Here’s a screenshot:

More screenshots and even a video are available in the relevant forum topic.

Code-named “Project Needlemouse”–a reference to the original name for the Sonic character, Mr. Needlemouse–SEGA aims to please “old-school Sonic fans” who “have long asked to see Sonic return to a more 2D style of gameplay” according to an interview between GameSpot and Sega associate brand manager, Ken Balough. According to Balough, the game is also slated to contain HD graphics, likely in a similar reign to Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix or even our own Sonic the Hedgehog 2 HD project.

The full interview between GameSpot and Balough is available here, while the original GameSpot article–complete with teaser trailer–is available here.

As of yet, very little information has been revealed regarding this release, but we fully expect that SEGA has a lot to live up to, given the expectations of most scrutinous critics of the Sonic franchise as of late. The trailer slates the release of the game for the year 2010, flaunting speed as one of the core points of appeal for the upcoming title.

Will SEGA be able to live up to the hype? Given recent trends, that doesn’t seem likely; it’s always nice to keep an open mind, though!

Discuss this on the forums!