This is incredibly exciting news, especially given that Sonic may have been a part of many of our lives (and probably still is)!

Sega announced at midnight that the big project they’ve been working on (which, up until now, has been known only as “Project Needlemouse”) is actually Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Sonic will be returning to the classic 2D format where he got his start, and will take place after Sonic and Knuckles, but with a brand-new story arc.

This is the first new game in the series that uses the classic side-scrolling method of play since 1994′s Sonic 3/Sonic and Knuckles double-header. Hopefully it will appease the diehard retro fans (such as myself) who miss the speedy little guy in his original format.

As the above graphic suggests, Sonic is going episodic. The first episode will be available this summer on Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network, WiiWare, and…somewhere else, according to the website. (Motion controls will have a function in the PS3 and Wii versions.)

It’s taken them long enough to say they were working on Sonic 4…what, do you expect them to give up all the information at once? In case you didn’t check the link: Several sections of the website have locks and timers indicating when the information will be released. Right now, one of those pieces of information is a fourth purchase location. Where else do you think we can get a Sonic fix this summer?

Check out the trailer below, courtesy of GameStop, who appears to be the only one hosting it: