In a closed-door demo with Sega yesterday, I saw a new side of the blue-coiffed hedgehog in “Sonic Unleashed.” And I didn’t know “Unleashed” literally meant “off the leash.”

At E3, for the first time ever, the company showed the night-time stages of the game, which had Sonic in his new “werehog” form. He’s apparently transformed into a werehog after Dr. Eggman captures Sonic, which will be revealed in the opening cutscene not shown.

In his nocturnal werehog form, Sonic is stripped of his speed (he runs on all fours like a gorilla) but gains massive strength and the ability to stretch his arms. The night-time levels are a mix of combat and platforming, and Sonic can perform a variety of combo attacks. On the Xbox 360, “Y” was the push attack, “X” was a sideways claw attack and “B” was used to grab enemies.

Examples of Sonic’s super-strength included breaking down doors, lifting panels for platforming (the instance I saw required the player to button-mash “B” to lift) and climbing. The werehog is a good climber, and U.S. producer Patrick Riley said there will be plenty of vertical climbing in the levels. As for Sonic’s stretchy arms, if the player misses a jump, his elastic limbs can save him from falling.

So Sonic fans, what do you think of the hedgehog’s new werewolf form? Do you think the series needed this transformation? (At least the game won’t have inter-species kissing.)

[Image from CampSonic.com]