Project Needlemouse: Sonic the Hedgehog 4

In what is truly a chill-inducing moment, Sega has just revealed that ‘Project Needlemouse’ will be officially titled Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1.  The side-scrolling high-speed platformer which is scheduled to launch in the summertime on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and WiiWare looks to be a revival of the classic Sonic formula of days gone by.

The original teaser image for 'Project Needlemouse.'

For years, fans had rejected Sonic’s 3D outings, with only a few of them actually holding up well.  Many cried out for an old-school Sonic experience while others just gave up hope.  On September 9, 2009, we reported that Sega had announced ‘Project Needlemouse.’  While not much was known about this endeavor, the trailer hinted at a Sonic game in the same vein as the Sega Genesis classics.

Well, classic Sonic loyalists, you now have something special to look forward to.  Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will arrive in a big way.  The fact that the series will be episodic spells out great news for fans as they are now guaranteed more than one Sonic side-scroller.  This will be no one night stand; you won’t feel cheap and lead on by the folks over at Sega.  Sonic classic has returned, and it will feature multiple entries.  The number of games to arrive to the three download outlets has yet to be specified, but at least we know we’re getting more than just a single game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 gameplay: a sight for sore eyes.

Other details are still very sketchy at this point, but it’s old-school Sonic, and that’s all you really need to know.  OK, OK, if you really want to know some extra tidbits, then Sega has confirmed online leaderboards for the game and motion controls for the Wii and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.  But I swear, that’s all I know!

So what are your thoughts on Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1?  Are you looking forward to the Blue Blur’s return to 2D action on home consoles?  What do you expect in terms of extra content?  Are you expecting extra content at all?  How well will Sonic 4 fare as it attempts to represent a legacy many had thought ended once Sonic jumped into the 3D realm?

Article from Gamersyndrome.com

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