No Gameplay Footage, but Balough Says “We Listened”
Early this morning, Gamespot released a moderately lengthy interview with brand manager Ken Balough which formally announced Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2. Courtesy of Woun, that interview and trailer are embedded below.
While the trailer itself shows no gameplay footage, only hinting at the return of Metal Sonic and Tails, Balough assures fans in the Gamespot interview that the game will be built with “a brand new graphics engine, and a brand new physics engine,” according to him. TSSZ’s Jonathan Charles first corroborated those details about physics and hints of visual improvement last week.
Balough did not elaborate whether Dimps remained on board for Episode 2, but did say specific problems like uncurling or standing on a wall would not be a problem anymore. In fact, much of the discussion below concerns those physics gripes that became a community staple during Episode 1′s development.
The other big change this time is the apparent lack of Wii support for Episode 2. Balough says a release for XBOX 360, Playstation 3 is assured, but the game will also be out for several mobile platforms, including iOS, Windows 7 Phone, and Android.
Check out the interview below. Thanks to the numerous News Tipsters who clearly have been awake in anticipation a lot longer than we were today and sent this in.
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Nice. Being able to play as Tails again(in a meaningful way, mind you) is going to be sweet.
This episode is most likely a lot bigger than Ep 1 if it isn’t for Wii. Thank God I have an Xbox too.
My Goodness that Beard 0.0
After seeing the trailer, I was buzzed with excitement until I saw the ending where it shows off the systems it would be released for. And to my not-so-much-surprise; ‘No Wii’.
Sonic Team. It better be on Steam. ಠ_ಠ
I love when he contradicts himself about the physics engine. Reeeeealllll iffy, Ken.
I seem to recall them saying “we’re listening/we listened” throughout the entirety of the Ep.1 campaign as well, so I’m not really getting my hopes up til a playable demo is released.
Why no Wii?
That doesn’t make very much sense. That’s what I bought Episode 1 on, I hope there’s nothing special for having both of them together, because I’ll have to get this one on Xbox 360. :-/
Thank god I god a PS3 for Christmas…
Here are my two thoughts as to why they skipped the Wii:
Theory A.) – With the Wii U on the way, I guess there isn’t going to be much attention pointed to the Wii anymore. (Still not a good enough reason to skip it though)
Theory B.) They’re doing what they did with Generations; skipping it because of it’s lack of HD Graphics. EVEN THOUGH, Episode I looked amazing on the Wii (especially with the 480p Component Cables attached).
“All new surprises”
HYPER SONIC.
@ChaoticFox
Well, at least they were able to take the complaints into consideration before the production of Episode 2, so its likely they’re going to have a more signifigant impact this time around (hopefully).
Still, some gameplay would have been nice.
At the end those looked like Classic Tails’ tails. O_O
lol
Did anyone else think Sonic Heroes when they saw the Sonic and Tails streaks going into a spin around the rings….I did…I also thought Sonic Advance 3 with the Team Action…hmmm foreshadowing maybe? …nahhhhh I’m just crazy…can’t wait for Episode 2 none the less though…lol
New graphics engine after two years a very good move. New physic’s engine. If it turns out to be as good as it sounds Ep1 will soon be forgotten. Metal Sonic & Tails, nice. Perhaps this game should be called Sonic CD 2 instead of Sonic The Hegdehog 4 Episode 2.
The game is much bigger, he claims it from my interview with him, he says 8 levels 9 bosses, and he did not conform BUT hinted sonic 3D blast styled special stages
No steam or Wii CONFIRMED
@Donte
Proof or it’s fiction. ಠ_ಠ
Didn’t the Wii have a problem with Episode 1′s memory usage?
@Nuzamaki90
Explain. o3o
No wii?!
argh I need a bigger memory card for my android phone…LOL. New engine aye… umm did someone say http://www.eyeofhorus.org.uk/images/photo/11smith/series-06-smith/s6e1-impossible/riversong-pistol-496.jpg
Well, the 40 MB size limit for the Wii is probably the reason for EPII not being on the Wii. I kinda want Classic Sonic/Tails to appear in this game rather than Modern Sonic/Tails. It is Sonic 4. Oh, and Sonic 3 and Knuckles style special stages? Please?
