Sega has been drip-feeding information about Project Needlemouse, the HD revival of Sonic the Hedgehog. Tonight the first official trailer (above) appeared on GameSpot, giving us the game’s official title: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. The game is rendered in 3D but takes place on a 2D plane, so our guesses at crisp new 2D sprites were clearly off. It’s due out this summer, and though we already knew it was slated for the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, this trailer confirms it’s due out for WiiWare as well.
The title is an intriguing new piece of information for two reasons. For one, it’s clear Sega wants to capitalize on fond memories of Sonic by calling this the true successor to the series, similar to when Konami released Contra 4. Even the brief look at a stage recalls familiar imagery from Green Hill Zone. Besides that, the “Episode 1″ title indicates long-term plans with at least a few downloadable releases already planned. We’re not sure yet the kind of scope Sega has planned for the series, but we’ll find out soon enough.
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