[Feature] Looking ahead to Sonic: Lost World

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Sonic’s last few outings have been moving (slowly) in the right direction, but can ‘Lost World’ bring the series all the way back?

System: Nintendo Wii U/3DS
Release Date: TBA, Late 2013
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: SEGA

Author: Spencer

This year, Sega announced a partnership with Nintendo to bring three Sonic the Hedgehog games exclusively to Nintendo platforms, namely the Wii U and 3DS. The first game they announced was Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games, a new entry in the Mario & Sonic Olympics series. The second game is a core Sonic title, Sonic: Lost World. Coming later this year to Wii U and 3DS, this new game will see Sonic on a whole new adventure in a new world.

Hit the jump to see what we know so far about Sonic: Lost World.

This past week, Sega released a teaser image for Sonic: Lost World showing Sonic and Tails in their signature biplane (the “Tornado”, somewhat reminiscent of the beginning of Sonic 3) approaching a hollow planet with a surface made up of hexagons containing various landscapes. This apparently is the titular Lost World, called “Lost Hex,” and we can assume the hexagons represent the different levels in the upcoming game.

Days later, a trailer was released shedding some more light on the game itself, as well as some details on the game’s premise. We see the “Deadly Six,” the main antagonists of Lost World, terrorizing the native cute-and-cuddly creatures, just before Sonic steps in to save the day.

Based on gameplay footage from the trailer, Lost World looks to be similar in play to recent 3D Sonic games like Sonic Colors, but with a twist. Drawing influence from the Super Mario Galaxy games, level designs include gravity and multi-dimensional elements, such as cylindrical platforms that Sonic can run completely around, as well as walls that he can run sideways on. Levels will also feature sections where the perspective will change from 3D to 2D, similar to some of the “Modern Sonic” levels in Sonic Generations.

New and improved “Color Moves” via the Wisps from Colors are available in Lost World, with certain moves being unique to each version of the game. Color Moves are activated and controlled with the Wii U GamePad, and we can assume they will be handled in a similar way on the 3DS version using the touch screen. No gameplay was shown for the 3DS version in the trailer, but some screenshots that have been released seem to show that general gameplay will be the same. The 3DS version will also include exclusive special levels.

Lost World will also feature both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. Nothing is known about these modes as of yet, aside from the cooperative referred to as a “support mode.” However, if I were to guess, I’d say the support mode will feature the second player using a Wii remote to some extent to provide extra abilities to the first player, similar to Super Mario Galaxy. Potentially, the GamePad might be used by the supporting player to provide assistance like in New Super Mario Bros. U. As for competitive multiplayer, the usual race mode can be expected, but I’m sure Sega has more up their sleeve.

More details on the new title will be revealed either by Sega at E3 or during Nintendo’s E3 Nintendo Direct broadcast, or perhaps both. Sonic: Lost World is set for release on Wii U and 3DS “later this year,” but I expect players will be jumping into the new adventure this Fall.