The franchise has struggled to catch up with the current consoles which has resulted in clunky, awkward controls for our favorite blue hedgehog. The new Sonic games have tried hard to look great and expand on the classic gameplay, however flashy changes have proven successful. The introduction of new gameplay elements have proven as overkill, changing the franchise altogether. If any ounce of high-speed gameplay is present in the newer games, it’s only there to tease on how great the game series was. Anybody who still owns a Sega Genesis knows how Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles work at their best.

It’s not that big of a surprise that Sonic the Hedgehog is getting a makeover, especially one that continues from the originals. After Mega Man 9 came out, it was obvious that some classic platformers just can’t be changed. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 takes the same look and feel as it’s predecessors and has high hopes of returning the franchise towards a great gaming experience. Keep an eye out for its release in Summer of 2010 on Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare, and Playstation Network.

Stay tuned as we’ll try to get our copy for a full review later this summer.

Links: Sonic the Hedgehog 4

January will be another slow month for new game releases for ALL the next generation gaming consoles. There will only be one game available for the PS3 and two games for each the Wii and 360. If you are waiting for new games to purchase, you might as well go pickup a currently available one unless you find something on the list below interesting. From our perspective, the only games worth purchasing this month are Sonic The Hedgehog for the PS3 and Fuzion Frenzy for the Xbox 360.

PlayStation 3:

• Sonic The Hedgehog – Sega

Wii:

• Baseball – Nintendo
• Urban Champions – Nintendo

Xbox 360:

• Fuzion Frenzy 2 – Microsoft
• Dance Dance Revolution Universe – Konami

Note: The items mentioned above are games for the PlayStation 3 and Wii that are planned to be launched in December 2006. The list is accurate as of 11/30/06, however game may be added or removed. Therefore check Nintendo’s and/or Sony’s webpage for any changes.

What console do you own? Purchase any games recently? – let us know!

Links: Nintendo Wii List | Sony PS3 List | Microsoft Xbox 360 List
Related: Upcoming PS3 & Wii Games: December