''Sonic Mania'' is a 2017

platform game A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...

published by

Sega is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, respectively. Its division ...

for

Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 i ...

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...

, and

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for se ...

. Produced in commemoration of the ''

Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers m ...

'' series' 25th anniversary, ''Sonic Mania'' pays homage to the original

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...

''Sonic'' games, featuring speedy side-scrolling gameplay. It takes place over 13 levels, including several redesigned from past games. The story follows

Sonic Sonic or Sonics may refer to: Companies *Sonic Drive-In, an American drive-in fast-food restaurant chain * Sonic (ISP), an Internet provider and CLEC, serving more than 100 California communities * Sonic Foundry, a computer software company wh ...

, Tails and Knuckles as they venture to defeat their nemesis

Doctor Eggman Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sega's '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. Eggman was created and designed by Naoto Ohshima as part of many design choices for Sega's new mascot. After the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, ...

and his robotic henchmen, the Hard-Boiled Heavies. The development team was composed of members known for their work in the ''Sonic''

fangame A fangame is a video game that is created by fans. They are usually based on one, or in some cases several, video game entries or franchises. Many fangames attempt to clone or remake the original game's design, gameplay, and characters, but ...

and

ROM hacking ROM hacking is the process of modifying a ROM image or ROM file of a video game to alter the game's graphics, dialogue, levels, gameplay, and/or other elements. This is usually done by technically inclined video game fans to improve an old game ...

community. Development began after lead developer, director and programmer

Christian "Taxman" Whitehead Christian Whitehead, also known by his alias The Taxman, is an Australian video game programmer and designer. He is most recognized for his work creating updated ports of early games in Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series, as well as being the ...

, who was previously contracted by Sega to develop enhanced mobile ports of Genesis ''Sonic'' games, presented a playable prototype to

Sonic Team is a video game developer owned by the Japanese video game company Sega as part of its Sega CS Research and Development No. 2 division. Sonic Team is best known for the long-running ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series and games such as '' Nights int ...

producer

Takashi Iizuka , better known by his ring name , is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his 33-year career in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion. He has also worked for Pro Wrestling Noa ...

. Art, level design, audio, and additional programming were provided by independent studios PagodaWest Games and Headcannon. The team used Whitehead's

Retro Engine The Retro Engine is a multiplatform game engine developed by Australian programmer Christian Whitehead, best known for its use in Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. Overview Unlike most modern game engines, the Retro Engine is primarily tail ...

and aimed for a graphical quality between Genesis and

Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the su ...

games. ''Sonic Mania'' was released in August 2017 and became the highest-rated ''Sonic'' game in fifteen years. Many reviewers saw it as a return to form for the ''Sonic'' series following a number of poorly received games released after the 1990s. Its presentation, level design, music, and faithfulness to the early ''Sonic'' games were praised, but its lack of originality was criticized. Several described it as one of the best ''Sonic'' games and one of the best games of 2017. Within a year, it had sold over one million copies worldwide. ''Sonic Mania Plus'', an enhanced version with additional content, was released in July 2018.

Gameplay

''Sonic Mania'' is a side-scrolling

platformer A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action game, action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform game ...

similar to the early ''

'' games released for the

. Players select one of 3 playable characters, each with their own unique abilities:

can perform a "drop dash" which sends him rolling in a dash after a jump, Tails can fly and swim, and Knuckles can glide and climb walls. As with ''

Sonic 2 is a 1992 platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute (STI) for the Sega Genesis. It follows Sonic as he attempts to stop Doctor Eggman from stealing the Chaos Emeralds to power his space stationnamed The Death Egg. Like the first ''S ...

'' (1992), players can play as Sonic and Tails simultaneously, or a second player can control Tails independently. Unlockable options include Sonic's abilities from ''

Sonic CD is a 1993 platform game for the Sega CD developed and published by Sega. The story follows Sonic the Hedgehog as he attempts to save an extraterrestrial body, Little Planet, from Doctor Robotnik. Like other ''Sonic'' games, Sonic runs and ...

