Thanks to Wolfman for helping with edits.
Ah, Sonic the Hedgehog 4. It’s a pair of games starring SEGA’s mascot, acting as the decade-later sequel to his beloved Genesis trilogy. As a fan of those classics and the greater franchise, watching the Sonic 4 saga unfold was an unforgettable experience—but not for any positive reasons. Sonic 4: Episode I hit during October 2010, Episode II arrived in May 2012, and then… silence. Then, on January 5, 2015, it was quietly revealed that Episode III wasn’t happening. Ken Balough, Sonic 4‘s brand manager, admitted the episodic series was planned to spawn a trilogy of its own, but wouldn’t for reasons he couldn’t discuss.
Both Episodes of Sonic 4 rot among my most disliked video games of all-time. In casual conversation, I sometimes call them “Sonic 4: Attempt I” and “Sonic 4: Attempt II.” (Image: SEGA)
Never before or since has the announcement of a game’s cancellation filled me with such apathy, even relief. Still, it’s kind of tragic the “sequel fans have waited sixteen years for” would suffer such an unceremonious end. Today, SEGA’s episodic experiment occupies a shaky position within the franchise, rarely scoring acknowledgments (usually remixes of its music, though the comics draw from it and 4 is seemingly considered canon). Though some lament its abandonment, most seem content leaving 4 behind.
Why does Sonic 4 invoke such disinvestment when the hedgehog’s other poor outings inspire outright vitriol? Why doesn’t it stand alongside his better retro throwbacks? No, it isn’t because it uses Sonic’s modern design, the one with green eyes. This Friday marks Episode I’s twelfth anniversary, so let’s spend today reminiscing…
Project Needlemouse
Is the Project Needlemouse logo a silhouette of Sonic 1’s, or is it hiding Pikachu in a sombrero? (Image: SEGA)
We were first alerted to Sonic 4 in 2009 through a teaser for “Project Needlemouse.” The trailer, the interview from Balough, the logo, and even the codename were a mission statement: this is a Sonic for older, disenfranchised fans. The series was struggling, suffering from a string of shoddy mainline releases (spin-offs have always been hit or miss). We were only three years removed from a notorious disaster; the wounds hadn’t yet healed. Enthusiasm for Sonic was at a historic low.
SEGA knew they needed to build goodwill. A criticism of Sonic’s contemporary outings was how Speed Boosters and his Boost ability automatically thrust him forward at full speed. Though that style has a place, it isn’t how the 16-bit titles—and, apparently, Needlemouse—handle things. According to SEGA, “Speed is something that is not given; but rather earned through dedication. Speed is not found by simply pushing a boost button, but by building momentum. It is the reward for skill in the face of difficult challenges—this kind of speed is the most exhilarating, not only because it is fast, but because of the pure perfection such speed exemplifies. This is the truth of the original Sonic games—and this is the truth of Project Needlemouse.”
The Sonic Retro community edited a render of modern Sonic, making him resemble his original self. Sonic 4 keeps its cast’s Adventure designs for brand consistency. (Image: SEGA)
Concept art for Needlemouse, which harkened back to the Genesis games, was shared regularly. A character countdown was held over a week in January, listing and gradually crossing out familiar faces. One name was “Sonic’s new friend Mr. Needlemouse,” a self-effacing jab at how new games introduce new characters (bragging about a game having less content than its predecessors might seem counterintuitive, but this poll was a response to enduring complaints of “Sonic’s shitty friends”). The thing predictably ended by confirming, yes, Needlemouse is a Sonic-only outing. But hey, Tails and Knuckles—who were playable in and elevated Sonic 3 & Knuckles—were omitted from the countdown, inspiring hope they’d reemerge eventually.
Then February arrived, with Project Needlemouse’s formal unveiling imminent. Everyone was expecting a Sonic 4, especially since retro throwbacks—New Super Mario Bros., Mega Man 9 and 10, the Pac-Man Championship Editions, even SEGA’s own Mario parody Pole’s Big Adventure—were becoming commonplace. Would it meet expectations? Could it meet expectations?
Sonic 4: Episode I
I’ll be blunt: this is the worst, most anticlimactic game reveal I ever had the misfortune of watching. Seeing a hideous Sonic lethargically jog across an equally gross Green Hill Zone knockoff invoked dread, not enthusiasm. That sky had to have been ripped from some Windows screensaver. That grass wasn’t grass, but some bizarre green plastic. Even Sonic the Hedgehog 4’s nature as an episodic, downloadable project raised concerns. If SEGA was confident in it—a mainline Sonic game, the direct follow-up to the series’ best games—wouldn’t this be a retail release à la Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros. series? Episodic storytelling was still pretty new; doing it well and doing it for a premiere franchise was even more so.
