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There’s a paradox in fan demands for Sonic the Hedgehog. Firstly, SEGA must be innovative and create a new wholesome experience in the upcoming Sonic title (whatever it might be). Secondly, it must be a return to classic Sonic gameplay—in fact, it should nearly replicate classic titles.

Surely, you see the problem in meeting these irrational expectations.

We can’t have a hedgehog who is both brand new, and a return to what he used to be. Yet this is the request of the greater Sonic Community.

We Can Have Both

We can have both a classic Sonic and a new Sonic, but fans have to adjust the way they approach video games.

The truth is, we already have several games to choose from when we want to immerse ourselves in Classic Sonic. From Sonic the Hedgehog to Sonic and Knuckles, we have a wide array of titles to choose from, many of which are made available in online marketplaces.

These games haven’t changed. Only our impressions of the games have changed. If novelty-factor is your primary reason for purchasing new games, may I suggest that you’re wasting your money, and setting the bar way too low for developers?

You wouldn’t ask for a complete remake of the Classic Star Wars Saga, and then demand that the director keep everything exactly the same.

If you really want a Sonic game that meets your expectations, you need only look into the past. We have these games already, and we can enjoy them whenever we’d like.

A New Sonic

For many of us, this is the hard part. The only Sonic we’ve ever enjoyed is the cool blue hedgehog from the classic platformers.

There’s a reason we’re constantly yammering about the past, about why Sonic needs to return to his roots… we’ve yet to see a new version of Sonic we actually like.

Clearly, I’m not speaking on everyone’s behalf here. For many of you younger folk, your first experience with the hedgehog was Sonic Adventure, or some other 3D version of Sonic. That’s fine, and I hope that these games are enjoyable for you, but the new titles absolutely target a younger audience.

For folks like me, it’s hard to relate to a narrative about a blue hedgehog saving the world with magical emeralds—especially when the voice actors all sound like they should be doing parts in early morning cartoons for kids.

Maybe the problem is our constant demand that SEGA sticks to Sonic’s roots. Maybe, instead we should be asking SEGA to reinvent Sonic. Maybe the hedgehog as we know him simply doesn’t translate well to newer generation gaming experiences. This is SEGA’s challenge, and it’s going to take a lot of effort on their part to create a new Sonic we can all appreciate.

Sonic doesn’t have to Die

There are cries for SEGA to give Sonic up—let him die before any more damage is done to his name. I can sympathize with this crowd being someone who hasn’t been able to appreciate the newer Sonic games, but maybe this sentiment is a little over dramatic.

I don’t think Sonic has to fade into obscurity, but if SEGA doesn’t change the way it approaches this series, that is exactly what’s going to happen. Sonic may not disappear altogether — in fact, Sonic does a good job with sales in the market for younger gamers — but Sonic won’t ever reclaim his seat as a respectable series if this remains to be the status-quo.

In a sense, Sonic will have to die. SEGA needs a serious think-tank to develop a new vision for the hedgehog, and then needs to conduct extensive testing to ensure they create a new universe for Sonic that is engaging, challenging, and appropriate for all ages. This is not a Sonic we have yet, but it’s the Sonic we’ll need if there’s going to be any serious future for this series.

1. Gears of War 2

Maybe you haven’t heard of Gears of War… Maybe you have – but we’re willing to bet on the latter. Gears of War 2 is the sequel to the blockbuster which has sold nearly 5 Million copies worldwide, and which also overtook games like Halo 2 in regards to the number of players on Xbox Live.

Oh, is your memory starting to return to you? So you have heard of it? Well, based on what’s been shown from Gears of War 2 so far, chances are you’ll be hearing a lot more about EPIC’s newest title come November when it’s scheduled for release. Heck, it’s already won several awards like IGN’s Overall Best Shooting Game and Best Graphics Technology of E3 2008 and we’re still 4 months til release.

2. Rock Band 2

Rock Band 2 will probably be one of the top Rhythm/Music games of November (or the top of it’s class PERIOD), but likely only for those willing to cough up an additional $200 for the second installment of the series. We’re all for awesome social, party style games where we can pretend to be rockstars performing our favorite songs, but all the hardware is starting to take a toll on our savings… and where the heck do we store all the old equipment? Our closets, garage and trunks can only hold so much!

3. Final Fantasy XIII

It’s exclusives like Final Fantasy XIII that keep bringing more and more gamers to the PS3, and make the mouths of 360 & Wii owners alike water for… Wait – you mean to say FFXIII isn’t a Playstation exclusive?!

In case you missed it, during a strange turn of events at Microsoft’s Press Conference at E3 2008, Square Enix revealed that the newest in the Final Fantasy series would indeed be released both on the PC and Xbox 360 alongside the PS3. As if the name Final Fantasy doesn’t speak for itself already, think about what a multi-platform launch will do for the title in terms of sales.

It’s been pointed out that it’s highly unlikely FFXIII will be released Nov 2008, or 2008 at all as Gamespot reports.

4. Prince of Persia (2008)

Recent installments of the Prince of Persia have been so well crafted, that some consider them to be the best adventure games ever developed, while The Sands of Time was recepted so well that it holds one of the top ratings for any Xbox, Gamecube or PS2 release.

The new Prince of Persia is certainly taking the series in a new direction, and it’s hard to say just how well the game will do at this point. That said, it’s definitely got the attention of many PS3, 360, and PC gamers out there.

5. Tomb Raider Underworld

Tomb Raider’s been around since the mid 90’s, where it first made its crater like impact on the gaming community – influentially, and as a gaming icon. Besides being one of the most revolutionary games in terms of graphics and gameplay, it’s also one of the first franchises to feature a heroine rather than the typical male protagonist (though admittedly, the game has been critisized for a sexist portrayal of it’s main character to appeal to a young male audience).

With 12 years of success behind the series, and a huge following of core gamers, Tomb Raider Underworld will surely be a hit this November.

Did we miss anything? What other games are you looking forward to?