SEGA of America and SEGA Europe have updated their blogs with the final day of the Project Needlemouse Challenge. Some cool concept art of an enemy that looks very similar to the crab badnik in Sonic 2′s Metropolis Zone, RubyEclipse states that this art reveals the spirit and direction of the game. So we could be seeing a return to classic Sonic after all in this game.

Also revealed is that Sonic will be the only playable character and no new character will be making an appearance playable or otherwise. With that said it doesn’t seem to rule Tails and Knuckles out as non playable characters, we’ll have to see how things go in future info/media.

RubyEclipse also gives more confirmation the game is going back to Sonic’s 2D roots in the comments section of the blog entry -

Ilcane – We realize there are many fans out there of other characters – even some for Charmy Bee, as we found out on the first day.

Project Needlemouse is being created for the people who have long asked us for a game with only Sonic that harkens back to his 2D roots. We can’t please everyone, but we feel very strongly that there is a massive group of people out there who have been waiting for a moment like this to finally come. Thank you for your opinion and your feedback though; Sonic is something that many different people feel very strongly about, but know that we are listening!

Posted by RubyEclipse on January 15th, 2010 at 11:44 am

Thanks to Dusk the Fragile Keeper at the SSMB for the heads up on that comment.

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amaterisu says:
16 January, 2010 at 1:45 am

This game is sounding quite good right now :) Good on you sega!

BlueChaos says:
16 January, 2010 at 1:46 am

According to Sonic Retro, this will be a downloadable only game…
They got that info from 1up.com

Renato says:
16 January, 2010 at 2:42 am

Sounds great!!!!!!!! Im very happy with their decision!

YoshiAngemon says:
16 January, 2010 at 3:10 am

Wonder if it will be WiiWare, as well as XBLA and PSN DLC.

tailsthehedgehog says:
16 January, 2010 at 3:16 am

Very cool! But I do hope it isn’t some HD remake if the old Mega Drive Games, too.

Skrown says:
16 January, 2010 at 3:52 am

This is almost like a Haruhi stunt. But way better.

The name of that enemy seems to be pronounced ‘Kanipanch’? Or something like that..

piemagnet says:
16 January, 2010 at 3:53 am

a retro sonic wasn’t exactely my first choice, i mean on a portable gaming device i wouldnt mind, but i was kind of hoping for something like SA2, but, whatever, it sounds like it will be good nonetheless

Judge GoombaRing says:
16 January, 2010 at 4:14 am

I’m really glad to see crabmeat, makes me feel warm inside. Sounds like it’ll be really good, though I really can’t say anything as we still don’t know much yet. Boy I wonder what it would be like to be a developer working on this game…

But I do wish the people griping about Project Needlemouse would shut up, they’ve wanted it for years, they get it, and what do they do? COMPLAIN. Oh well, can’t fix stupid(and I don’t mean everyone who is stating their opinion is complaining, I just mean the people who are just flat out stupid in the way that they go about complaining and spam internet speak while doing so).

Anonymous says:
16 January, 2010 at 4:44 am

NSBMWii’s sales (A game that caters to old school Mario fans mind you) have shot through the roof. Sega, you’d be fools not to bring Project Needlemouse to Wii. It even outsold Wii Sports Resort.

XAMOEL says:
16 January, 2010 at 5:06 am

is not crabmeat, is the crab dude from metropolis zone.

Jix Hedgehog says:
16 January, 2010 at 6:02 am

I dont have anything against Tails or Knuckles, I think they’re very well done unique characters.. but Sonic needs to do this alone to prove once and for all whether or not he still has what it takes. I swear, if it’s not ” there are too many characters” it’s ” there aren’t enough characters ”

Anywho.. what else is going on :)

KjrinKA2 says:
16 January, 2010 at 6:10 am

I told you guys… SEGA is VERY predictable….

They thought this was “new” in Sonic ASR, but it’s not.

I’m not gonna be happy until I hold this game in my hands, and see how it is for myself.

nice crab though…

Dreadknux says:
16 January, 2010 at 10:05 am

I don’t mind Tails and Knuckles, but Sega need to prove a lot with this game, so I’m happy it’s just Sonic. Awesome badnik concept too; I hope there are some new enemy designs in that style though too.

As for the digital download thing, that’s an as yet unconfirmed rumour. If that’s the same 1Up interview with Hanztopolous, it’s already old news too. That and the chap doesn’t really say anything about Needlemouse, just that DD titles that are also retro have worked out well. Needlemouse may very well be DD, but let’s not jump to any silly conclusions.

Stuartttttttttttt says:
16 January, 2010 at 1:29 pm

I’ve got a good feeling about this game.
I am hoping it won’t use Sonic advance 2/3 and/or Sonic rush graphics, I wasn’t keen on those at all. D: . Sonic advance was good though. But if they made it similar to the Megadrive/Genesis games, then all will be well in my opinion. =D .

Monty says:
16 January, 2010 at 2:24 pm

I still wanted to see screen shots of the game itself. Teased again….. : C

PseudoHedgehog says:
16 January, 2010 at 2:35 pm

That happens to be the badnik ‘ Shellcracker ‘ which used the larger claw as a tethered projectile whenever you got near. Exciting that we finally have badniks back in force as opposed to those G.U.N bots and E-series robots.

Sonic4K6 says:
16 January, 2010 at 5:14 pm

Ugh.. why did Sega waste our time, concept art is nothing for all those replies >.<

fums63 says:
16 January, 2010 at 5:33 pm

godwhatthehell

I’m sure I speak for the majority when I say there’s no reason for Tails and Knuckles to not be playable.

Treleus says:
17 January, 2010 at 2:21 am

@Sonic4K6: It isn’t. But if I have to wait longer for this game than I originally thought, then that’s fine. Take as long as you want with this, SEGA. Make it COUNT, for Christ’s sake.

Munchy says:
17 January, 2010 at 3:45 am

This is awesome, though I hope Tails and Knux will at least be playable via DLC. Don’t let us down, Sega. Or else.

And for those who complain about the lack of shitty friends, let me remind you that you have almost a decade’s worth of Sonic games and comics with all the shitty friends you’ll ever need. So please, quit your bitching. I’m sure Big the Cat’s Tax Filing mini-game will be in the next game to qualm your complaints.

Matt says:
17 January, 2010 at 7:06 am

Ah good. They learn.

Ethan Kerr says:
17 January, 2010 at 4:45 pm

Notice the lack of Tails & Knuckles. I say Sega might pull another Capcom adding these players as DLC. That’s just my own thought on this subject.

@Munchy:
Lol, Big filing taxes. The thought of it is funny.

Wave Kusanagi says:
17 January, 2010 at 9:14 pm

Great. JUST great. ANOTHER Sonic only title.

Booooriiing. >_> *is now officially more interested in ASR*

Monty says:
18 January, 2010 at 12:18 am

@Wave Kusanagi

How close minded…..

I hope you miss out on the game if it’s actually worth playing. :P

Wave Kusanagi says:
18 January, 2010 at 3:25 am

Sure, I’m close-minded because I’m not trying to take out everything except the bare basic stuff.

Secret Rings, Unleashed and practically Black Knight since you could only use the others in 4 levels. It’s about time we got to play as characters BESIDES Sonic. I can play as Sonic in a 2D game any day by grabbing the old Genesis games or playing the Advance and Rush series. I’d like to play as some of the characters who haven’t been in the 2D series yet, Battle aside. >_>

rhonddaboy13 says:
18 January, 2010 at 5:19 am

oh poor sonic on his own :( i think he could have used some company

Reevys says:
18 January, 2010 at 3:25 pm

What some people seem to be missing is that Sonic is the only playable character. At no point did they say he was the only character in the whole game.

And anyway, how different is it playing as another character anyway? I know that in both the Mega Drive original and the Advance series, I preferred playing as Sonic. The only 2D games I don’t prefer playing as Sonic in are Rush and Rush Adventure, and that’s quite clearly because Blaze kicks a supreme amount of ass. The many subtle differences she has to Sonic just make her the far superior choice in my opinion.

But apart from her, almost every other playable character in a 2D Sonic has pretty much had rubbish differences that don’t change the gameplay that much at all. So I really don’t see the big deal here.

Wave Kusanagi says:
18 January, 2010 at 4:55 pm

@Reevys

That’s an easy one. We LIKE the other characters and want to play as them, regardless of gameplay experience.

Come on, it’s a 2D game. Of COURSE there’s not going to be any difference in gameplay. XD The 2D ones are always about the same in every game with every character (except Blaze and Cream). We don’t care about that and don’t expect anything of it, we just want the other characters.

To hell with gameplay differences, just gives us character differences.

Wave Kusanagi says:
18 January, 2010 at 4:56 pm

@Reevys

Oh, and one more thing. You don’t seriously think that people will be satisfied knowing that their favorite character appears in the game, but isn’t playable in any way possible, do you?

Monty says:
19 January, 2010 at 12:39 am

@Wave

Not everyone will be pleased and not everyone can be pleased. Whatever decisions are made with characters won’t really affect the game’s possible success. They’ll just be some whiny fans that won’t get the game or get the game, like it, and still whine that the character they want isn’t in there and “the game would be so much better/enjoyable if it was”. Life goes on.

Jix Hedgehog says:
19 January, 2010 at 6:25 am

Sonic going solo and a classic badnik preview, things are looking good for the majority that wanted Sonic back to the way he started.. and why not? It’s not like newer ideas or more than 2 playable characters in a game have done any good in recent years..

Thank you for listening Sega / Sonic Team, may Sonic’s return grace our screens in 2010!

sonicsuperstar1 says:
19 January, 2010 at 5:45 pm

lool it was kinda obvious that from that list, Sonic’s the only playable one. They picked the most ridiculus characters that would support him to eliminate from the list XD

Sleek Knuckles says:
26 January, 2010 at 9:26 pm

I know that a good number of sonic fans was not pleased with Sonic Unleashed, but if you are one that is complaining about Project Needlemouse not have more playable characters and you happened to like Sonic Unleashed, then you need to think for a second. Tails was the only original character to appear in Sonic Unleashed and he was not playable (Tornado Mini-Game does not count). My beloved Knuckles wasn’t even in the game and Amy is not an original character. This does not take away from the quality of the game, however. Of all the 3D Sonic games not related to Dreamcast, this is probably the best one ever made. I am saying this not having played “Sonic 2006″ or “Sonic and the Seven Rings” and I doubt that my choice will change afterwards. So if Sonic is the only playable character in Project Needlemouse then sobeit. If Sonic is not accompanied in the adventure, again sobeit. It should be a fun game to play whenever they release it.

Hopefully 2010 will be the year Sonic regains the prestige he once had in the past. Good luck Sega.

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