There have been many gaming icons over the years, but not many have managed to reach the fame and prestige of Sonic the Hedgehog, who is now 25 years old. The more recent instalments of Sonic have left a lot to be desired and he has not managed to reach the heights of his 90s golden age, but Sega hopes to remind long time fans and new gamers alike what made Sonic the gaming cornerstone he is.
During this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Sega was present to celebrate 25 years of the little blue hedgehog. It was here that Sega announced the upcoming Sonic game, Sonic Mania, which will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
The Head of Sonic Team, Takashi Iizuka, went on record to say, “Sonic Mania was born out of our fans’ love of the classic Sonic 2D platform games, this type of collaboration is a first for SEGA and we hope everyone will be both surprised and delighted by this title. Sonic Mania has been a passion project for the entire team and we look forward to sharing more details about it later this year. Having the game actually playable at the event itself tonight was testament to the dedication of the team behind it.”
Accompanying the announcement was a trailer that advertised a “new 2D adventure”; new zones; reimagined classic 3 playable characters, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles; and the all new Drop Dash ability. Sonic Mania will include reimagined zones and acts from Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic CD and Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles, combined with new zones, bosses and acts to create a hybrid experience that is equal parts nostalgic and new.
Sonic Mania is slated to release in spring 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.