Sonic Colors bleeding onto Wii, DS

Last week, Sega dropped some bad news on fans of Sonic the Hedgehog, informing them they would have to wait until late this year to get hands-on with Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. Those same fans can look forward to a double dose of the mascot, as Sega today gave the same late 2010 launch window to Sonic Colors, a new action adventure installment in the series set for release on the Wii and DS.

Sonic Colors introduces a new alien race called Wisps to the franchise. The colourful flying creatures have been captured in an intergalactic amusement park by rotund rascal Dr. Eggman, and its up to Sonic and Tails to save them. The Wisps are more than just a plot device; they also serve as color-coded power-ups for Sonic that can be strung together for combos. For example, the yellow Wisp gives Sonic the ability to drill through the ground, while the cyan Wisp turns the hedgehog into a laser to speed through stages that much quicker.

While Sonic has appeared in a multiplatform kart racing game and the massively successful Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, he hasn't appeared in a new action-oriented adventure since the Wii-exclusive Sonic and the Black Knight launched to disappointing reviews in March of last year. It was the second reviews drubbing for the hedgehog in as many outings, coming on the heels of 2008's critically reviled Sonic Unleashed.