Sonic Mania SPOILERS/Impressions Thread

[Meta77]

Hmm now I need more forces news mostly just want to know what infinite is. Also when does the soundtrack ship?

[Marcello]

I just remembered I have a question about Super Sonic/Knuckles/Tails. Do you turn Super with a separate button? And can you manually go back to normal?

[Psychicmoose103]

So im extremely confused why there are no transitions at some points. It seems extremely lazy and weird, especially when some zones do have transitions that fit great.

[Multikaris]

2 hours ago, Dr. Mechano said:

Agreed!

Who's everyone's favorite Heavy? Mine's Heavy Magician - she's got showmanship and pizzazz, and I've always liked flashy magician characters. (Plus it was cool to see Fang, Bark, and Bean again even if they were just illusions.)

I find the Heavies to be lackluster villains, though this may be just backlash over the loss of the Archie comic and Boom's imminent demise and abandoning its arc-based structure for the most part, and shock over them being straight minions to the doctor for the first time. Still better than the Deadly Six, though. But they are very convincing underlings. I kinda like Heavy Gunner most.

[Indigo Rush]

This game just went from a 10 to an 11. Bravo.

[DiamondX]

SEGA, Aaron and the Mania Team migjt be the most self-aware.

[Blue Wisp]

21 minutes ago, Psychicmoose103 said:

So im extremely confused why there are no transitions at some points. It seems extremely lazy and weird, especially when some zones do have transitions that fit great.

Yeah. This is my main point of criticism of this game so far. Some zones would really be better with a stage transition. Like Lava Reef to Metallic Madness or Oil Ocean to Lava Reef. 

But oh my god Flying Battery Act 2's music is so fucking good. There's something that caught my ear though, there's a part of the song that sounds like another Sonic song but I can't remember which one. Any help? It's the part from 0:56. It reminds me of Sonic The Fighters but perhaps I'm wrong. 

 

 

[Rodx]

Someone can tell me if Tails campaign have something different on it ? Knuckles at least have diferent paths and Lava Reef ending .

 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

I just want to take a moment to thank Mania for keeping up the tradition that I really can't stand Sonic Special Stages.

Oh also, I beat it finally, outside of the likely secret final boss for collecting all emeralds. Will come back later with full thoughts.

[Psychicmoose103]

By the way, why the heck is angel island in the ocean again? What Happened?!

[DiamondX]

6 minutes ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

I just want to take a moment to thank Mania for keeping up the tradition that I really can't stand Sonic Special Stages.

Oh also, I beat it finally, outside of the likely secret final boss for collecting all emeralds. Will come back later with full thoughts.

Not a safe place to stay.

Come back after you get the emeralds.

[Spooky Mulder]

So it's the Phantom Ruby eh? I was hedging my bets on the Manic Crystal.

[Psychicmoose103]

This game takes place shortly after 3, why is it in the ocean? The master emerald was just gotten back

 

[DiamondX]

1 minute ago, Psychicmoose103 said:

This game takes place shortly after 3, why is it in the ocean? The master emerald was just gotten back

 

Knowing Knuckles, I'm not surprised.

[Jango]

I'm listening to the soundtrack while at work, and I'm gonna play the game later today.

And let me tell you.

DAT SAX IN METALLIC MADNESS ACT 2. OH MY GOD. Also... WHAT EVEN IS STARDUST SPEEDWAY ACT 2? IT'S SO GOOD. In fact, most Act 2 tracks are unbelievably good.

Whatever Tee Lopes is using, I need it lol

[Roger_van_der_weide]

I kinda like that there's no transition animations, so I can use my own imagination.

So you are on Stardust speedway on Little island, you fall down....Into Hydrocity?
So, Sonic fell trough Little planet's planet core, back to earth/ Mobius, where Angel island happens to be beneath Little planet where he falls trough the surface into the ruins?
Love to imagine that happening.
Or animate it. Well, Sega's giving me my parody on a silver platter again. Sweet. These things write themselves.
Also love them leaving Floating island on Tails airplane, crashing into the desert, ending up in Sonic 2's Oil ocean, then falling beneath the surface...Into FLOATING ISLAND AGAIN.
That's amazing.

But yeah, I really think they shuffled levels around and didn't have time to switch the transitions. I have a hunch saloon mirage was supposed to appear right after Sky battery, for one. It's too easy to be so far in the game. I wouldn't be surprised if they put the bright desert stage there to prevent the second half of the game to be non stop dark ruins and electronic Robotnik bases. Because they have a little too many of those level types.
Tough can't complain to much, I've been missing Robotnik bases. About time we saw some of them again. The dude barely got an empty room with some lightbulbs as base in Lost world.

[Chris Knopps]

33 minutes ago, Psychicmoose103 said:

This game takes place shortly after 3, why is it in the ocean? The master emerald was just gotten back

 

I'm guessing they intend to answer everything left as a question in the 2D game to come after Forces.

Also @Roger_van_der_weide, keep in mind Iizuka made decisions in this game. That was likely his doing. Consistency is his absolutely worst trait.

[Jango]

Yeah, if they used the Ruby to wrap in a lot of zones, why not use in all anyways? Of course everyone here would rather have transitions like Studiopolis to Flying Battery or Mirage Saloon to Oil Ocean, but even the wrap thingy is better than: FADE TO BLACK > NEW ZONE, GO, GO, GO.

Especially because the devs said mutiple times that the game would have zone transitions. OK, it has. But c'mon. I'm pretty sure the team is aware of this little slip up and will patch it, even if to add the Ruby teleportation thingy.

[Roger_van_der_weide]

1 minute ago, Chris Knopps said:

I'm guessing they intend to answer everything left as a question in the 2D game to come after Forces.

Oof, ouch. Because that's what Forces needed after already setting itself up for a mountain of exposition, with the new villain and re-introducing the previous main villains. Another entire game of plotholes to explain away.
Oh well, that's why the cast talks during the levels I suppose. Can't wait for Charmy to go over each and every plot detail of Mania in the middle of an intense action stage.

[Celestia]

34 minutes ago, Psychicmoose103 said:

This game takes place shortly after 3, why is it in the ocean? The master emerald was just gotten back

 

Might just be that the Phantom Ruby's presence was messing with the M.E. somehow. Unless it was always in the ground there, lol.

[Chris Knopps]

Just now, Roger_van_der_weide said:

Oof, ouch. Because that's what Forces needed after already setting itself up for a mountain of exposition, with the new villain and re-introducing the previous main villains. Another entire game of plotholes to explain away.
Oh well, that's why the cast talks during the levels I suppose. Can't wait for Charmy to go over each and every plot detail of Mania in the middle of an intense action stage.

I'd like to direct you here if I may Roger.

That's my theory on what's going on.

[Cornelius Fudge]

I absolutely love how Act 1 and Act 2 transition between each-other so seamlessly that it actually gives the impression that it's one large cohesive area instead of each act being merely separate levels. It's amazing seeing Christian Whitehead and the other developers take advantage of modern technology for stellar presentation.

I will definitely agree with others that lacking transitions between some zones is disappointing. Hopefully that can be resolved in the future.

 

[Rodx]

Is only me or the Heavies didn't die in this game ? if not, is a obvious setup for a future game .

[MainJP]

Covarr on Retro just posted this video. It's the level select from the demo builds; as anyone stumbled upon this yet?

Level Select Code (From title screen)

• Switch - B + Y + PLUS
• PlayStation - X + SQUARE + OPTIONS
• Xbox One  - A + X + START

[Osmium]

Wait so you can unlock the insta-shield? That's cool, too bad something Sonic should have from the get go is an unlockable though.