OH MY GOD WHAT IS THIS!??!! "Project Needlemouse"

[RedPenguin]

kotaku.com/5355153/sonic-returns-in-new-2d-hd-game

Sonic Returns In New 2D, HD Game

It appears that Sega may actually have been listening. After years and years of (mostly) awful 3D Sonic games, the company is now teasing something called "Project Needlemouse", billed as a return to the Sonic of old.

"Old-school Sonic fans have long asked to see Sonic return to a more 2D style of gameplay" says Sega of America's Ken Balough. "Many liked the daytime stages in Unleashed, but wanted to see a game that plays purely similar to the early games of the Genesis. Project Needlemouse is that critical first step that brings Sonic back to his 2D roots."

The teaser clip's tagline reads "Speed returns, in an all new 2D adventure built from the ground up", with Balough confirming the game will, rather than be a retro-remake, be an all-new game built in HD.

It'll be out in 2010. No word on platforms, but the "HD" bit certainly narrows it down. What do you think, Sega fans? Do you dare to hope?

---

www.gamespot.com/pc/action/projectneedlemouse/news.html?sid=6216990&mode=previews

GS: Why did Sega decide to bring Sonic back to 2D? Did the success of Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure play a part?

KB: Old-school Sonic fans have long asked to see Sonic return to a more 2D style of gameplay. Many liked the daytime stages in Unleashed, but wanted to see a game that plays purely similar to the early games of the Genesis. Project Needlemouse is that critical first step that brings Sonic back to his 2D roots.

GS: What can you tell us about the game?

KB: I can tell you it’s a brand new 2D adventure coming out in 2010, it’s in HD, and to definitely stay tuned.

GS: With HD makeovers of classic games being popular right now, can we expect the game to use chunky old school sprites or hi-res HD sprites?

KB: You can definitely expect HD graphics.

... Well, you never know what do expect do you? I don't know about you guys, but I am awaiting this with anticipation, caution, and hype. A whole lot of hype.

[Kingpin]

Damn it pengy you beat me to it! anyhow, i'll probally buy it, because it sounds kinda cool, but I still say they should seriously use the SA or SA2 engine or the Unleashed day engine for the game, that would be better in my oppinion

[The Desert Fox]

I do dare to hope.

[Bloodmeta]

...Sega....LISTENING TO OUR INFO?!?
...
...
Bai Gawd... Tiny Turtle Is Pleased :'D

[Weirdo94]

Well of course I have hope. It's not this is a fandom that blows the smallest glitch out of proportion in search of reasons to spew hate. Surely they won't either whine about how this game still deviates too far in gameplay and go back to the whole "THEY WON'T LISTEN, WAH" tune or change notes to *****ing about it being an overglorified romhack.

Surely this isn't the same fandom that's gotten a good half of the games released for their series since the third party splitup were in the side scrolling gameplay style but continues to complain about it. No, there was no such thing as the three Advance games, two Rush games, and two Rivals games.

And it's not like they were complaining that there needs to be a Sonic-only solo game and got three of them which they *****ed and moaned about, reusing the same claims that their obnoxious cries fell on deaf ears.

Yup, I have hope for the fandom's view of this series and where it should go.

[Quacker Duk]

Thank for posting the news as usually, Penguin.

Well said, Wierdo. It's true - there is no pleasing Sonic Fans. It's not that there is anything wrong with them, it's just that Sonic means something different to everyone. Some people love it for the sweet characters and cute sidekicks, like Tails and Cream. Others are into it for the dark epics, like Shadow the Hedgehog. Some like the 3D roller-coasters, and others remains insistent that 2D is the only true path.

Sonic means too many things to too many people to truly appease everyone.

[Kon]

Unless.....

A Dark and epic, YET cute 2D game, with 3D roller-coaster segmants, with "sweet characters" as well.

[cobaltcrusader]

well, from whats been recently released info (well for me anyway) the game is only going to feature sonic as a playable character, as other possible ones were voted off, including shadow.

[Quacker Duk]

It's wasn't really a vote though. It was a marketing gimmick, since they know that many folks dislike Sonic's band of friends/foes.

I'm fine with a back-to-basics approach, but I hope they don't forget that JUST Sonic and Eggman with no plot tends to be boring by today's standards. Don't get me wrong -- I'm not saying we need a tangled Government conspiracy plot like SA2, but some of the best old-school games (like Sonic 2, Sonic CD, and Sonic 3) all introduced new characters, and had a story of some sort. Not major ones, but enough to propel the action forward. Heck, I'd be willing to say, the Sonic 3 & Knuckles had one of the most memorable stories around, and it didn't feature a single line of text.

[cobaltcrusader]

totally, i loved the weird cutscene thing in the hidden palace zone. The main thing that worries me about needlemouse is the logo, sonic seems more like his old school version, making me think that sonic teams going to restart the continuity from S3andK.

[Quacker Duk]

I hope they don't either.

I can't see it being too much of an issue, though. I mean, "Sonic Unleashed" technically reset the continuity. It was just Sonic and Tails verses Eggman, and a bunch of new characters. The game didn't reference any other games or events, but it didn't expressly say anything else DIDN'T happen. Also, Sonic and Mario at the Winter Olympics came out right after that, and was FULL of continuity.

I don't mind a game that doesn't hinge on major events of previous games, but I'd be mad if they just rebooted everything completely.

[cobaltcrusader]

the basis of my panic is just speculation, sega has said this is an all new adventure, but still no news on sonics appearance (which my whole panic rests on). After i see that i can begin to look forward to this, good to see badniks again though.

[Akago]

Hey guys, the name has offically been accounced. And they're going back to basics with it. "Sonic The Hedgehog 4" On top of that, they've already waved some concept art around and revealed that it's a direct continuation of the Sonic and Knuckles 3 storyline.

Here's the new website that covers what they've released.

If you look under Sonic's profile under the "featured" characters area, that tells you pretty clearly that they're picking up the plot from the 2D games.

So far they've released concept art for the two of the plants: Sunflower and palm tree; and two badniks: Crab Meat and Moto Bug.

Yep, the badniks are making a return.

Another link you might be interested in is the blog where they tend to post quite a bit of information about the game as they release it.

[cobaltcrusader]

thanks for the info, its weird its downloadable, i was thinking needlemouse was gonna be a full game, on a disc.