As retro style 2-D platformers have become more and more popular in recent years with popular titles such as Shovel Knight and Mutant Mudds; a call back to the classic days of Sonic the Hedgehog grew ever more likely and sought after. Upon seeing both classic and new level designs in the Sonic Mania trailer last year, as well as the fact that the cast of playable characters consisted of just Sonic, Knuckles and Tails, the hype became real.
The first game I ever owned was Sonic The Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Megadrive. I was about 6 years old at the time and was obsessed with it, as well as the possibly even better Sonic The Hedgehog 3. I was lucky enough to get a Sega Dreamcast a few years later with Sonic Adventure, but honestly my memories of that game are just vague nostalgia as my system broke very quickly. Either way, Sonic really didn’t improve after that (at least in my opinion) and it seemed like the blue blur had slowed down for good.
Sonic Mania launched in North America and Europe on August 15, 2017, and it didn’t disappoint. The first half of Green Hill zone played just like I remembered with the controls as responsive as ever, until the zone took a different turn which felt both fresh and true to the formula. This is mostly how the whole game plays out; returning zones such as Chemical Plant Zone and Flying Battery Zone play on the heartstrings of nostalgia, whereas new zones such as Press Garden Zone feel as if they were ripped straight from a Megadrive title. Not that there aren’t some surprises along the way; the game is packed full of easter eggs and the bosses are truly unique, with some posing a real challenge. In some of the later levels, really interesting mechanics are introduced. I won’t spoil any of them for you here.
Sonic now has a new move: the ‘Drop Dash’. Similar to the ‘Spin Dash’ from previous Sonic games (where you charge spin in a ball and then release), the ‘Drop Dash’ allows you to do a similar move but without the need for additional charging. Knuckles and Tails play as you remember, with many zones adapted specifically for each character, enabling some decent replay value to the game. I did miss the way playing as Knuckles when you ‘weren’t supposed to’ (through attaching one of the first 3 Sonic cartridges atop of the Sonic & Knuckles one) made you feel like you were breaking the game, but the modifying of the stages is definitely a plus.
The brand new special stages in Sonic Mania are a welcome addition. You chase a chaos emerald in a 2.5-D polygonal environment collecting rings for time and orbs for speed, all the while avoiding obstacles of course. I’d honestly play it if this all the game was. Bonus stages also make a return from Sonic The Hedgehog 3 where you walk around changing blue balls into red balls by standing on them, until they turn into rings. I found myself playing through these stages too often with the amount of checkpoints you come across, and would’ve appreciated if they also incorporated Bonus Stages from other Sonic games as well. The save feature from Sonic The Hedgehog 3 also makes a comeback, allowing you to scroll through completed levels but not completed acts, so you can make progress and take a break but can’t cheese the game too easily.
Sonic Mania is a must have for any gamer who grew up loving Sonic’s glory years on the Megadrive. It is hard to speculate on its appeal to an audience new to this style of Sonic, but I think it’d be hard for anyone to deny its place as a solid entry in the 2-D platforming genre. The visuals are crisp, the gameplay is tight, and the soundtrack will have you wanting to listen to it when you’re running yourself. Some gamers may find the game to be a bit short, but I believe this is done on purpose to be a true sequel to the 4 Megadrive games that came 23 years before. If you own a Switch, PS4, Xbox One or PC, do yourself a favour and pick up Sonic Mania.
