Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I

Sonic the Hedgehog 4, or simply Sonic 4, codenamed Project Needlemouse, is an episodic video game in development as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The first episode was released in October 2010; it was originally to be released in the summer of 2010 but was pushed back for further development. The game was first announced on 8 September 2009, and its real name was revealed on 4 February 2010.

The game is a two-dimensional side-scrolling platformer reminiscent of the original Sonic games, with an emphasis on speed. It will be playable in high definition. The iPod touch/iPhone version was released on October 8, the Wiiware version was released on October 11, the PSN version was released October 12, and the XBL version was released October 13.

Story
The story takes place following the destruction of the Death Egg, with Angel Island back in the sky (following the end of Sonic 3 & Knuckles). Sonic heads off to explore a new territory on his own. Doctor Eggman also survived, and has taken measures to defeat Sonic.

Episode 1
Despite Dr. Eggman's best efforts, Sonic destroys each of his refined creations and chases the madman to his newest lair, the E.G.G. Station Zone. There, Sonic defeats each of his creations once again, including the powered-up Giant Mech, which destroys the station. Safely back on Earth, Sonic celebrates his victory with the animals he saved.

A post-credits scene, obtaining by collecting all the Chaos Emeralds, shows Dr. Eggman laughing, along with the sillouette of Metal Sonic.

Playable

 * Sonic the Hedgehog/Super Sonic

Non-Playable

 * Dr. Eggman
 * Metal Sonic

Badniks

 * Bubbles
 * Buzzer
 * Chopper
 * Motobug
 * Newtron
 * Batbot
 * Crawl
 * Burrobot
 * Jaws
 * Orbinaut
 * Asteron
 * Shellcracker
 * Slicer
 * Spiker

Animal Friends

 * Flicky
 * Pocky
 * Cucky
 * Tux
 * Ricky
 * Picky

Bosses

 * Eggmobile (wrecking ball)
 * Catcher Eggman
 * Eggmobile (retreat)
 * Flying Eggman
 * Giant Mech

Zones

 * Splash Hill Zone
 * Casino Street Zone
 * Lost Labyrinth Zone
 * Mad Gear Zone
 * E.G.G. Station Zone
 * Special Stage

Key Items

 * Chaos Emeralds
 * Rings
 * Sign Post
 * Item boxes

Item Boxes

 * Super Rings (Holds ten rings)
 * 1-UP (Extra Life)
 * Speed Sneakers (Makes you run faster for a limited time)
 * Invulnerability (Makes you invincible for a limited time)
 * Shield (Protects you from a Single hit)

Special Stages
Special Stages in the game play akin to ones in the first game, where Sonic must navigate a maze to reach the Chaos Emerald, collecting rings and avoiding the exit blocks. This time, the rotation is controlled by the player instead of automatically. Controllers with motion control support can use either a traditional control method or by tilting the controller to control the rotation.

Two significant differences between these stages and the original ones are the inclusion of ring gates and a time limit. Ring gates are barriers that prevent the player from crossing into the next area of the stage, but can be passed once the appropriate number of rings, shown on the gate, have been collected. A time limit also kicks in at the start of each stage and boots the player out if they haven't collected the Emerald in the time frame. The starting amount varies by level, but can be extended in five, ten or fifteen second increments by collecting orbs around the stage.

Once a Special Stage has been completed, it can be replayed on the level select stage in either Score or Time Attack modes, with a 1-Up replacing the Emerald.

Music
Jun Senoue helped make the music in the game.

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010
The game was playable by the visitors of the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010. Players were only able to do the whole level of Splash Hill Zone. The Special Stages of the game were not shown. The game was highly praised at the E3 and there was a lot of audience at show of Sonic 4.

Development
The game is being developed by Dimps, as well as members of Sonic Team, including the original senior level designer for Sonic 3 & Knuckles. The game will be released as a digital download for WiiWare, PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Arcade, and iPod app store services.

An interview with Takashi Izuka states that "Fans will be very pleased with the cast in episode 2", implying that Sonic may not be the only playable character in future episodes. He also announced an as-yet unknown new move for Sonic, as well as announcing that the Homing Attack would appear in the game, saying: "I wanted the user to enjoy an easy-to-play feeling by the attack sequence that this [homing attack] allows, and find the fun routes in the air."