Oh my god his face…. youve got ot be kidding me lmfao….
Would be nice to have six or seven levels. Hugh levels like Sonic 3&K packed with secrets. Wacky style bosses like in CD.
HOLY FUDGE LOOK AT HIS FACE!!!!!!
(I think it’s supposed to be Tails’s tails.)
On top of some better physics than episode 1, all that’s needed to be a true successor to the megadrive trilogy is the same ‘tude sonic 1 to 3k had, but without the right art and music style, that ain’t a reality.
remember when sonic first gave you that snotty look for not playing, and tapped his foot impatiently?
Now the shell of a H.W.A tries to emulate that with stoner-glazed eyes and cacky bird legs, leaving no sense of connection.
Before anyone rants i’m not another classic fan demanding classic sonic back, but hell,
sonic just needs personality again, and not overused megadrive snares to make you “feel retro” .
Lol, I’m waiting to see QuietGuy92′s response to the interview. Remember when you said “I have no faith in Episode 2″? Well, now you can have some faith
We just need some gameplay footage, to see how this plays out. This episode actually seems worth buying, from the information I’m hearing so far! 
Sad that there is no Wii. I know that WiiWare was limiting so sort of expected this. But you might be able to bring it to the 3DS, Steam, or at least bluetooth keyboard for the iDevice versions (I cannot play with virtual buttons).
No Wii? Maybe Wii U? Well, I guess I’ll be going to GameStop to get a $120 Xbox 360 soon.
Just like CD, there’s no 3DS version… WHY?
Sonic Gens reached 1.2 mil.
Sonic 4 Episode1 on Wiiware: To be continued….never!!!!!! Juuuust FUCK you SEGA : D
Sega I want episode 2 on wiiware please in our city there are thousands of sonic fans wanted for the wiiware
hopefully since it’s not on wiiware the game can be longer and better looking than episode 1.
@People complaining about episode 2 not being no the Wii
Who the hell cares? The Wii limited Sonic 4 so the game was incredibly shorter. If you can’t get it on the Wii, there are an extreme amount of other choices.
Almost everyone owns a IPod, if you don’t, you have the Android, if you don’t, you have the Windows Phone, if you don’t, you have the Xbox, if you don’t, you have the PS3, if you don’t have any of that, then your screwed.
Also, Sonic Generations wasn’t on the Wii, Sonic CD wasn’t on the Wii, that should have been a nice hint that Episode 2 wasn’t coming to the wii either.
Fuckyea!!! I’m definitely gonna get this for my Xbox, Droid and iPod. I thought this game was going to be as bittersweet as Episode 1, but it looks like I’m wrong. Can’t to see some gameplay footage of this!
Way to be a dick, bro. Maybe some people can’t AFFORD to have fancy ass phones and insane internet that supports Xbawks. I’m pretty pissed it ain’t on Wii, and I can assure you the game wasn’t short because of that. It was short because it was an episodic title that is meant to MILK as much money out of fans as possible.
@Ricardo
“Lol, I’m waiting to see QuietGuy92′s response to the interview. Remember when you said “I have no faith in Episode 2″? Well, now you can have some faith.”
Oh, give me a break.
When Ken Balough saying “we listened”, that’s the exact same thing he said during the Episode 1 fiasco. And we all know how the story ends.
Until a playable demo is released or someone leaks the game with like Episode 1, my faith at Sonic 4: episode 2 being good shall remain at zero.
^Until a playable demo is released or someone leaks the game like with Episode 1, my faith at Sonic 4: Episode 2 being good shall remain at zero.
I’m only intrigued by the fact that Tails is playable. Granted, we all knew he was going to be in this installment from the start, but still. I think Tails being playable in the CD remake was a subtle, impromptu(?) hint, now that I think about it.
Sounds promesing but i still want to see gameplay to be sure that they fixed the physics and graphics.
Now that there on episode 2 there is some things i hope they do besides fixing the physics and graphics:
1. Ad new levels and bosses(No re-hashing)
2. Have music that sounds like the music from sonic 3 and knuckles.
3. ad a classic sonic and classic tails skin.
