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

[Chris Knopps]

Boy, they can't decide how to color the cast in this stuff. XD

[CleverSonicUsername]

Just now, Chris Knopps said:

Boy, they can't decide how to color the cast in this stuff. XD

I don't mind the lighter shade for Sonic, but Knuckles being almost pink is not that great. I imagine it was done so he is more defined against backgrounds? Not sure.

[Mauro Fonseca]

Started doing this thinking I'd show there's five of them in the sillhouettes, but actually, yeah, seems to me just 4, unless there's a floating ghost one or something. More notably, I don't think there's a ninja one- shurikens have 4 sides, iconically just 4 sides, and that one is holding a 5-side rounded star. I'm betting more on it being some sort of sfx of him snapping his fingers or something.

[andrew2]

28 minutes ago, expansivelovestories said:

You are correct, there has been no specific number information about the reimagined zones. 

The debris in Flying Battery does include additional badniks from Sonic 1**; which doesn't confirm anything, but it is good for some speculation!  It can be said, if that can be taken as a hint that there may indeed be two from each game, with Sonic CD possibly? not being included in the main game rather as one of the settings for 2P competition, but that is pure speculation, as is the following, that Sonic 3K may include more than two zones if it is being considered one big game and especially if Sonic CD is not in the main game giving it a bit more breathing room.

**( It's hard to tell what zone it represents but it could be Labyrinth. There is however also a green Caterkiller, and possibly a different Orbinaut,

Clever SonicUsername indicated to me yesterday that the yellow/gold badnik in there appears to be Orbinaut in the new design seen in Studiopolis, so I wonder whether it would also appear in this design in a reimagined Labyrinth. Again it may not be attached to the ground whatsoever, but there is a strange sprite next to some instances of it that may belong to it.  I would not mind for example a badnik with a starpost based design, that has an Orbinaut on top and blocks the way somehow, but is attached to the ground or underwater, rather than being mobile.

As I mentioned earlier. The green Caterkiller is from Mirage Saloon. Just had an idea. There could be 8 remained zones. Two from each game. 'But that makes 10 zones!' you say. No. S3K can be considered as one game. One zone from S3 one zone from SK. Each half is represented, as per Taxman comments, but it is still considered as one 'game'. In that case I can kiss goodbye to Lava Reef  ...

Combine this possibility with 5 original zones based on the HBH image and we end up with 13 zones. This also fits the 60/40 ratio perfectly (not in a mathematical sense, but who cares?)

[CleverSonicUsername]

My guess is still 5/4. One from each game, four new. While also not a perfect 60/40 split mathematically speaking, I could see them using that as a quick way to define the ratio. i.e. there is one more than the other, so 60/40 total.

Absolute bare minimum, that is what we'll surely get.

[Chris Knopps]

1 minute ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

My guess is still 5/4. One from each game, four new. While also not a perfect 60/40 split mathematically speaking, I could see them using that as a quick way to define the ratio. i.e. there is one more than the other, so 60/40 total.

Absolute bare minimum, that is what we'll surely get.

I... Really hope this game is longer than Sonic 3 and Knuckles, if not that's absolutely ridiculous.

[Pawn]

7 minutes ago, The KKM said:

Started doing this thinking I'd show there's five of them in the sillhouettes, but actually, yeah, seems to me just 4, unless there's a floating ghost one or something. More notably, I don't think there's a ninja one- shurikens have 4 sides, iconically just 4 sides, and that one is holding a 5-side rounded star. I'm betting more on it being some sort of sfx of him snapping his fingers or something.

I love that we have something substantial to speculate about again (and on an amazing looking game like this). Every post about the Heavies gives me pause for thought and gets me excited for the game.

Who could have thought that we'd be discussing silhouettes of new Eggrobo characters in a new Classic Sonic (that's real Classic, not Dimps 2010 'Classic') this time last year.

[andrew2]

2 minutes ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

My guess is still 5/4. One from each game, four new. While also not a perfect 60/40 split mathematically speaking, I could see them using that as a quick way to define the ratio. i.e. there is one more than the other, so 60/40 total.

