Sega have decided to do a Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off, which seems to be taking a darker, more shadowy, path.

It was announced a while ago that The Metreon were creating a Walk of Game, dedicated to the top icons in video games. Sonic the Hedgehog was one of the awarded this honour, and Sega used this as the perfect chance to show off their latest game.

During the event Sega showed off a clip which celebrated the greatness of Sonic the Hedgehog, and at the end there was a surprise twist as Shadow the Hedgehog popped up. Something more shocking however is he was carrying guns, and this hedgehog isn't afraid to use them.

It is a rather bold move by Sega to allow one of their characters to use guns. While it is done in other games it is not often cartoon-like hedgehogs who are doing it. You certainly wouldn't expect any member of the Sonic family to be using them either, as Sonic is seen as child-friendly.

Whatever the consequences of this are we'll have to see, after all, Rare got away with Conker. However, we do know that Shadow will have similar abilities to Sonic, and players will need to run, jump and race their way through levels.

To view the clip head over to GameSpot. The game is due for release in Autumn, but no platforms have been announced yet. And this news piece will end like so many in the coming months. Expect more news in May at E3.