* What is it? *

2D platform game, an official but fan-made sequel to Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog games of 1991-95. You use momentum, reactions and precision to control a vividly coloured anthropomorphic animal around a world full of robots, traps, hidden rewards and opportunities for massive bursts of speed.


* Will I be interested? *

If you like any 2D action games, trying Sonic Mania is pretty much essential. I'd also suggest it to those who enjoy movement-intensive 3D games like Unreal Tournament or Rocket League, as the satisfaction comes from mastering a versatile physics system. It's suitable for all ages, but younger players may have some frustration.

If you don't like fast games, this one probably isn't for you. I heartily recommend tea-drinking and Backgammon.

A new player should run through the story in about two hours. Considerable replay value is added by three five playable characters with unique abilities that allow you to play the game differently, local multiplayer modes including 4-player racing, lots of unlockable features and the sheer number of routes you can take through the levels. If you're familiar with Sonic games, Mania is a bit longer than 3 & Knuckles, and there's more to do. It'll take closer to 20 hours to win all the unlockables and explore every route, and if that's still not enough then the Encore expansion adds further replayability.


* How does it compare to the old Sonic games? *

Mania really does feel like a true sequel. The game's presented in a slightly pixellated 1990s style, but feels modern due to the widescreen resolution options, rich music and high framerate - plus the sheer amount of detail.

The physics are an exact emulation of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Mania retains that game's combination of vast multi-tiered levels, precise platforming tests, lots of high-speed sections for adrenaline junkies, and concealed routes or items for explorers. Tails and Knuckles have their full abilities from that game, Sonic also has options of the Sonic CD peelout dash or the new addition of an instant spin-dash after landing from a jump.

The levels are absolutely crammed with references to the original series. Even Knuckles' Chaotix gets a look in. Some levels you flat-out revisit - eg. Green Hill and Oil Ocean - but they have new layouts, and incorporate mechanisms from other parts of the series (for example, Flying Battery has Wing Fortress' badnik emplacements and fan platforms, Death Egg's antigravity, Sandopolis' sinking pools and Wacky Workbench's electrified cables). There's more that's reprised than pioneered in Sonic Mania, but it's so mixed together and smartly developed that it feels fresh.


* What's not so good? *

If you know the old games inside out - or have dismissed them out of hand as child's play - it may be a surprise to come to Sonic Mania and find just how challenging it is. Finishing is fairly easy, but finishing well requires very careful play - continual rushing doesn't work unless you really know what you're doing. That's fine, but some of the difficulty comes from obtuse design decisions. A few stages are so enormous that they're tough to finish in the 10-minute time limit, many areas can't be returned to for exploration if you breeze through too quickly, some traps feel excessively evil, and... the bosses. Let's talk about those.

Mania's bosses are definitely a mixed bag. Some are fun and inventive, but many are too lengthy for a game with a ticking clock - they rarely allow you to deliver more than two hits between their long attack cycles, no matter how good you are. It's often unclear how to fight them without hurting yourself (hell, 60 hours in, I'm still confused by the missile-jumping physics in Studiopolis Act 1's boss). And most irritatingly, it can be unclear when you can even hit them - some bosses have periods in which they're on-screen but can't be touched. This lowers the sense of immersion in the game's physics, so is arguably Mania's biggest gameplay problem.

So nothing seriously gamebreaking there, but some rough edges that would probably have been smoothed with Sega's intense 1990s playtesting.


* Personal gripes? *

The only thing that's really missing from the Sonic experience for me is the tone. Mania is presented as something that shouldn't be taken seriously, whether you're looking at the happy party-style boxart, Sonic and Knuckles' unusually bright in-game palettes, the cheerful expressions, the use of Dr. Robotnik's even goofier Eastern name Eggman, the irreverent cutscenes, or the (admittedly great) soundtrack inspired by the Japanese version of Sonic CD that gives the game an upbeat disco feel.

