$onic the Overpriced-Hog 4

Sega will officially launch Sonic 4 Episode I in October, finally, after months of withholding (a PartnerNet version was leaked about 3 months ago or so). It'll drop on the following dates with the following prices:

• Xbox Live Arcade: October 13th (1200 MSP)
• Playstation Network: October 12th ($14.99 USD)
• Nintendo WiiWare: October 11th (1500 Wii Points)

I tried the early leak and to be honest? The game is quite good. It's actually as close as we can hope to a proper oldskool 2d Sonic game as we're ever going to get in this day and age. The early version had a homing/lock on attack of sorts, which just SCREAMED 'easy moad'. Many did not like it and hopefully early feedback, albeit unsolicited, would have made Sega reconsider it. However even if that feature is left in, it's not a huge issue... You can simply opt to not use it.


That's not the problem really... The game, from what I have personally tried, is very good, even for an early beta version it was very solid and, amazingly, quite fun. That's not the problem at all.


The problem is two things:

1. Episode I
2. The Price

If the early leaked version is anything to go by, you get 4 Acts (stages) per Episode as well as a full 7 bonus stages. How many episodes  they intend to do is up in the air really, I'd guesstimate 3, maybe 4 episodes. The early version already let you collect all 7 Chaos Emeralds, and yes, Super Sonic is in, and playable within the normal game and not just on select stages tailored for the DBZ mode.


Problem is: $14.99 for 4 Acts?... I'm not the only one saying it, but that is SERIOUSLY pushing the envelope. Don't just take my word on it, look around the various major gaming sites. Everyone is saying the price of what may be 1/3 or 1/4th of a game is really, really pushing it. They'll never sell a full completed title at $60 either, they know it... The most I would personally pay for a complete Sonic 4 game is $40. At the current price, assuming they go 4 episodes... It would be $60.


Thanks, but no thanks Sega. It's a fun little game, I must admit that much, but it isn't worth $60. Even a Sonic 3 & Knuckles HD remake wouldn't sell for that. If this is the final pricing, then my purchase of this has just officially been reconsidered.


Shame, I was actually looking forward to buying this. Maybe when it goes on (inevitable) sale perhaps.