I’m a huge fan of the Classic Sonic the Hedgehog games, so Sonic Mania was a game I just had to play day 1, and play I did. I actually played for quite a few hours today a somewhat rare thing for me to do, and I had a hell of a good time. That is, until one part, which I’ll get into later. The game plays well, and feels damn similar to the classic games – ever so slightly different, but best described as a fusion of the nuances of each main Sonic game. There are a few quirks in some of the new mechanics, and a few level mechanics that have been changed from the classic games take some getting used to, but all in all, this game feels right – way better than Sonic 4, Sonic Advance, and the others feel.
Add in the shot of nostalgia from the usage of classic Sonic levels and themes and you get something that fits just right – a game that feels like a proper advancement of the classic games – hell, you could say this is the “true” Sonic 4, barring the fact the game is heavily based around classic levels rather than new ones.
Still, not all is perfect – there are a few boss fights and level segments that aren’t as good as they could be, most notably the Metal Sonic fight at the end of Stardust Speedway – it uses a somewhat unique mechanic that while easy to discover isn’t easy to figure out details of to take advantage of in the battle in question.
I’ll go into more on that on its own article, and I will give the game a proper review soon enough, but for now, I’ll say this much – if you think you might be interested in the game, go on and get it. I don’t think you will regret it.
Available On: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and coming soon to PC.