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

[D.K.]

2 hours ago, TailsMania said:

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For those who don't get it: It's a herring (as in, the fish) with a red tint.

As in, the Labyrinth tweet is a red herring.

[Spooky Mulder]

1 hour ago, TailsMania said:

We know Tee Lopes was just having a bit of fun teasing the picture of Labyrinth zone.

This is what Taxman said about it:

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Because it's not Labyrinth Zone—it's Lost Labyrinth.

[Psychicmoose103]

Honestly, it would be kinda funny if we were all wrong and neither Labyrinth, Hydrocity, Aquatic Ruin, or Tidal Tempest appear in the game lol

[JezMM]

1 hour ago, Jango said:

I wonder which version of the music they'll use for the CD level... Maybe act 1 JP/EU and act 2 US? Speak for yourself, but I'll be very sad (not disappointed, sad) if they don't pick QQZ. I need remixes of it, like, injected in my veins. It's in my top 3 favorite Sonic songs.

The JP/EU soundtrack has long been considered the "canon" one it seems.  Generations and Sonic 4 both remix the regular Stardust Speedway, with the US version being a bonus song in Generations only.

It WOULD be cool if they made it so holding down a button on the zone's startup played a remix of the US soundtrack, but that'd be a lot of work for Tee Lopes for a small thing.  Cooler would be having refrains from the US soundtrack mixed into Tee's remix of the JP song, but this would be tricky with some zones that have pretty wildly different beats between regions.

[Jango]

Speaking of CD's soundtrack, Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata are the game's composer (JP/EU). Wonder if asking permission for them to remix their songs was... easy? Naofumi remixed all the Sonic CD songs for Gens (along with some others, like Green Hill Act 1), which was the last time we had official remixes of those. I also wonder the same for Masato Nakamura (Sonic 1 and 2 composer).

[JezMM]

35 minutes ago, Jango said:

Speaking of CD's soundtrack, Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata are the game's composer (JP/EU). Wonder if asking permission for them to remix their songs was... easy? Naofumi remixed all the Sonic CD songs for Gens (along with some others, like Green Hill Act 1), which was the last time we had official remixes of those. I also wonder the same for Masato Nakamura (Sonic 1 and 2 composer).

We know Nakamura has to be paid royalties to use Sonic 1 and 2 music.  As you say, Hataya still occasionally composes for the series (most recently, he was behind Sugar Lane in Lost World), so if there are any permissions involved, they're likely very easy to handle.  The fact that CD music has appeared in games/products where 1&2 easily could (the 1st stage music CD that comes with Generations special edition, Sonic 4, All-Stars Racing Transformed) suggests that they are not as much a luxury, if they are at all.

[Jango]

13 minutes ago, JezMM said:

We know Nakamura has to be paid royalties to use Sonic 1 and 2 music.  As you say, Hataya still occasionally composes for the series (most recently, he was behind Sugar Lane in Lost World), so if there are any permissions involved, they're likely very easy to handle.  The fact that CD music has appeared in games/products where 1&2 easily could (the 1st stage music CD that comes with Generations special edition, Sonic 4, All-Stars Racing Transformed) suggests that they are not as much a luxury, if they are at all.

Wow, I've totally forgot about the bastardized Stardust Speedway Bad Future used in Sonic 4 Episode 2. And yeah, Racing Transformed used the Toot Toot Sonic Warrior song too and Naofumi did composed Sugar Lane (which... isn't really good IMO). Then again, they also used some NiGHTS music in Lost World's DLC, which wasn't remixed at all... I just like to discuss music in game, m'okay :V

The idea of mixing together both JP and US songs in one would be great, as I also want something like that for other zones too (bits of Ice Cap's melody in a possible new snow zone for exemple).

Like this! It has bits of the Sonic Adventure's Ice Cap and even Sonic Advance 3's Twinkle Snow!

[Salamander]

Given that the level design is mixing in elements from other, similar zones, it would seem appropriate for the music to do something similar.  (We haven't heard the final Green Hill Zone Act 2 mix yet, so it's still possible that this is on the cards.)  Even if they don't do it for any other zone, though, I'd agree that it would be great for the CD zone music to mix in both the US and JP versions - though depending on how they handle the time-travel, I accept that there might be a lot going on in a CD remix already.

[D.K.]

10 hours ago, JezMM said:

Hataya still occasionally composes for the series (most recently, he was behind Sugar Lane in Lost World)

How the mighty have fallen.

[CleverSonicUsername]

15 hours ago, FFWF said:

While I have my preferences, I don't think I could be disappointed by any choice of CD level.

I'd be ok with any level from CD except Wacky Workbench. It's a close one between WW and Aquatic Ruin for my least favorite level in the classic Sonic games.

[Inkling Cooper]

Don't usually post in this thread, but here's some Mania stuff from Famitsu:

https://twitter.com/wounkun/status/852180229221224455/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fboard.sonicstadium.org%2Findex.php%3Fapp%3Dcore%26module%3Dsystem%26controller%3Dembed%26url%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fwounkun%2Fstatus%2F852180229221224455

[Salamander]

One of those screenshots confirms lamppost bonus stages; another shows that the Heavy Gunner rolling boss fight has slopes in it (i.e. like Stardust Speedway and unlike Mushroom Hill).