'' (1993) and '' Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' (1994) in place of the drop dash and "& Knuckles" mode, which allows simultaneous control of any character and Knuckles, including himself. ''Sonic Mania'' takes place over 13 levels, called zones; the game features eight "remixed" zones, such as

Green Hill Zone (or simply Green Hill) is the first level of the platform game ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', which released for the Sega Genesis in 1991. The level is grassy and lush, with environmental features such as palm trees, vertical loops and cliffs, and is t ...

from the first ''

'' game (1991), alongside five original ones. Remixed stages consist of both new elements and recycled gimmicks and ideas from other past ''Sonic'' games. Each zone is divided into 2 acts, in which the player must guide their character past various enemies and obstacles to reach the end. At the end of each act, the player takes part in a

boss battle In video games, a boss is a significant computer-controlled opponent. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight. Bosses are generally far stronger than other opponents the player has faced up to that ...

against

, also known as Dr. Robotnik, or one of his robots, including the Hard-Boiled Heavies, elite henchmen based on the EggRobo enemies from ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles''. The player collects golden rings, which serve as a form of

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organ ...

; players survive hits as long as they have at least one ring, but, if hit, their rings scatter and disappear after a short time. Television monitors containing rings, elemental shields, or

power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that can be used at any time chose ...

s such as invincibility and faster running speed are scattered throughout each level. Like ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'', the story is told via short in-game cutscenes between levels. Giant rings hidden in each act, a feature of the original games, lead to pseudo-3D special stages similar to those in ''Sonic CD'', where players can attempt to collect a

Chaos Emerald is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedg ...

. In special stages, players dodge obstacles and collect colored spheres to increase their speed, allowing them to pursue a

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are ide ...

carrying a

; collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds allows players to use their character's super transformation and unlocks the game's true ending. Players' ring counters slowly decrease during special stages and must be continually replenished; if the player runs out of rings before they catch the UFO, the special stage ends. The "Blue Sphere" special stages from ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3'' also return, repurposed as bonus stages that are accessed by entering a portal that appears when the player passes a checkpoint while carrying 25 or more rings. Completing bonus stages earns the player a silver or gold medal depending on their performance; collecting medals unlocks features such as a

debug mode A debug menu or debug mode is a user interface implemented in a computer program that allows the user to view and/or manipulate the program's internal state for the purpose of debugging. Some games format their debug menu as an in-game location, ...

and

sound test A sound test is a function built into the options screen of many video games. This function was originally meant to test whether the game's music and sounds would function correctly (hence the name), as well as giving the player the ability to com ...

. In a time attack mode, players must complete levels as quickly as possible, with the best times included on an online leaderboard; players can instantly reload a level to try again at any time. A split-screen competitive multiplayer mode allows two players to race to the end of a level, similar to those of ''Sonic 2''. Players can also unlock "Mean Bean", a 2-player

minigame A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than t ...

based on '' Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine''.

Plot

After the events of ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'', Sonic and Tails detect a powerful energy reading on Angel Island and board their

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a ...

, the Tornado, to investigate. However, Dr. Eggman sends an elite group of EggRobos to reach the signal before Sonic and Tails. The EggRobos excavate the source of the signal, a magical gemstone called the Phantom Ruby, just as Sonic and Tails arrive. The EggRobos gain new powers from the ruby, becoming the Hard Boiled Heavies, and send Sonic, Tails, and the island's guardian, Knuckles, through zones the trio have previously visited where they pursue Eggman to prevent him from using the ruby's power for evil, clashing with him and the Heavies along the way. Sonic and his allies discover that Eggman has used the Phantom Ruby's power to retake control of Little Planet from ''

''. They board Eggman's robotic fortress, defeat him and the Heavies, and escape just as it explodes. If all 7 Chaos Emeralds are collected while playing as Sonic, the Phantom Ruby transports him and Eggman to another dimension. There, the Heavy King (the Hard Boiled Heavies' leader) betrays Eggman and takes the ruby, imbuing himself with power; Eggman attacks the Heavy to try to reclaim it. Sonic uses the Chaos Emeralds to become Super Sonic and fights Eggman and the Heavy King separately to keep the ruby out of their possession. After the battle, the Phantom Ruby reacts with the Emeralds, negating Sonic's super state and creating a wormhole that engulfs itself and Sonic as Little Planet vanishes.

Development

Development of ''Sonic Mania'' began in 2015, led by Australian programmer

. Whitehead was a prominent member of the ''Sonic'' fangame community, and had previously been contracted by

to develop remastered ports of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', ''Sonic 2'', and ''Sonic CD'' for mobile phones. After developing the game for a few months, Whitehead presented a prototype, which he called ''Sonic Discovery'', to series producer

. Iizuka was receptive, and suggested that it should include old levels from the early ''Sonic'' games it was inspired by, "remixed" in a way that felt new. He also gave it the

working title A working title, which may be abbreviated and styled in trade publications after a putative title as (wt), also called a production title or a tentative title, is the temporary title of a product or project used during its development, usually ...

of ''Sonic Mania'', which stuck after no one suggested a better one. The title referenced the development team's "maniacal" fandom for the series; Iizuka described the project as being made "by the mania, for the mania", and as a "passion product" driven by the fans' love for the early ''Sonic'' games. ''Sonic Mania'' was produced in commemoration of the series' 25th anniversary. It was developed using Whitehead's

, a

game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software ...

tailored for creating two-dimensional games, which he also used for the enhanced ports of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', ''Sonic 2'', and ''Sonic CD''. The team also included programmer Simon "Stealth" Thomley of the independent studio Headcannon, who assisted Whitehead with those projects and on various ''Sonic''

s and

ROM hack ROM hacking is the process of modifying a ROM image or ROM file of a video game to alter the game's graphics, dialogue, levels, gameplay, and/or other elements. This is usually done by technically inclined video game fans to improve an old game ...

s, as well as level designer Jared Kasl and art director Tom Fry of PagodaWest Games, who had previously independently collaborated on an unofficial high-definition remaster of ''Sonic 2''.

Tantalus Media Tantalus Media (formerly Tantalus Entertainment and Tantalus Interactive) is an Australian video game developer based in Melbourne. It was founded in 1994 by programmers Andrew Bailey and Trevor Nuridin. Since its inception, Tantalus has dev ...

helped develop the Nintendo Switch port. Iizuka and the rest of

provided guidance and made sure the team did not "go off the rails into something that doesn't feel like ''Sonic''". Iizuka described the visuals as a cross between the graphical capabilities of the Genesis and

, comprising mostly

pixel art Pixel art () is a form of digital art drawn with graphical software where images are built using pixels as the only building block. It is widely associated with the low-resolution graphics from 8-bit and 16-bit era computers and arcade video g ...

with some

polygonal graphics In 3D computer graphics, polygonal modeling is an approach for modeling objects by representing or approximating their surfaces using polygon meshes. Polygonal modeling is well suited to scanline rendering and is therefore the method of choice for ...

. The developers modeled the gameplay on ''Sonic 3'', with boss fights at the end of each zone. For returning stages, the designers made the first act feel familiar, and introduced new elements in the second act. The team cited ''Sonic CD'' and ''Sonic 3'' as major influences on the level design for their "big, wide open" and "streamlined" designs, respectively. According to Thomley, the team typically decided what elements to include in the returning stages prior to designing them, but sometimes came up with new ideas or changed them based on how the development progressed. The first original level designed was the Hollywood-themed Studiopolis Zone. The desert-themed Mirage Saloon Zone was inspired by an unfinished level from ''Sonic 2'' and the

Monument Valley Monument Valley ( nv, Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, , meaning ''valley of the rocks'') is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of sandstone buttes, the largest reaching above the valley floor. It is located on the Utah-Arizona ...

region of the United States. The special stages were inspired by more recent games such as ''

Sonic Rush is a 2005 Platform game, platform video game developed by Sonic Team and Dimps for the Nintendo DS as part of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog, ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. It was released on November 15, 2005, in North America, November 18 in the PAL ...

'' (2005) and ''

Sonic Colors (known as ''Sonic Colours'' in the PAL region) is a 2010 platform game published by Sega. It follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic's quest to stop his nemesis Doctor Eggman from enslaving an alien race and taking over the world. The ga ...

'' (2010). The team felt proud of their recreation of classic ''Sonic'' gameplay. The game features animated opening and ending sequences led by

Tyson Hesse Tyson Hesse (born August 30, 1984) is an American graphic novel illustrator and director, known for his work on the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. Career Webcomics Hesse produced the webcomic ''Boxer Hockey'', which he started in 2006. Hess ...