Absolute bare minimum, that is what we'll surely get.

(a) That's closer to 50/50 - the would have said 50/50 if this was the split and more reimagined zones would not have been mentioned.

(b) The game's longer than generations. i.e. 10 zones bare minimum.

(c) The correct quote is 'roughly a 60/40 split' Hence the split won't be exact i.e. we won't get 6/4

(d) Therefore there must either be multiple zones for at least one game, or we are getting zones reimaged from Chaotix or an 8-bit title or something.

[CleverSonicUsername]

12 minutes ago, Chris Knopps said:

I... Really hope this game is longer than Sonic 3 and Knuckles, if not that's absolutely ridiculous.

 

It very well could be, we just don't know. There's a chance the heavies are only in the new zones, but not all new zones feature heavies (unless this was stated to not be the case, I'm not sure.) I'd rather go with the low estimate so I can avoid disappointment. If I can get myself jazzed up for 9 zones then anything more than that is a very pleasant surprise.

 

8 minutes ago, andrew2 said:

(a) That's closer to 50/50 - the would have said 50/50 if this was the split and more reimagined zones would not have been mentioned.

 

(c) The correct quote is 'roughly a 60/40 split' Hence the split won't be exact i.e. we won't get 6/4

 

You don't say. My point is there's one more than not, so they wouldn't say "50/50" because that's emphasizing it's dead even. 5/4 is ROUGHLY a 60/40 split. They've also been very clear that only Sonic 1, 2, CD, 3, and Knuckles will get representation. No 8-bit or Chaotix zones. Nods within zones on other hand...

I just think like "Green Hill is the tamest!" the promise that this is a "big game" is maybe over enthusiastic. What little we got of Flying Battery makes it seem like it'll probably progress the same as Green Hill. Starts off 1:1 and over time becomes more unique. I'm fine with that, but the continued exclamations of "this is all new!" when there's huge chunks that aren't makes it seem like they're inflating their talking points. "It's a big game" is so non-specific, at this point I'm taking it with a grain of salt. Best to expect low and get surprised later.

I still think Mania will be a fantastic game and it's exactly what I want. Mind you, when this was first announced I was thinking it'd only be like 6 or so levels long, about average for a classic game.

[andrew2]

7 minutes ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

 

It very well could be, we just don't know. There's a chance the heavies are only in the new zones, but not all new zones feature heavies (unless this was stated to not be the case, I'm not sure.) I'd rather go with the low estimate so I can avoid disappointment. If I can get myself jazzed up for 9 zones then anything more than that is a very pleasant surprise.

 

You don't say. My point is there's one more than not, so they wouldn't say "50/50" because that's emphasizing it's dead even. 5/4 is ROUGHLY a 60/40 split. They've also been very clear that only Sonic 1, 2, CD, 3, and Knuckles will get representation. No 8-bit or Chaotix zones. Nods within zones on other hand...

Perhaps I didn't make a clear enough. The original 'more re-imagined zones' comment probably wouldn't have taken place if there was just one more zone. They would have said 'roughly 50/50'.

[Celestia]

Oh, was it stated that the Heavies only appear in new zones?

Either way, that doesn't mean they can't show up in more than one zone...unless that was confirmed too. :V

[Pawn]

I'm going to guess 7 returning and 5 new, which is very close to 60/40. This might mean one level each from CD, 3 and S&K and two from 1 (since it uses Green Hill so far and we've all seen that a hundred times) and 2 (as you could argue that 3&K has two if you take the games as one whole). I'd rather an extra be taken from S3&K over 1 though.

[andrew2]

3 minutes ago, Pawn said:

I'm going to guess 7 returning and 5 new, which is very close to 60/40. This might mean one level each from CD, 3 and S&K and two from 1 (since it uses Green Hill so far and we've all seen that a hundred times) and 2 (as you could argue that 3&K has two if you take the games as one whole). I'd rather an extra be taken from S3&K over 1 though.

