On the tenth anniversary of the Dreamcast, Sega have announced the triumphant return of Sonic to 2D gaming. A teaser trailer (Which can be found here) gives an insight into “Project Needlemouse”, the code name for the famous blue hedgehog’s new HD title, due next year on as-yet undisclosed platforms.
Developing a game designed to bring Sonic back to his gaming roots is a move that is considered to be long overdue by many fans of the original 16-bit titles. Last year’s Sonic Unleashed was praised for its fast paced side-scrolling platforming, but let down by the clunky and frustrating combat sections. Finally it seems that Sega and Sonic Team are realising that Sonic’s gameplay worked best in its original incarnations.
As a fan of the Sonic series from the Mega Drive/Genesis era (Sonic 2 is a personal favourite), it’s clear to me what would make a current-gen Sonic game acceptable to the fans. All that’s needed is a mute Sonic with a minimal supporting cast, varied level design, some catchy electronic music, and the same weight to the gameplay as the originals. Sure, they can sex up the graphics to HD, 60 frames-per-second, year 2010 standards, but if the game doesn’t “feel” right, then the old-school fans of the series won’t accept it as a legitimate successor. If the series can be revisited with an inherent respect to the 2D originals though, then we can look forward to the “Sonic 4″ that should have been!
Will this be Sonic’s glorious return to the limelight, or will Sega show the poor critter the double barrels after so many failed comebacks? Let us know your hopes and fears in the comments!
