Sonic Mania is a 2D platformer 26 years in the making. No, it’s not because it took that long to develop the game. After all, its retro style is meant to loosely imitate hardware from the Sega Saturn era and its story occurs after a game from 1994. What I mean is that it took all these years for Sonic Team to shape the lives and interests of Sonic Mania’s eventual developers. Only with years of pent-up passion could this game exist.
Related reading: All our Sonic reviews (and we've done a lot).
Before diving into why Sonic Mania is a triumph, though, I’d like to point out that simply releasing a 2D Sonic game has never been a guarantee of AAA quality. Some of the problematic 2D outings date back to 1992 with Aspect’s version of Sonic 2 for the Game Gear. Sanzaru Games’ Sonic Boom titles tried to distinguish themselves by trading high speeds for plodding pseudo-puzzles that lacked both challenge and imagination. The Dimps-developed Sonic Advance series presented great moments of classic gameplay with subtle improvements, but even these fell below Sonic Team’s efforts of the early nineties due to design choices that contradicted Sonic’s skill set.
I’m a staunch believer that Sonic can work in 2D and 3D formats,
but various problems stemming from the character’s unique gameplay have proven
to be a roadblock. One is that companies have bottom lines and thus need to rush
these games out as soon as possible. Take a look at the development history of the
series’ most reviled titles, Sonic Boom and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), if you
don’t believe me. The blue blur’s status as Sega’s mascot understandably demands
frequent releases, but churning out titles faster than the speed of sound is a
setup for flawed gems at best and indefensible disasters at worst. Panned
gimmicks like Sonic Unleashed’s werehog reek of developers grasping at straws
to produce “content” at a hasty rate to fill quotas. Obviously there are underlying
creative issues at play as well, but you get the picture.
From its conception, then, Sonic Mania has represented one
of Sega’s greatest victories in years. This is a game that began life as an independently
produced prototype; a work of passion, not obligation. Headed by Australia’s
own Christian Whitehead, we’re talking about a prodigy who was practically raised
to produce this game. After over a decade of developing Sonic fan games (including
his own revolutionary engines), his efforts bore implausible fruit when Sega green
lit 2011’s mobile port of Sonic CD. That was an opportunity that he knocked so
far out of the park the ball disintegrated; it remains the best classic port I’ve
played on a mobile platform. Backed by similarly talented individuals that have
gone unnoticed in the public eye, Sonic Mania’s name reflects the fact that it
is a game made by the fans for the fans.
How did this team succeed where others have failed? To invoke
a clichéd comparison, Mario games have always been wildly successful at
providing tight, well-designed levels. Those games work because the plumber’s
running and jumping mechanics are simple and calculated down to a science. Levels
can be plotted out on grid paper and play out relatively predictably (sans
secrets and possibly powerups), so you can refine them and cut out what doesn’t
work. A great Mario level is like a full course dinner assembled by a master chef,
playing out a linear sequence but still managing to surprise you with individual
bits of depth, flavour, and presentation.
If Mario is a meal, though, Sonic is a trip to a theme park.
His levels are not tight and controlled but massive, sprawling entities exploding
with variables and alternate pathways that dynamically respond to his abilities.
Sonic runs and jumps, but his movements and speed vary wildly on the scenario. Two
players trying a level for the first time will not do so in the exact same way
thanks to differences in reaction speed and their own sense of exploration. The
goal of this comparison is not to imply that a good steak is better than a
rollercoaster but that they’re wildly dissimilar experiences. Having said that,
a disastrous theme park is a lot more striking than burnt steak.
With Sonic Mania, I believe Christian Whitehead and friends tapped
into what makes Sonic work on a fundamental level. Sonic’s continued momentum
acts as a reward. Players achieve this through quick reflexes and are rarely
punished for being unable to predict the future. Memorisation is a definite
boon, but not required by any means (especially now thanks to Sonic’s new drop dash
ability that helps maintain top speed). Obstacles are daunting, but players are
given time to react and there are minimal leaps of faith. Playing as the
fastest thing alive is good fun, but switch to Knuckles or Tails and the exploration
elements shine. Stages can be radically different depending on what character
you choose.
Levels achieve synergy between vertical and horizontal
space, resulting in stages that are vast and unique but grounded enough to keep
from being too chaotic. The level design gives rings a deeper purpose than
being collectible; they guide the player towards points of interest. You’d be
surprised how many Sonic games ignore that or do so poorly. Players are then remunerated
for discovery with an array of goodies that protect them from environmental
hazards. Besides being a reward, speed is used for flashy transitions from area
to area. These sections give the player a chance to rest with pseudo-cutscenes
that last no longer than a few seconds so as to be unobtrusive. They’re not
about robbing control from under your thumb to pad out levels, but enhancing the
pacing and fluidity.
