Sonic Heroes Profiles: Team Sonic

Likely the only mascot character in videogames history that can legitimately be mentioned in the same breath as Nintendo's Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the industry's most enduring and beloved personalities. From the moment he first burst onto the scene as a rambunctious speedster on the Sega Genesis to his re-appearance on Nintendo GameCube only recently, the spiny blue rodent has seen his fair share of digital incarnations over the years -- but rarely on multiple platforms. That trend, however, is definitely about to end.

For the first time in franchise history, Sonic the Hedgehog is being released across all three major consoles at the same time. Due for release this coming January, Sonic Heroes invades the Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation 2 with 12 of the Sonic universe's most popular characters. Divided into four teams and given their own unique storyline and move set, Team Dark, Team Rose, Team Chaotix, and Team Sonic will band together and switch characters on the fly in an effort to defeat the challenges and puzzles that lay ahead. And it's presented in classic Sonic the Hedgehog style for the entire experience.

To celebrate its forthcoming release, Sega and IGN have joined forces to bring you a four-part series detailing the available quartet of characters ready for play in Sonic Heroes. A daily feature that will conclude this Friday, our team profiles will give you the skinny on each team's background information, their purpose, their individual character attributes, and show you exactly how they work with an exclusive video and screenshots. In short, it's a Sonic fan's database dream and should serve as an exciting precursor to our Sonic Heroes coverage further down the line.

So without any further ado, let's begin with the first Sonic Heroes Profile: Team Sonic!

Team Sonic's Background Sonic is off touring the globe and having fun, when a mysterious letter arrives. Knuckles and Tails quickly recognize Dr. Eggman's scrawl and know they have to get the letter to Sonic right away. It turns out Dr. Eggman has put the finishing touches on his most fearsome doomsday machine to-date and the tenacious trio has only three days to stop him from unleashing it on the world! Tails looks worried, Knuckles clasps his hands and cracks his famous knuckles, and Sonic's eyes gleam with anticipation. "I wouldn't miss this party for the world!" Sonic exclaims and Team Sonic is off and running.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Best known for his ability to run at supersonic speeds, Sonic is by far the fastest hedgehog in the world. Sonic loves to explore the world and hang out with his many friends, but what he loves most of all is a good challenge from his arch-rival, Dr. Eggman. On Team Sonic you'll see Sonic as you've never seen him before!

Knuckles: This masterful echidna blasts through walls and other obstacles to keep Team Sonic on course. The team relies on his powerful knuckles to destroy crates to uncover hidden items. When he's not racing around with Sonic and Tails, he guards the Master Emerald on Angel Island.

Tails: Miles "Tails" Prower has been Sonic's most loyal friend since 1993 when they first teamed up in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Nothing can slow Team Sonic down when Tails takes flight by spinning his two tails. His masterful mechanical skills are rivaled by no one except the devious Dr. Eggman.

Gameplay Tidbits Team Sonic is a winning line-up of old friends with proven talents - now to find Dr. Eggman and stop him cold! With Sonic leading the pack, enemies don't stand a chance as the team speeds by in high-powered formations. Knuckles blasts through walls with his world-renowned fists and our favorite fox propels the team out of reach by spinning his two tails. With the Team Action control system, you'll maneuver all three teammates through courses best suited for players who enjoy a medium level of difficulty. As with other teams, the combining of these powerful characters triples the strength of their attacks. Team Blast, Thunder Shoot, and Homing Attacks are just a few of the ways the enemies will grow to dread the appearance of Team Sonic. Two or four friends can get in on the action with the improved Battle Mode.

Team Sonic's talents include:

• Speed Formation Attacks: Sonic's masterful Light Dash enables him to pick up rings on the ground or in the air while traveling at the speed of light.

• Flying Formation Attacks: Enemies scatter when Tails fires his Dummy Ring Bombs down on them..

• Power Formation Attacks: Vector When Knuckles packs a Dash Punch, enemies go flying! His Fireball Jump is another winner as he jumps while spinning through packs of enemies.

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Does Team Sonic sound like a team you want to play with? Then click on our media page below to check out our exclusive video and screenshots of the team in action. When you're done, don't forget to read our latest Hands-On preview of Sonic Heroes!

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