Sonic the Hedgehog was the reason I became a gamer. I did have games before that - in fact I started with an Amstrad CPC like Craig, but Sonic was in a league of his own. This series had everything: catchy music, wicked gameplay and generally just very clever platforming. I don't think I've ever played another game that made my heart race as much as when I thought I was going to drown Sonic in Labyrinth Zone, and the ominous countdown music played.

Even though I think that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 should have been done much sooner, being such a big fan of Sonic and all things related makes me very sceptical (if not very critical) of anything that may tarnish his good name. From the videos I've seen on various sites it seems that this time round Sonic has gone back to his roots of awesomeness to ensure we wont be disappointed.

It also appears that, unlike the original game, it's not all about the speed. It's still important, but in Sonic 4 you can't just run straightforward to beat the level. This time you'll need to jump, use homing attacks and speed dash frequently - and that's not all. You'll also find yourself swinging from vine to vine, running through various loopty-loops, and bouncing from bumper to bumper.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is scheduled to release on the PlayStation Network sometime later this year. No price has been announced yet, but we’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, why not take a look at what you can expect by clicking the link below.

Sonic 4: Episode 1 First Look

On another note, you can now follow me on Twitter (I'm not that interesting really, but I just thought you might like to).