Let’s face it–since the 16-bit era, video game publishers haven’t had prominent mascots for their systems. Nintendo has Mario. Sega has Sonic. NEC had… Bonk, I guess. All of these characters’ games were solid platformers which represented the advantages of each system. Lately, though, this trend has more or less been discontinued. I mean, what could be considered Microsoft’s mascot? Master Chief? It’s just not quite the same.

Sony is looking to reverse this, however, with its first formal endorsement of a mascot in Sackboy from the upcoming PS3 game LittleBigPlanet. The anticipated game and new mascot is receiving a big push from Sony, and more importantly, with its simple run and jump play, may signal a return to platformer-style games as a major genre on home consoles.

Can Sonic take on Sackboy? Will the unique additions LittleBigPlanet brings, such as custom levels, influence future Sonic games?