The other zone remakes are even more adventurous. But that's nothing compared to the zone's second stage, which sees design studio PagodaWest open up the tried-and-true level with a simple zip-line system. But eagle-eyed players will notice a few intriguing differences in this first level, in terms of brand-new running paths and other tucked-away secrets. You may expect the worst after diving into Mania's first level: a nearly identical version of Sonic 1's Green Hill Zone (which, ugh, Sega has already remade about 40 times at this point). Mania employs an interesting design tactic of remaking older games' zones-a lot of them, in fact, with eight classic zones represented from five games ( Sonic 1-3, Sonic & Knuckles, and Sonic CD).

What the game lacks in sensible plot, it makes up for with ridiculous amounts of fan service. But this week's Mania combines the familiar and the new to declare that maybe, just maybe, only Sonic can do it best. Many games have tried to recapture Sonic's magic over the years (including Sega itself, with 2002's Sonic Advance 2 worth a shout-out). And this game has no interest in holding your hand, so don't expect a relaxing reintroduction to the blue bomber.īut having a good Sonic game again means having a platformer that emphasizes the word 'speed' and all it implies-including level density, tucked-away secrets, pitch-perfect controls, and satisfying run-and-jump pathing. A few peculiar design decisions (and, at launch, bugs) can hinder the fun you'll have in your first playthrough. With that hindsight in mind, it's tempting to overlook some of Sonic Mania's shortcomings. This is a lean game, weighing in at around 3-4 hours for a first playthrough-which, to be fair, is comparable to how much you'll find in a Genesis or Mega Drive Sega game. Sonic Mania has finally made what various arms of Sega, including the official Sonic Team staff, haven't pulled off for decades: a great old-school Sonic game. That's a monumental thing in and of itself, considering how long Sonic has struggled as a series-and how many times his major contemporary rival Mario has lapped him, in both modern and retro flavors. Platform: PlayStation 4 (reviewed), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC Game details Developer: Christian Whitehead / Headcannon / PagodaWest Games

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