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

[StaticMania]

The special stages aren't that frustrating...Sonic 2 and Advance 1's are only that because of perspective fail. Sonic Heroes and Lost World's are because control fail.

 

Every other special stage in the series is perfectly fine, intense.

[Lord-Dreamerz]

9 hours ago, Jango said:

Let's be honest. How many of you really like the Special Stages? Does anyone here love to stop the flow of the game to play a minigame incredibly frustrating that don't even require you to use the abilities you have in the game?

What do you think?

TL;DR: hide the Chaos Emerald in the stages instead of forcing you to play a minigame.

I don't agree with you on this WHATSOEVER. I love minigames even if they are a bit hard and challenging. I think modern gamers are to obsessed with this whole everything ruins the flow of the game nonsense. Hell dare I say that I wish Sonic games had MORE optional minigames? Because I do. You don't need super Sonic or whatever the emeralds will give... it's just a bonus as it always should stay as. And I'm not interested in the gamegear's egg-hunt way of finding the emeralds and I never have been, it's not interesting or special to me.

However I'm not against the idea of the Special Stages teleporting you to another level that is still the normal 2D gameplay but with a twist! If you played some fan games you should know what I mean.

[molul]

IMO, collectibles should be earned through any kind of minigame. It can be a special stage or a certain skill section in a stage, like in SNES' DKC for instance.

I wouldn't like to hide the emeralds in the stage. However, I'd like red rings to be hidden in the stage, and I'd love them to unlock something when you get them all (an optional extra zone would be neat).

[Milo]

3 hours ago, molul said:

IMO, collectibles should be earned through any kind of minigame. It can be a special stage or a certain skill section in a stage, like in SNES' DKC for instance.

I wouldn't like to hide the emeralds in the stage. However, I'd like red rings to be hidden in the stage, and I'd love them to unlock something when you get them all (an optional extra zone would be neat).

I would like collectables, but I wouldn't want (to use) red rings in particular. In my opinion, their design sticks out like a sore thumb with the Genesis aesthetic--they feel less like a natural extension of Sonic's Genesis-era world and something more like a metagame advertisement. They really stuck out like a sore thumb in Sonic 4: Episode II in particular, though the way they were handled in that game was pretty crappy overall (they were just placed in plain sight within levels, and had no purpose aside from achievements).

If we're going to have collectables, I'd prefer them to be based on existing objects; preferably with suspiciously conspicuous changes and/or more subtle differences. Rings that are of a silver or bronze color as opposed to the standard gold color, rotate vertically instead of horizontally; and/or have an echo sound effect when they are collected. Monitors that appear to be "offline" (i.e. the display is a solid black, rather than the contained object / TV static), have explosions emitted from the side rather than the top when destroyed, and/or have to be hit twice before they are destroyed, accompanied with visual changes (after the first hit, the screen is cracked and the monitors emit smoke). Animal capsules that have a shiny chrome look rather than the standard gray, have decorations that match the zone (i.e. covered with vines and flowers if the zone is in a jungle), and/or release animals in various ways (chutes open from the side that birds fly out of). Stuff like that would be great to see.

That's not to say new objects are unwelcome, but if they are, I'd want them to at least look like they would fit alongside other objects from the classic games (while more of a general object/powerup than a collectable, I think the skateboard from Generations would work as one example).

[therealfalconpawnch77]

On 8/28/2016 at 4:29 PM, JingleBoy said:

Yeah, I loved Knuckles' ledge animation in the classics so I wonder what that'll look like with more detail and frames of animation.

I hope they go the Chaotix Route with it and have him to a flip when he reaches the top. So much more impressive than 3's animation.

[molul]

18 hours ago, Gabe said:

[...]Animal capsules that have a shiny chrome look rather than the standard gray, have decorations that match the zone (i.e. covered with vines and flowers if the zone is in a jungle), and/or release animals in various ways (chutes open from the side that birds fly out of). Stuff like that would be great to see.[...]

