This year will see the release of 4 Sonic games, spread over all platforms mind you, but still the spikey haired hedgehog couldn't be more welcomed...

LOS ANGELES - Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) - (May 12, 2002) - SEGA today announced that it will deliver its top-selling franchise of all time - Sonic The Hedgehog - to the largest audience of gamers worldwide, launching four new Sonic The Hedgehog games on all next-generation console and handheld platforms this fiscal year. The highly-anticipated "Sonic Heroes," an all-new title in the Sonic The Hedgehog series, will debut on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox video game system from Microsoft. Additionally, building off the success of the Sonic franchise on Nintendo GameCube, SEGA will release "Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut" exclusively for Nintendo GameCube. Finally, Sonic will return to the Game Boy Advance with the release of "Sonic Pinball Party" and "Sonic Battle."

More info particularly surrounding 'Heroes' can be viewed below with a handy fact sheet!

SEGA's legendary mascot Sonic The Hedgehog makes his historic multi-platform debut and embarks on his biggest adventure ever, with his trademark blazing speed and a new gameplay twist in "Sonic Heroes." Sonic and his friends have evolved, adopting a configuration feature that lets gamers control three playable characters simultaneously, using Sonic's speed, Knuckles' power, and Tails' ability to fly, to conquer massive worlds. This team-based gameplay marks the next evolution in Sonic's gaming career, taking platform gaming to a completely new level. Using the three formations and the powerful moves that each team member has, Sonic and his friends combine forces to battle the ultimate evil.

-Play as one of four teams for a total of 12 playable characters - Team Sonic, Team Dark, Team Rose, or Team Chaotix - each with their own unique signature moves and story line.

-Each team boasts multiple specialized stages with unique missions and CG movies driving each "team" story forward.

-Experiment with team formations to learn the best way to defeat enemies, solve puzzles, and navigate massive environments.

-Each stage contains multiple paths and missions for maximum replayability.