4. Have a sprite mode.
5. Have a , take away the homing attack, mode
6. The abbility to play as metal sonic and Eggman( Would be awsome but will probably not happen)
7. A good story thats not a re-hash of any other sonic story
8. More levels than episode 1
I´m pretty sure pepole goona say i´m asking for to much and sega´s already working hard as it is but if this really is trying to be sonic 4 i think it should be better than the games before it and have more features!
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Sucks that it isn’t on the Wii. It really does. Sonic has traditionally been strongest on the home Nintendo systems. I hope it’s for a good reason and not an idiotic egotistical one like with Super Meat Boy.
@Nuzumaki90
First of all, I’d like to start off saying that your use of: ”everyone” is a perfect example of how the English Language is so abused these days. You have to realize that just because you and your friends have this & that, and that you see a bunch of people with this or that, or you see a lot of people bragging that they have this & that, doesn’t mean that ”everyone” has it.
Some people live in countries where it’s quite expensive to go & buy a 360, PS3, Android, iPhone, iPad, etc. And in case it didn’t hit you yet, the entire world is in the state of an Economic Downturn, so certain people don’t run to the store and spend as much as they used to.
There are some people who like myself, only own a Wii. You can call them noobs & such for only having just a Wii, but you have to realize that not everyone can (like HyperMetal said): ‘AFFORD’, to have such high-tech & expensive gadgets.
Just because you, your parents, or your friends have the money to go out & buy these electronics, doesn’t mean that just ”everyone” can go out and buy it as easily as you can.
And coming to the conclusion that one version of the game limits EVERY LAST VERSION of it isn’t even plausible. Just because Nintendo has a 40MB limit on WiiWare games, doesn’t mean that makes the 360, PS3, & iDevice versions limited as well. Sure they might want to give an equal game to each system, but just because of one’s limitations doesn’t mean the same thing for every other version.
Yes, both Generations and CD didn’t see the light of day on the Wii, but they were both released on Steam, so that it was still accessible to people who didn’t own a console, which is what they should have done with EP:II.
Who knows, maybe they will announce a Steam version later on, just like what they did with Generations.
I just relized that his beard is in the shape and color of tails’ tails…
As long as the fan community can shut up, I don’t care if he’s purple
@QuietGuy – Wow, I see how it is. So it looks like the physics nor the inclusion of Tails don’t do it for you. I doubt there will be a playable demo for PS360, if you’re talking about one like the SG Birthday Demo. A demo would only occur when the game is out. Keep your faith at zero then, you’ll see in the end how good the game is, unless you’re bittersweet about the game. It seems as though you’re not even excited for this game. Well, while you’re being skeptical, the rest of us (including the fans who hated Ep.1) will get hyped. SEGA hasn’t let us down since Sonic 4. Continuing that, is Colors, then Generations.
Don’t even say Sonic 4 is a big dissapointment. Sonic 4 was a success. Sonic 4 was only a big dissapointment TO YOU. SEGA did listen. People wanted Sonic to go back to his roots, and that is what SEGA did. SEGA tried to give Sonic 4 a new feeling with Sonic. Since Sonic is now modernized, SEGA gave him a new set of physics. SEGA could’ve easily went back to the old physics if they wanted to, but they didn’t, because they wanted to give Sonic a new feeling. Turns out that didn’t work too well. So now what? SEGA took grusome feedback from fans, and listened to them. Cool story bro, tell me again how SEGA and SonicTeam don’t listen.
I really want Hyper Sonic back, I don’t think anyone had any problem when there was flashing lights during the final boss in generations(it flashes a few times after you hit time eater, just like hyper sonic) and if Tails is playable, wouldn’t he probably get super form? doesn’t he need the super emeralds? Well all new surprises, an it’s been 17 years since we’ve seen him.
Aw snips!! Bring it on!
Game with metal sonic, playable tails, new physics engine and graphics engine used. Where have we seen that before…?
Oh yes, Christian Whitehead’s superb Sonic CD. Episode 2 using the retro engine? Nah, of course not.
Still, lot of coincidences there, don’t you think…?
@Copley Hill – I doubt Sonic will have figure 8.
Words cannot describe how much I want to believe that the graphics and physics have improved. But I’ll wait for footage.