It's been a few months. Let's delve into Sonic Mania. There has been a very strong reception for the game and it has been looked at highly. After all the hype, is this a game you should be getting? That answer is yes. It is a great game. Maybe a few flaws, but a very strong game. Keep in mind this is the brainchild of Christian Whitehead along with Headcannon and PagodaWest games. Whitehead is known for his ports of Sonic CD and the first two Genesis games of the series, where the engines are done from the ground up with newer features compared to their original releases and ports. I played the PlayStation 4 version for this review.
There isn't much to Mania's story, but it's pretty simple. Stop Dr. Eggman. He has a group of bad guys this time trying to take a gemstone that is very powerful. In the process, it takes Eggman's group, along with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles to the Green Hill Zone. The trio must get the gemstone, known as the Phantom Ruby, and keep Eggman from using it to conquer the world. It's a 90s type idea.
Three systems come to mind when looking at Sonic Mania. They are the Sega CD, 32x, and Saturn. Regarding the main levels, they use a vast array of colors, similar to the 32x. Those who have played Knuckles Chaotix will understand this. The backgrounds, areas, and characters go beyond being a 16-bit game visually. Animations are a lot smoother due to the system's power. It's that great. Special Stages go for a combination of Sega CD scrolling with the characters looking like they came from the Saturn. It's a little dated, but there is a charm to it. Even the intro if you don't press buttons at the title screen screams a nostalgia overload. Whitehead knew what he wanted and succeeded.
The audio doesn't exactly play straight music. Most of the music from the other games have a bit of a remix to it and go with the tone of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic and Knuckles with each act of a zone having a different tone. Even the original zones go that way as well. It's cleaner, and a bit more lively. Sound effects are what you expect out of the series. You can't be 16-bit unless you got vintage type sounds. I'm not huge on this aspect, but not against it either.
Getting into the gameplay, Sonic Mania is a continuation into the formula of the 16-bit games along with Sonic CD. You go left to right and vice versa, trying to stop Dr. Eggman and his cronies. To describe it, you are playing Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles. You will feel right at home with the mechanics to it along with the controls. It's been a long time since there was a platformer in the series that allowed multiple characters in the main meat of the game. Much like 3 and Knuckles, each character has the same abilities. Sonic can use shields to his advantage. Tails can fly. Knuckles can glide and knock certain objects out. You get a lot more bang for your buck in replayability compared to most, if not, all Mario platformers. Saving is similar as well with save files keeping track of progress and lives along with scores if the game hasn't been completed yet.
There are 12 zones in the game. Eight of them are from the Genesis games and Sonic CD. The four that are new show inspiration from stuff in the older games and prototypes that cut out zones. Each one has two acts, each one having a boss fight. Take them out and the act will play out and end like 3 and Knuckles. All the monitors from the trilogy are here. From your basic shield to the Eggman ones, no stone is left untouched. New is a blue ring monitor that holds onto your rings. You get hit without a shield, big rings will come out and you can get all your rings back. Speaking of which, enemies from their respective games are brought back. The new zone enemies add a bit to how they can be dealt with.
Two distinct special stages are in Mania. One is the big rings. That is the Sonic CD type special stage. You are on a timer via depleting rings as you chase a UFO carrying a Chaos Emerald. The character is slow, but picking up blue balls will fill up a meter to make you faster. It's sort of complicated, but you will get the hang of it. The second kind of stage is the Blue Sphere type which can be accessed via a lamppost. There is the ones from 3 and Knuckles as well as original ones. Completing them will earn you medals but whether you get the rings will determine your medal.
With the level designs here, Mania feels like what made the Genesis games great. There is that sense of exploring the zones, but at the same time, offering a sense of speed that will have the characters going very fast. The levels from the Genesis and CD are remixed, so those familiar with them will have to figure out these versions. One part might look the same, but some elements may have changed. For the original levels, they look as if they could have been in the originals from the early 90s. Just overall, Whitehead and company got this passion project and gave it a labor of love.
Other modes include a time attack mode like CD. Each character has their own statistics. It can be restarted at any time if you mess up. I haven't had a chance to try competition, but it has that Sonic 2 type of competition. There is a few features that can be unlocked, along with a lot of callbacks that will surprise you a few times.
That being said, Mania is not without its issues. One of my complaints is the Special Stages for the emeralds. I think I've struggled more in these than I've had with any of the Genesis ones. The very first Sonic game was difficult, but it wasn't impossible. It's hard to get a good momentum on the UFOs and catch up to them at times. My only other ones are some cheap boss fights and some over relying on the older zones, though the latter is just a very small nitpick.
You will get some good hours on this game, and it has a high replay value due to how Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles play. Definitely get Sonic Mania. It's worth what it is being asked digitally. With Whitehead's knowledge of 2D games, this guy should be approached by other companies to do other series that have loved entries in 2D. Get it on whatever system you have it on (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) A heck of a way to celebrate 25-26 years of a franchise.
Score: 8 out of 10
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