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This might be a controversial opinion, but I'm not the biggest fan of Sonic games, as Sega wasn't the console I grew up with. Funny enough, one of the few ways to salvage the series was by more or less letting die-hard fans take over for Sega, as they clearly didn't know what they were doing. Sonic Mania (SM) revives the classic style and gameplay that made Sonic a household name, with modern graphics and flourishes. Now that Sega is out of the console wars, maybe it can give the blue blur the attention he deserves, ensuring his games always shine instead of dragging his beaten corpse through the mud.


It feels a bit odd to explain Sonic in this day and age, like I'm some kind of retro game reviewer. At its core though, SM is a platformer with an emphasis on speed and exploring larger stages with a handful of paths available. If you can find giant rings and beat the bonus stages, you'll obtain the seven chaos emeralds. Doing so enables the player to activate super mode for the character, where you're essentially invulnerable as long as you don't run out of rings, which slowly deplete while you're in that state. When not in that mode, you collect rings as a buffer against death. Being hit will make them scatter, but as long as you hold onto even just one ring, you'll never die from an enemy attack. Only the most deadly of forces will instantly kill you, such as being crushed or bottomless pits.

Going into one of my main complaints about Sonic games, they can only be played fast if you have the stage layouts memorized. The hazards can't be reacted to in time otherwise, so those maddening speeds don't really amount to anything. If stages didn't have so many branching paths and possibilities this would be easier, but it contributes to the need for careful, slow platforming. I shouldn't have to be invincible to play the game as theoretically intended. Mario doesn't need infinite super stars to be played quickly, because you have enough time to react.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3132529276
It's hard to explain, but something that bothered me about the controls was the sense of momentum while jumping. From how I remember the original series handling, especially in Chemical Plant Zone, I believe SM is very similar, because jumping through the liquid and landing on the moving platforms was nostalgic for me. Considering how I think it poorly handles that's not really a compliment, but it's a nuanced matter that partially explains my own beef with Sonic games. I actually kept dying against the boss of Studiopolis Act 1 because I couldn't get used to the auto-scrolling, my own sense of place, and where I'd go if I jumped forward. Thankfully I managed to get past it eventually.


The maniacal, robot-building Dr. Robotnik is searching for the chaos emeralds, in order to harness their immense power for his most destructive machinery. For no reason in particular, he captures wild animals and places them inside his basic robot minions, which really raises the ire of furries like Sonic. I suppose he's got to earn his evil street cred somehow, so why not bully defenseless animals. With a general goal of taking over the world, only Sonic and his plethora of friends can stop this mad scientist from conquering Mobius. Thankfully there aren't cutscenes were terrible voice acting to drag it down.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3132529716
SM is a great looking game. The visuals are so smooth and crisp, it makes an old school gamer like me drool. For those of us who were used to 2D being the only choice, this is probably what we thought peak gaming would look like, before the 3rd dimension opened an entire new world. Regardless, titles with such great visuals can help open the eyes to COD die-hards that 2D games can still be impressive looking. Since I enjoy a color palette beyond brown, black, and camo green, I'd argue it looks better, depending on your criteria.


Something Sega always nailed with the classic Sonic series was its soundtracks. I suppose that's why some of the songs weren't made from scratch, but instead modernized. No longer limited to the sound range of the 90's consoles, they could build songs with greater instrument fidelity and quality. The OST does include new music too, but this is similar to how the graphics are a highly refined version of the source material. Shinier and smoother than ever. Maybe its just the nerd in me, but I could totally boogie down to these songs and not feel ashamed, “You don't think this rocks? Fight me.”

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3132528996
🌟 With other characters to try out, and DLC that puts a twist on the playthrough, there's even more reason to enjoy this game. Not bad for a full asking price of $20.
🌟 The second act of each area amps up the theme, which I'd say is good game design. Create an idea, and then expand on it.
🌟 This is what Sonic games could and should have been for years now.


❌ I'd say this game leans too hard into nostalgia and retreading familiar territory. At this point, we don't need a Verdant Hills Zone, “A good Sonic game? Haven't seen that in a while. New locations for the levels? Even longer.”
❌ You have to finish both acts of a zone in order to save the game and retain your progress.
❌ The momentum and way Sonic handles could be improved.


🔍 Quite a few of the bosses are somewhat gimmicky, as you don't merely bop them when they're in range. For instance, against the giant spider, you need to launch yourself from a spinning log to bump it into spikes.
🔍 It feels like a contradiction since you're Sonic, known for his speed, but slow and steady wins the race.
🔍 Like many games from the 90's era, memorization is your friend.


I went out of my way to mention that I'm not the biggest Sonic fan, but the people who worked on this game obviously were, which made a huge difference on the end result. When someone is passionate about a project, and it's given enough time to be made properly, instead of rushed to production while still a broken mess, you wind up with an end result that's worthwhile. Imagine that Sega. Despite my wish for new content, the unique zones of SM seemed the most clumsy to me. The ideas were good, they just stumbled through the execution, most of which had to do with the controls. Some of the new enemies were annoying too. It's not a game I'll play excessively, but SM was fun and generally well-made, so I'd still recommend it.