Sonic Mania Plus: Official Reveal (Coming July 17th) - NO SPOILERS

[JezMM]

Sadly I'm among those who feel a little underwhelmed.  Amy seemed like such a no brainer.  While I appreciate the weight of including deep-cuts like Mighty and Ray... I don't care about them as characters one bit.  They're visually very boring, Ray in particular.  Hopefully their gameplay wins me over, but as is, I'm not really excited.

I was really hoping for just two new zones or something.  As is, the art book is the most exciting aspect for this release for me personally.  I'll still probably buy it just to support the franchise though.  I definitely hope we get stuff in response to post-launch feedback such as the "missing" inbetween zone cut-scenes.  I can appreciate they aren't particularly a selling point to the layman stream viewer to be worth mentioning at a time like this.

45 minutes ago, molul said:

Did they explain what the encore mode is about?

They were vague about it, apparently there will be aesthetic differences to the stages, but they implied it'll also somehow change how you play the stages.

10 minutes ago, Roger_van_der_weide said:

No Saturn Sleeves? I thought this was supposed to be a Saturn style game?

This was only the team's direction in terms of coming up with the visual style for the game, "what if the classic series had continued onto the Saturn?"  The marketing has always touted it as a follow-up to the Mega Drive games, people really should be at peace with this by now - they included a Mega Drive cartridge replica with the original release's special edition.

[Tenko]

I'm really looking forward to what they can do with the almost blank slates with Mighty & Ray. It's exciting news for long time fans, people that enjoyed Sega Sonic Arcade as well as Knuckles Chaotix. These characters have been missing from the franchise since the 90's it's pretty big.

I can understand those that were wanting the classic version of Amy, I'm shocked she wasn't included too. Who knows tho, perhaps there's more to this package than announced so far and we will get more info as release gets closer.

It's even more exciting that we get more animation in the classic style via Hesse and company, while I got excited and jumped to the conclusion it was a new animated cartoon series, a contained short series is better than nothing at all.

The prospect of Mighty & Ray being represented in animated form too is also amazing. Makes me wonder if the ending to Mania will be replaced with a full animated sequence or if they will just do some minor animated stills again in Plus.

Hopefully the additions etc they spoke of will include the missing transition scenes, I can't imagine it won't as it was one of the big complaints that was quite vocally put across on numerous reviews and forums. It will be interesting to see if there are any more stages added, they were very vague on what the extras and additions actually were outside of the two new characters. I'll be waiting eagerly!!

[Bobnik]

4 minutes ago, Jango said:

The question is... will the digital version have the Plus patch? Or at least paid DLC? Or do we actually need to buy the physical version to play it?

Yes and yes to the first 2 questions.

The price of DLC is TBA.

Anyway, while I am happy we're getting 2 more playable characters (and pretty good ones at that), I'm a bit bummed that it's not going to get any sort of new stages. Encore mode is intriguing, but I don't really understand what the mode is about.

I do wonder what's the price going to be for the DLC. Because 10 dollars would be a tiny bit too steep IMO for 2 characters and no new stages.

Also I really hope 4-player comp.mode isn't behind a paywall, that'd be stupid.

[MainJP]

9 minutes ago, superman43 said:

I believe that the last one was "R" from the beginning, but they didn´t want to give it that easy. That´s why the "R" is written almost like "A", to make people confused.

Maybe the A was originally Amy but since Ray would be a lot easier to develop for they went with him instead?

[Fire-N-Space]

They should have made Amy playable in this she is getting so little to no attention in these games, TV shows and comics she was even made in 1993 as well.   

[superman43]

1 minute ago, Bobnik said:

Yes and yes to the first 2 questions.

The price of DLC is TBA.

Anyway, while I am happy we're getting 2 more playable characters (and pretty good ones at that), I'm a bit bummed that it's not going to get any sort of new stages. Encore mode is intriguing, but I don't really understand what the mode is about.

I do wonder what's the price going to be for the DLC. Because 10 dollars would be a tiny bit too steep IMO for 2 characters and no new stages.

Also I really hope 4-player comp.mode isn't behind a paywall, that'd be stupid.

I hope we get adaption of Sonic Mania Adventures in Sonic Mania +... = playable Angel Island

[Marcello]

Oh, I just realized that Ray's shoes are from his Archie version:

[superman43]

1 minute ago, MainJP said:

Maybe the A was originally Amy but since Ray would be a lot easier to develop for they went with him instead?

It´s not 100% A by the way. It could well be a f*ed up R.

[E-122-Psi]

Thinking about it, Mania if anything is a good choice of introduction for Mighty and Ray, since the super expressive animation and sprite work would be ideal for replicating their SEGA Sonic Arcade personalities and introducing them as proper characters instead of generic shells.

[MainJP]

Just now, superman43 said:

It´s not 100% A by the way. It could well be a f*ed up R.

That’s a really f*cked up R then.

[superman43]

2 minutes ago, MainJP said:

That’s a really f*cked up R then.

I still believe it was f*cked up on purpose, to get all caught on Amy and Metal Sonic. Let me just say, if it was R from the beginning, what´s the chance you will make out the "Plus" might have Mighty and Ray ? 

[Celestia]

No Amy (and Metal Sonic) really really REALLY sucks. I'm curious to see what moves Mighty and Ray might have to differentiate 'em but that's about it, can't say I'm too excited about it. But I guess it's kinda neat to see them make a proper appearance after all these years that's not just a cameo. I also would've liked to see new zones or something but I'm not too fussed about that honestly.

