Two years ago, I sat down in a small room and watched a gameplay demo of Sonic Unleashed; it was one of the first times they had shown the game to the press. It was a strange sensation, and I walked out conflicted. Would it be worth playing through the strange looking Werehog levels to get to the Sonic areas? After a while, I came to a decision: I shouldn't have to make that decision. I wanted to play Sonic the Hedgehog, not some poor beat-em-up, and taking the bad with the good wasn't necessary. When the game came out, reviewers agreed. Now, SEGA has apparently gotten the hint, and after years of disappointment it looks like Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is a return to the Sonic we grew up with.

Within moments it was obvious that it is, indeed, a return to form for Sonic. Instead of opting to bring the game to the current generation with 2D art, the developers focused on 3D characters and environments. The gameplay, however, remains in the second dimension, as it absolutely should. It's a lot like Sonic Rush, the Nintendo DS iteration that came out a few years back, though the gameplay itself feels a lot more classic. Rush was fast. Too fast, some might say. While many remember Sonic for its blistering speed, it's actually about smart, fast platforming, with occasional backtracking when the hedgehog overshoots a ramp or spring (and smacks into a wall). This is how Sonic 4 played, and it was hard not to get weak in the knees with nostalgia.

That's not to say it hasn't been updated at all, since it has been. Sonic's move list is still small, but it has seen some additions. The largest one is actually a tool he learned in the abysmal 3D games: the homing dash. When in the air, tapping a button sends him flying at the nearest enemy, which adds a good deal of platforming variety to the game. At one instance, there were a number of flying goes above a gap, and the only way to clear it was to use the homing attack on each of them. After a few misses it was obvious that the controls still need some fine tuning, but, overall, it feels as though the addition is a beneficial one. Otherwise, it's the Sonic everyone loves, without all of the crap Sega has attached to the series as of recent.

Too soon, my time with the game was over. It only took a few minutes for me to miss the game's great music, wonderful visual style, and classic gameplay. Sega has seen the reaction gamers have had to Bionic Commando: Rearmed and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They've finally realized that the gameplay that some series was founded upon was stronger than they remember, and they're allowing themselves to indulge themselves in this idea. Thankfully, it's only a matter of time before we, too, are able to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is due out for the Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, Wiiware, and iPhone App Store later in 2010.