Sonic Rumble launches after a long, arduous delay period to the delight of fans everywhere

It has been a long time coming, with a long delay that was coupled with near radio silence, but finally Sonic Rumble has launched. The blue hedgehog has been popping up all over the show lately, and we couldn’t be happier to finally be able to party with the speediest porcupine in the world.

Sonic Rumble is a party game with up to 32 players, which tells you a lot of what you need to know off the bat. Think Stumble Guys, but substitute it with Sonic and Friends, and you have the basics down. You will be competing with people across the world to gather the most Rings to prove who can triumph in Dr Eggman’s twisted games.

You will be able to take part in the standard party fare, such as obstacle races patrolled by Eggman's Badniks, test your agility by avoiding a multitude of explosives, and even boss battles of sorts. There is even a loving nod to Sonic's origins, with 2D side-scrolling gameplay. Hopefully none of the underwater stuff, though.

That was some harrowing stuff.

These games can be undertaken with all the iconic characters we know and love, including Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, and of course Sonic himself. Or some lesser-known ones, such as Jet the Hawk, AiAi, or Espio the Chameleon. Each of these heroes has their own moves they can perform in-game as well, including Amy Rose with her Hammer Smash, or Silver the Hedgehog unleashing Pyrotechnics.

It won’t just be characters from the Sonic franchise either, as the developers have also confirmed that there will be crossover events with guests from other SEGA games. I have all my fingers crossed for Skies of Arcadia, Shining Force, or maybe some Phantasy Star. Come on, dive into those archives.

Sonic Rumble can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play, and doing so soon will net you some launch rewards, including a few character skins.