Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 spin-dashes to consoles this October

by Alexander Sliwinski on Sep 28th 2010 9:32AM

Sega's 2D platformer Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will launch across multiple platforms in mid-October. IGN received the pricing and launch details from the publisher, which are:

iTunes App Store (iPhone, iPod Touch): October 7
Wii Shop Channel: October 11, 1500 Wii Points (Oct. 15 EMEA)
Xbox Live Arcade: October 13, 1200 MSP ($15)
PlayStation Network: October 12, $14.99 / £9.99 / €12.99 (Oct. 13 EMEA)

Check out our recent preview and video of the game's obligatory casino zone to see if Sega's back-to-roots gamble is paying off. Remember -- you can't blame Sonic's pals if things go wrong this time.

Sonic 4: Episode 1 (Casino Streets Zone)

Source: IGN

Tags: microsoft, mobile, nintendo, playstation, ps3, release-date, Sega, Sonic-4, sonic-the-hedgehog-4, sonic-the-hedgehog-4-episode-1, wii, xbox

Reader Comments (54)

$15 !!!

I expected $10 for a game like this since its episodic, will unfortunately not buy it at $15. Shame on you Sega.

@nightmare452

Same issue here. I wouldn't feel as reluctant to blow $15 on it if Sonic's console record wasn't so bad. It also is scary that it has that episode 1 in the title, that really questions Sega's pricing if it is indeed episodic.

@nightmare452

Me too. It's probably going to end up being $60 for the full game. It looks great, but that's too much.

@nightmare452: I agree that $15 is alot, but I'll still get it prolly

@Mayor West

I didn't think about it like that, but yeah, that perspective sorta puts a damper on things.

Honestly though, if Sonic 4 episode 1 turns out to be anything as epic as Sonic 3 or S&K (or by my wettest dreams, Sonic 3 & Knuckles), then I'd say it's worth $15.

Does anyone know how many episodes there'll be, or will that be dependent on sales?

@nightmare452 15 bucks for a game or 15 bucks for some DLC on call of duty.

Yeah i'll go with a actually great game.

@Juri Meaning Sonic 4 of course.

@Juri wow, are you actually complaining about about what is effectively little under £10..... talking as a man who happily drinks most of his little wage, I cant see the harm in tossing a tenner this way, at least it'll last longer than the weekend....... well probably not, but I can always say its still there!

How stingey can you get, its a fully featured game at a whimsical price, Ill happily be flashing all (GASP) ten pounds for this.

So the new thing to sell are HD collection/remakes for every game from past generations?

@FrozenPlasma

Clearly this is not a remake. Sonic 4 takes place after Sonic & Knuckles/Sonic 3.

@Captain Planet Planeteer Power

Sonic atually has a story?!

Wow! That's mindblowing!

@Ashkental Not as mind blowing as what Captain Planet did to save the environment in your mothers bedroom.

@Juri It wasn't a mind being blown in that bedroom.

@Juri

It's true. You could say she even, blew my mind.

@Captain Planet Planeteer Power
I'd rather call it a remake, for what's meant to be a sequel to S3&K, it recycled EVERYTHING from Sonic 1&2.
There's like no creativity in the level design.

@RupeeClock

Because you've seen 100% of the game right?

A little bit expensive for something that's only an "Episode"... Was hoping for $10. How long is it, anyway?

@Dark Archon PSN Archonik XBL Dar
It's long enough to satisfy ;D

@Dark Archon PSN Archonik XBL Dar
It's about as long as Sonic 3. Four levels per zone (albeit one's a boss level), four zones, and then a final boss level at the end.

@Exu

Just curious, but where did you find that info? From what I remember, Sonic 3 & Knuckles had about 2 acts per zone, with each act having its own boss.

@EatSleepChuck Leaks. It goes Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, Boss for each Zone, except for the final Zone which is a single level.

I want to believe...but I feel like this road ends only in tears. There better be a demo. I don't think I can take it on faith that it'll be good just because it has a number in the title.

This isn't a collection or remake. It's a brand-new game...not that that's exactly a selling point with Sonic's current pedigree.

@squallgengar

Really Joystiq. Please fix the replying system. I love you guys, but damn...

I usually don't bitch about the pricing on XBLA games, but 15 BUX, C'MON!!!???!!!

15 bucks is a little steep for a game that isn't really complete.

