Forgive the abysmal grammar (if there is any) as I just had to get this one off my chest. As many of you out there may know, I’m a huge Sonic The Hedgehog fan. The Sega Genesis was my very first gaming console and was not only the birthplace of the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise, but a place where the series thrived. Now, I had owned every single Sonic game released on the Genesis as well as the Dreamcast, but then all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, Sonic Team went from a group of tremendously talented individuals cranking out some of the coolest games we could get our hand on, to a team that is… well… we honestly don’t know any more. It seems, for some reason, that the Sonic games just keep getting worse and worse; and not only that, but it also seems that nothing is being done about it! Rather than giving the players control and emphasizing speed, the developers over at Sega would rather try and rope us in with gimmicks, like the oh so unforgettable “Werehog”

Now, it almost seemed as though things were about to change after Sega released a teaser for an all-new, 2D Sonic game currently codenamed “Project Needlepoint” that is slated for release in 2010 on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, as this did indeed inspire a sense of hope in my heart, a hope that we might actually get a Sonic game worth playing this generation, but my gut has me feeling as though that is not going to be the case. Sega is emphasizing 2D gameplay, which is great, however they’re trying to make it a selling point for the game, an attempt to rope in classic Sonic fans like myself no doubt, and I have a feeling that that is all they’re trying to do; emphasize the 2D, while still not caring very much about the gameplay. When will Sega realize that it’s not about 2D, it’s about making a game that’s FUN.

Also, and this is partially my reason for writing this article, Franck Sebastien (Spokesman for Sega France) has stated that their core audience for the Sonic franchise is children and that, even after acknowledging how much critics and older gamers alike despised the slow, boring “Werehog” element of Sonic Unleashed, went on to say that… well… “…the kids liked it.”. Listen Sega, hopefully at some point you’ll realize that a fun game transcends age and that the majority of classic Sonic games currently available, the ones that we (20 years old and older) enjoyed as kids, well, the kids nowadays would probably love them just as much. I think it’s time that you stop going for a specific “Core Audience” and make your real “Core Audience” gamers in general. The term hardcore gamer is being thrown around way too often as of late and has me wondering… what was ever so hardcore about Sonic? The games were fast, fun and intuitive, what a good game should be. I hope Sega remembers that its all about the fun, and works on “Project Needlepoint” with that concept in mind. The Sonic Adventure series had proven that 3D Sonic games can really be awesome, let’s not stray away from that fact. Hardcore and Casual gamers (I hate those terms by the way) alike, when it comes to a Sonic title, a gamer is a gamer. I just had to get that off my chest, I do so desperately pray that you prove me wrong Sonic Team/Sega and churn out a Sonic game that everyone can enjoy, not just the hardcore or the casual.