Still, many were ecstatic. SEGA was doing their best to cultivate that, confirming that third party Sonic studio Dimps was on deck. Dimps was no stranger to Sonic, and though they’ve made duds, their output was reliably stronger than Sonic Team, the studio that holds the keys to the franchise. They’re even behind the first Sonic Advance, a competent side-scroller that blends Sonic’s 16-bit and 3D elements. Sonic 3 veterans Takashi Iizuka and Jun Senoue were also present, and though the former’s helmed duds, their passion is palpable. Realistically speaking, this was the best group SEGA could get, and everyone onboard did have experience making quality Sonic titles.
Episode I, to its credit, nails a few details. It’s the first platformer to let Super Sonic in standard levels since 1994. The transformation was finally mapped to its own button. And 4 lacks the “blocky,” Mario-esque platforming of Sonic Colors and its sequels. (Image: SEGA)
SEGA expressed high hopes for Sonic 4. Initially, then-SEGA West president Mike Hayes and Iizuka almost belittled 2010’s other upcoming (and ultimately better) Sonic platformer, Sonic Colors, by insisting it’s for a younger audience—Sonic 4’s the one for core gamers. Soon, Iizuka clarified that Colors is meant for everyone, and though 4 is made with longtime fans in mind, it’s also meant to appeal to kids who discovered the Genesis trilogy through the Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or iPhone’s downloadable services. On NeoGAF and Sonic Retro, then-assistant community manager Aaron Webber engaged with fans and divulged information. Balough did the same on SEGA’s own, now defunct forums.
SEGA even partnered with Alton Towers in a weird bit of cross promotion, creating a hotel suite flaunting Sonic 4 imagery. Since there was a dearth of gameplay footage, every photo of this gaudy room was analyzed excessively—and discovering a generic Speed Booster was an unsurprising but concerning detail. Old Sonic titles only used Boosters in select Zones, where they were stylized and thematically appropriate. Considering Sonic’s liberal use of such mechanisms afterwards, some of us took this as confirmation that they’d dot Sonic 4.
Casino Street, a poor man’s Casino Night, is the worst of 4‘s Zones. Part of Night’s appeal is spinning through it à la a pinball, abusing Sonic’s momentum. That doesn’t work here, leaving Street a hollow homage. (Image: SEGA)
Soon, a build of Episode I was leaked. Screenshots, the soundtrack, and even a playthrough of the whole game spread across the internet, and the reception among devotees was toxic. The primary concern was Sonic 4’s physics; Episode I was seemingly using Rush’s engine, an insufficient choice for a game about “building momentum.” Gaining speed is impossible while Sonic is rolling, and if he rolls off a ramp, he… uncurls, undermining his core mechanic while forcing players to use the Homing Attack. Sonic could, however, effortlessly gain speed by abusing his Homing Attack or walking through Boosters. The Homing Attack—which, remember, was made to help players navigate 3D spaces—was otherwise used in the same uninspired way Adventure 2 popularized: consecutively chaining rows of enemies, often over giant gaps.
And those were merely the “big” issues! Sonic 4 was reusing backdrops and baddies from its predecessors, where those games reliably brought in new content. Sonic 3’s elemental shields and other playable heroes were nowhere to be seen. Several stages had questionable segments. Two whole Acts—one a motion-controlled minecart ride, and the other a pinball board—looked monotonous. On a technical and artistic level, Episode I‘s visuals can charitably be called confused. Senoue’s instrumentation poorly emulated the Genesis soundfonts, with many likening it to “dying cats.” One track, Dr. Eggman’s unthreatening boss theme, was even lifted from 3D Blast—where it had rightfully gone unused (even Sonic Team director Toshiyuki Nagahara took some issue with Senoue’s work). Plus, dozens of other complaints were leveled at the side-scroller, too.
There was a harsh backlash against Sonic 4, inspiring petitions and boycotts. That all led to backlash against the backlash. (Image: SEGA)
Episode I was scheduled to release during the summer, mere months after it was leaked, killing any hope its issues might get addressed. Then something unprecedented happened: Episode I was getting delayed. A complete overhaul was obviously off the table, but taking “additional time” to polish the game was appreciated. According to Balough and Webber, they were “gonna try” to adjust 4’s physics to better match those of its predecessors (doing so “wasn’t possible,” and Iizuka later claimed Episode I’s different physics and approach to Boosters were by design), replace both gimmick Acts on consoles, and make other ameliorations.
