On the 4th may 2006 both IGN and GameSpy lifted the vale on SEGA’s Sonic 2006 project. Since then more discovery’s have come to light from various other sources, and this article shall continue to be updated as they do. As well as hinting a Sonic game unique to the Nintendo Wii, SEGA also revealed the games release would coincide with that of Sony’s Playstation 3. With the PS3 receiving a simultaneous worldwide release can we really expect SEGA to follow suite?
Promo image with white hedgehog, Sonic, and Shadow:
Overview
Quote SEGA of America official: ”The key to re-introducing Sonic on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, is focusing on the impact of his speed and sense of control from Sonic’s early Genesis days, and the wild aerial jumps introduced in Sonic Adventures. In its 15-year anniversary, SEGA’s new Sonic is one in which crisp high-res visuals, 60 frame-per-second gameplay, and an evolution of the hedgehog’s general form will set the tone for his new games.”
Quote Yuji Naka: ”We are proud to re-create our famous friend, Sonic, for a new generation of gamers on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. With Sonic The Hedgehog, we have gone back to our starting point, more than 15-years ago, to reinvent the attitude and speed that made our hero a legend. The ‘rebirth of Sonic’ will offer an unparalleled sense of speed that is only possible using the processing power afforded by the new systems.”
Characters
• Sonic- now with lengthened arms and legs, and no baby fat, possible to portray a more mature Sonic iteration with the physique of a track runner
• Robotnik aka Eggman- also with lengthened arms, legs, and loss of fat in keeping with Sonic Teams’ ‘more human’ ideals
• White Hedgehog (as of yet no name)- has supernatural powers and is playable. He can freeze enemy projectiles Matrix style, and then use them offensively
• Princess Elsie (suggested to be human)- the damsel in distress who harbours a dark secret
• Shadow- is playable and can ride armoured vehicles
• Iblis?
• Supporting cast members- Sonic will meet supporting cast members throughout the game (like Shadow the Hedgehog)
Story
• The game takes place in the capital Solieanna, a huge sprawling metropolis surrounded by ocean
• Princess Elsie harbours a dark secrete, but more impotently she also harbours a Chaos Emerald
• Robotnik kidnaps Elsie and the Chaos Emerald
• Sonic, not one to let an injustice take place, begins his quest to rescue the princess
• Meanwhile a mysterious white hedgehog has been tracking Sonic, apparently Sonic is the Iblis Trigger. In the Islamic religion Iblis is the name given to the devil
• The Chaos Emeralds are the secret to the Flames of Disaster
Gameplay
• Action Stages- Sonic navigates through rollercoaster tracks to reach the goal rings. Enemies are scattered throughout, as well as spring platforms, loop the loops, speed pads, breakable creates, and floating platforms. Sonic can travel multiple paths: some are short and fast while others offer extra bonuses. Certain areas in the levels allow Sonic to reach speeds that would be unattainable elsewhere. Theses sections are know as mach speed areas.
• City Stage- Sonic free-roams with more of an emphasis on exploration. These towns are place where Sonic can undertake missions and interact with its people (like Sonic Adventure DX). The chase scene consists of outrunning a massive wave of lava
Moves
• Walk
• Run
• Sprint
• Homing Attack
• Air Riding (like in Sonic Adventures’ Windy Valley)
• Wall run
• Slide Attack- slide to destroy enemies and creates
Levels
Kingdom Valley
• Sonic can use flying Eagles for transportation across stages, perhaps similar to the aerial segment of Shadow the Hedgehog
• Certain areas in the levels allow Sonic to reach speeds that would be unattainable elsewhere. Theses sections are know as mach speed areas. One such area is the water tunnel, where Sonic can tread water like Jesus to achieve burst of speed
• Sound effects are classic Sonic fare