Nintendo Power Brings First Sonic RPG Details

It was August of 2007 when some very strange news broke: a new role-playing game was in development for the Nintendo DS, and it would star none other than SEGA's long-legged mascot Sonic the Hedgehog. What's more, it was being made by Canadian developer (and more recently, EA subsidiary) BioWare, makers of Mass Effect, Jade Empire, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Other than this, nothing was really known. And, in spite of the high praise received for their prior works, fans and gamers have remained largely skeptical, as the general consensus is that Sonic... well, simply put, his games aren't what they used to be.

Speculation began, as people wondered about everything from the gameplay (would it be action-RPG? Like Paper Mario? Something else?) to the story (based on the comic? The other games? The cartoons? All-new?), and even if Sonic would be crowded out by his ever-expanding list of costars. But over the past several months, BioWare's lips remained sealed, with not so much as even a title for the project.

Until now.

Nintendo Power, via the NeoGAF forums, has finally released a nice chunk of information about the title, now known as Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, which appears in their latest issue.

According to the NeoGAF post, the images seem to imply a more hand-drawn, water-color style, along with remixed classic tunes and "fully animated cut scenes" (their quotes).

In terms of gameplay, the control is said to be performed completely by the touch screen, not unlike Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, including Elite Beat Agents-styled special attacks which consume "Fatigue Points," rather than Magic Points.

There will be 11 party members available in total, including all the main heavy hitters: Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Rouge, Shadow, and Big the Cat (they don't get much heavier than that), each with their own special abilities, such as Tails' flight. The party will have up to four characters in use at a time, and at certain points, you can even split the group into smaller teams.

As for more basic in-game mechanics, the article reveals that battles will indeed be turn-based, though the commands for all party members will be chosen before they follow through as a part of an attempt to keep the action moving fast, as befits Sonic. Battles won't be random, however, as you will be able to see enemies on the field, much like any of the Mario RPGs. Battles will also feature the option for Team Attacks, such as those featured in Chrono Trigger.

When it comes time to level up, players will be able to choose which attributes they would like to raise. In addition, new special moves can be purchased using rings, the game's currency, and subsequently leveled up as well.

Chapters of this title will feature two acts, the first taking place in more familiar Sonic-styled scenarios, and the following act in a darker world, presumably the home of the Dark Brotherhood. As with most RPGs, there will also be side quests, and speaking to NPCs will feature simple dialogue trees, perhaps mimicking those seen in Mass Effect.

Finally, most any RPG that hopes to be worth something has a story, and this game is no different. As this one unfolds, Sonic is on vacation after defeating Eggman two years ago, when he gets a call from Tails that his friendly (if a bit tempermental) rival Knuckles has been kidnapped by a mysterious new group who call themselves the Marauders. What's more, six of the seven Chaos Macguffins--er, Emeralds, are missing. And for once, Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik isn't the source of the mischief.

However, that's not to say the bad egg is out of the picture entirely, quite the opposite in fact. BioWare states they want to make ol' Julian a credible bad guy again, which makes sense; ever since they went 3D, most of his plans have gotten out of his control, leading to him working with rival Sonic and his friends to save the world. If he ever had any pride as a villain before, it's got to be curled up in the corner, sobbing by now. But BioWare says something about some sort of "twist" between the Doc and Sonic that goes back to the earlier games, though no other details are offered.

Other notes mentioned from the article are that they "want everyone to love Big the Cat," which is no doubt going to cause some degree of wincing among those reading this. Nintendo Power also asked about any possible Wii development, after which BioWare broke out the brooms and chased NP off the property. Or not. In either case, it doesn't sound like they're ready to test the waters of motion control just yet.

If you want more visual representation, be sure to grab the next issue of Nintendo Power and support this sort of thing. Or if you're a cheap tightwad (or maybe just impatient), you can sneak a peek here.