, one of the artists of the ''Sonic'' comics by

Archie Comics Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York. It also features an optional CRT graphical filter, and supports the enhanced features of both the

PlayStation 4 Pro The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in E ...

and

Xbox One X The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts o ...

, outputting at a native

4K resolution 4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Digital television and digital cinematography commonly use several different 4K resolutions. In television and consumer media, 38402160 (4K UHD) is the domi ...

. The soundtrack was composed by Tee Lopes of PagodaWest Games, consisting of rearranged pieces from previous ''Sonic'' games alongside new material. Lopes was chosen due to his popularity on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

for producing arrangements of various ''Sonic'' tracks, and for his work on the '' Sonic 2 HD'' project. Lopes initially wanted his score to resemble the ''Sonic CD'' soundtrack, trying to imagine what a sequel to it might have sounded like. As development progressed, he took inspiration from other older ''Sonic'' and Sega games, such as '' The Revenge of Shinobi'' (1989) and the ''

Sega Rally ''Sega Rally'' is a series of racing video games published by Sega and developed by several studios including Sega AM3, Sega and Sega Racing Studio. The series released its first title, ''Sega Rally Championship'' in 1994. Initially, ''Sega Ral ...

'' games, and from 1990s popular music, such as the work of

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

. The reveal trailer theme, "Checkpoint", was composed by the electronic music groups Hyper Potions and Nitro Fun and the opening theme, "Friends", was composed by Hyper Potions.

Release

''Sonic Mania'' was announced alongside '' Sonic Forces'' at the 25th anniversary ''Sonic'' event at the

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is ...

(SDCC) convention in July 2016. The game was also featured at

South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...

(SXSW), the

Electronic Entertainment Expo E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publishe ...

(E3), and SDCC in 2017; at SDCC 2017, attendees received a promotional

instruction manual An owner's manual (also called an instruction manual or a user guide) is an instructional book or booklet that is supplied with almost all technologically advanced consumer products such as vehicles, home appliances and computer peripherals. ...

for the game. The game was announced for the second quarter of 2017, but Sega announced at SXSW that it had been delayed to allow for more development. ''Sonic Mania'' was released digitally for the

, and

on August 15, 2017. Four days before release, Sega delayed the

version for another two weeks for further optimization, releasing it on August 29 as a download on

Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporizatio ...

. As compensation, those who had pre-ordered the game received a copy of the original ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' on Steam. In addition to the standard release, a Sega Genesis-themed collector's edition was also released, containing a 12-inch (30 cm) Sonic statue atop a model Genesis, a

game cartridge A ROM cartridge, usually referred to in context simply as a cartridge, cart, or card, is a replaceable part designed to be connected to a consumer electronics device such as a home computer, video game console or, to a lesser extent, electron ...

cast with a golden ring, and a metallic collector's card with a download code for the game. To promote the collector's edition, Sega released a retro-styled

infomercial An infomercial is a form of television commercial that resembles regular TV programming yet is intended to promote or sell a product, service or idea. It generally includes a toll-free telephone number or website. Most often used as a form of dire ...

featuring former series art director

Kazuyuki Hoshino is a video game artist who works for Sonic Team as the studio's creative director. His first role involved working with Sega on '' Sonic the Hedgehog CD'' as a character/ sprite, special-stage, and visual designer. He is notable for creating Met ...

and social media manager Aaron Webber, based on an American television commercial for ''Sonic The Hedgehog 2''. The music label Data Discs published a vinyl LP featuring the game's original music in late 2017. An expanded soundtrack was released on digital music distribution platforms on January 17, 2018. A five-part animated short mini-series, ''Sonic Mania Adventures'', was released on the ''Sonic the Hedgehog''

channel between March and July 2018, promoting the release of ''Sonic Mania Plus''. The series depicts Sonic's return to his world following the events of ''Sonic Forces'', teaming up with his friends to prevent Eggman and Metal Sonic from collecting the Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald. A holiday-themed bonus episode was released in December 2018. The shorts were written and directed by Hesse, with animation production by Neko Productions, and music written by Lopes. All six shorts were later included as part of the ''

Sonic Origins is a 2022 '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game compilation by Sega. It features remasters of the first four platform games in the ''Sonic'' series originally released for the Sega Genesis and the Sega CD; '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' (1991), ''Sonic ...

