The Sonic franchise has famously floundered since gaming grew another dimension. While there have been a smattering of great games, fans now react to a new Sonic announcement with trepidation and a fear of The Sonic Cycle. When Sonic Lost World was announced though things felt a bit different, as Nintendo were on board in some capacity (as it turns out, they're publishing the game).

Many have pointed out that there's more than a passing resemblance to Super Mario Galaxy, but underneath this facade lies a truly Sonic experience. While Sega has made a few tweaks to make it more approachable to anyone that doesn't consider themselves a die-hard fan (being able to walk, rather than constantly running, and making it less easy to crash are just two examples), it still has the soul of a classic Sonic title.

We had the opportunity to play the Wii U version and the three levels on offer showcased three different kind of environments. Sega promises a mixture of atmospheres, some with the classic 2D view while others offer 3D locations with multiple paths, which was evident within this demo.

The first level that we played took place in the classic Green Hill Zone and acted as a showcase of how the speed of Sonic can be softened so that you don't hurl yourself into an enemy and loose any of your coins. Trees were the primary source of slowdown, as Sonic will run up them and stop at the top, meaning you have to make a conscious choice to keep going. Some may argue that this is toning down the difficulty, but you could argue that avoiding these obstacles increases the challenge.

Handling Sonic felt pretty natural as the balance has been shifted away from survival to platforming, allowing for a greater sense of control. The classic attack and spin dash were still present, and helped to move along the level in a varied manner, but it is the jumping and grinding that will keep you moving in a forward momentum.

The other level that we played, a sweet-themed world, had the classic 2.5D feel as you progressed from left to right, leaping between platforms, crashing into enemies and doing your best not to fall off. There were times when you would hit an obstacle and it felt somewhat annoying, but its better than dying.

It is early days yet, but Sonic Lost World could very well turn out to be the great Sonic game that fans need. More importantly, it may make a great companion, rather than rival, to Super Mario 3D World. Sonic Lost World still has the speed and liveliness of previous games in the franchise, but the balance has been tweaked and it seems that Sega is trying hard to make this game fantastic.  Let's just hope he hasn't made any new friends lately.