The upcoming 'Project Needlemouse' has been officially named as Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, and will be appearing on the WiiWare, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade services in July 2010. An iPhone game is revealed to be in the works.For months, Sega has teased the gaming population with the direction of the latest Sonic the Hedgehog game, promising a 'return to 2D roots' that we hear almost every other week from the company.
With a video reveal on
Gamespot (see below for the video), it appears that Sega really means it this time – impressive-looking 3D models against a backdrop that would make any retro fan smile in sugar-induced glee.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will be an episodic series (as the '
Episode 1' suggests) and follows the events from 1994 Mega Drive hit
Sonic & Knuckles. Are we excited yet?
Three whole seconds of the 48-second trailer actually shows actual gameplay, of Sonic running through a corkscrew twist (famously seen in
Sonic the Hedgehog 2). In an interview with Gamespot, brand manager Ken Balough stressed that the fans will help dictate the game's direction; “We're going to deliver a Genesis-era
Sonic game as if it were created today that goes to the core of what classic
Sonic fans desire. This means [the fan] gets to judge us on our work each step of the way, and we plan on delivering that goal in a big way.”
Let's really hope so, Ken. Svend SPOnG – possibly the biggest
Sonic fan in the world – can't be disappointed anymore. Don't break his heart, Ken. The blood will be on your hands.
Sega also launched an
official website for
Sonic the Hedgehog 4, revealing more time-locked content and teasers as to what to expect from the game. Although Sega has only offered a 'Summer 2010' launch window, fansite
The Sonic Stadium uncovered an image hidden within the website that revealed a July 2010 release and a planned iPhone version. So we guess the cat's out of the bag then.
What do you think of the trailer, details, graphics and everything else? Good? Bad? We're leaning on 'the best thing we've seen of a Sonic game for 15 years', but we're holding our breath until we can actually play the thing. Although we'll take the odd break every now and then – holding your breath for six months is apparently bad for your health.
More news as we get it.