- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Also on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
- Developers: Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, SEGA of America, PagodaWest Games, Tantalus Media (Switch Port)
- Number of Players:Â 1-2 local
Sonic has fallen on some hard times since the 90âs. While heâs 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. 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. Sega tried numerous times to get it right, even going as far as releasing a weird episodic âSonic the Hedgehog 4â that still didnât quite feel right. Now letâs (much like the gameâs fantastic animated Launch Trailer suggests) forget all of that and pretend that the last 20 years never happened – enter Sonic Mania.
Gameplay:
Sonic Mania is a love letter to Sonic at its best. No long voice acted cutscenes. No new annoying friends you have to deal with. No fishing minigames. Just Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles blasting through courses at breakneck speeds. 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. It doesnât really matter in the scheme of things, the key is to just keep running forward. The main progression of the game follows the same forward momentum as its progenitor games. As Sonic, Knuckles, or Tails (with Knucklesâ campaign being a slightly altered version of Sonicâs and each of them having their own abilities) youâll speed your way through 10+ Zones (some old, some new). Each Zone consists of 2 âActsâ and at the end of each Act, youâll fight a boss. Along the way youâll battle enemies and environmental hazards, as well as collect powerups that can help protect you, or give you some minor offensive powers.

Like most Sonic games, you donât have hit points or health meters, but you rely on rings that you collect as you blaze through the stages. Every time you get hit, your rings spill out forcing you to try to grab as many as you can before they disappear. If youâre hit and you arenât currently holding any rings – thatâs one less life you have to try to clear the zone. Thankfully getting from beginning to end in each zone is as much fun as it always was. Each Act in each Zone is big enough to allow multiple playthroughs and branching paths that ensure you likely wonât take the same path twice.
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. The corkscrews, springs, bumpers, and slides are just as good here as theyâve ever been and the game does a great job of keeping up with your pace. If youâd 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.
Things slow down a bit when it comes to boss battles, but thatâs not a bad thing. The little cool down allows you to enjoy the variety and creativity the team poured into most of the boss encounters. 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 youâll be doing. In addition to boss battles, the Special Stages and Bonus Stages both provide you a breather from the action. 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. While neither are particularly mind blowing, (I much preferred the âChase the UFOâ concept from the Special Stages) I think they were going more for âthrowbackâ than just straight fun. I wonât 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.

Controls:
Sonic and company control just as tightly as youâd expect and I had no problem handling the controls even at top speeds. 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. The basic control mechanics are the same as theyâve always been. It’s extremely easy to quickly âspin-dashâ then roll into your âspin attackâ hit the spring, jump, âspin attackâ again and keep rolling downhill without ever losing a second of momentum. Playing as Tails and Knuckles feels just as good, if just a bit different with Knuckles moving a bit slower, complimented by his climbing and gliding and Tails being able to fly for a short amount of time. Overall the controls should come as no surprise to anyone who had the muscle movements ingrained into their hands as a kid on a Genesis and if not, youâll pick it up extremely quickly.

Graphics:
To put it simply – this game is just beautiful. The sprites look just as good in 2017 as they did in the 90âs and itâs great to see Sonic and friends back in this style. The graphics and levels start out simple enough, but by the time you reach âStudiopolis Zoneâ youâll think youâve hit the peak. Then when you make it to Act 2 of âPress Garden Zoneâ the realization sinks in – the beauty of the sprite work just never quits. The super detailed backgrounds and wonderful little flourishes of detail are very impressive for a game a lot of people are going to speed through. There was a lot of love and affection that went into crafting this game and it shows. I wonât go too much more into detail as finding these cool little touches is part of the fun, however try sliding down an oil slide with a Fire Shield on and youâll see what I mean.

Music/Sound: Sonic Maniaâs music really nails the feel of a 90âs Sonic game in 2017. The fun and vibrant chiptunes do a great job of fitting the aesthetic of each of the Zones in the game. Youâll recognize several familiar songs, several remixed songs, and several all new songs and they all feel very at home and cohesive. The sound effects retain that nostalgic charm and everything here sounds great. From grabbing a ring, to hitting a spring, to that panic inducing drowning music that gave everyone nightmares when they were young, it still shines through brilliantly and is as classic as ever.
Summary:
Sonic Mania is a true return to form for a series that desperately needed it. Itâs unfortunate that Sonic Forces is breathing down its neck, ready to undo all the good favor Mania brought back to the franchise. Sonic Mania isnât the perfect game. The sphere collecting Bonus Stages arenât much fun, some of the returning Zones are pretty uninspired (seriously who wanted to run through Flying Battery Zone again?), and the game had some performance issues when trying to switch to sleep mode on my Switch. Regardless, this game should be known as the quintessential Sonic game moving forward. While itâs unlikely to convince anyone that has never liked any games in the series, it’s a huge step forward in the right direction and fans and newcomers alike can bask in the Mania.
Pros: Blisteringly fast and tight gameplay. Beautiful sprite work, level design, and very creative boss battles. Return to form for the series, feature packed, and filled with cool little unlockables and secrets.
Cons: Some of the returning levels arenât the most fun. The Bonus Stages are a pain and take a long time to really master. The small performance issues donât affect gameplay but are annoying nonetheless.