The next generation Sonic game (which I believe only the two guys over at UK Resistance are looking forward to) is now available for download on Xbox Live, weighing in at a wanton 314mb. But in the words of LL Cool J, don't call this a comeback. Some of us had the misopportunity to play the PS3 version at E3 and gripe about it elbow to elbow in unison. To put it into a metaphor, the next Sonic game is like what your dog is experiencing when he sticks his head out the window on the highway. There's definitely a sense of fun and blurryness happening around you, but as griped about in our podcast, this is yet another one of those new games who's camera totally fails. The ambitious scale of things coupled with the new Sonic speed Sega's trying to impress you with will make you want to stab yourself in the face. But don't take my ever-disgruntled words for it, here's what the author experienced after his elated download:

After playing the demo for the best part of an hour i'm afraid i have to report that Sega have not fixed several of the most commonly complained about issues in previous Sonic games. Firstly, the homing attack frequently sends you off the edge, and doesn't always seem to work how it should. Secondly, and this is a new one - the camera panning is WAY too slow. You use the RB and LB buttons to turn the camea around, but it takes forever! I never felt in control of Sonic, like if i pushed the analog stick a little bit too far, Sonic would veer off the edge or come screeching to a waltz. Of course, this is an unfinished product, so we mustn't pass judgement too soon. Let's just hope Sega fix these issues before the release. On the bright side, the demo does include a very nice FMV sequence in HD!

Hmm, sounds like the same exact port. Oh well. Sounds like he almost had decent time with it despite some of the camera problems, so grab it while it's hot, just like the 360 paperweight furnace at Fronz's house! [via Wii60]