Sonic fans please don’t get me wrong, I have every hope that the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will be a fantastic retro return for the intrepid blue hero. However, the latest leaked footage that shows ‘Lost Labyrinth Zone, Act 2 – Strange Mine Cart’ has allowed me to lose all faith.
It was really the Mega Drive that got me heavily into gaming, Sonic the Hedgehog easily being the biggest early influence, and I’ve happily gamed my way through the rise and fall of Sega’s most famous mascot. If the gimmicks of Secret Rings, Black Knight or Unleashed weren’t enough to make me feel sad inside, what I saw today has done so even more.
What follows is some of the most horrendous gameplay footage I’ve seen in quite some time. Based upon a tilt mechanism that seems so easily reminiscent of the LocoRoco titles on PSP, the player is placed in a mine cart and must tilt the screen to speed it up/ slow it down as you navigate the level. It not only looks incredibly confusing and awkward to play, it just simply left me cringing that I hope that this is early footage whilst the game was still in development. I do feel sorry for Sega in some ways in regards to the leaked footage – we have no idea if this actually made it into the final game.
The initial text at the start reads, “This Act is played by tilting the screen whilst Sonic rides a mine cart. Press RT and LT to change the angle and speed Sonic up or slow him down but watch that you don’t make the angle too great!”
Make of it what you will, but let’s hope this isn’t a representation of what is to come – I’d rather play Sonic Unleashed, thanks.