Animal capsules would be ok for me. However I think it's possible to design red rings so they fit on Sonic Mania look. But in the end I just want collectibles that matter, no matter (lol) how they look or what they are.

[JezMM]

On 29/08/2016 at 7:24 PM, Jango said:

TL;DR: hide the Chaos Emerald in the stages instead of forcing you to play a minigame.

While I agree with the notion that hiding the true ending behind a bunch of minigames is a flawed concept, I for one am very interested to see what the remake crew do for special stages when given the reins on everything to come up with their own original ideas.  Judging by Taxman's concept for a new final boss in Sonic CD, he strikes me as the sort who "gets" the idea of unifying the concepts of a game.  I feel like he might be able to pull off a unique looking minigame that isn't completely seperate from the main game mechanics, (unlike the non-Sonic 1 special stages, Blue Sphere in particular), it'd be especially cool if it still manages to have the (almost) traditional 3D elements at the same time too.  Not that I'd feel let down if he does come up with something totally unique and unrelated to main game mechanics as long as it's fun.

Despite growing up with the 8-bit games I'm not all that fussed about hiding emeralds in stages.  The 8-bit game stages were significantly smaller and more compact than 16-bit style ones, scouring a single act in each zone from top to bottom doesn't sound all that fun to me, and it's safe to assume we're getting more than 7 zones (if each existing game gets one "returning zone" each that takes up 5 zones as is, 4 if S3&K are treated as one game), which means only an odd selection dotted around the game would have an emerald hidden unless they also break the emeralds into shards or whatever, etc.  I definitely prefer the idea of there being lots of secret spots in every act to give you lots of opportunities to take on a side challenge, rather than one super hard to reach/find spot in each act - which means on game replays from fresh files, you are basically forced to take that "hard" route every single time if you want the best ending, as oppose to getting to choose a different route each play, as Sonic has always been beloved for.

[Rey Skywalker-Ren]

On 8/29/2016 at 2:24 PM, Jango said:

Let's be honest. How many of you really like the Special Stages?

Count me for not liking the special stages, I do personally feel they outgrew their welcome. They were good in a first few games but they grew to be more of a chore in the modern games.

[Indigo Rush]

I like 'em, but I admit that most of it is me practicing them a lot and mastering their mechanics. Objectively, they're not always implemented well. I still think the half-pipe setup is probably the most "Sonic-like" being a little more about speed and timing your jumps, but most of that winds up being memorization. I still think the Saturn version of Sonic 3D Blast's Special Stages is the unrivaled champion of Special Stages.

I think they have a place, but they just need to mesh a little better with the gameplay mechanics is all. Implement rolling and branching paths, for example. Or make the Special Stage gameplay style the same as the Super Sonic finale so as to tie everything together.

As it stands, though, I'd keep them in for tradition sake first and foremost, at least for a game like Sonic Mania. Just make it work. I trust the devs.

[JingleBoy]

This is being teased around by Aaron Webber and Gene Fujimori on twitter, looks like a pretty cool t-shirt! Also Tails is following Sonic on this so I guess it kinda confirms a co-op mode...? Hopefully I'm not reading into it too much!

[Jango]

Knux is there too. Wonder if he's hinting at Tails and Knuckles being playable in the PAX demo.

[Muscles Maximum]

Woah, the way Knuckles is positioned on the shirt... could it mean he'll have an antagonistic role again?

[Ellipsis-Ultima]

2 hours ago, JingleBoy said:

This is being teased around by Aaron Webber and Gene Fujimori on twitter, looks like a pretty cool t-shirt! Also Tails is following Sonic on this so I guess it kinda confirms a co-op mode...? Hopefully I'm not reading into it!

Pretty sure that's a t shirt. And pretty cool one!

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

2 hours ago, Apple Kid said:

Woah, the way Knuckles is positioned on the shirt... could it mean he'll have an antagonistic role again?

