Badniks Beware!

All right. Due to the rest of my life throwing things in my way I have been unable to attend the blog. I shall have the Heavy Rain preview coming, along with thoughts on Bioshock 2 and a friend helping with a Mass Effect 2 review.

But I thought I'd start with some simple news and my opinion on a few things surrounding it.

Sonic The Hedgehog 4. That's right. If you haven't heard about this yet, then Sonic The Hedgehog will be released (in episodic format) this summer on PSN, Wii Ware, Xbox Live Arcade and an unknown format (simply marked with question marks - speculation throws up the iphone as the most logical choice but who knows?!).

The following trailer will be spread like wild fire so I doubt you'll have a hard time finding it but here's a link anyway. There is hardly any gameplay footage but it is exciting to know it's being worked on as you read this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFzi5p8_hQg

My Opinion

I'm excited about this. It's great to hear about a new sonic game and I think the fact that it's just number 4 makes it feel like a true sequel to the original games. I think the blend of 2D and 3D will work well.

The episodic release is an interesting choice. But I think they could utilise it to work. For example I thought that maybe we could even have a fan directed surface so SEGA could even ask for feedback on what should be included next. Should there be more fast paced sections? Bigger bosses? Extra characters? Online time trial? Who knows. I just have a feeling they wouldn't have chose an episodic release unless it was for a particular purpose. We can only speculate as of now.

This was one thing I was hoping they would do. In fact when I was in discussion with my gaming friends one us said "They should make Sonic The Hedgehog 4".
I know it might sound like I'm asking for too much but I think a great way to follow this would be to make another game in the Rush series and make Sonic Adventure 3. If they are all made the way they should Sonic will once again be back on top of the mountain where he belongs.

To check out news, concept art and other information that is slowly being released visit the official site (I must say it is nice to hear the selection sound from the menus of Sonic Adventure 2):

http://www.sonicthehedgehog4.co.uk/en/

I'll be interested in seeing how this develops.

Slinging Mud

For some reason Sonic fans and gamers alike have already started picking it apart already and I really don't understand this. Especially from the so called fans. People have been criticisng everything they can from just a few seconds of proper footage including:

- Sonic's movement not being right
- The rings being too big
- The game being too fast
- The game being too slow
- The graphics aren't just like the old games
- Sonic should be in 2D
- Sonic not slowing down properly
- Being released in episodic format

Okay I can understand the last criticism as it is a bit strange to think of a Sonic game being release in this way as it hasn't happened before. But already I have heard so many conflicting and down right pedantic complaints based on hardly anything!

Nostalgic Senility

This is what I have come to call this phenomonon and for some reason it occurs mostly with sonic games. Everyone seems to always be hung up on the fact that no new Sonic game is exactly like the older games in the 90's and that they are not as good. People seem to always complain about the new ones for some unkown reason and expect them to emulate the exact experiences of old. But I'll put forth the truth. THAT ISN'T POSSIBLE. Sonic needs to change just like any other gaming franchise or series. I think people hold onto the old a little too much sometimes. If you love the old games so much, then shouldn't that love still keep you playing without need for a new? But that solution seems lost on some.

Sonic needs to change. It can't stay the same. It's just about getting the right balance between keeping the spirit and feel of a sonic game whilst gradually discovering new possibilities for the spiky blue hedgehog. The last game to do that for me properly was Sonic Adventure 2 because the spirit of the game just felt real and like Sonic. Sonic Unleashed did it well with the Sonic sections too but other aspects of the game stopped it from being great.

Sonic has a divided fanbase as it is but complaints like this only seem to make the issue more complicated. Frankly I'm tired of hearing them when they are unfounded. I feel sorry for Sega as no matter what they do, no one seems to be happy but hopefully people will shut up and let them do it this time around. Starting from now, I will do just that.

P.S. Feel free to add your thoughts on this news through your comments.