This all misses the attitude that Sonic had in the early '90s - he was introduced to the world with a smirk, finger wag and nonchalant pose against a muted cover. The music was evocative first and funky second, the art design and stories majored on industry vs nature. Sonic 2's Western cover has Robotnik looking almost satanic, Sonic & Knuckles's is the essence of cool. The comics introduced doom-laden narratives and a character who was equal parts superhero and narcissist (Nigel Kitching cited The Fonz as a key character influence and Terminator for storylines).

Sega has gradually been making Sonic a more typical children's animé property over the years, and while Mania thankfully spares us from Sonic's 1998+ redesign, the more universally appealing cool-factor of the Megadrive/Genesis era isn't quite fully realised here.

When you're getting into that level of nitpicking though, you know you're looking at a great game.


* Conclusion *

While Sonic Mania is a throwback to an increasingly distant time, don't let that fool you, this is the sort of game that's inherently fun, and easy to pick up. The original games haven't *really* aged much, because 21st century technology isn't needed to make a 2D platformer, and the world's best game companies were focusing on them back then. So being a proper sequel, Mania feels fantastic.

Is it as fun to play as Sonic 1-3K? I'm not sure. The level design certainly aids replayability a lot more, with multiple routes pretty much everywhere (whereas even Sonic & Knuckles confines you to a singular path more often than you might realise). But Mania's areas are so long and complex that some of the later, harder levels wear out their welcome. Sonic 3 may be a lot simpler, but there's maybe more joy in that. Mania is in the same league though, and far more enjoyable than series side-projects Sonic CD and Chaotix. Best special stages in the series too.

There are also some issues in the Sonic games' original design that maybe need addressing. The elaborate levels make you want to explore, but the gameplay dynamic doesn't incentivise this - one mistake loses you everything you've found, and most of the pickups don't have a lasting effect. It might seem sacrilegious to tinker with a dynamic that's sold millions of games since 1991, but another sequel could be improved by lowering the punishment for exploration, or amping the rewards.

Ultimately though, Mania is a tremendous 2D action game, and something I'd been unknowingly wanting for 23 years.

