Sonic the Hedgehog Fans Discover Long Lost Teaser for Cancelled Game

In 2010, Sega released Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I. The game was meant to act as a direct sequel to the Sonic games released in the Genesis era, and featured similar 2D gameplay. The original plan was to release 3 episodes in total, with Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II arriving in 2012. However, plans for the third game were scrapped, and there wouldn’t be another 2D game based on the franchise until 2017’s Sonic Mania. More than a decade later, a deleted scene from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II has been discovered and shared online.

This lost footage from the game apparently came from a Macintosh previously belonging to Sega, and uploaded by Obscure Gamers. In the footage, there’s a new teaser for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode III. Episode II ended with Sonic and Tails shutting down Robotnik’s new Death Egg. It seems the original plan was to show the Death Egg rebooting thanks to the Master Emerald. Knuckles also appears in the deleted scene, and it seems to suggest that the echidna warrior might have been duped into working for Robotnik yet again. However, since Episode III never materialized, and this scene never appeared in Episode II, there’s no way of knowing how things might have played out. The video can be found below.

It’s interesting to get this glimpse at what might have been! This discovery is already getting a lot of positive attention from Sonic fans, particularly those that enjoyed the first 2 episodes that were released. The reality is, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes material that ends up on the cutting room floor during a game’s development, and most fans will never get a chance to see it. The fact that this scene is now online and available to watch is a very big deal. This is a part of Sonic’s history, and that’s exciting regardless of how things played out.

While the cancellation of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode III has long been a disappointment to fans, things clearly worked out for the best. The previous chapters were handled by Dimps and Sonic Team, but the third would have apparently been developed by Christian Whitehead and Sega Studios Australia. The latter development team was shut down, but a few years later, Whitehead would go on to develop Sonic Mania instead. That game is widely considered one of the very best to ever feature the character.

RELATED: Sega Reveals Which Sonic the Hedgehog Games are Canon With New Timeline

Right now, the future of 2D Sonic games remains a pretty big question. In 2023, Sonic Team and Arzest teamed up for Sonic Superstars, a 2D entry in the series that moved away from the traditional pixel graphics that appeared in the original Genesis games and Sonic Mania. Superstars was something of a commercial flop for Sega, so it remains to be seen what direction the company will take for the next 2D game.

Did you play Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode II? Were you disappointed that plans were cancelled for the second one? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Sonic Stadium]