He also stated that the classic special stages will make a return and Ken Balough stated that there will be a total number of 17 stages in Episode 1, this includes Special Stages.

The game would be the same on all consoles. The Wii and Playstation 3 version of the game will be using motion control in certain areas such as Special Stages. The iPhone version of the game will be featuring two of its own levels. Previously the console versions of the game were going to have gimmicks such as Sonic riding on a Mine Cart. But, SEGA had delayed the game and moved the date from July 2010 to Late 2010; this is because they wanted to change the game to make it better and to prevent fans from knowing all of the game due to the leaks the game was getting. The Mine Cart gimmick will be moved to the iPhone version of the game, as well as some other gimmicks.

Leaking, Delay and Fan-Reaction
In February, a build of Episode 1 was submitted to Xbox Live Arcade's PartnerNET service, where developers are given access to upcoming downloadable titles for testing purposes. Soon after, screenshots, music and progressively more gameplay footage were leaked to the Internet. Eventually a playthrough of the entire game had been leaked, and Sonic Retro, who had already banned leaked material when more than they approved of had been released, responded by banning Sonic 4 discussion for several days. As well as this, PartnerNET shut down for a night. Other websites also made efforts to crack down on leaks, such as banning posting of leaked content. The build was controversial, due to it containing "floaty" physics speculated to be due to its using the Sonic Rush engine, poor animations, and criticized level design such as gimmick-based Acts that were disliked by most fans.

On May 20, 2010, SEGA announced that, due to fan input, the game would be delayed until later in 2010, in order to extend the development of the game. They have stated in game magazines and on GameSpot's On The Spot that this was specifically done to allow various fan requests (since the game was leaked) to be implemented, including more momentum-based level designs and improved physics closer to the Mega Drive titles.

Releases for the iPhone and iPod Touch were also announced, finally ending speculation of the 4th unknown platform, although it was leaked months before when images were found in the website's source code. It was also revealed that the iPhone platform will receive two extra levels, which will most likely be the Mine Cart and Pinball gimmicks in Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 2 and Casino Street Zone Act 2, which were heavily criticized in the leaked gameplay footage. This is thought to have been done because such levels fit the iPhone controls more. Fans have speculated (and many hope) that the console versions will receive new non-gimmick levels to replace them.

A video on YouTube from E3 dated June 11 has led some fans to believe that physics changes have already been made to the game, although Sega staff have stated that the build at E3 was not the most recent one.

Criticism
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has been criticised due to the design and content of the game. Some people believe that it is not a true sequel to the classic games, due to Episode I's content being largely based on that of previous games with minor changes, and level design that features speed boosters in every level (a staple of Dimps' level design with their previous Sonic games) and object placement that forces the use of the Homing Attack. The latter is a move that some fans do not feel belongs in a 2D game, particularly not one based on the classics and set before its debut in Sonic Adventure. The music has also been criticised, due to it featuring low-quality synths and drum samples (the latter from Sonic 2, not the more advanced ones from Sonic 3) that vary little between songs.

A highly controversal item is Sonic's design, which is the modern style model that debuted in Sonic Adventure and has since received refinements until its most recent state in Sonic Unleashed. Many fans believe that the classic Sonic design should have been used, and a petition was set up for SEGA to include the different version. However, in a magazine Takashi Iizuka said that the classic style wasn't returning, as all games since Sonic Adventure have featured Sonic in his modern design.

Reception
The reviews of the game were highly positive. IGN gave the first episode a score of 8.0 and an Editor's Choice award, calling it "short but sweet and well worth downloading." GamesRadar gave the PS3 version a score of 9/10, calling it "deserving of the name", Sonic the Hedgehog 4." . The iPhone version had 168 reviews and all the of them had given the game 4 stars out of 5. AppTilt had given the iPhone version a 9/10. GameShard gave the game a 9/10.

AppAdvice also gave it a 4/5. Whereas, TiPb gave the iPhone version a 5/5.