Everything else sounds neat. I'm really curious about Encore Mode, and the physical bonuses are nice.

[Blue Blood]

I understand the disappointment about a lack of Amy. She's always been the next obvious choice for another playable character in a Classic game for obvious reasons. I'm so happy to see Mighty and Ray though. To me, they're more interesting than Amy because of their curveball nature. Reviving these two forgotten characters and giving them their first, real appearance outside of two of the oldest and most niche games in series is so exciting. I sincerely doubt that the team is going to make them reskins.

I can't get over the fact that this is happening. Physical Mania with an art book and tons of new content that tugs at my heartstrings. Bravo 

[Marcello]

Just now, Celestia said:

No Amy (and Metal Sonic) really really REALLY sucks. I'm curious to see what moves Mighty and Ray might have to differentiate 'em but that's about it, can't say I'm too excited about it. But I guess it's kinda neat to see them make a proper appearance after all these years that's not just a cameo. I also would've liked to see new zones or something but I'm not too fussed about that honestly.

Everything else sounds neat. I'm really curious about Encore Mode, and the physical bonuses are nice.

Honestly, I prefer Mighty and Ray to Metal Sonic.

[superman43]

Just now, Marcello said:

Honestly, I prefer Mighty and Ray to Metal Sonic.

By the way, Metal Sonic would make no sense.

[Tenko]

Hmm if Mighty and Ray are in the Adventures shorts...will we see Nack/Fang and crew again in them too? I hope so!!

[Wraith]

Just now, Blue Blood said:

I understand the disappointment about a lack of Amy. She's always been the next obvious choice for another playable character in a Classic game for obvious reasons. I'm so happy to see Mighty and Ray though. To me, they're more interesting than Amy because of their curveball nature. Reviving these two forgotten characters and giving them their first, real appearance outside of two of the oldest and most niche games in series is so exciting. I sincerely doubt that the team is going to make them reskins.

I feel like they were chosen BECAUSE it's easy to make them reskins compared to other characters.

Like..I feel like if the Mania Team proper was working on this the updates would be more substantial, but nothing is confirmed.

[Kuzu]

I honestly would have preferred Amy too, but I can't be too upset at Mighty and Ray for being unexpected.

[Jango]

1 minute ago, Blue Blood said:

I understand the disappointment about a lack of Amy. She's always been the next obvious choice for another playable character in a Classic game for obvious reasons. I'm so happy to see Mighty and Ray though. To me, they're more interesting than Amy because of their curveball nature. Reviving these two forgotten characters and giving them their first, real appearance outside of two of the oldest and most niche games in series is so exciting. I sincerely doubt that the team is going to make them reskins.

Hopefully is something along the lines of Shovel Knight DLCs? Althought, it can't be TOO different, as I assume the levels itself won't change... the promotional art does says: "and more..."

[Radiant Hero Ike]

Seems decent. Mighty and Ray were always interesting to me. I wonder how they'll play.

Hopefully the Encore mode makes the stages I didn't like more fun.

[Wittymations]

I really hadn't had much of an interest in Mania, until now. I dunno if it's enough to actually get me to go for it, but it's a liiiiiiiiiitttle more tempting now.

 

[JezMM]

I admit, part of what feels "off" about Mighty and Ray to me is that they're so obscure and generally not cared about.  Sonic Mania, a game that celebrates Classic Sonic's full history but only with major focus on Classic Sonic's highlights, seems the wrong game to reintroduce them to me personally.  A sequel?  Absolutely.  But THIS ONE feels kind of off.  For Mania, they deserved something small, like what Amy, Fang, Bark and Bean got.  Them getting such MAJOR service feels weird to me in the same way that if say, Sonic Generations had included a stage from Knuckles Chaotix instead of Sonic 3 & Knuckles.  I'd be like "what are you guys doing!  That's cool and all but you skipped over the major stuff here!"

Honestly though I think I am just a touch biased by how much I dislike Ray's visual design lol.  He looks like someone opened a Sonic OC doll maker, set the species to squirrel, the fur colour to yellow, and then clicked "Done" without making any other changes lol.

[Lord-Dreamerz]

7 minutes ago, superman43 said:

By the way, Metal Sonic would make no sense.

Not sure how it does or doesn't make sense? He's been playable before multiple times. him being a villain changes nothing. It depends on if the company wants him to be playable or not, they just didn't pick him in this case. But yeah I would had strongly prefer they picked Metal Sonic over those other 2 as I am a Metal fan. Amy is still the first choice i'd pick out however.

[Indigo Rush]

Mighty and Ray are finally playable after all these years. I say this is a win. They're effectively blank slates for new abilities. Curious to see how they go about it. Perspective matters here... one would see this as a waste of a character slot. I see this as an opportunity to recreate two fan favorites. Years from now, I don't think anyone's going to mind them being back.

Anyway yeah I'm on board 300 new hours for Mania on Steam woop wooooop

[Wittymations]

Huh. I hadn't expected this. I really didn't care about Mania and hadn't bothered with it, yet. This gives me a little bit more reason to go for it, but not enough to actually pull the trigger.

 

1 hour ago, JosepHenry said:

People love those characters because of the comics, that's why they have so many fans.

I don't think that's it. I mean, it might help some a little, but Archie was largely a pretty niche comic. 

People just love obscurity.