The game also leverages collectibles to make actions more
meaningful, yet not at the price of slowing things down. Some have complained that
it barely matters whether Sonic has one ring or 300, but that couldn’t be
further from the truth here. Because a game over means you need to restart a
zone from scratch, the extra lives granted by collecting 100 rings are
immediately evident. Nabbing of them 25 grants you access to an optional
special stage, the famous Blue Sphere from Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Complete one
of these stages and you’ll unlock countless new modes and even moves for Sonic
himself. It’s disappointing that some of these options can’t be used outside “no
save mode”, but at least they’re there. You’ll find your route subconsciously shaped
by the prospect of nabbing more rings and getting to play a little more of the
addictive Blue Sphere. By offering something that tangibly links every
playthrough together, Mania enhances the classics.
But just speaking about Sonic Mania on a mechanical level
does it a disservice. So much of Sonic’s appeal is the personality exhibited by
characters, areas, and attention to detail. Instead of Sonic being launched by
a spring to reach a higher platform, an early stage leaves it to the rather
obscure Sega Sonic Popcorn Shop. Such stylish aesthetics change menial tasks
into exciting ones, even with common enemies. Knock away one of an Orbinaut’s projectiles
and it’ll shoot a gaze of legitimate disappointment in your direction. When
Sonic completes a zone, the next level doesn’t automatically begin. No, you get
a transition scene that tells the story of where Sonic is headed next and why. It’s
so very charming because it’s told without a single line of dialogue, just
plain old sprites.
The attention to detail in Sonic Mania really is astounding.
Every stage is teeming with little love letters to obscure and forgotten Sonic games
like Sonic the Fighters. So many little touches like being able to alter the
future of Stardust Speedway in a throwback to Sonic CD kept me on the edge of
my seat. The retro cheat codes are in full swing with features like debug mode
allowing you to break the game for your own amusement. Heck, there are even hidden
references to meme culture and this game’s own announcement trailer. The best
bits are ones that combine existing pieces of Sonic history into something new
entirely. The new bonus stage is possibly the best of any Sonic game ever, melding
elements of Sonic CD with Sonic 2 and even Sonic R. For all its nods to classic
fans (and believe me, there are dozens upon dozens) Mania is still genuinely
fresh.
Yes, Sonic Mania is a nostalgia overload in the best way
possible. With this game, Christian Whitehead has milked the format of the retro
Sonic games for all they’re worth. Despite the first zone being the classic but
weary Green Hill Zone, Sonic Mania surprised me instantly. My fire shield power-up
burnt a log out of existence, a mechanic that certainly was not present in
Sonic 1. Sonic 2’s Chemical Plant Zone has the feel of the original but throws
in new mechanics like water-altering syringes that feel completely at home. But
more importantly, the levels picked are diverse and representative of the
designed philosophies applied to those games. We see the labyrinthine designs
of Sonic CD show up in Stardust Speedway, for instance. I love the original
Sonic stages to death, but if given the choice, I would probably crawl into the
past and insert Sonic Mania’s renditions of them. This is not a "best
of" but a bonafide sequel.
Even more shockingly, the best levels might just be the
brand new ones such as Mirage Saloon Zone. That one takes the idea of the Wild
West and breathes life into it with distinctly Sonic tropes (not to mention
incredible cameos). Every level is so extraordinarily thematic, filled with
enemies appropriate to the zone. That’s something that games like Sonic the
Hedgehog 4 missed the boat on at times. Tons of quirky, level-specific
mechanics make each zone pop, such as one with a Wario Land-style of using the
world's obstacles to alter Sonic. Every level here has its own set of surprises
that took me aback from start to finish.
Where the game improves on the classics most blatantly is
the boss fights. Whereas my earlier statement about replacing the old levels
with these ones might be controversial, I think most will agree that these
bouts are intense like never before. Old Sonic bosses were typically more about
exploiting the game's physics engine than traditional platformers, but here
they acknowledge that novelty while also demanding players figure out
strategies to win. Expectations are constantly toyed with, such as a role
reversal where Eggman is subjected to the dreaded water physics while Sonic
pilots a mech instead. These highly inventive bouts are not something to dread
but to anticipate as much as the levels themselves.
Another element that will keep you anxious for the next
level is the soundtrack, which, as a longtime Sonic fan, blew me away in awe.
These games are typically praised for their soundtracks even in the worst of
games, but Mania is on another level. Like Sonic 3 & Knuckles, every single
level has its own theme with each pair of acts sharing common melodies. At the
risk of gushing, Tee Lopes’ remixes and original tunes make me feel like I’m transported
to another plane of existence.
There’s this inescapable rhetoric that latches onto the mere
whisper of the name “Sonic the hedgehog”, claiming the blue blur hasn’t had a
great game in decades. While I disagree, Sonic Mania is a liberating experience
that needs no asterisks to qualify it. Sonic sequels have so often been rushed
or subjected to gimmicks that compromise what works, but Mania finally stops to
acknowledge past successes, adds logical improvements, and enhances it all tenfold
with personality. It even proves that Sonic can be more nuanced than the cursed
phrase “gotta go fast” implies.
- Clark A.
Anime Editor
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