'Snolf' traps Sonic in a fan-made golfing nightmare

Snolf, a Sonic Golf variant.
(Image credit: Oakreef)

Sonic's always had a bit of a rough ride when it came to transitioning to 3D. But while Sega itself has picked up, worn out and ditched several different approaches over the years, one fan-game might just have cracked it by turning the blue blur into a prickly little golf ball.

Using popular Doom-engine fan game Sonic Robo Blast 2, Snolf RB2 creator Oakreef has altered the spin-off's multi-layered platforming stages to create a high-speed mini-golf course. 

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It shouldn't be surprising that Sonic levels make for good golf courses, mind. Using the time-tested controls of power and accuracy bars, the platformer's boundaries and hazards translate effortlessly to mini-golf, with the ending flag making for a natural hole. 

I'm always pleasantly surprised to see what the Sonic modding community is up to these days. Snolf itself is built on top of similar mods for Sonic 2 and 3, which I discovered while writing were developed by an old uni mate of mine. With Sega unusually content to let the platform do its own thing, Sonic Robo Blast 2 itself has kinda carved out a solid niche as a jumping-off point for strange fan-games in recent years—including maybe the best kart-racer you can play on PC.

It might not lead to the publisher picking up the team for an official hedgehog golfing sim a la Sonic Mania, but it's still a nice peek into where the more creative spins on Sonic are coming from. Just, err, don't go playing the king's game with real-life hedgehogs. That's animal cruelty, that is.

Natalie Clayton
Features Producer

20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time, and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and a part-time game developer herself, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She also unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon.