Sonic Mania Reviews/Impressions Thread

[Chris Knopps]

2 minutes ago, RK64 said:

I really, really hope if Forces ends up being bad, it's a wake up call to SEGA. They don't NEED Sonic Team to make great Sonic's. Sonic Team needs to prove to people they can still make good Sonic games. Lost World was a bit odd but it had ambition to be different at the very least. If Forces sucks, just trying to be Generations 2 (something not HARD to pull off honestly), then they should just stop with Sonic for a few years. 

Give the IP to other studios within SEGA, let Sonic Team make other games again, and let Sonic 'breathe'. The brand is tossed around so often, that a two year break would be good for the Blue Blur. Just hope Forces is good and that a Mania 2 is getting greenlight at some point. 

That's the thing about Whitehead Team, now that SEGA as a whole has seen their work, Sonic Team has a legitimate in-house threat to their operations. If they can't start bringing their A-Game from now on and delivering on par with Whitehead Team, that's it. They've already been trumped multiple times over by a group of fans randomly brought in by the company for an old fashioned 2D title, and for these fans to pretty much destroy their long-employed "professionals" in one fell if not spectacular swoop, I'm not surprised if SEGA will FINALLY start looming over Sonic Team and start cherry picking who finally needs to be replaced to create products of similar acclaim, quality, and profit.

They're not about to start getting these spectacularly received and major selling 2D titles from one team while their long-timers keep delivering 3D products the world keeps giving "meh" to bad scores on and barely manage to sell enough to amount to any worthwhile profit. SEGA's going to find a way to get 3D quality on par with Mania, and if they have to finally start thinking like a proper company and replacing those needed to be replaced to garner those profits, then they will, to my hopes anyways.

Mania and Forces is going to do many things to the company, of that much I am definitely certain.

[azoo]

Dearly Beloved, we gather here today in passing of an old friend.

Here lies Sonic Team. They were only 26 years old, when suddenly they died a tragic death because they hired fans to make and release the first actually good video game in well over a decade or more, all during the same year they all but shat the bed all over again, causing a self-burn so bad it passed third degree and went straight to fourth, killing them instantly.

RIP goodbye good riddance call me back ST when you're not like this again etc,

Love, Azoo.

PS - hope ya'll on the stadium are living the best life you can live right now. And by that, I mean by playing this game. If you're not, then well, what's wrong with you? Pick up a controller and do it, no questions asked. You can thank me later. See ya.

[Azure P]

2 hours ago, RK64 said:

I really, really hope if Forces ends up being bad, it's a wake up call to SEGA. They don't NEED Sonic Team to make great Sonic's. Sonic Team needs to prove to people they can still make good Sonic games. Lost World was a bit odd but it had ambition to be different at the very least. If Forces sucks, just trying to be Generations 2 (something not HARD to pull off honestly), then they should just stop with Sonic for a few years. 

Give the IP to other studios within SEGA, let Sonic Team make other games again, and let Sonic 'breathe'. The brand is tossed around so often, that a two year break would be good for the Blue Blur. Just hope Forces is good and that a Mania 2 is getting greenlight at some point. 

You're saying Forces is just trying to be Generations 2. How ever, Sonic Mania (or Sonic Mashup I like to call it because it just basically mashes up Sonic 1, 2, 3K and CD together) can easily be called Sonic Generations: Classic mode. Since it's mostly rehashing old zones with a time/space transition mechanic and some changes. Credit to Sonic Generations though, because at least the classic zones in Sonic Generations haven't been done in 3D before then. The only attempt at redoing a classic Sonic zone in 3D before then was Ice Cap in Sonic Adventure.

 

I honestly hope Forces gives us some thing new and does do well. Because I don't want to be stuck in 2d nostalgia playing green hill zone for the countless time.

'Hey guys, remember when Sonic was universally well received? Remember green hill zone in the first Sonic? Remember? REMEMBER?! REMEMBER DAMIT!'

[ChikaBoing]

Sonic Team is a brand not a development studio. Consumer R&D2 in Sega of Japan is the studio that makes the games (and they have been making other games) https://segaretro.org/Sonic_Team

Just thought I'd educate yall

[RK64]

4 minutes ago, Azure P said:

You're saying Forces is just trying to be Generations 2. How ever, Sonic Mania (or Sonic Mashup I like to call it because it just basically mashes up Sonic 1, 2, 3K and CD together) can easily be called Sonic Generations: Classic mode. Since it's mostly rehashing old zones with a time/space transition mechanic and some changes. Credit to Sonic Generations though, because at least the classic zones in Sonic Generations haven't been done in 3D before then. The only attempt at redoing a classic Sonic zone in 3D before then was Ice Cap in Sonic Adventure.

 

I honestly hope Forces gives us some thing new and does do well. Because I don't want to be stuck in 2d nostalgia playing green hill zone for the countless time. 'Hey guys, remember when Sonic was universally well received? Remember green hill zone in the first Sonic? Remember? REMEMBER?! REMEMBER DAMIT!'

I meant blending Modern Sonic gameplay and Classic Sonic gameplay specifically. Should have been more specific. And yeah, the 'pandering' as you call it toward the Classic Era is running thin, but it wasn't genuine. Generations, All Stars Racing Transformed and Mania all give a nod to Classic Sonic with respect and grace. Every other Sonic since generations outside of those listed games felt hallow with its 'Look at this! You love this right?!'. 

Sadly, Forces might fall under that too (why use Green Hill for the fucking hundredth time, more so when Mania has the zone too!?) and unlike Mania, might not be nearly as good quality wise. And Mania isn't JUST rehashing zones. Sure the Act 1's are largely ripped from the Genesis games (with twists and odd changes) but Act 2's of the remixed stages are completely original. Heck TWO of the remixed zones might as well be brand new zones. 

Spoiler

*Cough* Stardust Speedway & Metallic Madness *Cough*

I'm not going to be kind to Sonic Team here. Mania proves outside talent can make great Sonic experiences. Hell, we saw this with the amazing fan-gaming community in the Sonic fandom. Sonic Utopa, Sonic Worlds and Sonic GDK prove people are getting around to making great 3D Sonic experiences. Generations, Colors and Unleashed were fun times, I love those games. But if Forces sucks, the timer is ticking Sonic Team. And there is no damn air bubble in sight. 

[ChikaBoing]

we've heard iizuka saying that there were people in the past pitching an old style sonic game. he approved sonic 4, and appearently thought that backbone's project should have retooled their game into sonic rivals. that does not indicate high standard.

seems like only the fans know how to make the authentic sonic experience.

[FunkDoc1112]

As I expected, Chemical Plant and Flying Battery took years off of my life

[Jango]

50 minutes ago, azoo said:

Dearly Beloved, we gather here today in passing of an old friend.

Here lies Sonic Team. They were only 26 years old, when suddenly they died a tragic death because they hired fans to make and release the first actually good video game in well over a decade or more, all during the same year they all but shat the bed all over again, causing a self-burn so bad it passed third degree and went straight to fourth, killing them instantly.

RIP goodbye good riddance call me back ST when you're not like this again etc,

Love, Azoo.

PS - hope ya'll on the stadium are living the best life you can live right now. And by that, I mean by playing this game. If you're not, then well, what's wrong with you? Pick up a controller and do it, no questions asked. You can thank me later. See ya.

Azoo!!!

[FunkDoc1112]

Okay, the new Garden zone is amazing and it's HILARIOUS when you get frozen in a block of ice and continue running

[Strickerx5]

Well, having completed the game with all 7 emeralds and replaying it a bit again, I figured that now was a better time than any to give my thoughts on the game.

I think we can all agree that I've been one of the more... skeptical users here when it comes to this game. From the beginning I voiced that I really wasn't as hyped as others on here for this due to me not generally liking the classics to begin with. It's why I've held Forces in a brighter light as (even with its shaky foundation) its doing more of what I want from this series than Mania. I'm the kind of person who appreciates things like technical specs, story, the sense of speed, ect. So, going into Mania, I had no strong feelings for it one way or the other. Coming out, well, I'm in a rather odd place with it.

The game has charm and ambition behind it, there's no arguing that from my end. With every level you can tell that a painful amount of work went into it. From their scope to their gimmicks, right down to style, this game is no simply rom hack or copy and paste job. It's a full fledged 2D Sonic game. Even some of the older zones that were brought back felt new; almost to the point of actually being a new zone entirely. It's amazing how much work went into these second acts and their gimmicks. This is all done in some of the smoothest sprite work I've seen which is honestly one of my greatest pros for the game in general.

Another highlight is this game's soundtrack. My god can Tee compose some mean classic tunes. I don't think there's a single track in this game that I actually dislike. Tracks like Chemical Plant Act 2, Studiopolis Act 2, Mirage Saloon Act 2, the final boss... I can really go on here, they're all amazing. The only nitpick I have here is that I wish Tee would've allowed himself a wider range of instruments. It's not a Jun case with Sonic 4 but I feel that he was sort of limiting himself with staying too true to what a Sonic game on the Saturn would've sounded like.

The story/ plot on the other hand... well, it's a bit more than what I expected but it's still pretty bare. I appreciate them not going the lazy route and just throwing Sonic from level to level with no reason put behind it (though they do kind of start falling into that trap later on in the game) but the entire thing did seem rather simple; even from a classic standpoint. Put this up against Sonic 3&K and it would get blown out of the water. Things just sort of happen and there's no real depth to any of it here. Even the ending didn't seem all that eventful. It's not really a major flaw for me as I feel the classic styles has never really lent itself to stellar storytelling but with other games nowadays coming out right along side this, it is noticeable.

In terms of extra features and the special stages, I have to say that I'm impressed; especially with the specials this time around. They were challenging but didn't demand perfection to be conquered. It made for a much more enjoyable experience collecting the emeralds than I can remember from any other title. Combining the best parts of every main special stage from the series is a brilliant move in my eyes. Add in the small little extras like debug mode, time attack, multiple characters, multiple saves, competition mode, no save mode, ect. and there's a lot of replayability to be had here.

Though, this isn't to say that the game didn't fall into some of the same traps for me as the other classics did. The level design specifically is where the game begins to dip for me. Don't get me wrong, pretty much the entirety of the first half, with zones like Studiopolis, are done to near perfection; offering up multitude of different pathways that can be played through without sacrificing the flow in platforming segments and speed. These levels represent why I personally play these games to begin with. Though, when we get into the second half, things start to fall apart for me.

The later levels suffer from the same problems a lot of the classics had. You'll still get thrown into a re-appearing and disappearing spike set (spikes are literally added in multiple places just to enhance difficulty ala the Unleashed dlc), enemies are still placed haphazardly, and a lot of the level design devolves into a stop and go format. These problems for me just increase as the game progresses which all comes to a boil in the final zone where not even its gimmick is all that fun in my eyes. Add in a good amount of classic crushing deaths (when sonic is in between two moving platforms but the game acts like you're actually being crushed and triggers a death sequence) and it leaves me to believe that maybe the game didn't do enough to innovate and only stuck to its goal of bringing back the classic style. To me, especially towards the end of the game, it brings back both the good and the bad aspects those games had. Not to mention the pretty weak old to new level ratio and it makes me wish that they hadn't had shied away from some more modern gameplay elements and new material.

Like, call me a heathen for this but I'm starting to think that newer move-sets like the wall jump were implemented into later games for a reason beyond "avoiding platforming". Hell, and this is more of a nitpick, taking a page out of Sonic 4's book (well... any other modern sonic game tbh) and giving us a proper level select screen wouldn't have went unnoticed either. To put this in a better light, the drop dash is a completely new maneuver and it's amazing (until the later levels start to discourage its use at at least). I believe the game would've benefit more from more modern elements like this.

Also, as a side note, while the game's level scope is quite impressive in terms of how many paths each zone has; later on in the game, I started to grow annoyed with it. If there's one thing that Eggmanland from Unleashed has taught me, it's that there is such a thing as a level being too big. Specifically, when you have a time out timer placed on it. I got more time overs in some of the later levels than I ever have in my entire history of playing these games. With the level gimmicks getting a bit funky towards the end as well, it all sort of sours these levels overall.

Lastly, I found that the bosses were also a hit or miss. You had some pretty innovative ones like Studiopolis's act 2 boss but then you also had some duds like...

Spoiler

in Oil Ocean's act 2 offering.

Though, to give the team credit, each boss was very memorable, unique in their challenge, and I can easily see a certain group liking each specific boss for their own reasons. 

So, in conclusion I can't say that I didn't have a good time at least playing through this. The game's pure charm won me over in a lot of areas. Though, with that being said, I also can't say that I've moved my stance on the classic formula in general. While solid in foundation, I do feel that the formula had a lot of issues that simply weren't addressed here for the most part. Add in a fair amount of down right bugs/ glitches that I've encountered and, simply put, I don't think this is the perfect Sonic game many are touting it of being. It's certainly fun and might just even be the perfect scratch to an itch many classic driven fans have been needing for the last two decades. Though, as a fan who doesn't have that strong of a connection to the classics, I can't say that it holds that same value for me.

It's an above average game. The pure amount of work that went into each line of code is evident while you're playing. Though, unfortunately for me, you can also feel these old issues pop up right along side that sentiment. At the end, it all makes for a package that can be a fun, visual, and audio treat that (while not extraordinary for me) should be a good time for any platformer fan simply looking for a light and classic experience.

[SonicLegends]

So guys the game on Metacritic for Switch has a score of 91 which is the exact same as Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove. 

http://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/sonic-mania

[The Deleter]

Not sure whether to post in the spoiler thread or this one, but I'm just gonna reiterate my overall impressions up to flying battery due to the statuses being a spoiler-free territory for the most part.

 

First the kinda iffy stuff. The first thing that was immediately clear to me when I started playing this, was that the physics were pretty different from the classics, due to my playing Sonic 1 and 2 so much before it released. The acceleration feels longer and faster than Sonic 1, while a bit slower than Sonic 2, but more importantly the rolling physics are what stuck out to me the most. Rolling doesn't give you as much speed as it would in Sonic 1 and especially not Sonic 2, and doesn't really regard minor slopes that much as a result. They're not bad or highly inaccurate, (they're more gradual and have a higher potential top speed, and every game's physics can be good if they capitalize on them in the best ways possible) but they definitely took some getting used to. What's really bugging me, though, is how holding down on the control pad while rolling down straightaways no longer seems to guarantee you'll keep moving, and the roll comes to a stop in places it really shouldn't, such as Flying Battery's moment when you run/roll under the airship. Fell right off the ship due to a loss of speed, and I tried it again both holding right instead or not holding the stick at all. Still fell off both times, and only managed to clear the area randomly where it barely worked somehow. It's not just here, either, it's across any and all areas that have semi-flat ground to deal with. Dunno if it's just me who's experiencing this, but it is an imperfection nonetheless, as the classics never really had an issue with inputs and speed loss while rolling at high speeds.

Also, the stages are preeeeetty generous with the ring amounts in this game. I've made it through only 4 zones so far playing semi-well, and I get around 200 rings near every level, and have a life count above 20 already. For a save-less game like Sonic 1 or 2, I'd say this might be good game design, as if you're playing through the first zones as well as I am through the game after being sent back by a game over, it'd emphasize the ideal way to play the game and teach players how to perform better in the process, while also giving a safety net for the later zones in the game that'd feel rewarding and assuring. Having this many in a save-based game that only throws you back to the beginning of a zone, though... It makes lives seem trivial with how easy they are to earn and how little the game actually challenges you so far, tbh. I'm sure later zones will get harder and have less rings overall, but it really doesn't feel like it scales well as a life system for a save-state game. Definitely don't feel the need to scout out life monitors, for sure. And that's a gameplay and exploration element that has lost some of its value as a result.

That's it on my end so far though, in terms of negatives.

Now... *ahem*

 

This game, you guys.

