Christian Whitehead

In 2006, Whitehead worked as a freelance 3D animator with the company Kine Graffiti. Since 2009, he has focused on game development, developing various fangames based on the Sonic the Hedgehog series.[4] In 2009, Whitehead produced a "proof-of-concept" video of Sonic CD running on an iPhone using his own custom engine, the "Retro Engine".[5][6] In an interview with Steven O'Donnell of Good Game: Spawn Point, Whitehead proclaims that he spent "about a year or so" convincing Sega to let him work on the Sonic CD port.[7] In 2009, a video regarding Sonic CD from Whitehead was taken down, leading Eurogamer to report that Whitehead possibly faced a cease and desist letter from Sega, which Whitehead claimed was false.[8][7] The port was released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone and Android in 2011.[8] His remake was so successful that he, along with developer Simon "Stealth" Thomley of the studio Headcannon, would later be commissioned to remaster Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for mobile devices.[6]

Although he, along with Headcannon, released a proof-of-concept video for a Sonic the Hedgehog 3 remaster in 2014, Sega did not greenlight the port.[9] In 2015, it was announced that Whitehead would be involved in his first non-Sonic game, Freedom Planet 2.[10] In 2017, Whitehead, in collaboration with Headcannon and PagodaWest Games, developed and released their own original title in the Sonic series, titled Sonic Mania.[11][12] In 2018, Sonic Mania became Sonic Mania Plus, with the release of the Encore DLC. Sonic Mania Plus was developed by Whitehead, Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, and the now included HyperKinetic.[13] Whitehead also contributed to the development of Sonic Origins, providing a new version of the engine used in the remasters.[14]

In late 2018, Whitehead and other development members behind Sonic Mania founded their own studio Evening Star Studio,[15][16] where he serves as creative director and lead engine architect.[16]

• Official website