Sonic 4, 4th platform: iPhone?
Ryan Bloom | February 4, 2010
Once again, Sega’s loose security reveals all
Barely even 45 minutes ago we brought you the story of Sonic the Hedgehog 4‘s initial unveiling. Listed for Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and Wiiware, there was a mysterious and as-of-yet unannounced 4th platform. Given that Gamespot.com lists “Project Needlemouse” for Wiiware, XBLA, PSN and PC, we assumed that meant the 4th platform would be a PC Digital Distribution service like Steam.
If what user “ Celebi23” discovered and posted on gaming super-forum NeoGAF is to be believed, however, the mysterious 4th platform isn’t PC at all – it’s iPhone. “Did some minor url changing & found the ‘hidden’ promo images” declared Celebi23. Indeed, changing the filename “promo1_locked.png” to “promo1.png” reveals the secret (which we’ve mirrored on our servers):
Revealing not only the mysterious 4th platform, but nailing the release date down from “Summer 2010″ to “July 2010″, specifically. Do the same thing for “promo2_locked.png” and we get:
If you don’t remember, Takashi Iizuka is an old school Sonic Team member, dating back to the halcyon Sega Genesis days. When one of the key level/game designers (Hirokazu Yasuhara) left Sonic Team after Sonic & Knuckles was completed, Takashi Iizuka stepped up and took his place. Iizuka then went on to be a key component in games like NiGHTS: In to Dreams and Burning Rangers. He is also the one responsible for Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog and NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. After Shadow and NiGHTS, Iizuka seemed to lay low, acting only as a consultant on games like Sonic Rivals. Could this podcast with Takashi Iizuka mean he’s back in the saddle?
We’ll keep you up to date as more news becomes available.
Edit: Sega has taken down the images in question. Our local mirrors will remain up — for now.
Filed Under Gaming News, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sega, Sonic Scene, Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Sony
UGH, I was SO hoping for PC.
iPhone? Suh-WEET!
Aw… but at least I have an iPod Touch!
Loooooooooool!
Sega really don’t know how to keep secrets
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS IT’S LIKE MY DREAMS JUST CAME TRUE
haha, next someone will stumble across a beta version of the game just magically appears on Sega’s servers.
[...] [Bron: Gamespot & TSSZ] [...]
Don’t be silly.
Everyone knows the other platform is the Dreamcast 2.
Sega Leaked Of America
I’d honestly prefer PC, as I have one… eh. Never liked Apple products.
JULY?!??!?!?!?? Fucking hell!! Any more good news?????!?!?!??!?!?! Price??? Fucking tell me! ^_^ BLEEPING HELL!
@TSSZnews: sos for swearing but it was needed…. lol.
I wanted it for PC, it’s everything I have…
woah! The websites awsome! And segas put timers on everything! And we see the hidden stuff when the clocks out! Awesome!!!
Sega/SonicTeam have outdone themselves this time 
I`m bet they are gald themselves! 
I would be! ^_^
plus they have lots and lots of good links to click on to find a sega site lol.
Dammit. Was really hoping for a PC version. It needs some Sonic love as well.
iPhone?
I wanted this to be on the PC.
On Steam preferrably.
It would be funny if Sega threw that in as a red herring knowing that we would get our hands on it, then revealed the last platform to be the PC.
I will buy it either way. The only platform I don’t have is the PS3.
If it does come out on the iPhone the highest price we should expect is £5.99. That seems to be the highest game price on the app store.
FREAKING AWESOME
And well.. they actually keep trailers and stuff secret until today!!!
iPhone was a incredibly stupid…. it would be waaaay better with a PC version, since nealry everyone has a PC. So why so stupid SEGA?
iPhone is Sonic’s premier console, if you will take it as that. If Sonic 1 on iPhone was in the top 10 for game sales on the App Store (>140,000 apps), why wouldn’t Sega release Sonic 4 to iPhone. iPhone/iPod Touch beats the DS/PSP in sales, graphics, and features. And Sega PC hasn’t sold well for years, if ever. Heck, I’m surprised ASR is set to hit the shelves (digitally, anyway) for a PC release.
No man Iphone version is great:P but yes.. I know only iphone owners would say that
Homing attack and Iizuka?
F-
See You Next Game
Aww, I knew it’d e iPhone, but I was still hoping it’d be Steam.
…Wait, is ASR coming to Steam?
So, the fact there was a picture of an iPhone (or something similar) in the trailer means nothing? Or am I getting a bit daft again?
[...] Only on the non-Flash enabled site is there any indication to Japanese readers that this is a game for XBOX Live, PSN, and the WiiWare arcade. As with the American site, there’s nothing to indicate an iPhone or iPod touch release. But we know better. [...]
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-
God damn the iPhone. For one moment I had my hopes up that it might come out for something useful to me, but no, it comes out for that piece of junk.
[...] release also affirmed something we correctly reported in February and was already well known by the community–the release of the game to the iPhone and iPod [...]