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

[FriendBot]

 

So GameExplain did an interview with producer for Mania, where we get some sort of details. 

And based on what I heard, it does seem she's hinting at how Mania will present its story will be akin to 3 & Knuckles, which is awesome! 

Not much is known but then again, the game only been known for little over a month so yeah. Can't really blame her for that.

[Tara]

For the most part, I feel like she was kind of avoiding saying something she wasn't allowed to comment on, but it's good to hear that Sonic 3 & Knuckles-like transitons will apparently be a thing again.  Visual presentation was definitely the strong point of that game at the time, and I'd love to see how they might expand upon that.

[TheOcelot]

6 hours ago, Tara said:

Don't suppose anyone has an extended version of the level select music uploaded yet?  Like, wow.  That music just brought me back to the very specific era of video games.  It kind of has a Sonic R feel to it.  I just absolutely love it.

This was uploaded recently:

 

[BlueFlare]

3 hours ago, BenderMania said:

This was uploaded recently:

 

Mr. Tee Lopes killing it as usual. One of the best classic Sonic game soundtracks in the making, just saying. 

[molul]

55 minutes ago, Detective Paradox said:

So Apparently, that beautiful Sonic Mania Title screen intro took 3 weeks to be completed. THREE. WEEKS.

Wow.

Lol. This reminded me of Fuji's ONE MILLION TROOPS:

Insta-hit :headbanging:

[Milo]

As @Blue Blood on Retro put it, it's especially impressive when you compare it to the last effort:

Night and day. (If Mania's intro took three weeks to make, how long do you think it took to make Sonic 4's intro? Three hours, plus a three hour delay for "improvements"?)

[Cyrus]

I wonder how breakable the game can get with the drop dash...

[DaddlerTheDalek]

8 hours ago, Detective Paradox said:

So Apparently, that beautiful Sonic Mania Title screen intro took 3 weeks to be completed. THREE. WEEKS.

 

Wow.

 

 

If they did that in just three weeks... I can't wait for the finished game!

[Jango]

Honestly, it's one of the best title screens I've ever seen in a video game. It's just incredibly full of joy and excitment.

[Soniman]

23 hours ago, Tara said:

Don't suppose anyone has an extended version of the level select music uploaded yet?  Like, wow.  That music just brought me back to the very specific era of video games.  It kind of has a Sonic R feel to it.  I just absolutely love it.

It really does ooze that Sonic/Sega early-mid 90s charm that Ive been sorely missing with Sonic, like it was hitting a weird exact spot for me that I didnt realize how much I missed until I heard it again lol, this game is a fucking gift.

[TheOcelot]

Another interview with the producer.

Nothing amazing, but was a better interview than the GameXplain one.

 

[BlueFlare]

Have we talked about Knuckles' role in Mania's story yet? I had this wild thought earlier that could this game possibly take place before Sonic 3?  In that Studiopolis t-shirt we saw Knuckles facing towards Sonic and Tails. Could that hint Knuckles is against Sonic? Or did things somehow flip around after Sonic 3.

[molul]

I can't see how a Sonic can go before Sonic 3 and feature Knuckles :-/

It must go after S3&K. I don't know how far from it, but certainly after. 

[Tara]

1 hour ago, BlueFlare said:

Have we talked about Knuckles' role in Mania's story yet? I had this wild thought earlier that could this game possibly take place before Sonic 3?  In that Studiopolis t-shirt we saw Knuckles facing towards Sonic and Tails. Could that hint Knuckles is against Sonic? Or did things somehow flip around after Sonic 3.

No plot details have been revealed as far as I'm aware, but it's worth a note that Knuckles has fought against Sonic on occasions after Sonic 3 & Knuckles as well.  Sonic Triple Trouble and most notably Sonic Adventure are two such examples.  They (thankfully) sort of toned down Knuckles' gullibility after that.

[Cyrus]

Knuckles has his arms folded and is faced towards Sonic and Tails in the Studiopolis shirt which gives me the feeling that it's Sonic 3 all over again. His placement reminds me of when he's about to activate traps in Sonic 3.

[molul]

3 hours ago, Tara said:

No plot details have been revealed as far as I'm aware, but it's worth a note that Knuckles has fought against Sonic on occasions after Sonic 3 & Knuckles as well.  Sonic Triple Trouble and most notably Sonic Adventure are two such examples.  They (thankfully) sort of toned down Knuckles' gullibility after that.

Funny. I didn't know that. How did Sega justify that/those plot/s? Unless Knuckles's brain was controlled, it makes no sense that he's an enemy after Sonic & Knuckles.

 

On the other hand, I agree that Knuckles' position in the t-shirt does look like he's an enemy again. I personally wouldn't like that unless it's well justified.

[Jango]

If it happens right after S3&K, there's no reason to Knuckles still think Sonic is a bad guy, he just saved the Master Emerald and gave back to Knux. But then, there's Knuckles story, where he foght Mecha Sonic alone and saved the Master Emerald... Actually, which ending is canon after all? O.o

Edit: and after saving the Master Emerald, Knuckles is rescued by Sonic!

[molul]

I thought Knuckles' story took place right after Sonic's, hence the absence of Robotnik (Eggrobo is the boss), but that leaves even more gaps in the story.

[Milo]

So Zephyr on Retro put together a level map of Green Hill Act 1, based on the footage / playthroughs we've gotten so far. He admits its pretty sloppy, but it's still a very intriguing picture. While rough in some spots, it overall looks fascinating.

