Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is a downloadable episodic game being developed in tandem between SEGA’s Sonic Team and Dimps, noted for their work in the Sonic Adance series for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance and the Sonic Rush series for the Nintendo DS, as well as the PS2 and Wii ports of Sonic Unleashed. It will be released on the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Somy PlayStation 3 video game entertainment systems. SEGA also plans to release it to a fourth console, though it is unknown which console SEGA has their mind set on. This is a 3 episode trilogy with episode 1 set for release sometime in Summer 2010.
Announcement:
Sonic 4 was originally revealed under the working title Project Needlemouse, referring to various related interests, namely how Sonic was originally developed under the name Mr. Needlemouse; and how the first game also went by the same working title. It was revealed alongside a video claiming that “Speed returns, in an all-new game built from the ground up”. The image that showed at the end of the trailer was found to be a silhouetted version of the title logo from the original Sonic the Hedgehog on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive; and was subject to multiple fan interpretations, the most popular arguably being Pikachu in a Sombrero. As time went by, SEGA America began to host a challenge on their blog, in which an image detailing possible characters to appear was posted and 3 questions were asked. If a set number of correct answers were posted at a location of their choice within a set time frame, character’s would be removed and the cycle would begin over the next day. By the end of the challenge, it was revealed that Project Needlemouse would be a solo Sonic adventure, with Sonic being the only featured/playable character. This did not exclude Eggman’s inclusion, as he is the primary villain in most Sonic games.
SEGA eventually revealed that there would be an exclusive midnight reveal at the GameSpot website, in which the official name would be revealed, as well as some gameplay. The reveal trailer showcased some short extracts from the previous old-school games, from Sonic 1 to Sonic 3, before revealing how the game would play out, in a quick 3 second gameplay clip. It was at this moment that Project Needlemouse was officially announced as Sonic the Hedegehog 4 – Episode 1, a downloadable episodic game. The official website was also made available to the public, in which various info of the game would be revealed on a weekly basis.
Development:
Sonic 4 is directed by Takashi Iizuka, who is known for his work as the senior level designer in Sonic 3. Jun Senoue also returns to the scene as the Sound Director, composing original music for the game with a classic feel. Iizuka has stated in various interviews that the game is pre-rendered in 3D, then edited to give off the 2D cel-shaded feel that is shown in the various screenshots that are now circulating both the Internet and the official website. Iizuka has also confirmed that the story of the game is to take place directly after that of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, though whether the way the story is told will be likened to that of the Geneis era is yet to be known.