![]() ![]() It’s extremely easy to quickly ‘spin-dash’ then roll into your ‘spin attack’ hit the spring, jump, ‘spin attack’ again and keep rolling downhill without ever losing a second of momentum. The basic control mechanics are the same as they’ve always been. I would recommending using the D-pad on whatever system you choose to play this on as it just feels right, although the option of analog stick is still available. Sonic and company control just as tightly as you’d expect and I had no problem handling the controls even at top speeds. I won’t go too far into the extra modes as some are unlockable and secret, but I will say that on top of Time Trails and Vs., there is a good amount of content included to keep you running full steam ahead, even outside of the main Story mode. While neither are particularly mind blowing, (I much preferred the “Chase the UFO” concept from the Special Stages) I think they were going more for “throwback” than just straight fun. The Bonus Stages borrow heavily from Sonic the Hedgehog 3/Knuckles while the Special Stages lean more into Sonic the Hedgehog CD and give you a shot a earning a Chaos Emerald. In addition to boss battles, the Special Stages and Bonus Stages both provide you a breather from the action. A few fall a bit flat, a few seem a bit familiar, but for the most part they provide an exciting way to break up all the running you’ll be doing. The little cool down allows you to enjoy the variety and creativity the team poured into most of the boss encounters. Things slow down a bit when it comes to boss battles, but that’s not a bad thing. If you’d rather slow it down and explore to try to find all the secret Giant Rings, the game has enough depth and nuance to the momentum and physics that it feels like you can control the rollercoaster, rather than just buckling up for the ride. ![]() The corkscrews, springs, bumpers, and slides are just as good here as they’ve ever been and the game does a great job of keeping up with your pace. Moving through the Acts at a blazingly fast speed and gathering your momentum as you skyrocket up ramps and through loop-de-loops feels fantastic and the sense of speed is extremely satisfying. ![]() Each Act in each Zone is big enough to allow multiple playthroughs and branching paths that ensure you likely won’t take the same path twice. Thankfully getting from beginning to end in each zone is as much fun as it always was. If you’re hit and you aren’t currently holding any rings – that’s one less life you have to try to clear the zone. Every time you get hit, your rings spill out forcing you to try to grab as many as you can before they disappear. Like most Sonic games, you don’t have hit points or health meters, but you rely on rings that you collect as you blaze through the stages. Along the way you’ll battle enemies and environmental hazards, as well as collect powerups that can help protect you, or give you some minor offensive powers. ![]() Each Zone consists of 2 ‘Acts’ and at the end of each Act, you’ll fight a boss. As Sonic, Knuckles, or Tails (with Knuckles’ campaign being a slightly altered version of Sonic’s and each of them having their own abilities) you’ll speed your way through 10+ Zones (some old, some new). The main progression of the game follows the same forward momentum as its progenitor games. It doesn’t really matter in the scheme of things, the key is to just keep running forward. There is a story of sorts here, but it’s mainly told through little in game snippets with the sprites of the characters acting out the plot. Just Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles blasting through courses at breakneck speeds. No new annoying friends you have to deal with. Sonic Mania is a love letter to Sonic at its best. Now let’s (much like the game’s fantastic animated Launch Trailer suggests) forget all of that and pretend that the last 20 years never happened – enter Sonic Mania. Sega tried numerous times to get it right, even going as far as releasing a weird episodic “Sonic the Hedgehog 4” that still didn’t quite feel right. His transition into 3-D was never as smooth as some other long-running franchises and it was never quite clear what direction to take the series. While he’s starred in a number of games since his heyday, none of them have really captured the essence of what truly made him such a popular icon in the first place. Sonic has fallen on some hard times since the 90’s.
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