On August 11, the game was revealed...or, at least an early build. As one can see from the screenshots below, the graphics are identical to the original 16-bit Sonic 1. *sniff* Ah, sweet nostalgia. The good news is that the level-design is completely new, and seems to resemble that of the original 16-bit Sonic 2's more than any other. The Sonic model, contrarily, seems to be based on the one used in Sonic 3. (It's kind of a shame the new Adventure model wasn't used, but then...I don't think he'd work so well in two dimensions.)

   As far as graphic quality, the game seems to be a draw between the original 8-bit Sonic's and the original 16-bit Sonic's. Judging from the animated clip, the speed of the 16-bit versions is certainly intact (as could be expected, NeoGeo Pocket Color is a 16-bit console).

   So what's new? The "Rooms", for one thing. There's a "Trial Room", a "Duel Room", and a "Puzzle Room". (Actually, it's "Pazzle" Room, but I'm assuming that's a misspelling.) These fairly vague titles could represent any number of various gameplay modes, so as for the details on each...your guess is as good as mine. The green-eyed Sonic in the Puzzle Room option is proof that this very old-school game is indeed happening in the Adventure era of Sonicdom.

   The selections listed on the Options screen include: Beginning, Continue, Go To Room, Option, Debug Option, and Sound Test. It remains to be seen whether the "Continue" option is capable of loading multiple saves, or if it's just (like Sonic CD), a one-game-at-a-time thing. Either way, it obviously represents some sort of save function, so you won't have to freak out if you're on the last level and the batteries starting dying on ya. "Go To Room" obviously represents the unique "Room" modes listed above; and I'm taking a wild shot in the dark that the "Debug Option" is just in this developmental version of the game. The other selections pretty much speak for themselves, ne?

   That takes care of the new stuff, so what's the same? Well, pretty much everything else from the looks of it. And let it be known that that is in no way a bad thing. Almost like Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, this as-of-yet unnamed Sonic game seems to be a celebration of the Blue Blur's legacy by reverting back to his very roots...with some new stuff thrown in to keep things interesting, of course. Ring-grabbing, Badnik-bopping, Spring-bouncing, loop-de-looping, Spin Dashing...it's a Sonic game through-and-through, just like the we remember 'em. This should be a huge treat for hedgehog veterans who still remember "blast processing". The game is set to hit the shelves on December 1, so if you don't already have one, this would be a very good time to run out and pick up a NeoGeo Pocket Color. I, for one, couldn't be more excited.