Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II

For the first episode, see Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Digital cover art featuring Sonic (right) and Tails (left) in front of the first stage, Sylvania Castle
Digital cover art
Developer(s)Dimps
Sonic Team
Publisher(s)Sega
Director(s)Makoto Suzuki
Producer(s)Takashi Iizuka
Hiroyuki Kawano
Designer(s)Kenji Ayukawa
Programmer(s)Kōji Okugawa
Artist(s)Hideaki Moriya
Yuji Uekawa
Satoshi Takemura
Composer(s)Jun Senoue
SeriesSonic the Hedgehog
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Android, iOS, Ouya, Shield Portable, Shield Android TV
Release
May 15, 2012[8]
  • Microsoft Windows
    • WW: May 15, 2012[1]
    PlayStation 3[2]
    • NA: May 15, 2012
    • WW: May 16, 2012
    Xbox 360
    • WW: May 16, 2012[3]
    Android
    • WW: May 16, 2012[4]
    iOS
    • WW: May 17, 2012[5]
    Ouya
    • WW: July 3, 2013[6]
    Nvidia Shield
    • WW: July 31, 2013[7]
Genre(s)Platformer
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II[a] is an episodic platform video game developed by Dimps with assistance from Sonic Team, and published digitally by Sega for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows in 2012, with ports to the Ouya and Nvidia Shield releasing in 2013. It is a sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (2010), taking place shortly after the events of the game and following Sonic and Tails as they attempt to once again stop Doctor Eggman and a newly revived Metal Sonic from using Little Planet to power the Death Egg mk.II space station. Like its predecessor, Episode II is restricted to a 2D plane with players guiding Sonic and Tails through levels, collecting rings and rolling into enemies; collecting Chaos Emeralds also requires players to access Special Stages by ending a stage with enough rings.

Development on Episode II began shortly after the release of Episode I in late-2010, being made alongside Sonic Generations (2011) and lasting just under a year and a half. The developers primarily based the new gameplay mechanics and changes off feedback received after the release of Episode I. In addition to the return of Tails, Episode Metal was created for players who had purchased both games, allowing players to play as Metal Sonic through shortened versions of stages from the first game. Additional ports to the Windows Phone and Wii as part of the WiiWare service were conceived, but cancelled due to space constraints. In preparation for the release of Episode II, Sonic CD was re-released to act as a 'prequel' to the game's events.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II received generally average reviews from critics; many cited it as an improvement over its predecessor with praise towards its better physics engine, visuals, and multiplayer functionality, but criticism towards its music, boss fights, and level design. While a moderate commercial success, Episode II sold worse than its predecessor and would be the last Sonic 4 episode, with Iizuka confirming shortly before release that an Episode III would not be produced. In spite of the relatively poor performance of the title, it would later influence the development of Sonic Runners (2015); another mainline 2D Sonic game would not be released until Sonic Mania in 2017.

  1. ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II". Steam. May 15, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  2. ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (PlayStation 3)". GameSpy. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  3. ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (Xbox 360)". GameSpy. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  4. ^ Ruddock, David (May 16, 2012). "Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II Review: A Really Great Game - If You Have A Controller... And Some Patience". Android Police. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  5. ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (iOS)". IGN. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  6. ^ Usher, Anthony (July 9, 2013). "Sonic spin dashes onto Ouya in Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episodes I and II". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  7. ^ "Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II THD Pre-Loaded on NVIDIA SHIELD". Sega Blog. July 31, 2013. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  8. ^ Oliver, Tristan (April 5, 2012). "UPDATE: New Sonic 4: Episode II Trailer Debuts". Tssznews. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2012.


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