[Gemster312]

1 hour ago, Inkling Cooper said:

Don't usually post in this thread, but here's some Mania stuff from Famitsu:

https://twitter.com/wounkun/status/852180229221224455/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fboard.sonicstadium.org%2Findex.php%3Fapp%3Dcore%26module%3Dsystem%26controller%3Dembed%26url%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fwounkun%2Fstatus%2F852180229221224455

OMG, this is cool. I think that screenshot of knuckles in the bottom right is interesting...

Also can anyone confirm if this is a date (and if so, which month)?

This might just be a release date.

Edit: Do note this is a (Japanese?) magazine, which means the 23rd there is the 22nd here where LA is (SEGA of America HQ).

June 22nd = Thursday (Games usually release not on Thursdays)

July 22nd = Saturday (Releases are rare on Saturdays)

August 22nd = Tuesday (Typical release date)

I am getting the feeling that August 22nd is Sonic Mania's release date based off of this article.

4 months until then. So close yet so far away.

[TheOcelot]

Lets get a good look at it:

We can see Knuckles (bottom right) upside down in Flying Battery.

Tails (top right) is flying just after the original starting point of FB in 3&K.

We know the direction Sonic is heading on the zip-line in GH act2 leads to a special stage.

As @FFWF pointed out (bottom left) in the Mirage Saloon screenshot the star-post does have (very faint) stars circling above it to indicate a bonus stage.

[Gemster312]

2 minutes ago, TailsMania said:

Lets get a good look at it:

We can see Knuckles upside down in Flying Battery.

The direct link to the image (bigger): https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C9ONUyvXcAEW1p6.jpg:large

[HywelAtTheMoon]

Sadly, the kanji next to 23 means years. I think this means that it's been 23 years since we had a true classic Sonic game. Sonic 4 and Sonic 3D don't count. 

[Your Vest Friend]

So why are some taking it as stages? Wouldn't the Kanji for that be completely different?

[Salamander]

Twenty-three zones would be absolutely ridiculous and probably too many.  ...Twenty-three acts, maybe, but I don't buy them giving away such a figure.

[Gemster312]

5 minutes ago, VEDJ-F said:

So why are some taking it as stages? Wouldn't the Kanji for that be completely different?

Where do you see people as taking it as "23 stages"?

My friend who speaks Japanese just confirmed what HywelAtTheMoon said (23 years since the last game).

[Jango]

That article is BEAUTIFUL (the design). Someone make the translation please!

[Psychicmoose103]

Bonus Stages are back?

 

YESSSSS

[Ellipsis-Ultima]

So not much, but Mania began development in 2015. 

The rule for the artwork for this game was to be above the Genesis art but under Saturn's art. 

Gameplay is similar to Sonic 3, and elemental shields are returning... 

Still no release date though...

[Milo]

1 hour ago, FFWF said:

Twenty-three zones would be absolutely ridiculous and probably too many.  ...Twenty-three acts, maybe, but I don't buy them giving away such a figure.

Think it's been said the 23 number refers to the years since Mania and Sonic 3&K, rather than zones. But I wouldn't be too averse to a Sonic game having that many zones at face value--I'd say it depends on the implementation.

Sonic 2 and Sonic 3&K have respectively 11 and 14 zones*, respectively--but those numbers include zones that are only one act long, like Sky Chase and Hidden Palace. If you omit the one-act zones and focus solely on zones that have two acts (or three, in the case of Metropolis), Sonic 2 has 8 and Sonic 3&K has 11 in comparison. Most of the one one-off acts I mentioned are also not really fully-designed platforming levels, and are instead utilized for different purposes--Death Egg (Sonic 2) and The Doomsday only set the stage as climatic final boss battles, while Sky Chase and Hidden Palace serve more to advance the story narrative / zone progression. A significant portion of zones in a 23 zone count list could work as individual acts in the above manners.

*Referring to the main campaign, not counting the multiplayer acts from the competition mode.

Moreover, the implementation of zones can also differ in terms of how they're implemented in the game. Progressing through having 23 zones in a linear order (which I presume you're thinking of) would admittedly be a tall order for people to sit through--I've seen people say Sonic 3&K is too long compared to other Sonic titles, and the main campaign has around half of that number (aforementioned 14) in total zone count. But if the game had a more non-linear / branching approach, that would be absolutely fine IMO. You could have nine-twelve designated "main" zones (including one-off acts), and the rest could either be anything else the designers wanted. Zones only found through secret entrances, bonus zones unlocked after the main campaign, zones that serve as an "alternative" progression route to the story, multiplayer-exclusive zones, etc.

[StaticMania]

1 hour ago, Fusion Ellipsis said:

The rule for the artwork for this game was to be above the Genesis art but under Saturn's art. 

What does this mean? Artwork for the 2 Saturn Sonic the Hedgehog games weren't ever better than even the GG games.

[Milo]

1 minute ago, StaticMania said:

What does this mean? Artwork for the 2 Saturn Sonic the Hedgehog games weren't ever better than even the GG games.

I think the quote is referring more to the graphical style of the game--better than Genesis, but doesn't surpass Saturn limitations, something Taxman and co. have been saying on their visual inspirations for Sonic Mania from the game's unveiling.