Marketing
The game was first announced through GameSpot by Sega of America on 8 September 2009, the eve of the tenth anniversary of the launch of Sega's Dreamcast video game console and the release of its launch game, Sonic Adventure in North America. At the time, it was referred to as "Project Needlemouse", in reference to the name "Mr Needlemouse", which was the prototype code name of Sonic the Hedgehog when he was being pitched as a new mascot for Sega.

The initial announcement was accompanied by a brief teaser trailer, which included sound effects from Sega Mega Drive-era Sonic games, as well as an interview with Sega's associate brand manager, Ken Balough, who acknowledged that "old-school Sonic fans have long asked to see Sonic return to a more 2D style of gameplay", and that "Needlemouse is that critical first step that brings Sonic back to his 2D roots".

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Release Date: Late 2010

Project Needlemouse Character Countdown


To get fans pumped for Project Needlemouse, SEGA put together a week long trivia game on the blogs.sega.com web page. Each day until Friday they are going to put a rejected stamp on the characters that won’t be in the game. Friday the full list of characters will be revealed if fan’s can succeed in a challenge. No information is given on whether the characters in the picture are the only potential characters in the game, so other characters like Tails and Knuckles still may or may not be in the game.

Description
1: The Details: Each name on the picture above is a potential playable character in Project Needlemouse. However, not all of them are going to make the cut – and each day this week until Friday, we’re going to update this picture with a rejected stamp over those who will not actually be showing up!

2: The Challenge: Answer our trivia questions about old school Sonic games! (Genesis era) We’ll post trivia questions each day on a specific part of our SEGA/Sonic sites, and you all have to work together to figure out the right answers and post them there! Each day we’ll challenge you guys to get a certain number of people to post the correct answers – and if you meet that challenge, we’ll remove more names from the picture in a new blog the following day!


 * About Bonus Points: If you go above and beyond the expected results, the community will earn a bonus point for that day. Earn at least three bonus points and we’ll give you all something special this Friday!

Trivia Questions
Day 1 (Jan. 11 2010)

1: In Sonic 1, how many rings were needed at the end of an act to enter a special stage?

Answer: At least 50 Rings

2: How many emeralds were in the original Sonic 1 for Genesis / Mega Drive?

Answer: 6 Chaos Emeralds

3: What colors were these emeralds?

Answer: 1.Red, 2.Yellow, 3.Green, 4.Blue, 5.Violet, and 6.White

Day 2 (Jan. 12 2010)

Characters Rejected: Charmy Bee and Chip

1: What was the general name for the robot enemies in the early Sonic games?

Answer: Badniks

2: 50 Rings is always nice, but 100 is even nicer – why so?

Answer: An Extra Life

3: In Sonic 2 for the Genesis / Mega Drive, how many lives was a ‘continue’ worth?

Answer: 3 Extra Lifes

Day 3 (Jan. 13 2010)

Characters Rejected: Vector and Tikal

1: How many acts were in each zone of Sonic 1?

Answer: 3 Acts (except Final Zone)

2: What was the first game to feature Super Sonic?

Answer: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

3: The original Sonic the Hedgehog featured special stages with morphing backgrounds – can you name two of the animals seen in that background?

Answer: Birds and Fishes (There were no more animals)

Day 4 (Jan. 14 2010)

Characters Rejected: Shade and Amy

1: If you lock Sonic 3 onto Sonic & Knuckles, what was the largest amount of emeralds you could collect from the special stage?

Answer: 14 Emeralds (7 Chaos Emeralds and 7 Super Emeralds)

2: Yuji Naka is credited for much of Sonic's history, but who is the man that actually designed Sonic?

Answer: Naoto Ōshima

3: During his creation, what was the Japanese name originally give to Sonic?

Answer: Mr. Needlemouse

Day 5(Jan. 15 2010)

Characters Rejected: Shadow, Froggy, Big and "Sonic's new friend Mr. Needlemouse"

Conclusion of Contest
The fans "won" the bonus points contest and was awarded not only on 2 extra characters struck off the list, but a piece of concept art developed for the game (which is very similar to the same badnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 2). A local fan of the Sonic fan community also went through the raw data of the file and discovered that it was scanned to the computer late last spring. The conclusion of the contest indicated that Sonic is the only playable character in this game. However, a recent issue of Gameinformer has revealed that there will be more playable characters returning for the second episode of the game.

