The latest Sonic game to be revealed in Nintendo Power is Sonic and the Black Knight, a sequel of sorts to Sonic and the Secret Rings. The plot for the time being has Sonic being transferred from his world to a Medieval world by a sorceress named Merlina. In this world the legendary King Arthur has turned into the Black Knight for unknown reasons. Sonic will do battle with various foes with the use of a sword named Calibur. The sword is controlled by the Wii remote and you can perform a number of attacks. Sonic can acquire more swords and other equipment in the game by purchasing them or finding them treasure chests. Some of these items can even be combined to create new items. In total there will be 200 pieces of equipment for Sonic to use. There is a knighthood related ranking system that will be an important element in the game. Sonic can raise ranks by helping civilians and can lower rank if he accidentally hurts them. A high rank is beneficial in the way that it makes acquiring equipment much easier.
There are few returning elements from Sonic and the Secret Rings. The skill system will be improved so that it is not a hindrance during gameplay. The mission structure returns as well, though not as many missions will be required to complete to move one. The Soul Gauge from Sonic and the Secret Rings is replaced with a new yet to be named gauge that, when full, allows for a powerful attack that destroys multiple enemies. Of the all the elements, speed is still a priority in the game and the developers are trying to insert swordplay into fast-paced adventuring. Though there are not many games that are like Sonic and the Black Knight, the development team is trying different things until the final product feels true to a Sonic game.
Reviews[]
In all there were eleven reviews in this issue. The highest rated game of the month was Madden NFL 09, though the featured review was of Bangai-O Spirits, whose review took up an entire page. The lowest rated game was Alone in the Dark for Wii. The reviews included:
On the Mushroom Wars preview, the first page, which featured a large piece of artwork, a R.O.B. and an NES controller could be seen in the background towering over the waling mushrooms.