 

To start with, Green Hill Zone impressions. Like I said, first thing I noticed were the physics being different, and that took some getting used to, which also impacted my enjoyment of the first act. But being able to explore the zone much further past the level design of the originals is a lot more prominent an aspect in this zone, I gotta say, I love this zone for it now. On the first playthrough it was pretty neat, but coming back to it (as I keep playing the first three zones over and over rather than progressing and I don't know why, lmao) being able to spend up to nine minutes exploring around an "expanded" Green Hill Zone with Tails at Sonic's side ready to give him a lift anytime, is just my favorite thing to do right now, practically. Act 2 was pretty good, too, and the zip lines are a great concept when you can manage to work them into the flow of your gameplay. It was here where I started to get the hang of the physics, and basically getting my flow down again. And overall I think they managed to stay pretty faithful to the Green Hill level design, as well, despite using a few "flowing" design methods. It's not entirely the same, but I don't think I'd want it to be. Just glad it differentiates itself from the other level design in the game, honestly.

Act 2 was also the first time I encountered the special stages, and man, these have to be my favorite of lot by far. Not only does it scratch that itch for a truly 3D Sonic game that hasn't been fully touched in forever, it takes the concept of the Heroes special stages and CD special stages and splices it with something I actually enjoy: Racing games. Managing the turns, retaining your speed, taking the corners as well as possible; it's all great fun, and combined with the verticality of Sonic's jump, they're constantly engaging and fresh imo. Heck, nailing a jump on a 3D ring item and managing to use that momentum to clear a gap, or reach another item, may just be the most classic Sonic example in a 3D game yet. All without a homing attack, as well.
 

After that, I moved on to Chemical Plant zone. Out of all the zones I've played so far, I'd say act 1 is probably the least noteworthy stage, honestly. It's more chemical plant, really faithful to the design of the original, and the long, spliced lines of automation from the original stages actually make more sense than I thought they would in the context of a bigger and harder stage, but I've never really felt the urge to explore this level due to how arbitrary the original's exploration felt in the first place, with pipes taking you to areas you don't even know the location of entirely. It's a well designed stage, (well, aside from the water section actually crushing you this time around) but I don't feel the need to experience it past simply running through it once more.

Act 2 on the other hand, oh man I love this level. It's probably even more heavily automated than the first stage, but it's blazing fast speeds that you typically control Sonic with at all times, and it almost becomes a psudo-Unleashed or Rush level in it's execution. As a recurring design this might be a problem, but for a single stage ala Hydrocity or Chemical Plant in the originals, it's a short-lived blast. It's alternate routes appear to be on the lower end of things, but with the way the stage is designed I don't mind it much. Too many options other than the occasional left or right might have broken up the pace, honestly. And in general the theming of the entire stage is really cool, taking place more in a industrialized lab than the production factory the original felt like.

There's something to be said about how often checkpoints are used, though. Combined with the plethora of rings you can collect throughout a stage, these things pop up so frequently and readily they almost break the flow of the game. They're entirely optional, sure, but my motto going into the game, was to beat as many blue sphere stages as possible in order to unlock stuff first. I guess it's good for the casual player to have a good shot at seeing the unlockable stuff, but eh. Speaking of, I love the new framerate for the blue sphere stages, but good gravy I think it may make the stages harder than before with how fast it can get now. I've finished around 10 of them in my run, but I sorta dropped off rushing through them as soon as I realized I wasn't beating the game anytime soon.

Next up was Studiopolis Zone, and can I just say that I love that one small area where there are a dozen shutter bugs and they try to slaughter you over a ring capsule? Mania may have some form of a story already, (as weird as it is) but I'm gonna remember moments like that as the actual adventure I went on in a game focused around simplicity, lol. Really cool moment.

