When Sonic the Hedgehog hit the Sega Megadrive in 1991 it was an instant success and was the main reason for Sega overtaking Nintendo in the console wars of the early nineties. Gamers were, not only, offered a character that was cooler than Mario but they were given a platforming experience with greater pace than that of the little Italian plumber. The sequels that followed in ‘92 and ‘94 were similarly well received and added new features and exciting new levels.

The success of the series even continued into the early days of the 3D generation of gaming with Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 on the Sega Dreamcast. These titles offered an array of new characters, some of which would have been better left on the drawing board, but the experience was a good one nonetheless. Sadly, however, things began to head rapidly downhill after this.

The poor sales figures of the Dreamcast caused Sega to drop out of the console market and focus solely on software. This meant that the Sonic series would have to continue on the consoles of other companies and, so far, this hasn’t gone too well. The first taste of Sonic on a foreign console was Sonic Heroes on the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Gamecube. The game kept the sound and look of a Sonic title but the gameplay was tedious, frustrating and far from what people expected. Strangely, it was Nintendo’s handheld Gameboy Advance that offered the best Sonic experience with the excellent fauxback 2D Sonic Advance series.

Trying to control Sonic in this game was like trying to juggle chainsaws while wearing mitts.

The next generation of consoles swept in and the announcement of a Sonic title for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 seemed immanent. Billed as a re-invention for the franchise, and named after the beloved original, Sonic the Hedgehog hit store shelves in 2006. As I write this article, I can feel myself bubble with rage that I paid for the disaster that this game was. Trying to control Sonic in this game was like trying to juggle chainsaws while wearing oven mitts. The story was so ridiculous that it was best ignored and it involved even more unnecessary new characters. Oh, and Sonic kisses some princess.

Yeah, the game wasn’t very good and Sonic fans were beginning to feel let down. Once again, 2D iterations of the franchise on the Nintendo DS were far superior to home console efforts; Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure were very well received. A return to franchise’s roots was cried for and promises were made when Sonic Unleashed was announced.

Fans began to get excited once again. Sonic Unleashed promised a blend of 2D and 3D gameplay and early impressions seemed to support this. Fans were shown segments with Sonic speeding through gorgeous environments, switching seamlessly from 3D to 2D sections. That was enough, fans were over the moon and proclaimed that Sonic was about to rise like a phoenix from the ashes and reclaim his place in the gaming hierarchy. Then Sega announced the werehog…

Apparently, during certain parts of the game, Sonic was going to transform into a werehog and play through some slow platform and combat-based sections. Why? I’m sure nobody knows but everyone knows the result. Fans were crushed and promised that they won’t get fooled again (Ed – YEAAHHHH!!!!). No longer would they get their hopes up for a Sonic game as Sega have let them down too many times. Then a teaser trailer for the next instalment surfaced on the Internet.

Then Sega announced the werehog…

Under the codename of Project Needlemouse, the next Sonic game was announced with a trailer that promised – ‘Speed returns in an all new 2D adventure’. Despite excitement amongst fans, many knew not to get their hopes up and awaited the announcement of some silly gimmick or new character that would shatter their dreams once again. Surprisingly, this isn’t what happened.

Instead, Sega cleverly announced that Sonic would be the only playable character. Expectations began to rise. Then some concept art was shown of enemies that seem to revert to the ‘Badniks’ of the Mega Drive days. Expectations continued to rise. After they officially revealed the name to be Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 – and that it would be a direct continuation of the Mega Drive games – expectations went through the roof. This information was coupled with a new trailer that showcased a quick glimpse of 2D gameplay with HD visuals.

It looked good, some would say great.

The series is finally going back to its 2D roots, which was a must, since the games have been struggling to adapt to 3D for some time now. Casting off all the subsidiary characters is also a great step forward as the Sonic universe has become cluttered with poorly conceived and laughable extras. To go forward, you must go back.

Sega coupled decent design choices with the correct distribution, episodically and download only, a perfect match for the Sonic franchise. It would be unfair of them to expect gamers to pay full retail for a game that is aspiring to appear as if it belongs in the 1990s. Also, releasing it in episodes means that we can get it, piece by piece, as new portions become ready and we’re not left waiting for the full experience to be finished.

The series is finally going back to its 2D Roots, which was a must, since the games have been struggling to adapt to 3D for a long time now. To go forward, you must go back.

Naturally fears still remain. I’m afraid that the developers may focus too much on speed, and that the game will be difficult to control because of this. People must remember that at the heart of a Sonic game is great platforming, whether it has a little extra pace or not. Another fear is that the game will recycle old level designs in order to induce nostalgia. The sequels of the early ‘90s were so great because they offered new and original levels to play through and it’s imperative that Sonic 4 does the same.

Whether or not this title lives up to the hype will only be known in the summer when the game will be available. Let’s just hope they call him Dr Robotnik again…

Apparently the most recent issue of Nintendo Power is reporting that the upcoming Sonic Unleashed title will be developed by the same team that created the critically acclaimed Sonic Rush.

NP go on to reveal that it will be the Wii version only and not the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 versions. There are also rumors that it will be designed in a similar vain to the original Sonic titles with a 2D perspective, much like Sonic Rush.

Although we haven’t seen any of the new 2D angled stuff to confirm this, it would make sense with who is reportedly developing this title. This could also turn out to be an excellent move as the Sonic Rush DS games were a fantastic nostalgia trip.

Source : neoGAF / Nintendo Power June 2008