I could easily see them taking one from CD and treating S3K as one 'game' with 2 levels taken.

[FriendBot]

I heard Iizuka mention that the Heavies will be the bosses for the new stages, according to Keys' translation in the panel. So considering that we're looking at 5 of these guys, chances are 5 new stages are in Mania.

[Sonictrainer]

9 hours ago, FReaK said:

on another topic, they have teased another new zone yesterday.

to me that brown thing in the front looks a little bit like an echidna statue, maybe some sort of new knux related level? the background looks like clouds, but could be icebergs either.

 

 

 

...A Ice/Snow/Winter and Air/Sky/Wind fusion Level doesn't currently exist yet, huh?

[FriendBot]

14 minutes ago, Sonictrainer said:

...A Ice/Snow/Winter and Air/Sky/Wind fusion Level doesn't currently exist yet, huh?

Does Flying Battery count? 

[Sonictrainer]

2 minutes ago, Soni said:

Does Flying Battery count? 

I don't remember any ice/snow/winter elements in Flying Battery Zone...

[FriendBot]

Considering what makes Flying Battery different from its original is that there's a bunch of robot scrap piles, nope.

[Chris Knopps]

Why doesn't somebody shrink/edit that picture to fix the pixelation?

[StaticMania]

2 minutes ago, Chris Knopps said:

Why doesn't somebody shrink/edit that picture to fix the pixelation?

How effective would that be on sprite art?

[Chris Knopps]

2 minutes ago, StaticMania said:

How effective would that be on sprite art?

I dunno, just thought maybe it'd lead us somewhere.

[Psychicmoose103]

 

If there are 5-6 heavies, this gives us 5-6 new stages + an eggman base and super sonic level. So a total of 7-8 new zones ( unless you don't get the super battle). So given the 40:60 ratio, If we just say 7, I'd say we are going to get around 9 reimagined classics, for a total of 16 zones. We know the game is longer than generations, but many are comparing the zones directly. You had to do 3 challenges, 1 rival battle and a separate boss to beat a set. Which means the total game time has more than just 2 acts. So for Mania to excede this length, with no challenges, rival battles, hub world or seperate levels for bosses, it would need to defintally have at least over 10 zones. Since this game is a successor to 3&K, I am defintally expecting 14 zones at the least.

So I think we are getting 5 heavies. Here is my take on the shadows.

[Sonictrainer]

14 minutes ago, Chris Knopps said:

Why doesn't somebody shrink/edit that picture to fix the pixelation?

Still could be an Ice or Sky level...

[Psychicmoose103]

Also guys, I think I discovered the mirage saloon heavy. Check this out.

 

If you take a close look at the top of Mirage Salloon Heavy and the big guy in the middle, and look at what I outlined, they are incredibly similar. He even has the top fin, inward hooking cape and the outward shoulder pads. He also looks pretty bulky, like the shadow. What do you all think?

2 minutes ago, Sonictrainer said:

Still could be an Ice or Sky level...

I'm not sure, the yellow kind of looks like a gear, with snow near it. The background looks like blue bricks to me.

[Chris Knopps]

13 minutes ago, Psychicmoose103 said:

 

If there are 5-6 heavies, this gives us 5-6 new stages + an eggman base and super sonic level. So a total of 7-8 new zones ( unless you don't get the super battle). So given the 40:60 ratio, If we just say 7, I'd say we are going to get around 9 reimagined classics, for a total of 16 zones. We know the game is longer than generations, but many are comparing the zones directly. You had to do 3 challenges, 1 rival battle and a separate boss to beat a set. Which means the total game time has more than just 2 acts. So for Mania to excede this length, with no challenges, rival battles, hub world or seperate levels for bosses, it would need to defintally have at least over 10 zones. Since this game is a successor to 3&K, I am defintally expecting 14 zones at the least.

So I think we are getting 5 heavies. Here is my take on the shadows.

I doubt one of them would have a butt that big, I think there's six.