Upon release, Sonic 4: Episode I sold well and enjoyed an overall positive critical reception, with many praising it as a return to form. Since it lacks the melodrama, oppressive glitches, and questionable gimmicks of the preceding, critically lambasted console Sonic platformers, it could pass itself off as such. Amongst the Sonic community, however, it remained divisive. Countless YouTube videos dissect or mock the side-scroller, with lighthearted Balough parody Ben Kalough’s review and meltyKitt’s “Choral 4 Sonic” being among the most notable ones. I wasn’t a fan, either. Episode I wasn’t an effort to build upon Sonic’s golden age; it’s a shallow retread of it—and, even taken on its own merits, isn’t worth playing over the older, better games it “recycles” content from.
Nevertheless, SEGA continued gathering feedback, even commendably hosting an event for that very purpose. It all had to amount to something, right? (Image: SEGA)
Sonic‘s 20th Anniversary
Altogether, 2011 was a good year for the ‘hog. Sonic fans were optimistic going into it after Colors, and Sonic Generations’ reveal was exciting; classic Sonic returning was a shocking, special surprise. Fan-turned-pro Christian “The Taxman” Whitehead’s lovingly remade Sonic the Hedgehog CD was another highlight. The next installment of Sonic 4 had been announced too, but was pushed aside. SEGA kept the spotlight on Generations throughout 2011, and the anniversary game wound up being a fun celebration of the hero’s history. (Dimps also made a Nintendo 3DS version of Generations, and there was that Kinect-controlled Sonic Riders, but we can ignore those, right?)
Occasionally, SEGA staff would offer nuggets of information on Sonic 4: Episode II and their other upcoming games. One noteworthy comment was that “the idea” for Episode II was focusing on “new things” we “haven’t seen.” SEGA’s Hedgehog Day 2011 blog post also cryptically teased Tails for… something. It’s possible, perhaps likely this was our first hint at the CD remake, where Tails is an unlockable character. But most people thought of Sonic 4, eagerly wanting a reason to anticipate the next Episode. The most concrete details were that Episode II would incorporate elements of CD—most notably Metal Sonic, whose comeback Episode I teased—into the Genesis trilogy’s Death Egg arc.
Sonic 4: Episode II
SEGA closed their mascot’s milestone anniversary with our first look at Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II. Alongside the obligatory confirmations of Tails and Metal Sonic returning, the major promises were a “new physics engine” and “new graphics engine.” Now, Episode II looks nicer; its budget was clearly higher. But it’s still just a side project, and we were even told once that Episode II was keeping its forebear’s engine. Were they really going through the trouble of making a new physics engine? In an interview, Balough claimed they were. Then he stated they’re making changes “within the scope of what’s possible,” adding that they’ve identified quirks within 4‘s framework they could adjust. Yes, they were improving the physics; that complaint was too loud to ignore. But how far were they going?
Also, while Episode I hit the Wii, Episode II would not. Balough wouldn’t explicitly say why, but the console’s weaker hardware and WiiWare’s strict memory limitation are clear culprits. I wasn’t disappointed, even as someone who bought Episode I on my Wii. But I did sympathize with Wii-only gamers—Episode I’s secret ending was teasing a sequel that’d never grace that system. It also meant those of us who lacked the high definition Episode I were locked out of “Episode Metal,” a bonus campaign and tribute to Sonic & Knuckles’ lock-on technology that you only got by owning both games on the same system.
I never did get to play Metal’s side campaign, but I’m not upset. Sonic’s chrome counterpart only revisits a handful of levels from Episode I, none of which I care to revisit. (Image: SEGA)
Again, SEGA shared concept art to foster goodwill. Archie Comics published a tie-in comic, too. But gameplay footage was needed to win over critics, and we’d soon get plenty, because—you guessed it—a near final build of Episode II was leaked. Curiously, it has remnants of an Episode III teaser, though the final game lacks any such scene. Was Episode III coming? Iizuka said they weren’t planning a third Episode, though we probably would have gotten one if II was successful. SEGA certainly tried making II another success, hosting an initiative that encouraged buying multiple copies of it.
And Episode II’s inconclusive nature and attempts to bring in stuff from Sonic CD are… eye-catching. The Death Egg mk. II powers down, but isn’t destroyed, meaning Little Planet, CD’s setting, remains trapped under it. At the very end, only one of the two escape pods lands on Earth. The other disappears above the planet. Perhaps Sonic’s pod was intended to land on Angel Island, Knuckles’ floating home and the setting of Sonic 3 & Knuckles?
