Beyond Good and Evil: Few video game icons have enjoyed as much long-term success as Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega's blue blur has headlined best-selling games for three hardware generations, he's starred in Saturday-morning cartoons, and last year he even got his own Happy Meal. Nonetheless, Takashi Iizuka, the man behind the hedgehog for the past 12 years, decided it was time for a change. "We didn't want to neglect the Sonic series, though," explains Iizuka. "We wanted to expand it by creating this new kind of franchise that offers something that was never possible in the Sonic games. We wanted Shadow to be a little darker and a bit edgier. We don't want to leave Sonic behind; this is just a different path for us to explore."

      And that path is laden with heavy artillery. Unlike Sega's lovable mascot, the titular anti-hero in Shadow the Hedgehog can wield an assortment of weapons ranging from the rocket launchers to signposts that he rips out of the ground. He'll also man vehicles from time to time. The list of sweet rides you can commandeer includes a two-door convertible sport's car, a military jeep and even an alien hovercraft. "We included the vehicles to increase variety of gameplay within each stage," says Iizuka. The game doesn't stray entirely from its roots, however. The gunplay is mixed with a healthy dose of high-speed platforming to produce an experience that's both new and familiar.

      To brin the protagonist's shadowy nature to the fore, Iizuka's team has presented the player with a moral choice.The game's story revolves around a conflagration between a malevolent alien race called the Black Arms, and the GUN army charged with protecting the planet. Shadow must choose a side in conflict by completing either a hero mission or a villain mission in each stage. (There is a neutral mission as well, but what fun is that?) According to Iizuka, "The basis of the Sonic series was to be a simple game that could be played by anyone who picked up a controller. It was basically just going through the stage and reaching the goal. For Shadow, we wanted to engage the player more. To allow them to decide what they wanted to do next." The game's narrative branches based on those decisions, ultimately keading to one of its multiple endings. "Not only do we have a pure hero ending and a pure evil ending," reveals Iizuka, "but because you can switch allegiances throughout the adventure, there are additional branches as well. They all exlore the question, 'Who is Shadow?' 'What is the reason for his existence?'"

       As the mysterious hedgehog pursues his objectives, destroying GUN soldiers and Black Arms invaders will fill his Dark Guage and Hero Guage, respectfully. Once a guage is filled, Shadow can unleash the corresponding Chaos power. The heroic Chaos Control propels him safely through the level at astonishing speeds (even by Sonic's standards), while the villanous Chaos Blast immediately destroy every enemy in sight. The protagonist's affiliation also determines the "mission character" that accompanies him through the level. These helpful escorts offer advice on how to complete the selected mission, and in some cases, will even fight alongside Shadow. In one level, doing evil deeds partners him with a tentacled Black Arms monstrosity called Doom's Eye, while battling for the forces of good brings Sonic to his aid. A number of other familiar faces will make an appearance, as well, "We even included Team Chaotix," Iizuka admits with a chuckle.

      To help Shadow make the most out of his solo debut, the team created an all new graphics engine from scratch. "The previous engine that we've been using for Sonic is the same engine we've been using since the first Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast. It didn't allow some of the things we wanted to do," explains Iizuka. Those things include destructible environments and a host of new special effects.

      So what does the future hold for Sonic's archrival? "If this game is well received, we'd like to give Shadow his own franchise," says Iizuka. Just don't expect any Happy Meals.