Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode 2 is out today

"Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode II", the long-awaited sequel to 2010's Episode I, is out now and can be purchased and downloaded via PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. It should also be available for iOS and Android over the next few weeks.

As with Episode 1, the new game is a 2D platformer inspired by the original 1990s Sonic the Hedgehog games on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis console. An additional episode, "Episode Metal", is available for those who purchase both episodes on the same system. That's very nice of Sega!

You can play some free Flash online versions of the classic 2D Sonic games over at the MarioSonicGames.com website.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode 1 is out today

It's finally here - Episode I of the eagerly anticipated "Sonic the Hedgehog 4" game from Sega is now available for purchase and download via PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare and iPhone OS (iOS).

It has received some very good reviews, scoring 9/10 from GamesRadar and 8/10 from IGN for example. Hooray! All true Sonic fans have waited years for a decent new traditional-style Sonic game to be released, and it looks like one has finally been produced!

(This is a follow-on post to my previous post about Sonic the Hedgehog 4.)

I'm still here.....

.....I just haven't posted anything in this blog for a while because there hasn't been much new stuff going on in the Mario and Sonic gaming world. The recently released Super Mario Galaxy 2 is selling like hot cakes, of course, and we're all still eagerly waiting for the first installment of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 to be released, and that's it really - nothing else to report.

In the meantime, if you're looking for some free Mario and Sonic Flash online games to play, here is the web's best collection of them for you to enjoy:

MarioSonicGames.com

And here are some more great free fun and games sites for you to try out:

Dan-Dare.org
(which includes the Disney.Dan-Dare.org
and the DreamWorks.Dan-Dare.org sites)

Dan-Dare.net

DanDare.org.uk

Update on Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Sonic 4

Further to my posts earlier this year about the two most eagerly awaited video games of 2010, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 4, here are the latest updates about them, including release dates:

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is now complete and is due for release on the Nintendo Wii on the following dates: North America - May 23, Japan - May 27, Australasia - June 10, Europe - June 11.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (previously known as Project Needlemouse) is going to be an episodic series, and Episode 1 is due for release via the PlayStation Network, the Xbox Live Arcade and WiiWare in the summer. The actual release date is still to be confirmed because the game is still undergoing development.

Project Needlemouse is Sonic the Hedgehog 4!

Sega yesterday announced that the forthcoming Sonic game previously given the codename Project Needlemouse (see my previous post about new game releases for this year) is in fact going to be Sonic the Hedgehog 4:

(Quote from an article in Yahoo! yeaterday)

Sega has announced that the game formerly known by the codename ‘Project Needlemouse’ is actually Sonic the Hedgehog 4.

Sonic 4, we’re pleased to report, heralds a return to his two-dimensional roots. In other words it’s a side-scrolling, high-speed, gold ring-collecting action/platform game, just like the good days of the Genesis/Mega Drive. That’s certainly no bad thing in our book – especially given the travesties of recent outings. Furthermore, being a bit, y’know, old school the new game doesn’t require the large storage capacities offered by DVDs or Blu-Ray discs. Instead it’s bound for download via Xbox LIVE Arcade, WiiWare and the PlayStation Network this summer.

The other significant component of Sega’s announcement is the new name – ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1’. Sega doesn’t illuminate on the implications of this, but it certainly looks like there will be other episodes in the pipeline. Let’s just hope that this is more than a means to pick our pockets several times over.

And that’s pretty much all there is to know at the moment, save to inform you that Sega has just launched an Official Sonic 4 website that boasts a number of countdown clocks, each ticking away towards the unveiling of new gameplay information, concept art and so on. In short there are plenty of reasons to be checking the site over the next few days and weeks.

(End quote)

Personally, I think it's fantastic that at long, long, long, long, long, long last (it's been 16 years in fact since Sonic 3!) Sega are producing a brand new proper style Sonic the Hedgehog game. It's about time! Hoorah!!

You can watch two trailer videos for the new game in my main YouTube channel here:

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - First Teaser Trailer

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Second Teaser Trailer

While we're all eagerly wating for this milestone game to be released, here are five great proper style Sonic the Hedgehog online games to play for free:

  Ultimate Flash Sonic the Hedgehog

  Sonic on Angel Island

  Sonic Mega Collection Mini

  Sonic Xtreme 2

  Sonic Sky Chase Zone

And if Mario is also "your thing", here are two proper style Super Mario online games too:

  New Super Mario Bros. Flash

  Ultimate Super Mario World

You can find all the above games, plus 150 more great free Sonic and Mario games, in the Dan-Dare.info and MarioSonicGames.com sites.