Sonic goes casual with the Black Knight

The title is released next month exclusively on Wii in a busy quarter for Sega – and the team behind the game is confident it can be a bestseller with kids.

Speaking to CasualGaming.biz, the director of Sega’s Sonic Team studio in Japan, Tetsu Katano, said that his team had to “think like children” to ensure the game would appeal to youngsters who had no previous experience of Sonic.

He said: “Sonic and the Black Knight is aimed at a younger, more casual audience. We’ve changed a lot of things, essentially. It’s thinking as children; approaching things from their point of view, thinking what they want to see.”

However, Katano added that Sonic Team understood the strong loyalty older fans had of the protagonist, and stressed that they had respected the “tradition” the franchise commands.

He added: “Sonic is kind of a cheeky, edgy character, and so we like seeing Sonic challenge new things all the time. The Wii is a big part of it, because it appeals to a wider range of people who maybe have not played a Sonic game before.”

Sonic and the Black Knight is a key release in a strong Q1 for Sega. The publisher also has MadWorld (Wii), Stormrise (PS3/360), and Empire: Total War (PC) due for release in March. It also releases Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection next Friday (360/PS3).