Sega has finally lifted the veil off Project Needlemouse. As it turns out, it was a code name used of an upcoming sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, from the Genesis days. The new game will be called Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and it will arrive this summer as downloadable title on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. This news should come as God-send for many die-hard fans that have been asking for a new side-scrolling adventure since quite some time now.

The game will pick up from where Sonic & Knuckles left off and it will feature familiar game-play elements like spin dash and power sneakers from the yore. Sonic 4 will also feature online leaderboards for speed-runs and the PS3 (Six-Axis) and Wii versions will have support for motion-control.