High prices for episodic games don't work. Penny Arcade died because of it, nobody bought Watchmen (but those games were crap anyway), Krome will probably die before Blade Kitten E2 can get released...
Heck, Sonic 4 will survive simply because of Sonic fans who'll buy anything Sonic even though Sega hasn't gotten Sonic right since 1994. People like me. D:

I'd even go as far to say that episodic games in general don't work unless your name is Telltale and the game isn't Wallace & Gromit.

@Exu Oh yes. Replying to my own post is lame but I forgot something.

You know how the entire game got leaked and hence Sega had to change it because it sucked a bit worse than the final product will?
I'd just like to bring this to your attention:

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9369/192168169image2noscale.jpg

@Exu

That's cause Telltale's the only one to get episodic gaming right. They have a set time frame for when each part releases, which is no more then 2-3 months apart from each other, then selling them in a bundle for usually $35, which equates to $5 an episode. (unless it's for the Wii, then it's $10 an episode.)

The idea of episodic gaming is to lessen development costs and speed up development by releasing a game in parts. Unfortunetly, everyone's got the idea that it's ok to sell parts of a game for $15, leaving them with a promise that there's more to come, but only if they spend another $15 once they finally finish it, if ever...

@SystemPatch
Even then the Wii also gets Sam and Max seasons on disc for $20, and now it's a month an 1-2 weeks for release time for their games.

@Exu
I'll be a massive minority here but I liked the Watchmen games. I didn't pay $15 an episode though. I got them when I bought the movie. Granted I paid $20 for the movie's director cut and both games, I see it as getting the games free. Maybe why I'm not dissapointed. Now had I paid $15 an episode I could be saying a different story.

@The Aquacharger

Sam & Max: True, but those games had been out for so long that by the time they got ported to the Wii, it wouldn't make sense to NOT put them on one disk (per season). There was no episodic timeline to worry about either.

Unfortunetly, for whatever reason, they can't bundle together Strong Bad or Monkey Island on the Wii like they do for the PC and other consoles. For what goes for $20/35 on one platform, goes for $50 on the Wii.

As for the release time frame, I admit, they got the process so streamlined now that anything later then 2 months is a worst case scenario.

@SystemPatch
They're working on bundles for the Wii last I heard. Dunno if it's still true, but Sam and Max season 3 comes out for the Wii soon aswell.

$15? I guess I can understand since the first episode is a risk, plus development costs will be higher initially.

But the next episode had better be a lot cheaper.

I'll just wait for a PSN bundle price

So, this is as long as Sonic & Knuckles, yet it costs $10 more.

Brilliant.

$15. You expect us to pay $15 for the first part of an episodic game.

How about NO.

This comes out a week before Super Meat Boy. It better not steal some of the show from Team Meat. Those guys have put their heart out for Super Meat Boy, and I'd be VERY disappointed if this Sonic eclipses it. Though I guess if its great, it deserves it, and I'm sure the people working on it worked really hard too... I'm just a little disappointed they're coming out in the same bubble :/

Geez. Looks like shit and is priced like shit too.

I thought we were friends, Sonic, but you can suck my ass if you're gonna be like that.

@The Hale

How exactly does it look like shit? It looks great. But yes, it is overpriced

@TraceurRyuk Prepping for LBP2

Look at how he runs, jumps... The fact that it's only the first episode that has four levels...

Huh... they sold 'new' mario for 50 bucks

35 for Sam and Max Season 3 is you preordered. That's.. 6 episodes?

I don't think Sega gets how episodic works.

@Cleric
You can still get each season for $35 or buy them all for $50.

$15 for half/a third of a Sonic game?

Thanks anyway SEGA. :(

I would've much preferred if they made it a whole retail game with extras and stuff. Maybe at a slightly discounted price. The two-player race in sonic two was cool.

Damn it SEGA I was planning to buy this to support you guys and stuff. But now I'm just gonna pirate it 1200ms points is WAY too much for a episodic game.

Does it work with the classic controller pro?

I'm frighten that its going to suck BIG TIME.

Sonic's movements in the trailers just seems really unnatural and awkward to me.

You know, SEGA should just bundle this game in its entirety "for free" with some crap 3D Sonic game and I bet it would sell more than this approach probably will. $15 for each episode of a platformer? I wasn't interested in this game in the first place and now I care even less about it.

You might as well go out and buy one of the many Sonic compilations or if you have a 360 buy the HD remake of the first Sonic. You'll probably have a better experience.

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