The level looks like a roulette of level design elements from each of the classic games. Level structure and setpieces adapted from Sonic 1 and CD, which branch in routes akin to those from Sonic 2, with the size boundaries of the maps from Sonic 3&K. Speaking of which, the level is, to put it mildly, XBOX HUEG. Even then, the map/footage still doesn't even cover the entire level--there are still portions and entire level paths that players haven't gone through yet. Tellingly, Zephyr mentioned that it took him an entire day to cobble the map together.

And to think, if this the size of the very first act in the game, imagine how big Studiopolis Act 1's map is, let alone the other levels we have yet to see...

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

1 hour ago, molul said:

Funny. I didn't know that. How did Sega justify that/those plot/s? Unless Knuckles's brain was controlled, it makes no sense that he's an enemy after Sonic & Knuckles.

Knuckles is just really gullible and easily tricked by Eggman. That's all there is to it. =P

But hey, I don't really mind it, I think it can be funny sometimes. And with how much of a non-player Knuckles has been in Sonic games since...forever, I would happily welcome him having an antagonistic role if it would make things more interesting (though I would certainly imagine and prefer it to be temporary).

[Jango]

I can't see how a Sonic can go before Sonic 3 and feature Knuckles :-/

It must go after S3&K. I don't know how far from it, but certainly after. 

Which makes no sense, unless the Master Emerald was stolen twice... lol.

That said, I hope Sonic Mania put this doubt to rest and delivers a real canon ending to Sonic 3&K that connects directly with Mania, making everything perfect [emoji7]. A flashback scene maybe?

[molul]

I wouldn't go really deep on story. I mean, I liked the approach from Sonic 1 to 3&K:

-Sonic 1: Eggman wants to rule the world, so he turns animals into robots. These animals are Sonic's friends, so Sonic goes after him.

-Sonic 2: same as above, except that Eggman has also built the Death Egg, and Sonic AND Tails go after him, and chaos emeralds turn Sonic into Super Sonic.

-Sonic 3&K: there's a small continuity -> Eggman wants to use the Master Emerald to revive the Death Egg, and also turns Knuckles (the Master Emerald guard) against Sonic and Tails, but in the end Knuckles learns that the true bad guy is Eggman.

It's difficult to add small changes forever to a simple plot without turning it complex. I would rather stop and use the "Eggman wants to rule the world and Sonic goes after him... with friends". I don't really need more.

It's like New Super Mario Bros Wii. The plot is just "Peach has been kidnapped. Mario and Luigi try to rescue her", and the game is just wonderful. Some games don't really improve with complex plots.

[FriendBot]

1 hour ago, Gabe said:

So Zephyr on Retro put together a level map of Green Hill Act 1, based on the footage / playthroughs we've gotten so far. He admits its pretty sloppy, but it's still a very intriguing picture. While rough in some spots, it overall looks fascinating.

The level looks like a roulette of level design elements from each of the classic games. Level structure and setpieces adapted from Sonic 1 and CD, which branch in routes akin to those from Sonic 2, with the size boundaries of the maps from Sonic 3&K. Speaking of which, the level is, to put it mildly, XBOX HUEG. Even then, the map/footage still doesn't even cover the entire level--there are still portions and entire level paths that players haven't gone through yet. Tellingly, Zephyr mentioned that it took him an entire day to cobble the map together.

And to think, if this the size of the very first act in the game, imagine how big Studiopolis Act 1's map is, let alone the other levels we have yet to see...

Funny you should mention that cause @ShroomZ did do a rough sketch on Studiopolis Act 1.

[Salamander]

1 hour ago, molul said:

I wouldn't go really deep on story. I mean, I liked the approach from Sonic 1 to 3&K:

-Sonic 1: Eggman wants to rule the world, so he turns animals into robots. These animals are Sonic's friends, so Sonic goes after him.

-Sonic 2: same as above, except that Eggman has also built the Death Egg, and Sonic AND Tails go after him, and chaos emeralds turn Sonic into Super Sonic.

-Sonic 3&K: there's a small continuity -> Eggman wants to use the Master Emerald to revive the Death Egg, and also turns Knuckles (the Master Emerald guard) against Sonic and Tails, but in the end Knuckles learns that the true bad guy is Eggman.

It's difficult to add small changes forever to a simple plot without turning it complex. I would rather stop and use the "Eggman wants to rule the world and Sonic goes after him... with friends". I don't really need more.

It's like New Super Mario Bros Wii. The plot is just "Peach has been kidnapped. Mario and Luigi try to rescue her", and the game is just wonderful. Some games don't really improve with complex plots.

I'd agree, with the caveat that some small flourishes definitely help to distinguish a game and give it its own personality; none of the Sonic classics are quite the same as their predecessor, though you might well level that accusation at the New Super Mario Bros. series.

[Lucid Dream]

1 hour ago, molul said:

It's difficult to add small changes forever to a simple plot without turning it complex. I would rather stop and use the "Eggman wants to rule the world and Sonic goes after him... with friends". I don't really need more.

Sonic rarely has a complex plot. Sonic 06, ShtH and SA2 are the only games that have a complex plot. The plot is always "Eggman wants to make Eggmanland and Sonic/friend goes after him". The change is normally just something miniscule like Metal Sonic being the last boss. The plot hasn't changed at all.  

A few games have some subplots, but the subplots are usually pretty good (Gamma in SA1, Shadow in Sonic Battle). They're rarely complex and are usually there for adding depth to characters, which is always a good thing.  

I never understood this criticisement.  Sonic already has very simple and easy to understand plotlines that have hardly changed since Sonic 1.