Some problems, like the uncurling and recycled bosses, are addressed in Episode II. In a welcome gag, its first boss briefly emulates a Sonic 2 boss and then subverts expectations. (Image: SEGA)
Reception to Episode II was lukewarm, surprising Balough. Despite generally being considered an improvement by fans, it performed worse critically and commercially. Enough of Episode I’s issues remain (notably, II’s stages mostly mesh older Sonic tropes together, which isn’t “new,” but is an improvement) and are complemented by a slew of new ones. Senoue graduated from “dying cats” to “dying ducks.” Most boss fights are tedious. Using Sonic and Tails’ combo moves breaks the game’s flow. Not being able to play as Tails alone (outside the co-op modes) was baffling, since people just… assumed we’d be able to. Sonic 3 did it, so 4 should too, right? And while the physics more faithfully replicate those of the 16-bit titles (though they’re still imperfect; heck, Super Sonic’s physics are unaltered from Episode I), II retains its predecessors’ reliance on springs and Boosters, so you can’t even enjoy them.
Since this saga’s truncated conclusion (a fate other episodic titles also suffer from), all pertinent parties have moved on. Whitehead was briefly asked about developing Episode III with SEGA Studios Australia, though that went nowhere—and that studio was dissolved in 2013. Dimps released their final Sonic title, a 3DS approximation of Lost World, that same year. Balough isn’t at SEGA anymore. There isn’t anyone left to champion Sonic 4.
No Mourning Allowed
Though their name carries less respect among fans today, I still like Dimps and would like a proper third Sonic Rush. (Image: SEGA)
Sonic 4 is a failed experiment few would remember if SEGA didn’t have the audacity to call it that. Though Balough claimed the game bore that title “from the start,” Senoue notes it was originally just “a classic Sonic game,” one seemingly called “Sonic the Portable.” According to former SEGA community manager Kevin Eva, it was meant as a testbed for episodic content—and then someone with sway dubbed it Sonic 4. Then SEGA’s marketing made promises the game could never deliver. If Sonic 4 was released under any other name, it would’ve gotten less attention and still be an unenjoyable mess, but at least it wouldn’t carry the stigma it does. Some of its critics might even be a little more forgiving of its missteps and deviations. I would be.
I’m sure passionate, talented people worked on Sonic 4, and that’s true of the staff of any boondoggle. I also harbor no ill-will towards Balough and those behind 4’s advertising; they were doing their jobs, maintaining a rapport with the community is laudable, and their involvement certainly improved 4. All that marketing copy, though? I’m not accusing SEGA’s Western personnel of deliberately lying (Iizuka and company speak Japanese, so it’s possible miscommunication arose), but it was misleading and dug an impregnable divide between the games they promoted and the ones they published.
I remember talking with a lot of people about Episode I, all of whom are less critical than me, and none of them saw anything wrong with it. We all left it behind once Colors and Generations hit. (Image: SEGA)
Ignoring all of that, neither Episode is the series’ worst playing installment. But there’s something uniquely dispiriting seeing SEGA appropriate the classic games’ aesthetics and mechanics without understanding them or why they’re liked (especially since multiple games since 4 also crib Sonic’s classics to… varying levels of success). Altogether, I’d argue Episode I is the most cynical, creativity bankrupt cash grab SEGA’s ever subjected fans of their flagship property to—and I say that being painfully aware of Shadow’s gun-totting, motorcycle-riding spin-off. And Episode II’s underperformance is likely due to a combination of apathy after I, unfavorable comparisons to Generations (which absolutely stole the spotlight that year), and the fact that it simply isn’t enough of an improvement.
On a personal note, I do owe Sonic 4 a debt of gratitude. Episode I is the first video game I ever wrote about, way back on a personal, now-defunct blog. When I started writing professionally, I got my start at (the also now-defunct, sadly) Nerd Underground, and my first big feature there was—you guessed it—about Sonic 4; this article is a rewrite of that. Though I’m sure I would have pursued games writing regardless, my psychological need to vent about Sonic 4 pushed me towards it. So… SEGA, I sincerely thank you for that.
Thankfully, those seeking a new, authentic classic Sonic experience did score a happy ending. During SEGA’s twenty-fifth anniversary panel for the franchise, we learned Whitehead and the fellow fan-turned-pro studio Headcannon (who had previously collaborated on mobile remakes of Sonic 1 and 2) were teaming up for Sonic Mania. So much of its vibrant reveal trailer is a direct response to 4’s shortcomings, highlighting proper slope physics and multiple playable characters. Regardless of its own imperfections, Mania is the true successor to Sonic’s 16-bit pedigree. It’s the series’ highest rated game since 1994, and comparisons between Mania and 4 reliably favor the former, which is validating! And Mania is great, even becoming my favorite Sonic game—and, by extension, one of my all-time favorites.
Sonic Mania and its promotional animations exude respect for the franchise, proving classic Sonic carries value today. (Image: SEGA)
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