So, you're excited about Sonic 4 and never got around to sitting down with any Sonic titles beyond the first. Welcome to my boat. It's a cozy little thing, full of hope for a franchise that seemed to fall off a cliff both creatively and artistically at the 3D juncture. But it's also a green boat that lacks sufficient 2D Sonic knowledge--until this Thursday, that is, when Microsoft puts all of its Xbox Live Marketplace Sonic titles on sale.
Major Nelson has revealed that a special set of deals, in celebration of Sonic the Hedgehog's 19th birthday, are set to go live on June 24--and only June 24. Rolled into this deal are the first three Sonic titles, as well as Sonic & Knuckles. Each will be priced at an agreeable 240 Microsoft Points--a little more than half the normal price.
But, wait, that's not the end of the celebration! Most Sonic add-ons--including Unleashed and Sonic the Hedgehog 2006--will be receiving a decent price slash on PSN starting on June 22nd until July 6. iDevice Sonic title prices will also lower from June 23 to June 30. (Also, for whatever reason, so will the prices of the iDevice versions of Streets of Rage, Super Monkey Ball, and Golden Axe.)
== TEASER ==It's hard to think that these deals don't have some sort of unspoken connection with the forthcoming release of the first bit of Sonic 4, a title that apparently pitchfork-carrying fans have been wanting forever. In a recent conversation with Destructoid, brand manager Kevin Laboughs spoke to the steamy hot desire of fans and why Sega just now stepped on the revival pedal.
"I think it's a combination of things," Laboughs told Destructoid. "I think yes, fans have been demanding this game for a long, long time and obviously we're in the business of giving fans what they want.
"The other thing is we had the right team in place at the right time. We have a group of people that have an incredible passion for Sonic that goes back years. We on the team grew up with Sonic on the Genesis and this is a project that we've been wanting to make so we just thought 'yes, our new project is Sonic 4.'"
Later, Laboughs goes on to explain that the studio wants to make us feel like we're kids again as we play. And if early reception proves true to the final product, Sega might have at least succeeded in bringing retro Sonic back.