![]() ![]() ![]() The second Acts of each stage are buzzing with creativity, with the developers having fun spinning off and riffing upon the environments in smart ways. Mania isn't simply a greatest hits collection, nor should its appeal be limited to 30-something gamers that lack the speedy reflexes of the past. These go right for the player's sense of nostalgia, but due to the excellence of the source material also serve as delicious 16-bit platforming to those that haven't played the originals. For a decent chunk of the game (particularly 'Act 1' in familiar zones) you're playing levels from the originals that have nevertheless been revamped with additional routes and fun new bosses and twists. Before we get onto that though, how about a little recap on what makes Sonic Mania so downright brilliant?Īt its core Sonic Mania is partly a love-letter to the 'original' games, a remix but also a new experience. The result is Sonic Mania Plus, a title which takes all of the amazing stuff seen in last year's game and throws in some welcome additions which will please fans and newcomers alike. Rather than simply dump the original onto a game card and be done with it, the publisher has instead taken this opportunity to augment the experience with fresh content. It was the Sonic outing SEGA fans had been dreaming of for over 20 years, and has sold over a million copies to date across all formats not bad for a title which was intended to be a side-order to the main course of Sonic Forces.įast forward to the present, and SEGA has wisely listened to calls for a physical version of the game. The result was 2017's superb Sonic Mania, which ended up being the best game to use the IP for a long time. Bring a group of Indie studios together, give them resources, handle the PR and bask in the goodwill. SEGA, to its immense credit, saw the best of fan projects online - with Christian Whitehead front and centre - and realised there was a gift to accept. It's somewhat ironic, then, that it wasn't SEGA or Sonic Team that rediscovered what makes a truly great game in the franchise, but devoted super-fans that also happen to be very talented developers. Those games stand up today and have occasionally served as a reminder of the glory SEGA could once achieve with the series. They've ranged from very good to downright bad, but some fans have consistently argued that Sonic was at his best on the Mega Drive / Genesis and SEGA CD, through the 'classic' games that made his name. Nintendo gamers - home console version of Generations aside - have been able to play most of the Blue Blur's adventures, with a handful of exclusives to boot. SEGA and Sonic Team has taken its mascot on some wild rides over the past 20+ years, stepping into 3D 'modern' Sonic, attempting a return to 2D with Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and dividing opinion, and blurring the lines (with some success) in Sonic Generations. In certain circles of chatty online gamers, Sonic the Hedgehog is often a hot topic. It has been adapted and added to by Damien "Sonic 2 was the clearly the best" McFerran. I can not believe we were ever fooled by this trash franchise.Editor's note: This review is based on our original Sonic Mania review, as penned by our erstwhile editor Tom "Please no, not another terrible 3D Sonic game" Whitehead. I died and died and died again in places that could only be completed safely though memorization.įans who say this is best Sonic Game are basically saying it's best colonoscopy. ![]() That jump sound effect is the most grating thing in the world and the maps are all designed with one-way paths, dead-ends, Rom-hack Style TROLL traps and places where I legitimately could not figure out what to do. Sonic is "the fast thing alive" but his inertia is so sluggish and clunky, I feel like I'm driving a busted shopping cart. It is constantly shooting through tunnels and cannons instead of letting you do any actual platforming or path-finding. Mister Needlemouse is a game where you're supposed to race through quickly, but to get the "true ending" you have to stop and explore every nook and cranny for the near impossible to find/complete secret rings. I went back and played Sonic 2 and it is just as bad.Įverything about these games is counter-intuitive and broken. My nostalgia goggles have been well-removed by this game. ![]() I loved the multiplayer and I was twelve years old in a world before the Internet and affordable sushi. I was there, I played Sonic 2 on day one and put hours into it delighted by the music and colorful graphics. At this point, I don't think it's controversial to say that Sonic the Hedgehog has never been good. ![]()
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