics for Penny's Big Breakaway. This updated version was first called the Star Engine. But the name was changed back to Retro Engine. This was to connect it to Christian's past work and avoid confusion with another studio's engine.

Sega also used the Retro Engine for their game collection, Sonic Origins, in 2022. This collection includes remakes of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic CD, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Christian updated the engine for this release.

Games Christian Whitehead Worked On

See also

In Spanish: Christian Whitehead para niños