Sega confirms Sonic 4 developed by Sonic Team and Dimps

by Randy Nelson on Feb 18th 2010 7:40PM

Sonic may not team up with other playable characters in his upcoming downloadable adventure, but Sonic Team and Dimps are combining forces to develop Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. Sega today confirmed to Joystiq that the two developers are working together on the title, plainly stating, "Sonic 4 Episode I is being developed by Sonic Team in cooperation with Dimps." The question as to who is actually making the title for Sega was raised when Xbox.com listed Dimps as sole developer on the game's XBLA info page.

This isn't the first time that Dimps has partnered with a well-known team to develop a game based on a classic franchise -- it worked with Capcom to create Street Fighter IV -- nor is it a stranger to the Sonic universe, having worked on the Sonic Advance series for GBA, Sonic Rush and its sequel for DS and level design for the Wii version of Sonic Unleashed.

[Thanks to Justin for the original tip!]

Tags: dimps, Microsoft, Nintendo, psn, psn-store, sega, sonic-team, sonic-the-hedgehog, sonic-the-hedgehog-4, Wii, wiiware, XBLA, XBLM, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (46)

This is heartening news. Dimps has done some good work with the franchise

Though on the other hand, it is somewhat troubling. Why is Sonic Team not devoting their whole attention to what they claim is going to be the reinvention of their main franchise? Someone's priorities are screwy.

Maybe they are devoting full attention to it and they just need more manpower. And by "more manpower," I mean "supervision." I have been very displeased with Sonic Team since... I dunno, after Sonic 2? I had fun with Sonic 2, but have kept my distance since then.

Although, can anybody confirm my suspicions that the "normal sonic" half of Unleashed might be fun?

hahahaha what I MEANT was Sonic ADVENTURE 2: Battle. I really like Sonic 3 and Knuckles, and that was just a typo.

Although I didn't like Sonic Adventure 1so I guess I'm literally just going crazy.

about time Sonic got some love

How does that make their priorities screwy, if anything it says exactly what people have been thinking for years: They have about the same faith in themselves to develop a Sonic game as the fans do.

It worked for Capcom after all. Capcom lost most of the names that built their 2D fighters, which is why Capcom Fighting Jam was a joke. So, they allowed Dimps (coincidentally, made up of a lot of old Capcom and SNK staffers) to make Street Fighter IV. SEGA's doing the same thing here, they should be applauded for it not scrutinized (though, being Sonic, it should always be under heavy scrutiny).

If anything, they completely misspoke when they called it a reinvention (if that is indeed what they said). How is it reinvention to go back to your roots? Back on SFIV, that's exactly what they did too... They stuck with Street Fighter II for a massive win. Here's SEGA and Sonic Team doing the same.

The less screwing up of the Sonic franchise by Sonic Team, the better. Dimps should be the new Sonic Team. (Though Sonic Team is pretty much just whoever is working on Sonic games at the time. :P)

The Sonic levels in Unleashed are fun but not worth the crap you have to suffer through to unlock them.

@acosta

Same here, man. For me, SA2:B was the best sonic game (though this might be because it was the first gamecube game I owned and it was the first time I had played a sonic game) and was the last great sonic game. Likewise, I never could get into SA1.

"....level design for the Wii version of Sonic Unleashed"

And I'm glad this is going to be an XBLA game, means I'll get a trial version.

Really? Am I the only person that rents games when I'm skeptical? Sure XBLA has that demo advantage, but even still, games on XBLA don't feel like full games to me. I'd rather have a full game version of sonic than an "arcade" version of sonic any day... even it that means I have to pay a buck fifty to try it before I buy it.

That's all fine and dandy, but I'm pretty sure this is a download only game.

So basically you're saying Dimps is responsible for the only good Sonic games in the last 10 years?...

PRAISE THE GOD-EMPEROR

Which is....?

Woah hold up there. We don't even know that this game is any good yet.

Oh never mind. I didn't realize they were involved with Sonic Advance.

What? Sega's back?

We've said it so many times before...
SO MANY TIMES.
I... I just don't want t hurt me this time.

I will save my praises until after it's released.

