Sonic the Hedgehog fans may be reveling in the newely released Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, but there's another sonic game that should interest to fans of the little blue speedster.

Two indie game developers, identifying themselves only as Mercury and Pelikan13, have released a three level demo of Sonic Fan Remix. Sonic Fan Remix is just like the Sonic games we played as kids on the original Sega, but updated for today's graphical standards.

After the streak of poor Sonic games in recent year, these fans took it upon themselves to take the series back to its roots and deliver a worthy successor. While this isn't the first fan-made tribute game, it's certainly one of the better looking ones so far. The graphics rival some current releases from major publishers, which is a testament to the skill of these two indie developers.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEd6s5S4hJI

For as pretty as the game is, the intense level of detail can be somewhat distracting. The game plays pretty well and the controls aren't as tight as you'd like, especially with a Sonic game, but they're certainly manageable. It'll be interesting to see how this project progresses. After news that Sega was going to pull 'average' Sonic games off the market, I wonder if they'll take any legal action against this game if it turns out great.

The state of the Sonic franchise is at a crossroads right now. Recent 3D releases haven't been received well, while the recent return to the 2D side-scroller format has scored well in reviews (including our review of the iPhone version). Depending on the popularity of Sonic Fan Remix, it could speak to what the gaming public may want; a classic side-scrolling Sonic.

Check out some screenshots from the game below and check out the demo for Sonic Fan Remix, which is available now on the game's official website. A release date for the full version has not yet been announced.

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Source: SonicFanRemix