Have we seen the last of Sonic on consoles?

By Anthony John Agnello March 1, 2013

2012 was an unusual year for a variety of reasons, but for video games it was especially notable for its absences. More recent franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty carried on with their big annual releases, but some regulars sat it out for the first time in ages. For the first time in ten years, there was no major Sonic the Hedgehog game released. Sega put out Sonic 4: Episode 2 as a downloadable on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, but that downloadable shuffled out the door with little fanfare at the beginning of the year. It broke a decade long streak from 2003’s Sonic Heroes to 2011’s Sonic Generations. So is the AAA Sonic platformer dead?

The year is young, but right now the only action Sonic is getting in 2013 will be a mobile game called Sonic Dash. “A this time, Sega is able to confirm that we are working on a new mobile game titled Sonic Dash,” said a Sega representative, “We have not announced any specific details on the product but we will be releasing additional information on this exciting, new game in the near future.”

“This exciting, new game” is said to be an infinite runner in the vein of Canabalt, 2012’s Pitfall! for iOS, or any other of the hundreds of games released on mobile platforms that have a character running endlessly as you tap the screen to make them jump.

It’s sad to see Sega and Sonic Team turn away from Sonic’s 3D outings. Since the series hit its nadir with the execrable Sonic Unleashed in 2008, the games have steadily improved, culminating with the excellent Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations. It seemed that, after more than ten years of experimenting, going as far back as early examples like Sonic Jam on Sega Saturn, Sonic Team was finally getting the swing of making games for the hedgehog in the third-dimension.

Even as the quality of the Sonic games improved, though, sales began to languish. Sonic Unleashed sold approximately 4.5 million copies across all platforms while Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations both sold just under 2.6 million copies.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Anthony John Agnello

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…

Gaming

Where to get Cluster Clingers in Fortnite and how they work

cluster clinger

Now that Chapter 5, Season 1 has kicked off, Fortnite players can start diving into an entirely new map to discover all of its secrets and try all of its weaponry. If you're a fan of demolition and dishing out explosive damage, you may want to check out one of this season's new additions: the Cluster Clinger. We'll tell you where you can find them below and how to make use of them to get the drop on your opponents.
Where to get Cluster Clingers and how they work
Cluster Clingers can be found on the ground and in chests all across the island. Since they're relatively plentiful, you're likely to run across at least a few in most matches, making it easy to keep them on hand.

When equipped and thrown, Cluster Clingers will stick to any surface they land on and eject smaller explosives in that spot. These individual explosives can dish out some hefty damage if they all manage to hit a foe, making the Cluster Clinger an excellent choice for pushing foes out from behind cover or finishing them off after a gunfight when you've exhausted your ammo reserves. They can also be incredibly useful for destroying walls, floors, and ceilings to quickly expose enemies or help you rapidly relocate in the middle of a firefight.

Gaming

Where to get Ballistic Shields in Fortnite and how they work

ballistic shield

You can always count on Epic to find new and exciting ways to keep Fortnite feeling fresh all these years later. Chapter 5, season 1 has kept up that trend with a variety of thrilling items that change up the meta a lot, including the Ballistic Shield, which may be the best personal defensive item ever added to the game. Here's where to find them and how they work.
Where to get Ballistic Shields and how they work
Ballistic Shields can be found on the ground or in chests all across the map. Even so, it's quite a rare item, so you could spend a match or two without seeing one unless you track down and take out your foes – which you'll presumably be doing anyway.

The Ballistic Shield may be one of the new season's most powerful and noteworthy new items, as it offers some substantial defensive possibilities that can really come in handy during firefights. By equipping and holding it up, you'll gain a significant amount of protection for your body while being granted a pistol that you can use to shoot your foes. While the shield can be temporarily disabled after taking enough hits, it absorbs quite a lot of bullets that would otherwise be going into you.

Gaming

Where to get Grapple Blades in Fortnite and how they work

grapple blade

With each new season of Fortnite, you can count on there being at least some sort of mobility item added that helps you quickly move across the map in a unique and exciting way. With the arrival of chapter 5, season 1, players can now seek out and equip the brand-new Grapple Blade item. If you want all of the mobility of a Web-Slinger with the damage output of a Kinetic Blade, you'll want to pick one of these up. Here's where to find them and how they work.
Where to get Grapple Blades and how they work
Grapple Blades can be found on the ground and in chests all across this season's map. Keep in mind, however, that they're relatively rare, meaning it's sometimes possible to go entire matches without seeing one. Of course, that's just a good incentive to track down and defeat your opponents to see if they leave one behind.

When this hybrid mobility and damage item is equipped, you'll notice that it shows a cursor on surfaces you can grapple to. Doing so will send you propelling toward the surface pretty quickly, making it a great choice for escaping a firefight or finding high ground in the midst of one. But before you get carried away, it's worth noting that you only have four charges at a time with a Grapple Blade, though it will recharge one at a time every 12 seconds.