Anyway, the first act of this zone is a new classic already, from what I can tell. The level design is top notch for an open-ended, CD-esque stage, and it directs you in the right directions almost constantly with level props and points of interest, the exploration aspect along with the windows is really cool and makes you wonder if something lies behind near every corner you see, and the kind of loops and stunts you'll pull off in this area is especially creative, zipping you about every which way through terrain that looks almost nothing like the loops and slopes you typically encounter. The challenge in this zone is on point, as well, offering plenty of platforming challenges that either demand manageable precision or a good amount of speed to overcome, (either/or is the key factor here) or enemy encounters that'll attempt to stop you in your tracks, but don't cheaply surprise you, and you can deal with relatively easily if you're quick enough. Speaking of which, anyone else noticed that they basically fixed the orbinauts in this game? Rather than being unkillable unless you get hit, wait for their projectiles, or time the instashield right, they have a time limit until they're completely dangerous, which you need to beat in order to defeat them, all done by attacking directly and easily. Pretty smart take on such a classic enemy. And I love the theming of the stage, from the clapperboard striped walkways above the stage, movie-theater tape reels and platforms, and popcorn machines, to the broadcasting hornets, televisions you're beamed to ala Mike Teavee, and the badniks all being based around a recording material. I even noticed that the heavy gunner hard-boiled heavy isn't piloting the helicopter, but hanging on to the side while another does, and shoots a rocket launcher at you. Basically something straight out of buddy-cop action flick. I love that detail, lol. But overall, this is what a stage designed in the same vein as CD should be like, for sure. Utilizes all it's elements in tandem expertly, is an easy to understand stage despite being unconventional, and has a perfect sense of challenge as a more navigational-heavy stage that wants to test your skills.

Act 2 on the other hand, oh boy. This stage is craaaaazy ambitious with it's props, throwing a million elements at you a mile a minute. It's a pretty flowing stage in the grand scheme of things, aping Sonic & Knuckles design more than anything, but the blocky terrain, CD style routes for item dead-ends, and complex art style initially threw me off how to play this stage, gotta admit. Once I got the hang of it, though, this stage is a blast to play through. The entire theming is great in this stage too, and I have a love-hate relationship with the lights as platforms honestly. They were the last thing I was expecting to land on or to fall from immediately after, but gotta hand it to them for the cleverness in the location it's in, and managing to make simple platforming a brief challenge with their disguise as the background. They also add to the cleverness of exploration in this stage, as well. Due to how easily they can be passed off as merely the background, people can often pass by secrets unawares, but then return and get a better look at the stage, and find secrets using their intuition instead of blind faith.

And I loooove exploration being tied to intuition rather than sheer luck. One of my favorite moments of exploration in the game, for example, was a moment where I noticed how two electric enemies were placed somewhat close to a stage gimmick that makes you vulnerable. One enemy may have just provided a good challenge to avoid, but the fact that there were two placed at the same height, the second at a distance that the gimmick nor the ground could reach, made me curious to look around. I backtracked to before the gimmick, saw a ramp, and tried using it. Hit the ceiling the first time, but then I jumped at the apex of the ramp, and ended up running into an opposing wall/ramp, and started running along the ceiling above said enemies. Eventually the ceiling ended, and I thought I had only found a shortcut to keep speed up with, but during that thought I realized I had landed on one of the hidden lights. Managed to jump off it before I even knew where I should go, and just barely reached the second light platform by the skin of my teeth. Made it clear of danger, and a special stage ring floated right in front of me. Perfect example of good exploration and reward in a Sonic game right there, in my opinion. And Mania follows rules like these pretty often for it's exploration I find, so I'm really happy with the way it turned out so far.

I particularly liked the reference to a certain anniversary stream at the end of the level, as well : P
 

Flying Battery act 1 is relatively normal, but I did like the addition of the electric shield to the level design for a fun twist, and Mania captures the linearity of the original stage perfectly. I've always liked flying battery to a degree, and this version is no exception. It's just a larger, if not more flowing version of the stage, and that's cool.