There's not exactly a lot of proof for this, but if true, it would actually kind of excite me, even if I like Knuckles being a protagonist and it probably means Knuckles is being gullible again (I don't actually mind that because it's a part of his personality, honestly), it would also be the first time Knuckles has done something other than just be little more than a secondary Sonic sidekick in like...a million years. It's also very possible this could be a temporary blunder, like the time he fought Sonic in Sonic Adventure, and then he goes back to being on the heroes' side.

 

[Muscles Maximum]

5 hours ago, Monkey Destruction Switch said:

There's not exactly a lot of proof for this, but if true, it would actually kind of excite me, even if I like Knuckles being a protagonist and it probably means Knuckles is being gullible again (I don't actually mind that because it's a part of his personality, honestly), it would also be the first time Knuckles has done something other than just be little more than a secondary Sonic sidekick in like...a million years. It's also very possible this could be a temporary blunder, like the time he fought Sonic in Sonic Adventure, and then he goes back to being on the heroes' side.

 

I wouldn't mind if Knuckles gets duped again in this game. While I too prefer Knuckles being a good guy, (he's really a good guy either way, just so good he'll give even the worst villains the benefit of the doubt... multiple times) I think Knuckles being a makeshift antagonist is really fun, it usually provides a good look into how much of a goofball Knuckles actually is sometimes. 

With all his boastful chuckling in Sonic 3, the way he tries to play it off and explain the situation after being tricked yet again in Advance 2 (and of course the way he gets caught in the explosion after being defeated)

His smug "I'm the best, you must need my assistance" attitude

And the way he thinks of himself in Mega Drive 

Of course too much buffoonery can lead to some of the flanderization and one dimension-ness he's gotten in Boom and more recent ST titles, but it's not too much worse than the treatment the rest of the cast gets I guess...

Anyways, I trust the Taxman and the rest of the crew behind Mania to handle the strongest, bravest, most handsome character well =)

Man, I didn't expect to dig up so many Knuckles images, but I love the guy too much. The idea of him potentially playing a real major (& PLAYABLE) role again is super exciting.

 

 

[StaticMania]

Just now, Apple Kid said:

Of course too much buffoonery can lead to some of the flanderization and one dimension-ness he's gotten in Boom and more recent ST titles, but it's not too much worse than the treatment the rest of the cast gets I guess...

"Recent ST titles"

 After Sonic Heroes and before Sonic Generations is the height of Knuckles' flanders-ing.

[JingleBoy]

Wow I didn't even notice Knuckles on the T-shirt! I wouldn't mind him being an antagonist if it means that there's more of a story (S3&K style). Could be done like Sonic Advance 2; maybe he'll be the boss of Studiopolis and after you beat him Sonic knocks some sense into his head.

[FriendBot]

So the Sonic Mania shirts are now a thing! The Triple Threat shirt features Sonic, Tails and ol' Knuc-Knuc and we got a nice Studiopolis shirt as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Official-Sonic-Triple-T-Shirt-limited/dp/B01L0HAL8C/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=CAE5KJ6DG2JWG8H1ESTK

https://www.amazon.com/Mens-Sonic-Mania-Studiopolis-T-shirt/dp/B01KUG9Y9Q/ref=pd_d0_recs_v2_cwb_ap_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=WNWA0YGEQNZV3P66YDXW

UK folk gets a different version of the Triple Threat shirt but it's pretty much the same thing.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sonic-The-Hedgehog-Mania-Shirt/dp/B01JNL4FWK/ref=pd_d0_recs_v2_cwb_ap_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=X3130S6QY450S0Q7APZA

[Rey Skywalker-Ren]

I am getting them shirts 

[TheOcelot]

The Studiopolis t-shirt looks so nice. "See the sights, experience the sounds" pretty much sums up what an awesome stage it looks like

It's a good way to advertise the game. "We have an upcoming game, it looks like this, get hyped!"

