Developer : Sega
Release date : March 13, 2009
Synopsis :
Sonic and the Black Knight is a 2009 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The game was released on the Wii as the second entry in the Sonic Storybook series, following Sonic and the Secret Rings (2007). Set in the world of King Arthur, the game combines Sonic’s trademark speed with a new sword fighting system, utilizing the Wii Remote’s motion-sensing functionality.
Sonic and the Black Knight received mixed reviews, with praise for its graphics, presentation and abundance of bonus content, but criticism of the game’s controls, swordplay mechanics and multiplayer aspect. Sonic and the Black Knight was de-listed from retailers in 2010, following Sega’s decision to remove all Sonic series titles with sub-average Metacritic scores in order to increase the value of the brand.
A wizard named Merlina, granddaughter of Merlin, attempts to flee from a black knight and his forces. Cornered, she performs a spell calling forth a champion to save her, summoning Sonic the Hedgehog. As they retreat, Merlina explains to Sonic that the black knight is actually King Arthur, who has been corrupted by the immortality granted by Excalibur’s scabbard, and that Sonic must defeat him to restore peace to the kingdom. With Sonic’s speed alone being insufficient to defeat the King, he takes up the talking sword Caliburn.
At Caliburn’s suggestion, Sonic meets up with the Lady of the Lake, Nimue (this world’s version of Amy Rose), who tests Sonic to prove he is a worthy Knight. After completing her tasks, Nimue tells him that he must collect the sacred swords wielded by Lancelot, Gawain and Percival of the Round Table (this world’s versions of Shadow, Knuckles and Blaze respectively) in order to dispel the immortality granted by Excalibur’s scabbard. Defeating each of the Knights, Sonic claims all three swords and challenges the King once more, destroying him.
Sonic takes the scabbard back to Merlina, who reveals that there was never any King Arthur, and what he defeated was an illusion created by her grandfather Merlin, with Merlina manipulating Sonic in order to claim Excalibur’s scabbard as her own. Merlina plans to use its power to make the kingdom changeless and eternal in hopes of averting the kingdom’s fate from the legends. However, her plan is completely flawed, as such a world, going against the natural order of things, would not function properly, and it would come at the cost of innocent lives. She summons the underworld directly into the kingdom, creating the Dark Hollow and forcing Sonic and the Knights to flee. Nimue explains that the sacred swords can be used to form a barrier to prevent the Dark Hollow’s spread, so Sonic and the Knights split up and journey to the kingdom’s corners to form the barrier, but it proves to be too weak and the hollow continues to grow.
Sonic enters the Dark Hollow himself to confront Merlina, who has now become the Dark Queen, but she proves too powerful, destroying Caliburn and badly injuring Sonic. Seeing Sonic’s continued resolve to stop the witch, Nimue and the Knights give Sonic the power of the sacred swords to restore Caliburn – now revealed to be the true Excalibur – and Sonic transforms into an armored super form called Excalibur Sonic. He defeats Merlina, destroying the Dark Hollow. After the battle, Sonic tells Merlina that, while everything has an end, people should live their lives to the fullest until that day comes. With King Arthur revealed as an illusion, the Knights of the Round Table prepare to disband, but Caliburn reminds them that he is the one who chooses the true king, now revealed to be Sonic.
In a post-credits cutscene, Sonic returns to his world and tells Amy about his adventures, but she believes it to be an excuse for missing their planned date. The game ends in a similar manner to Sonic and the Secret Rings, with the title of the book King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table changing to Sonic and the Black Knight.
Source : Wikipedia
