LogFAQs > #896397685

43. Sonic Mania (handsomeboy2012)


Since the Genesis games, Sonic Team has tried on a few different occasions to attempt a return to form, but Sonic Advance and Sonic 4 both fell short of the standard. Sonic Rush was decent enough, but it still didn't feel quite right. That's why classic Sonic fans were so hyped up for Sonic Mania because it had the look and feel we were all searching for (Mania even promotes itself as a true successor to the Genesis games), and it delivered on content, too. They had a good balance between remixed classic zones and brand new ones. Out of the new ones, I liked Mirage Saloon and Titanic Monarch the most. I wish they'd stop redoing the Green Hill and Chemical Plant Zones in all these throwback Sonic games, but Flying Battery, Hydrocity, and Lava Reef were all good. The biggest surprise to me was Oil Ocean, first that it was included at all, and second by how good it was. It was a really fun gameplay mechanic to include the Fire Shield here, and to have it ignite all the oil if you touched it with the shield was a neat touch. I'd go down the slides over and over again just for the heck of it to see it light all the oil on fire again (Kids, don't try this at home). Also, the old zones weren't just simple copy-pastes. They added a lot of new stuff and new routes, which was cool.

I'm a huge fan of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It's a top ten game for me (which I can safely say since it's not on the list!). There are two things I really like about it. First is the fact that there are multiple routes through just about any given act, so you can potentially experience the same level differently when you replay it. The second cool thing is the fact that Sonic and Knuckles don't have the same route through all the Zones. Due to the fact that Knuckles can climb, glide, and break through walls even the Spin Dash can't, they're able to use him in different ways, and the level design reflects that. They don't even play all the same levels or fight all the same bosses, and sometimes the bosses have separate movesets and patterns for each character. Sonic Mania brings both of those things back, and that may have sold me on it more than anything.

Plus, one of the biggest appeals of Sonic games in general is the fact that you can notice yourself gradually getting better and moving through the level faster as you go through them again, so that really adds to its replay factor. It's a really satisfying feeling nailing a good run on a zone that used to give you a lot of trouble. This is definitely a game I'll be going back to in the future, which is exactly what you want from a platformer, in my opinion. One of the worst things I think you can say about a platformer is, "I never want to play that again." They're made to be replayed, learned, and eventually mastered. Sonic captures that sensation better than most series out there, which is why it's one of my favorites.

Bonus Question: What is your favorite 2-D Sonic game?
---

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/080/145/638.png
https://imgur.com/xSIWjVK