It's when it gets to act 2 where things get really interesting, in my eyes. Not only is the concept of exiting the ship introduced, but several different elements - elements of Wing Fortress coming into play, encountering control rooms, wings, and storage areas, the alternate paths remaining linear to themselves and spreading throughout the level in different directions - combined with that one factor, make flying battery feel like something I've never even thought about before: It being a ginormous battle ship you're travelling through at mach speed. You even get to run along the underside of the ship, which is crazy cool. (when it works properly >:V) I especially love how the routes themselves basically become their own level in the process when following them, establishing specific gimmicks, hazards, and props for each path exclusively, (one being under a garbage pit leading to Wacky Workbench callbacks and level design) and expanding upon them as the stage progresses. Fantastic reimagining that really goes great lengths to recontextualize the entire level, and it being set during intermittent thunderstorms as the ship passes through them doesn't hurt matters much, either.

The boss for this level I found to be particularly good, as well, as it's a pretty gimmicky boss all things considered, but the way it behaves and the way you can influence it's behavior basically guarantees that you'll be able to curbstomp Eggman if you know what you're doing, with barely any waiting inbetween patterns or anything. Exactly the way a classic Sonic boss should be.

Speaking of which, the bosses in this game a pretty routinely fantastic, going by what I've seen so far. They all pretty much abide by those rules for a good classic Sonic boss, but quite a few are done so originally and creatively they almost eclipse the actual classic games in their execution, and that's fantastic.

 

 

I hope to continue the game further past this point at some point down the road, but honestly I've gotten so much enjoyment from these first four zones I don't feel like I'm missing out on much at all. Which is an incredibly weird feeling when playing a Sonic game of all games, tbh. Typically I just want to get to another level as fast as possible, but with these stages, it feels like I could just play them forever.

 

And I mean look at them. Look at them. They're chock-full of unique gameplay gimmicks and features at near every corner, the stages are diverse and unique, the potential exploration is vast and replayable to no end, the level design is smart, tight, intuitive, and challenging, the content they offer is enormous, and it's all topped off with Classic Sonic's sublime movement quirks that feel like a dream to play with. Plus, I play as Sonic and Tails, so having the ability to have Tails carry and help me without the need of a second player is the absolute best, and even scratches that "Gotta have characters and story" itch in a way just by having a meaningful relationship between two characters as I play through the game. I gotta say, despite the small sampling I have at the moment, I haven't played a Sonic game that validated it's existence as a video game as much and as readily as this one has; heck, not even the classics can reach it, going by what I've played so far. That, is insane. Really looking forward to see what else is in store later on in this game... If I ever make it past these stages, that is :V

[molul]

9 minutes ago, SonicLegends said:

So guys the game on Metacritic for Switch has a score of 91 which is the exact same as Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove. 

http://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/sonic-mania

No negative reviews so far. Cool.

[Jeffhog]

So here's the thing:

For the most part, I hated writing in university and pretty much loathed all the writing assignments I kept getting stuck with. Maybe it's the complete lack of interest or it's oversaturation, but I didn't look upon these times favourably as I pretty much only remember me forcing myself into doing it.

But goddamn it, I'll write 3K+ word-long manifestos about Sonic the Hedgehog without skipping a beat or breaking a sweat.

My review for Sonic Mania on Gamnesia is done, and it is just that lengthy. Also doesn't use the expected "Sonic games have had their ups and downs" lines! Thank me.

______________________________________

Sonic Mania is a Lovingly Crafted Mega Collection of Classic Sonic's Finest Moments and More

A true return to the bygone era of Blast Processing, spearheaded by the dream team of Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, and PagodaWest Games.

Link: https://www.gamnesia.com/reviews/sonic-mania-is-a-lovingly-crafted-mega-collection-of-classic-sonics-finest-

[SweeCrue]

On 2017-08-16 at 11:23 PM, azoo said:

PS - hope ya'll on the stadium are living the best life you can live right now. And by that, I mean by playing this game. If you're not, then well, what's wrong with you? Pick up a controller and do it, no questions asked. You can thank me later. See ya.

HELL YEAH, let me get right on that!!!

 

 

 

oh.

[McGroose]

54 minutes ago, SweeCrue said:

HELL YEAH, let me get right on that!!!

 

 

 

oh.

I would listen the fuck out of an 18 hour loop of Studiopolis. 

[Zippo]

Jirard's review is up. It's excellent and Matt joins him. Don't look at the comments though, unless you like seeing angry, defensive Modern Sonic fanboys blowing a lid or two.