'' compilation in 2022.

''Sonic Mania Plus''

An expanded version of the game, ''Sonic Mania Plus'', was released in North America and Europe at retail and as

downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabli ...

for the original version on July 17, 2018, and in Japan on July 19, 2018. A version for

Amazon Luna Amazon Luna is a cloud gaming platform developed and operated by Amazon. Luna was announced on September 24, 2020, with early access available to subscribers by invitation beginning on October 20, 2020. In its early access state, Amazon Luna ...

was released on October 20, 2020. It adds playable characters Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel from the 1993

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade vi ...

SegaSonic the Hedgehog is a 1993 arcade game in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series by Sega. Controlling Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel, the player must escape an island as quickly as possible after they are kidnap ...

'', each with unique abilities: Mighty can slam the ground and is immune to spikes when in ball form, while Ray can glide without losing altitude. ''Plus'' also adds an "Encore Mode" with remixed levels and a reworked lives mechanic, a pinball bonus stage, and a four-player competition mode. Additionally, an update released alongside ''Sonic Mania Plus'' adds more cutscenes and a reworked Metal Sonic battle based on his appearance in ''

Knuckles' Chaotix ''Knuckles' Chaotix'' is a 1995 platform game developed by Sega for the 32X. A Spin-off (media), spin-off from the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series, it features Knuckles the Echidna and four other characters known as the Chaotix, who must prevent ...

'' (1995). The physical version was released with a 32-page art book and a reversible cover in the style of Genesis or Mega Drive boxart covers, depending on the region. A soundtrack CD was included with the Japanese physical release. In an interview with ''

Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the f ...

'', Iizuka explained that ''Sonic Mania'' was not intended to have a physical release; Sega staff requested one, but a retail version would have presented a challenge for the production schedule. After the game launched, fans also expressed interest in a physical version. As a retail release would cost more than the downloadable version, the team added value with new content. Mighty and Ray were included because they were rarely featured in games; to accommodate them, level designs had to be altered. Additionally, the multiplayer mode was updated because of the increased number of selectable characters.

Reception

''Sonic Mania'' was announced following years of mixed reviews for the ''Sonic'' franchise. According to the ''

International Business Times The ''International Business Times'' is an American online news publication that publishes five national editions in four languages. The publication, sometimes called ''IBTimes'' or ''IBT'', offers news, opinion and editorial commentary on busi ...

,'' the series had been "tarnished by years of sub-par games with only the occasional gem". The ''Business Times'' predicted that Sega's approach of releasing ''Sonic Forces'' and ''Sonic Mania'' in the same year, catering to new and old fans, could repair the series' reputation and lead to a "''Sonic'' renaissance". Several critics expressed excitement for a return to the style of the early ''Sonic'' games, and wrote that Sega's previous efforts to develop games in the "classic" style, such as '' Sonic the Hedgehog 4'' in 2010, had been disappointing. According to the

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

site

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, ''Sonic Mania'' received "generally favorable" reviews. It became the best-reviewed ''Sonic'' game in fifteen years, and several critics described it as one of the best 2D platform games. At launch, ''Sonic Mania'' was the bestselling Switch game, outselling ''

Minecraft ''Minecraft'' is a sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios. The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson in the Java programming language. Following several early private testing versions, it was first made public in May 2009 before b ...

'' and '' Overcooked: Special Edition''. It greatly increased Sega's third-quarter profits, and helped Sega almost double sales of packaged games compared to the same period in 2016. By April 2018, it had sold over one million copies worldwide across all platforms. The presentation attracted acclaim. ''

USGamer Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and oth ...

'' described it as the "pinnacle" of the series' pixel graphics. ''

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

'' called the animations and detail superior to the original games, writing that they added an extra layer of personality. ''Cubed3'' described the levels as stylish and vibrant. Critics also praised the attention to detail in recreating the early games. ''

Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 ...

