Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is a downloadable PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 game

Sega has decided that it would be best if the Sonic the Hedgehog series returned to its roots, and decided the mysterious Project Needlemouse game was the way to do it. Sometime in 2010, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will be appearing on the PlayStation Store, Wii Shop Channel and Xbox Live. It’s a 2D platformer, just like the early Sonic the Hedgehog games that appeared on the Master System, Genesis and Game Gear, only there will be 3D characters and visuals.

Aside from being a downloadable title, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will also be an episodic adventure with multiple entries that, as a whole, will present players with an epic adventure. Also, pretty much all versions of the games will be identical. There will be a few slight differences in terms of how the game is displayed and controlled, for example the Wii will take advantage of the system’s motion controls and the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will run at 1080p, but aside from that the game will be the same.

Only a few new features have been announced. For example, there will be online leaderboards to see how quickly you and your friends have gotten through levels. The GameSpot interview with Sega’s Ken Balough also confirms that Sonic will have a homing attack this time around, in addition to his typical jumping on or spinning through enemies.

Along with the interview revealing Sonic the Hedgehog 4, GameSpot got the first Sonic the trailer/ Let’s see it in action.

Okay, so the trailer isn’t too impressive. We get to see, what, six seconds of footage? (Check 00:24 through 00:29.) But the whole idea of a new retro Sonic game sounds promising. A definite release date hasn’t been announced, but the GameSpot article suggests a Fall, 2010 release window.

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