Whelp... We've done it.

The first task I gave one of the amazing artists involved in this game was forwarded on the 27^th of August. The concept came to me earlier than that but since I don't remember the exact day, let's say that it's been four months. Four months since the start of development and, finally... APEX SWEEPER Episode 01 is here, available for everyone to enjoy.

It's not been as straightforward a path as I would've thought, but it's also been easier than I expected, and most importantly we've done it in time for the Holidays! I figured I should put down my current thoughts black on white but, as a suggestion, play the game first and then come back to read this because I would love to hear your thoughts about it without the first experience being affected by my mental ramblings. 😛

First of all, I want to stress that this is something I've done purely for fun and to give back to the Sonic community. I've played a few Sonic games growing up, I vividly remember spending hours on Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Edgehog, but I eventually drifted away from it. Then, more recently, SEGA hit me with the two-fer of Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Frontiers and my interest was renewed. Frontiers in particular, while in no way a perfect game, it was the most fun I had had in a newly released game in a long time. From there to reading the IDW comics and watching video retrospectives was a quick skip and a jump...This is all to say that I've made Apex Sweeper because I love Sonic and I love the fandom. I did not make this because I think I can make a better story or anything like that –which I have been accused of before in other fan projects-: I made this because what I've played and read made me want to play around with the characters and setting, and being both a writer and game developer, there was but one path forward.

With that out of the way, the idea of the game came to me after catching up with the IDW comics over the course of Summer 2025. They are a delight, giving the chance to see the characters from the Sonic series in scenarios you wouldn't see them in the games (my favorite issues are the Sonic Winter Special and the Bad Guys miniseries, btw), and introducing a slew of interesting new ones.

Like any media format, though, comics have restrictions, even more so when they're official material of a series. Videogames do not have the same ones –especially wordy ones like Japanese Adventure Games-, thus the writer's itch started itching again. Particularly after the end of the 'Phantom Rider's' arc, which I personally felt did my favorite character a little dirty...

As you probably guessed by playing Episode 01, my favorite character is Lanolin the Sheep. For a number of reasons, but I guess the main one –from a narrative standpoint- is because she represents something I wish we could see more of in the series –although I understand why we do not-: she starts as a bystander, just another citizen of Mobius –that's what I call the main continent of Sonic's planet- who answers the call to action after yet another crisis in the face of which she found herself powerless. She doesn't fall into adventure, she chooses to get involved, and because of that her perspective on many things is quite unique.

Unfortunately that kind of perspective and the kind of plot-lines and ramifications that it lends itself to do not find fertile ground in a series that, for better or for worse, never gets to go past certain thresholds or deeper into certain themes. But like comics and videogames, fan materials do not necessarily have the same restrictions as original material~

This doesn't mean that Apex Sweeper will ever go past PG13 –or T for Teen, if you like the ESRB better 😛- but it does mean I can talk about certain things in a way which the original series cannot.

Now, what some may be asking is: why a completely original setting and why a completely original player's character? Well, for two main reasons: first, at the same time as I was getting the idea for this story, I also was getting back into City Hunter, which is a legendary anime and manga which most definitely inspired some of the themes and story beats you will find in Apex Sweeper down the road. Such themes and stories, though, don't mesh well with the average Sonic setting or the average Sonic character, thus Firth City and Ryo the Jaguar were born.

Second, because a new character and a new setting give me even more freedom regarding a few things than if I was to just transplant a canon Sonic character into the narrative. I will need to fill out a lot of things and create a bunch of original characters, but I welcome the challenge. Also, this doesn't mean that you won't be seeing some familiar faces in future episodes, so keep an eye out~

I want to conclude this first Apex post with some huge thanks to all the artists I've worked on the project with so far! Some are my historical collaborators, and some are artists I've met in the Sonic community and who've blown me away with their talent and professionalism!

First must be Joshikoy, the sprite artist for the game. He deserves huge praise, as he has managed to deliver everything the project needed while juggling studying, other commissions and real-life obligations.

Then we have Skolaztika, who I have been working with for years now and makes all the GUI for my projects no matter how out there or unusual they are. "Hey, can you make me a GUI for a Visual Novel-style game inspired by the Sonic series?"

Similarly, there's OddTillTheEnd, who I keep throwing new and random concepts at for music and he always delivers. Before making the tracks for Apex Sweeper, he had just finished making a PC98 soundfont track inspired by the works of Ryu Umemoto (RIP, legend).

We follow it up with F4akai, who got exposed to that same challenge but for the first time, and for their first commission work ever. Adapting an old Sonic OST track into a completely different genre? Sure, why not!

We round up the music meisters with Koku Allen! Found them on Vgen.co, gave them a small briefing in Skeb style, and they delivered something amazing out of a VERY obscure Sonic track! Kudos!

Following it up, we have KouD3x, who made the Concept Art for Ryo in record time, considering his real-life commitments, and he's been my sounding board for a few crazy ideas. The best is yet to come for his designs, I believe~

Last of my historical collaborators on this project is Fuura Xen, who when I asked to make backgrounds that would look and feel like the IDW Sonic comics, didn't bat an eye and actually got excited at the prospect! The results are clear for all of you to see~

And last, but not least, a big shoutout to OverlordNeon, who delivered some incredibly stylish and high-quality illustrations in record time! It ties the entire game together and gives it that special je ne sais quoi~ Can't wait to give them a full action piece!

Also, a big shout-out to the Sonic Community Discord –who took me in, gave me a lot of attention and love despite only have bites and pieces to go through, and also were super-patient in some occasions- and the trio of Ian Flynn, Evan Stanley and Adam Bryce Thomas at SEGA and IDW comics.

And finally, the Team JPDE supporters on Patreon and KoFi who make the whole thing possible to begin with (you can't sell fan-games, so their aid in paying the artists for their efforts are quite necessary...)! All way past cool peeps who can see their names immortalized in the credits~

Happy Holidays! Enjoy the game and let me know if you can catch all the references I've put in so far~ ~Meinos Kaen