Sonic Producer Discusses Length, Design

By Shawn White / Sunday, 24 September 2006

Speaking to gaming site GameKult, Sonic and the Secret Rings Producer Yojiro Ogawa disclosed a number of new details regarding the blue hedgehog's first Wii outing, such as play length and the team's decision to put the game on-rails.

Sonic and the Secret Rings will follow Sonic's adventure through the storybook land of Arabia, as he's the only playable character. According to Ogawa, the single-player game will span 70 different missions and take approximately 10 hours to complete.

Additionally, bonus content and extra earnable medals will extend play time. A multiplayer mode comprised of 30 separate mini-games will also be available for up to four players. Furthermore, downloadable content is a possibility the team is exploring at this time.

Ogawa mentioned that the team initially wanted Sonic for Wii to be similar to previous 3D outings in which players moved the character with the analog stick and used buttons to attack in addition to utilizing the Wii Remote's motion-sensing abilities. However, physical strain proved too troublesome with such a configuration, and the team simplified its ideas to create the control method for the current version (in which players hold the controller sideways to steer Sonic).

The GameKult interview can be found here.

The Wiire will uncover more secrets of Sonic's Secret Rings in the future.