[Megabox91(Renzy)]

13 hours ago, Zippo said:

Jirard's review is up. It's excellent and Matt joins him. Don't look at the comments though, unless you like seeing angry, defensive Modern Sonic fanboys blowing a lid or two.

To be fair it is possible to make a Sonic Mania review without crapping on the 3D titles. As someone who actually enjoys the 2D titles more than the 3D ones I always roll my eyes whenever a review starts out that way. 

[PKGaming]

50 minutes ago, Megabox91(Renzy) said:

To be fair it is possible to make a Sonic Mania review without crapping on the 3D titles. As someone who actually enjoys the 2D titles more than the 3D ones I always roll my eyes whenever a review starts out that way. 

I have a bad feeling that as more and more people praise Mania as the best Sonic game in years, there will inevitably be contrarians that spring up and try to emphasis any shortcomings of Mania and say it's nothing special or new. 

[Zippo]

5 hours ago, Megabox91(Renzy) said:

To be fair it is possible to make a Sonic Mania review without crapping on the 3D titles. As someone who actually enjoys the 2D titles more than the 3D ones I always roll my eyes whenever a review starts out that way. 

While that is a very fair point, the amount of people in there getting angry because a reviewer criticized something they like is outright lunacy. Disagreeing is totally fine, but taking personal offense because of someone else's opinion is different from their own has always been and always will be silly.

4 hours ago, PKGaming said:

I have a bad feeling that as more and more people praise Mania as the best Sonic game in years, there will inevitably be contrarians that spring up and try to emphasis any shortcomings of Mania and say it's nothing special or new. 

They're already starting to pop up. I'm not one to start dumb classic vs modern fan arguments, but in that very comment section, there are fans of 3D Sonic claiming that reviewers are "blind" and "biased" and are only praising Mania because it's 2D and features the classic design, which is outright nonsense and hilarious. It really does feel like some modern fans are jealous that a classic Sonic game is getting far more praise than the 3D ones, which is incredibly unfortunate. Fans, old and new, should be celebrating the game's success. But then again, it's the fucking Sonic fan base we're talking about.

[Maxtiis]

I wonder how long it will be before gaming sites begin claiming that everyone was actually wrong about Mania, and that it's actually massively overrated/awful, similar to what Gametrailers did to Generations. Maybe if Forces turns out bad they'll claim it "opened their eyes to how bad Sonic is again."

[Zippo]

Every game that is almost universally well received goes through that type of phase for whatever reason.  Mario Galaxy went through it, The Last of Us went through out, Uncharted 4 went through it, and now Persona 5 and Breath of the Wild are currently being trashed by some parts of the user base. It's a strange phenomenon that always happens.

[Sonictrainer]

John's Review is up

 

[Cornelius Fudge]

1 hour ago, Maxtiis said:

I wonder how long it will be before gaming sites begin claiming that everyone was actually wrong about Mania, and that it's actually massively overrated/awful, similar to what Gametrailers did to Generations. Maybe if Forces turns out bad they'll claim it "opened their eyes to how bad Sonic is again."

I honestly doubt Forces is going to evoke those negative beliefs. If anything, it will further convince people that 3D Sonic is not the way to go seeing as how Classic and Modern Sonic are finally differentiated as two different entities with two entirely different games, one of which is critically acclaimed. If the latter fails, then it will only convince fans that Classic Sonic is the way to go.

[molul]

5 hours ago, Zippo said:

Every game that is almost universally well received goes through that type of phase for whatever reason.  Mario Galaxy went through it, The Last of Us went through out, Uncharted 4 went through it, and now Persona 5 and Breath of the Wild are currently being trashed by some parts of the user base. It's a strange phenomenon that always happens.

Wow, really? Mario Galaxy? Not questioning you, just honestly asking. Mario Galaxy was some incredible piece of art.

On topic, I remember some reviewers saying "Sonic's back" with Sonic 4. What an astonishing time... Sega AND game press showing fans how little they knew about classic Sonic games xD