[i][b]* What is it? *[/b][/i] 2D platform game, an official but fan-made sequel to Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog games of 1991-95. You use momentum, reactions and precision to control a vividly coloured anthropomorphic animal around a world full of robots, traps, hidden rewards and opportunities for massive bursts of speed. [i][b]* Will I be interested? *[/b][/i] If you like any 2D action games, trying Sonic Mania is pretty much essential. I'd also suggest it to those who enjoy movement-intensive 3D games like Unreal Tournament or Rocket League, as the satisfaction comes from mastering a versatile physics system. It's suitable for all ages, but younger players may have some frustration. If you don't like fast games, this one probably isn't for you. I heartily recommend tea-drinking and Backgammon. A new player should run through the story in about two hours. Considerable replay value is added by [strike]three[/strike] five playable characters with unique abilities that allow you to play the game differently, local multiplayer modes including 4-player racing, lots of unlockable features and the sheer number of routes you can take through the levels. If you're familiar with Sonic games, Mania is a bit longer than 3 & Knuckles, and there's more to do. It'll take closer to 20 hours to win all the unlockables and explore every route, and if that's still not enough then the Encore expansion adds further replayability. [i][b]* How does it compare to the old Sonic games? *[/b][/i] Mania really does feel like a true sequel. The game's presented in a slightly pixellated 1990s style, but feels modern due to the widescreen resolution options, rich music and high framerate - plus the sheer amount of detail. The physics are an exact emulation of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Mania retains that game's combination of vast multi-tiered levels, precise platforming tests, lots of high-speed sections for adrenaline junkies, and concealed routes or items for explorers. Tails and Knuckles have their full abilities from that game, Sonic also has options of the Sonic CD peelout dash or the new addition of an instant spin-dash after landing from a jump. The levels are absolutely crammed with references to the original series. Even Knuckles' Chaotix gets a look in. Some levels you flat-out revisit - eg. Green Hill and Oil Ocean - but they have new layouts, and incorporate mechanisms from other parts of the series (for example, Flying Battery has Wing Fortress' badnik emplacements and fan platforms, Death Egg's antigravity, Sandopolis' sinking pools and Wacky Workbench's electrified cables). There's more that's reprised than pioneered in Sonic Mania, but it's so mixed together and smartly developed that it feels fresh. [i][b]* What's not so good? *[/b][/i] If you know the old games inside out - or have dismissed them out of hand as child's play - it may be a surprise to come to Sonic Mania and find just how challenging it is. Finishing is fairly easy, but finishing [i]well[/i] requires very careful play - continual rushing doesn't work unless you really know what you're doing. That's fine, but some of the difficulty comes from obtuse design decisions. A few stages are so enormous that they're tough to finish in the 10-minute time limit, many areas can't be returned to for exploration if you breeze through too quickly, some traps feel excessively evil, and... the bosses. Let's talk about those. Mania's bosses are definitely a mixed bag. Some are fun and inventive, but many are too lengthy for a game with a ticking clock - they rarely allow you to deliver more than two hits between their long attack cycles, no matter how good you are. It's often unclear how to fight them without hurting yourself (hell, 60 hours in, I'm still confused by the missile-jumping physics in Studiopolis Act 1's boss). And most irritatingly, it can be unclear when you can even [i]hit[/i] them - some bosses have periods in which they're on-screen but can't be touched. This lowers the sense of immersion in the game's physics, so is arguably Mania's biggest gameplay problem. So nothing seriously gamebreaking there, but some rough edges that would probably have been smoothed with Sega's intense 1990s playtesting. [i][b]* Personal gripes? *[/b][/i] The only thing that's really missing from the Sonic experience for me is the tone. Mania is presented as something that shouldn't be taken seriously, whether you're looking at the happy party-style boxart, Sonic and Knuckles' unusually bright in-game palettes, the cheerful expressions, the use of Dr. Robotnik's even goofier Eastern name Eggman, the irreverent cutscenes, or the (admittedly great) soundtrack inspired by the Japanese version of Sonic CD that gives the game an upbeat disco feel. This all misses the [i]attitude[/i] that Sonic had in the early '90s - he was introduced to the world with a smirk, finger wag and nonchalant pose against a muted cover. The music was evocative first and funky second, the art design and stories majored on industry vs nature. Sonic 2's Western cover has Robotnik looking almost satanic, Sonic & Knuckles's is the essence of cool. The comics introduced doom-laden narratives and a character who was equal parts superhero and narcissist (Nigel Kitching cited The Fonz as a key character influence and Terminator for storylines). Sega has gradually been making Sonic a more typical children's animé property over the years, and while Mania thankfully spares us from Sonic's 1998+ redesign, the more universally appealing cool-factor of the Megadrive/Genesis era isn't quite fully realised here. When you're getting into that level of nitpicking though, you know you're looking at a great game. [i][b]* Conclusion *[/b][/i] While Sonic Mania is a throwback to an increasingly distant time, don't let that fool you, this is the sort of game that's inherently fun, and easy to pick up. The original games haven't *really* aged much, because 21st century technology isn't needed to make a 2D platformer, and the world's best game companies were focusing on them back then. So being a proper sequel, Mania feels fantastic. Is it [i]as[/i] fun to play as Sonic 1-3K? I'm not sure. The level design certainly aids replayability a lot more, with multiple routes pretty much everywhere (whereas even Sonic & Knuckles confines you to a singular path more often than you might realise). But Mania's areas are so long and complex that some of the later, harder levels wear out their welcome. Sonic 3 may be a lot simpler, but there's maybe more joy in that. Mania is in the same league though, and far more enjoyable than series side-projects Sonic CD and Chaotix. Best special stages in the series too. There are also some issues in the Sonic games' original design that maybe need addressing. The elaborate levels make you want to explore, but the gameplay dynamic doesn't incentivise this - one mistake loses you everything you've found, and most of the pickups don't have a lasting effect. It might seem sacrilegious to tinker with a dynamic that's sold millions of games since 1991, but another sequel could be improved by lowering the punishment for exploration, or amping the rewards. Ultimately though, Mania is a tremendous 2D action game, and something I'd been unknowingly wanting for 23 years.