A Sonic modder named Weezley has just released a devious new mod called Desert Bus Frontiers, which recreates the infamous joke game Desert Bus inside of the PC version of Sonic Frontiers
Originally conceived as a joke minigame for the cancelled Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors from Absolute Entertainment, Desert Bus, in case you're unfamiliar, sees players driving a bus (that automatically veers to the right) along a straight road from Tuscon Arizona to Las Vegas.
The game was scheduled to come out for the Sega CD, 3DO, and Windows computers, but was cancelled after Absolute Entertainment was unable to afford the shipping costs. Review copies of the Sega CD version, however, were later discovered and distributed online with the help of Frank Cifaldi (now of the Video Game History Foundation) and the website Waxy.
From there, it became the subject of an annual charity livestream called Desert Bus For Hope in 2007 (which sees teams of people take it in turns to play the game to raise money for the charity Child's Play) and has also spawned a bunch of remakes and tributes including 2017's Desert Bus VR.
According to a tweet from Weezley, the Sonic Frontiers mod has "the majority of the features from the original Desert Bus". This includes a 580 real-life kilometers-long road, no background music, a slight right tilt so you can't just hold forward, and a death zone that kills you if you go off-road. The key difference, of course, though, is that you play as Sonic, instead of a bus driver, and have access to the character's boost ability.
Here's a description taken from the project page listed on GameBanana:
"Welcome to Desert Bus Frontiers, the action-packed 580 km long trip from Tucson, Arizona to Las Vegas, where Literally Nothing Interesting happens.
The trip usually takes 8 hours, but since Sonic The Hedgehog can go much faster than a measly 20 meters a second, it only takes around 3 hours! Wow! (Please note that this is the length with the Cyber Space Power Boost. The trip may take much longer if you don't use it)
Just like in the original Desert Bus, Sonic will move slightly right over time. Make sure to correct Sonic's position every once in a while so as to not run off the road! Important note: Pausing while still moving will result in Sonic continuing to move right over time. Make sure to come to a complete stop before pausing to prevent accidentally sliding off the road without you knowing.
If you want the true Desert Bus experience, complete the entire thing without boosting, as Sonic's non-boost speed is the exact same speed as the original bus in Desert Bus. You won't get anything extra, just the satisfaction of going straight for 8 hours..."
If you fancy giving it a go, you can download the mod here.