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Difference between revisions of "Sonic the Hedgehog 4"

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====Episode II====
 
 
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*[http://www.sonicthehedgehog4.com Official Website]
 
*[http://www.sonicthehedgehog4.com Official Website]

Revision as of 09:31, 27 July 2011

For similarly-titled media, see Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (disambiguation).

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Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Sonic4ep1 iOS icon.png
System(s): Nintendo Wii (WiiWare),
Microsoft Xbox 360 (Xbox Live Arcade),
Sony PlayStation 3 (Sony PlayStation Network),
Apple IDevices, Windows Phone 7
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Genre: 2D platformer

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Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is a Sonic the Hedgehog episodic game with its first episode released on October 7th, 11th, 12th, and 13th in the US regions, October 7th, 13th, and 15th in the EU region, and October 12, 13th in the JP region. It was originally codenamed Project Needlemouse, after Mr. Needlemouse, the name given to several early prototypes of Sonic.

Episode I was first announced on the GameSpot website on September 9th, 2009, the 10th anniversary of the Sega Dreamcast. The game is a 2D, download-only title on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, WiiWare, and Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch; and features HD graphics on the former two platforms. It is a direct sequel to Sonic & Knuckles and is set after the events of that game. It is being released in episodic format, with its storyline spread across several episodes. Takashi Iizuka, who was involved in level design in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, is involved with the development, while Jun Senoue is the game's Sound Director.

On March 22, NGamer revealed that the game will have 3 Episodes, each comprising 4 Zones. [1] Each Zone has 4 Acts, the last of which is a boss battle with Sonic's perpetual nemesis Dr. Eggman.

Episode II has been announced, but not much else is known. Sega has rumored that Tails will be in, due to a tidbit relating to a poem called "The Hedgehog and the Fox", which would refer to both Sonic and Tails. Metal Sonic will be in Episode II, as shown in the secret ending of the game.

Gameplay

The game intends to replicate the feel of 16-bit era Sonic games with elements such as side scrolling levels and classic-style badniks. Sonic is the only playable character. Each zone features 3 acts, similar to Sonic 1's design, along with a boss act. The Homing Attack and Spin Dash are present. Monitors return in this game, and power-ups attainable from them include the Speed Shoes, Shield, and Invincibility. Special Stages are present and take place in Sonic 1-esque levels which must be navigated by tilting the level with either the D-Pad or through motion controls on supported systems. If all 7 Chaos Emeralds are collected in the Special Stage and 50 or more rings are collected the player will be able to transform into Super Sonic, a feature which has not been implemented in regular levels in an action Sonic game since Sonic 3 and Knuckles. The transformation is activated by pressing a button that is not Jump, making transforming into Super Sonic less likely to be accidental. In the Wii version, it's simply the 1 button, while on the 360 it is the X/Y buttons.

Platform Differences

In order to fit within WiiWare size limits, music in the Wii version uses a sequenced format similar to MIDI or module formats. As a result, there are noticeable differences from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, which use recorded music. As the Wii is not capable of producing high definition graphics the screen resolution is also smaller.

The iOS version contains some differences found in the PartnerNET build, and retains some changes found in that build, including the rotating minecart stage in Lost Labyrinth Zone and the Score Attack section in Casino Street Zone. The camera rotates when running through loops in this version also.

Only the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions support custom soundtracks.

Criticism

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 has been criticized for its "floaty" physics, likely due to its use of the Sonic Rush engine. This can often result in various oddities such as Sonic being able to stand sideways on walls. Following negative reception from older builds, it was confirmed that the physics would be tuned up for the final release, however it has been stated that dramatic changes in the way the game plays would require extensive level-redesign, which was not possible in the time limit set until the game's release.

The music has also been criticized for its poor choice of synthesized instruments, as well as low-quality DAC recordings from Sonic 2 that vary little between songs. Jun Senoue said that he looked into using a Mega Drive soundfont, but could not find a NEC PC-88 (a popular 80s Japanese computer with similar sound hardware) to run the software on.

Another controversial issue is Sonic's design, which uses the modern style model that debuted in Sonic Adventure and has since received refinements until its most recent state in Sonic Unleashed. Many fans say that the classic Sonic design should have been used, and a petition was set up for SEGA to include a classic model. 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. However, this was proven false with the upcoming PS3/360/3DS game Sonic Generations, where the Classic style of Sonic was used again along side his Modern counterpart. It is unknown whether this occurrence will be strictly for this new title, or if he will be used in future games.

Production Credits

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 credits

Resources

Artwork

Episode I

External links


Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Sonic4EpI PC title.png

Main page (I|II|Metal)
Comparisons
Maps
Achievements
Downloadable content
Credits


Magazine articles
Reception


Development
Hidden content
Bugs
Hacking guide

Sonic the Hedgehog games for the following systems
Xbox Live Arcade
 2007  Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic the Hedgehog 2     2009  Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Sonic & Knuckles     2010  Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I | Sonic Adventure     2011  Sonic the Hedgehog CD     2012  Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II | Sonic Adventure 2 | Sonic the Fighters    

Template:SonicIDeviceGames

Sony PlayStation 3
 2006  Sonic the Hedgehog     2008  Sonic Unleashed     2009  Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection     2010  Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing     2011  Sonic Generations     2012  Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed    
 Prototypes  Sonic Generations (Demo 1/2)
filler
Wii Virtual Console
WiiWare
 2006  Sonic the Hedgehog | Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine     2007  Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Sonic Spinball | Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island     2008  Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit) | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)     2009  Sonic Chaos | Sonic & Knuckles     2010  Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I