The long winded wait for the blue blur’s glorious return to form has been a grueling tale of teasers followed by long periods of nothingness. Finally, a light can be seen at the end of the tunnel, and for some that light is closer than it is for others.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will be available first in the iTunes App Store beginning on October 7th. The next iteration will be available for download on the Wii Shop Channel October 11th, followed by the Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade versions hitting October 12th and 13th respectively.

Wii owners can expect to relinquish 1500 Wii Points; PSN users - $14.99; and XBLA - 1200 Microsoft Points. The iPhone price will be specified later this week.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will be the first of an unspecified number of episodes. Game play is similar to the original Sega Genesis titles, namely the original Sonic the Hedgehog, with a few new twists and graphical enhancements thrown in for the modern age.