Agreed. I thoroughly enjoyed Sonic Rush. But the videos I've seen of Sonic 4 worry me. Rush had all the speed that I could had hoped for... Sonic 4 looks kinda slow :(,

Sonic Team, after years of dicking around with the gaming populace and their fanbase with add-on after pointless new character after idiotic new gameplay feature, plot device, JUST SUDDENLY decides to make a Sonic 4, the one game that they have ignored the very idea of making for years now.

Surely, this is a sign of 2012.

Optimus Prime has spoken.

Dimps has made better Sonic games than Sonic Team in the last decade or so, but they still screw it up in amazing ways. I tried to play Advanced 2 and Rush again this morning and seriously cannot figure out what people like about either. They're both slippery messes that love flinging you right into pits.

Maybe Dimps and Sonic Team working together will be some sort of strange match that helps take care of both developer's problems with the series.

Nice! Now here's hoping that the next bit of good news will be that DIMPS is the ONLY team working on it.

Seriously.

Seriously. Sega keeps saying Sonic Team is working on it like its a good thing

Playtester confirms Sonic 4 sucks:
http://www.sonicstadium.org/news/sonic-4-playtested-by-community-member-impressions-inside

Sorry, folks.

Even I think this game is going to blow, but what do you really expect a test build of a game is going to be? Does anyone realitiscally find it shocking that a tester isn't having fun playing a test copy????WELL I NEVER

Except it doesn't sound like the playtester hated the game, more like it's an alright game, but is not good enough to be called the 4th official game in the Sonic series.

"what do you really expect a test build of a game is going to be?"

Did you read the whole thing?

"I am afraid to say that we are actually dealing with the very final product here, folks. Since the developers already sent the software for the Microsoft Evaluation Proccess. Additionally, the game’s software was sent to ESBR game content analizys team. Considering the game is already been analized and rated by ESBR, the development team cannot overgo any significative change in the game, visually or otherwise, which therefore pretty much means that this is what the game looks like."

Yeah, I read the whole thing. I wouldn't say this is a great source for factual information considering the author isn't a full-time tester for this game but rather some dude who was invited to dick around on a couple of levels for a few minutes. Also he hardly speaks English so who knows what details might be lost in translation.

Whats your point, broseph?

Granted the game is going to blow anyway, and regardless how factual this wacky Brazilian is, the final result probably isn't going to be too far off from what he's reporting.

...What's the ESBR? And why did they "analize" the game? The poor thing is going to be scarred for life now.

Read it, that's the final product!

Btw, you should probably read the thread linked in the article, it's already pretty much confirmed that it's someone trying to pull a hoax. Nice try though.

If they're only releasing one "episode" of this (however that works) and they've got as much as they have done already from the mysteriously "leaked" footage, shouldn't this game be out a lot sooner?

Will buy. Maybe.

At least Sonic Team will have some help this time. Lord knows they need a guiding hand to make a half decent game.

I know it has a lot of haters, but I found Sonic Advance 2 to be the best 2D Sonic game. It made the characters feel different, it had boss battles that kept you on your toes, and it had one hell of a soundtrack.

same there expect for sonic advance 3

If DIMPS is involved, then there's hope. If it was just Sonic Team, I'd remain iffy.

You know I know people are happy that its only sonic, and I know they think they are pleasing the fans by doing so, but I still think that Tails and Knuckles are just as big of a part of the sonic series as sonic is now, to simply abandon them is stupid.

Dimps is on board?

This game can not fail.

Wait, my hopes are raised! FUUUUUUUUUUUU-

I'll be waiting on the full disc version of this game that is without a doubt coming out for the holidays or early next year.

First of all: Why do you assume a disc version is coming.
Secondly: Why wait for it?

c'mon. we all know it's coming. It's sonic. They'll get more sales if there's a retail version.

I try not to buy digital games because I can't resell them. I'm underpaid, I can't afford to collect games.

I wonder if they're gonna get Jaleel White to reprise his role as the voice of Sonic.

I mean come on...he's gotta be hurtin for work! He really hasn't done anything since Family Matters!

This is the opposite of heartening. You ever played The Sonic Advance games? The first one was the only one that wasn't complete shit, and it was still pretty forgettable. The Rush series is just a mess of endless boosting and pits. Their stages in Sonic Unleashed are about on par with Advance 1: not outright offensive like the rest of their crap, but not exactly good and certainly nothing to get excited over.

Dimps is a great developer, while Sonic Team isn't. Kinda ironic considering they almost never get their name on the box.

Ludwig can you belive it?

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