Sonic Mania (August 15th 2017, Christian Whitehead, PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch) - The New Classic

[JosepHenry]

If ARZ is in the game, but not Hydrocity, I won't buy this game.

 

Kidding. Still, I'll rage.

[CleverSonicUsername]

8 minutes ago, Psychicmoose103 said:

Yeah, I'd rather have Hydrocity for water and for Sonic 2, I need Mystic Cave lol

For real, compromising either of those zones for Aquatic fucking Ruin would be awful.

[Pawn]

I'd be a little underwhelmed by the choice of Aquatic Ruin when there are more unique options (Oil Ocean anyone?) available from Sonic 2. I was going to say that we've already seen a version of the same zone in relatively recent games (Sonic 4: Episode 2), but I guess that's the case for all of Sonic 2 outside of Hill Top, Mystic Cave and Oil Ocean.

Which reminds me... I've been wondering about Chemical Plant and Casino Night. It would seem odd for one of them not to be included since they're so iconic, yet the case could be made that they've been revisited enough in the last few years. I'd like to see Casino Night at least return in the form of a bonus/special stage of some sort.

[CleverSonicUsername]

1 minute ago, Pawn said:

 I was going to say that we've already seen a version of the same zone in relatively recent games (Sonic 4: Episode 2), but I guess that's the case for all of Sonic 2 outside of Hill Top, Mystic Cave and Oil Ocean.

 

Oil Desert was basically Oil Ocean.

[HywelAtTheMoon]

Too soon as well. We had Sylvanian Castle in Sonic 4 Ep. 2 only 5 years ago. 

 

Has Taxman explicitly said we won't be seeing anything from the 8-bit games? I see a couple of nods to Green Hill and Bridge Zone. That new zone teaser looks a little like Sky High Zone 1 (with added gears). 

 

Crystal Egg would go quite well in here. Just saying... 

[Pawn]

8 minutes ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

Oil Desert was basically Oil Ocean.

Shit, I guess I ejected that from memory. Looking back at it; while there were similarities, I'd say there were enough differences (palette and desert trope being the most obvious contrasts) to set it apart. I mean I'd rather see Mystic Cave in Mania myself, but would be happy to see either or indeed both again.

[CleverSonicUsername]

1 minute ago, Pawn said:

Shit, I guess I ejected that from memory. Looking back at it; while there were similarities, I'd say there were enough differences (palette being the most obvious contrast) to set it apart. I mean I'd rather see Mystic Cave in Mania myself, but would be happy to see either or indeed both again.

See I'd actually say Oil Desert is more visually similar than Sylvania Castle was to Aquatic Ruin, or maybe even whatever that flying level was to Wing Fortress.

But yeah, give me Mystic Cave. It's the best level in Sonic 2 and it's woefully under-represented. It seems like every other Sonic 2 level has had a comeback or some sort outside of Mystic Cave, Emerald Hill, and Hill Top. Although those last two are certainly not needed in Mania.

[Psychicmoose103]

If they add the Zone in, this game will be Aquatic Ruined. Jokes aside, Mystic Cave and Oil Ocean would be interesting picks

[Tenko]

Mystic Cave is after Hill Top right? What if they remixed both together due to the Hill Top mountain erupting as seen during the events of Sonic 2? You could have Mystic Cave, but with caved in sections and lava flows coming in from the erupted Hill Top area which you could see through holes in the cave walls/ceiling, which would all kind of pay homage to Lava Reef at the same time too.

Tho if Green Hill Act 2 and Flying Battery are anything to go by, the remixes aren't quite that extreme even when Green Hill is said to be the tamest among them. 

[expansivelovestories]

1 hour ago, HywelAtTheMoon said:

Has Taxman explicitly said we won't be seeing anything from the 8-bit games? I see a couple of nods to Green Hill and Bridge Zone. That new zone teaser looks a little like Sky High Zone 1 (with added gears). 

Crystal Egg would go quite well in here. Just saying... 

Game Gear/SMS have simply not been mentioned which hopefully is a no news is good news situation!  I think that there is an awareness among the Mania team that Bridge is an all time classic that surely deserves to reach a wider audience at some point!  

This post from Tee is nonspecific, but it is still very encouraging!  

 

[Psychicmoose103]

So sonic official is streaming and he responded too two of my questions!

What do you think about flying battery - he likes it!

whos your favorite hard boiled heavy - heavy big the cat

he knew what I was going for on the second one haha. Heavy big the cat comfirmed!

[FriendBot]

@TimmiT just posted a link of a podcast where a guy saw Mania's special stages

and the only Special Stages the guy saw, were Sonic 2's.

And here comes the loud groans!

[CleverSonicUsername]

They've been pretty clear the only returning stages will be from Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic and Knuckles, and Sonic CD. They could do call backs and allusions within zones, but you probably shouldn't expect a Chaotix or Triple Trouble stage to show up.

Also I'll never get the love for bridge zone. One of those acts was an auto-scroller for chrissake, doesn't get more anti-Sonic than that.

edit: Remember that we also saw a sneak peek of the Sonic 3 special stage too, and we were told that's NOT Mania's special stage. Though if it is true and Sonic 2's half pipes are back, then that's another check in my "officially worried about Sonic Mania" column.

[Guest]

EDIT: Actually since this thing turned out to be nothing nevermind

 

[JezMM]

I feel his vagueness says a lot.  We KNOW they wouldn't just recreate the Sonic 2 pipe exactly, at least not for a main special stage (maybe a bonus stage, like how S&K lifted the rotating maze concept from Sonic 1?).

