Especially in the new zones, the world animates in a way that (while never possible on the Genesis) evokes the feeling of the golden era of platforming. The animation is top notch, and there’s an insane attention to detail. The use of color and visual spectacle isn’t the only impressive thing about Sonic Mania, but simply one of many. They’re all a great display on how using a vast variety of color can greatly improve a level’s themes and tone. These zones are a spectacle to behold, and the attention to detail and general love put into the art is noticeable. Some of the game’s best tunes are in these new zones, and the best looking zones (like Press Garden) are the new ones. Not only are new zones incredibly vivid and colorful, but they still maintain the signature Genesis era vibe. New zones are easy to tell from old ones, mainly due to Sonic Mania‘s great use of the color palette.
I appreciate the throwback, but the second zones are usually much more enjoyable than the first. When it comes to original Sonic levels, I can take them or leave them. New visual tweaks become more prominent, the music receives a bit of a remix, and everything is generally a bit crazier. It’s not until the second act where Sonic Mania flips the script, reforming the zone’s assets into a new yet familiar experience. When you first start the game and are plopped into Green Hill zone (as expected), nothing seems quite out of place. The first act of the remade zones is always an identical recreation of one of the trilogies best. There’s two kinds of zones remade zones from the original games, and brand new zones with their own themes. These zones all contain two acts, both distinguishable in their difference. However, the Eggman warps Sonic across a variety of entertaining and beautiful zones. There’s an evil plan somewhere in the mix, but with no dialogue (thank heavens for that), most of the story is inferred. The evil Eggman (or whatever you’d like to call him, I don’t really care) has once again obtained the chaos emeralds, and uses them to warp Sonic around various zones. Sonic Mania is relatively light on story, but that’s expected. When Sonic Mania picks up the speed, it’s an absolute blast. You’ll still bounce all over the screen in a frenetic yet satisfying way. However, not much needed to be changed about Sonic’s basic movement. In fact, Sonic Mania is essentially a mix of all the best aspects of the original Sonic trilogy, mixed into a cohesive experience. There’s the added option of drop spinning, but most of the variety in Sonic’s movement comes from the numerous power ups he can obtain. Sonic Mania doesn’t do too much in the ways of mixing up Sonic’s actual kit. I still chose the standard Sonic & Tails combo, but was glad I didn’t have to jump through any hoops to unlock him. Being able to play as Knuckles right from the start was a major appreciation. Apart from the obvious choice of Sonic, you can team up with Tails, play as just Tails, or take out Knuckles for a solo spin. When selecting your save slot (yes, there’s several save slots like the originals), you can choose which character you’ll play as. Right out of the gate, I started to appreciate Sonic Mania‘s attention to detail. But can it recreate the magic I’ve sought after for so long? Now, Sonic Mania busts onto the scene, and it’s looking mighty impressive.
I remember those gaming memories fondly, but the Sonic franchise has never been able to reach those heights again. Of all the Sonic games in the franchise, I mostly enjoyed Sonic the Hedgehog 3, usually with the Sonic & Knuckles cart attached. Games like Streets of Rage, Road Rash, and of course Sonic the Hedgehog were common games resting in my cartridge slot. Although I envied my friends with their copies of TMNT IV: Turtles in Time and various other classics, I still basked in the glory of Sega. I never had a Super Nintendo growing up I was a Genesis kid.
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