I hope SEGA advertises the shit out of Mania (although I'm not expecting the $100 million advertising campaign which they put into Sonic 2 back in the 1990's). Maybe it's just me (my hype level is still on overload) but Mania has created a feel-good factor in the community. I haven't been this excited for a game in ages.

 

Oh and no the t-shirt is not an indication that evil Knuckles is about to return. Not that it's inconceivable, especially if Mania takes place directly after the events of S3&K. Never forget how Eggman briefly tricked Knuckles in Sonic Adventure ........but, no I think we can safely assume Knuckles is on Sonic's side in Mania. I'm hoping Knuckles has access to the exact same level design/routes as Sonic, Including maybe some Knuckles & Tails only routes.

 

As for the special stages; I've always liked their inclusion in the classics, how they change-up the gameplay and offer a unique challenge which is a good thing. It gives you a reason to work hard in the normal zones; to get as many rings as possible and to not get hit. There's a certain satisfaction I find about seeing the giant-ring appear at the end of the stage, knowing that you've played well to get it to appear. With practice you can the master the special stages (Sonic 1's perhaps being an exception to this rule). Yes they require memorisation but that's part of the challenge, and lets be honest the special stages in the classics aren't particularly difficult. At the very least Sonic Team made sure from Sonic 2 onwards that the player has more than enough opportunities to get the chaos emeralds (50+ star-posts in Sonic 2, 77 giant rings in 3&K, 14 possible attempts in Sonic CD etc). There are of course games where the special stage improved upon the normal gamplay IMO, like in Sonic 3D Blast (Saturn) and Knuckles Chaotix. Special stages are part of the charm of the 2d-game formula and should definitely make a return in Mania.

With Mania's "Saturn-esque" design I'd expect a brand new 3d-pseudo special stage perhaps taking inspiration from Sonic CD's & Chaotix. Something different to the normal gameplay but compliments the same visual charm the normal stages have.

 

Edit; Just posted this in the status updates 

 

[Roger_van_der_weide]

"Saturn Esque, Saturn Esque"
I keep hearing that word.
This better mean there's an uncomfortably creepy mid-90's GCI cartoon when you boot up the game, every self respecting platformer on the Saturn had these, like Clockwork Knight, Bug! and Gex.

[Polkadi~☆]

1 hour ago, Roger_van_der_weide said:

"Saturn Esque, Saturn Esque"
I keep hearing that word.
This better mean there's an uncomfortably creepy mid-90's GCI cartoon when you boot up the game, every self respecting platformer on the Saturn had these, like Clockwork Knight, Bug! and Gex.

That would be something to behold. Something, er, very interesting to behold. I believe Sonic 3D Blast on the Saturn (and Genesis, I think?) also had this, and was also horrifically uncomfortable (and bad).

I suppose "32X-esque" fits the bill more, then?

 

Also, on the topic of special stages, finding the Chaos Emeralds in the levels in the 8-bit games wasn't fun to me. Too simple, and didn't feel worth it in the short term. I am interested to see what Sonic Mania has for special stages, but as for finding it, the Warp Rings would work well enough. Actually, the whole S3&K way would work, I can see it fitting and working perfectly here.

[Indigo Rush]

2 hours ago, Roger_van_der_weide said:

"Saturn Esque, Saturn Esque"
I keep hearing that word.
This better mean there's an uncomfortably creepy mid-90's GCI cartoon when you boot up the game, every self respecting platformer on the Saturn had these, like Clockwork Knight, Bug! and Gex.

 

 

 

I really want that Triple Threat shirt, by the way. Anyone wanna spot me? I pay in poor humor and fleeting attention.

[Rey Skywalker-Ren]

1 minute ago, Indigo Rush said:

I really want that Triple Threat shirt, by the way. Anyone wanna spot me? I pay in poor humor and fleeting attention.

I'll help

[KHCast]

I'd love if the sonic, tails, and knuckles shirt had a tank top version.