Like the fact that he wasn't clear cut suggests a level of interest in Sonic where he wouldn't appreciate subtle differences - like, if Mania's special stage was that of Sonic 3D Blast Saturn, or Sonic Rush, or Sonic Colours, hell maybe even Sonic Heroes/Generations, he'd use the same "You know Sonic 2... where Sonic's in the pipe?" description.

Nothing to freak out over yet.

[expansivelovestories]

15 minutes ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

They've been pretty clear the only returning stages will be from Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic and Knuckles, and Sonic CD. They could do call backs and allusions within zones, but you probably shouldn't expect a Chaotix or Triple Trouble stage to show up.

Also I'll never get the love for bridge zone. One of those acts was an auto-scroller for chrissake, doesn't get more anti-Sonic than that.

Yes!  I understand your perspective, gameplay wise Bridge zone really is more suited to an 8 bit system.  I will offer you a bit of insight at least as to why i love it and why other people may like it!

For many of us who were not able to play the game when it originally was released, and perhaps downloaded a rom without knowing that this zone existed beforehand, to go from Green Hill to this spacious mountain river paradise, complete with music that matched how mesmerizing it is, becomes a lasting memory!  The visual atmosphere for many people just feels somehow unmatched, they brought so much to life with as limited graphical, gameplay and sound resources as possible basically!  

 

[Your Vest Friend]

Thing is I don't think those who don't like the half-pipe would care if it was so vague that things like Rush, Heroes, Saturn 3D Blast etc could be described like that, they don't like them either for the most part. 

[expansivelovestories]

Regarding this special stage rumor, the most recent builds being shown at PAX east still did not have working special stage rings.  Where would this someone have played a different build?   

[CleverSonicUsername]

6 minutes ago, VEDJ-F said:

Thing is I don't think those who don't like the half-pipe would care if it was so vague that things like Rush, Heroes, Saturn 3D Blast etc could be described like that, they don't like them either for the most part. 

 

Personally, I really dislike all the half-pipe special stages, across the whole franchise. But to be fair, I could also count the number of special stages I actually like on one hand. Blue Spheres is my absolute favorite, though. To the point where I would play the hidden Blue Spheres mode for fun back in the day, and you couldn't get me that enthused about any other Sonic special stage.

Really, I hope the Mania team makes something completely original for the special stages. I want to see what they can do with that. Repackaging the Sonic 1-3+CD special stages as bonus stages with some modifications on how they play would be AOK with me. Or just shove them in as a bonus Special Stage mode played separate from the core game.

In fact, man, give me HD Blue Spheres, plz and thank u

Just now, expansivelovestories said:

Regarding this special stage rumor, the most recent builds being shown at PAX east still did not have working special stage rings.  Where would this someone have played a different build?   

Probably a behind-closed-doors preview. Nick from Polygon was shown a more current build of GHZ Act 2 at some point prior to PAX, since he mentioned the music was in fact different. I imagine they have three builds right now: the public preview build with Studiopolis Act 1 and Green Hill Act 1, a semi-public build to showcase Studiopolis Act 1, Green Hill Zone Act 1 and 2, and Mirage Saloon Act 2, and finally a media build that has Studiopolis with the mid-boss, updated Green Hill Act 2 music, and functional special stages.

[JezMM]

I think Bridge zone nostalgia really does mostly come down to the music, but that's true for a lot of zones.  It does kind of epitomise Sonic 1 8-bit as it's the second stage, everyone reached it, but it's the first that's different to

2 minutes ago, VEDJ-F said:

Thing is I don't think those who don't like the half-pipe would care if it was so vague that things like Rush, Heroes, Saturn 3D Blast etc could be described like that, they don't like them either for the most part. 

Well tbf if someone doesn't like the Sonic Colours special stages they don't deserve happiness so.

[Radiant Hero Ike]

Honestly if true all I can say is "at least it's not Sonic 1's special stage". Ech. Hated those ones.

[Jango]

Half pipe again, nooooooo D:

Why not one like CD's? Of all Special Stages... UNLESS. Each Special Stage/Chaos Emerald has a different mini-game...?! Like, the first one (usually the Blue Chaos Emerald), is Sonic 1's Special Stage, the second one is Sonic 2's Special Stage and so on.

[JezMM]

10 minutes ago, Jango said:

Half pipe again, nooooooo D:

Why not one like CD's? Of all Special Stages... UNLESS. Each Special Stage/Chaos Emerald has a different mini-game...?! Like, the first one (usually the Blue Chaos Emerald), is Sonic 1's Special Stage, the second one is Sonic 2's Special Stage and so on.

While it's a cute idea, it'd be hard to scale difficulty for special stages where the rules are different every time, unless they increased the number of mcguffins in some capacity (like how S3&K combined has 14 stages).  Which... would make sense for a game of the same size or bigger, especially if special stage rings are all over the place as they seem to be.  But I also don't want it to be a case where if you find a lot of special stage rings you end up spending more time in special stages than out of them.

[CleverSonicUsername]

Remember that they said there's a new item to collect too. It's possible the reimagined special stages are connected to that.

[Sonicfan7]

Please anything but Sonic 2's, Dear God please anything but Sonic 2's special stages.

I'd prefer something original, but I'd also love Sonic 1's or Blue Spheres.

What they could do is mix them all together.