'' wrote that its gameplay was "nearly indistinguishable" from its Genesis predecessors, but with "extra polish". ''Easy Allies'' wrote that ''Mania'' emulated the original games "exceptionally", and that "running, jumping, and spin dashing all work exactly as well as you would hope". ''Nintendo World Report'' wrote that it avoided the physics problems from ''Sonic the Hedgehog 4'' and recaptured the spirit of the 16-bit games. The level design and music also received praise. ''Hardcore Gamer'' wrote that the remixed versions of older stages felt fresh while staying true to the originals. ''Game Informer'' wrote that the new stages matched the quality and captured the spirit of early ''Sonic'' games. '' The A.V. Club'' praised the detail and content in each level; '' Metro'' praised the fan service, and likened it to a school project "gone wild, something enthusiastic kids have made while the teacher was away and which far surpasses anything they were actually supposed to be doing". Like '' IGN,'' ''Venture Beat'' appreciated the

replay value Replay may refer to: * Replay (sports), a replayed match between two sport teams Technology * Game replay, a recording of a game session. * Instant replay, in motion pictures and television, a showing again of part of a film * Replay Professiona ...

, with branching paths that made multiple

playthroughs This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players. 0–9 A ...

"fresh". ''EGM'' wrote that the soundtrack was "completely fantastic" and felt nostalgic and new at the same time. ''

Nintendo Life Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and oth ...

'' called the soundtrack "one of the best of recent times". The game received some criticism. ''Polygon'' commented that frustrations with controls and enemy placement in the original ''Sonic'' games were present in ''Sonic Mania''. ''VideoGamer.com'' wrote that the game relied too much on nostalgia, with minimal innovation and too few original stages, but was a good proof of concept that the development team could expand upon. ''Nintendo World Report'' complained about the boss fights, which they felt were poorly executed and too easy. The Windows version was subject to

review bomb A review bomb is an Internet phenomenon in which a large number of people or a few people with multiple accounts post negative user reviews online in an attempt to harm the sales or popularity of a product, a service, or a business. While a large ...

ing due to its implementation of the

digital rights management Digital rights management (DRM) is the management of legal access to digital content. Various tools or technological protection measures (TPM) such as access control technologies can restrict the use of proprietary hardware and copyrighted work ...

(DRM) software

Denuvo Denuvo Anti-Tamper is an anti-tamper technology and digital rights management (DRM) system developed by Austrian software company Denuvo Software Solutions GmbH, a subsidiary of Irdeto. The company also developed an anti-cheat counterpart. Hi ...

, which some thought to be the real reason behind the two-week delay. The game could not be played offline on launch day; Sega stated this was a bug unrelated to Denuvo, and released a patch the following day. Multiple reviewers saw it as a return to form for the ''Sonic'' series after a number of poorly reviewed games after the 1990s. ''

EGMNow ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The m ...

'' commended ''Sonic Mania'' as one of the "purest and most enjoyable" ''Sonic'' games, expressing excitement for the future of the series. ''IGN'' wrote that it was the "classic" throwback that fans had clamored for since the 1990s, but also recommended it for people new to the franchise. ''Nintendo World Report'' called it a "must-buy" for fans of the older ''Sonic'' games. ''Waypoint'' compared it favorably to ''

Donkey Kong Country Returns ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' is a 2010 side-scrolling platform game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Wii console. The game was released first in North America in November 2010, and in PAL regions and Japan the fol ...

'', describing it as a game that knew "what was fun" about its predecessors. ''Nintendo Life'' felt that ''Mania'' represented "a true return to form" and was a contender for the best game in the series. ''Sonic Mania Plus'' received stronger reviews, with the Nintendo Switch version receiving "universal acclaim", according to the review aggregator Metacritic. Multiple reviewers called it the definitive version thanks to its extra game mode and characters. DualShockers' Tomas Franzese praised the "Encore" mode for feeling fresh, as well as the movement options introduced with Mighty and Ray. Michael Leri of ''

Game Revolution ''GameRevolution'' (formerly ''Game-Revolution'') is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshot ...

'', however, found the new partner system more frustrating than the traditional Life (video games), lives system found in classic ''Sonic'' games. ''IGN Spain'' did not recommend the update for those that own the original game, but commended the physical release and the added value for new players and hardcore fans.

Legacy

''Sonic Mania'' was nominated for the "Best Family Game" at The Game Awards 2017 and the "Best Kids Game" at the 2018 New York Game Awards. The theme song "Friends" was reused for the prologue of the Sonic the Hedgehog (film), 2020 ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' film.

Notes

References

External links

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Sonic Mania
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