Concept Art Challenge
On January 27, 2010, Sega updated their blog with a second (and final) challenge, and another piece of concept art (Motobug, the first badnik encountered in Sonic 1). The challenge was in response to a fan-made illustration of another badnik from Sonic 2 (designed to resemble the official art), which apparently staff liked a lot. To this end, Sega stated that they wished to see more: the new challenge was for fans to submit over 100 pieces of their own art of classic badniks (from Sonic 1-3 and Knuckles, and any other game from that era) to SEGA by the following Monday, to show them which enemies they wished to feature in Project Needlemouse. Sega stated that if this number was met, on Thursday 4 February, 2010 they have revealed the game's real name, concept art from the first zone, and a trailer.

Birthday Contest
In June, SEGA announced a contest to celebrate Sonic's 19th anniversary where people would create videos with the winner going to Tokyo to see the finished version of Episode 1. The voting system was intended to allow one vote per day, however people found workarounds to allow multiple voting by clearing their browser's cookies and cache due to poor site coding. On July 16th, SEGA suspended the voting. On August 2nd, the winners were chosen by input of SEGA staff and Sonic Team

Trivia

 * The Special Stage in this game is styled after the Special Stage from the first game.
 * On the Sonic the Hedgehog 4 website, the Egg Mobile has longer wings. The same goes for Chopper.
 * Once Sonic gains enough speed, his running animation looks similar to his running animation in the earlier games.
 * In the Xbox 360 version of the game, you can unlock a Sonic costume along with a Sonic head for the Xbox Avatar.
 * In Splash Hill Zone, Act 2 and Act 3, the level turns from day to sunset, this also might happen to the other stages.
 * Super Sonic will be playable freely like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit) and Sonic the Hedgehog 3/Sonic and Knuckles.
 * This game takes place where Sonic & Knuckles left off.
 * The green newtron badniks launch themselves like missiles in this game, something only the blue newtrons did.
 * The game was first supposed to be released in July 2010, but it got delayed because SEGA wanted to make the game better by giving themselves more time. The release date was changed to October 2010.
 * In the console version, there was a gimmick in "Lost Labyrinth" Act 2, where Sonic rides a mine cart.
 * In the second trailer, in the 1992 section (Sonic 2), the beta sprites were used when Sonic was running.
 * In the iPhone and iPod Touch version, if you stand around for a bit without moving, Sonic will start dancing and will hold an iPhone to his ear.
 * In the iPhone and iPod Touch versions, Sonic's rendering looks similiar to his Sonic Rush/Rush Adventure rendering.
 * At the ending, Sonic goes back to Splash Hill Zone and then jumps to the screen as in the first game except that in Sonic 4, the Emeralds don't disappear like in Sonic the Hedgehog.
 * When Sonic is chasing Eggman to E.G.G. Station Zone after Mad Gear Zone, Sonic is seen getting on a red rocket with Tails' twin tails symbol on the front.
 * In this game, Super Sonic is able to breath underwater.
 * Special stages can be restarted from the beginning, leading to an infinite number of tries to get a Chaos Emerald.
 * In this game, Super Sonic cannot be playable on Boss Acts.
 * This is the only game where the player can exceed the limit of 99 lives, whereas the limit in this game is 999 lives.
 * The Lost Labyrinth Zone is the classic Labyrinth Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog that has fallen into a state of disrepair.
 * The Wii version of the game has slightly different music than the 360 and PS3 versions. This is because of WiiWare's small file size limit, so the music had to be composed in a similar style to the original Genesis games for the Wii version, whereas the HD versions uses proper audio files.
 * This is the first Sonic the Hedgehog game to be released on WiiWare

Official Videos
Video:Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 - Splash Hill Zone|Splash Hill Zone Video:Sonic The Hedgehog 4 - Trailer 3# - Lost Labyrinth Zone (HD)|Lost Labyrinth Zone Video:Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I: Casino Street Trailer|Casino Street Zone Video:Sonic 4 Episode 1 Trailer - Mad Gear Zone|Mad Gear Zone