Ring tone. Updated on 27 January 2021
Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka is back! Not that he s ever really been away, of course - after leaving Sega back in 2006, he founded Prope and produced entertaining curios such as Let s Tap while also contributing to the always fascinating Street Plaza games - but with Balan Wonderworld the Naka of old is back, as is a brand of action that s become increasingly rare. This is 3D platforming as you know and quite possibly love it from the turn of the century.
Not so much of a surprise, really, given that Balan Wonderworld marks the first collaboration between Naka and Naoto Ohshima, the artist behind Sonic the Hedgehog, since 1998 s Sonic Adventure. There s an undeniable sense of Sonic Team in its 90s and early-00s pomp to Balan Wonderworld, and after a playthrough of the soon-to-be-released demo I ve come to realise that s no bad thing at all - it s an enjoyably colourful and energetic antidote to t