Sonic Mania Reviews
Sonic Mania distills Sonic down to its basic elements, resulting in a wonderfully lean Hedgehog throwback. Unfortunately, DRM issues prevent Sonic Mania from blazing a truly excellent trail.
It was so simple, yet so difficult. Sonic Mania succeeds where others did not: it delivers the gameplay experience of the original games with a format made possible by today's technology and an immense wealth of creativity that when put together make this an exquisite Sonic game, a fitting follow up to the 16-bit originals and one to leave a legacy for the future.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Sonic Mania is a love letter thoughtfully crafted for fans of the series' early romp in 2D, which the game follows to perfection. Admittedly, some of the game's mechanics have not aged well and might be cumbersome for some. If you love the classic gameplay, however, and want to experience it through larger areas littered with multiple paths and secret nooks and crannies, you'll want to spin dash your way to this one.
Fast-paced best-of all the classic Sonic Games with Megadrive flair, some new levels and boss battles.
Review in German | Read full review
Sonic 3 & Knuckles left the 2D series at such a high point, that it would be difficult to find a way to top it. Yet Whitehead and PagodaWest Games, found a way to do it.
Anyone who was Team Sega in the 90s remembers the "Sonic" series fondly. "Sonic Mania" is tailor made for this audience. Sonic's first spin dash through a loop of rings brings a wave of nostalgia that Sonic hasn't been able to muster in decades. This game makes up for lost time and reminds gamers why the Blue Blur is one of the most beloved game characters in the medium.
Sega took a chance in letting a longtime Sonic fan and a few smaller dev teams bring the original 16-bit iteration of their mascot back into the modern era, and the result is Sonic Mania, one of the purest and most enjoyable Sonic games we've ever been given. The question isn't if this experiment in reviving classic Sonic was successful or not—the question is what happens next.
If you've been waiting for Sonic to become relevant for some time, you don't have to wait anymore. Mania has righted all those wrongs and then some.
At its best, Sonic Mania makes classic zones from past Sonic the Hedgehog games feel unpredictable again.
Sonic Mania is easily the best game of the speedy blue hedgehog in years. Not only that bit it is also one hell of a game that pays tributo to all of the franchise history itself. If you are a Sonic fan don't even doubt about it, go and get it as fast as you can.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Sonic Mania is a fantastically well-worked continuation of an iconic franchise and a great reminder of why the Genesis games were so well loved. Everybody who has waited patiently for 20-odd years for Sega to get it right again is in for a treat. Top notch.
Sonic Mania is a wonderful blend of classic Sonic and new ideas, and should serve as an example of the great things that can happen when game companies embrace fan creators. There's no reason Sonic Mania shouldn't be followed by multiple sequels that continue its remixing magic.
Sonic Mania is a solid game that reminds us how amazing in terms of design were 16-bit episodes. We can say this game is unarguably a new classic for the blue hedgehog and that it has to become a reference for the future titles of the franchise.
Review in French | Read full review
Sonic Mania is one of those games that many thought would never happen. A true sequel to Sonic and Knuckles that takes the series to new heights, this is the 2D arcade platformer that everyone who owned a Genesis has been waiting for.
Despite its flaws, Sonic Mania is the type of game that players can keep going back to over and over. It has the replayability of the classic Sonic games with minor modernisations for current day gamers, and is sure to appeal to old and new players alike. For a franchise that for a while seemed to flounder and suffer from subpar titles, it offers hope to fans that there will be more to return the series to its former glory.
It's awesome, masterfully blending the old with the new and reminding us all what a true Sonic game is about.
Sonic Mania for as little as €20 contains everything what's best in the classic entries, and many fresh ideas. Must-have for all fans of the blue hedgehog – but only for them.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Even though it's not the Genesis version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or Sonic Advance 2, Sonic Mania does a lot of good things right. Christian Whitehead and Simon Thomley put out a beautiful love letter to Sonic fans from the Genesis and Advance eras of Sonic 2D platformers. The nods to all of SEGA's classic titles, the innovative boss fights, the merging of several classic levels, all of it proves that to capture the pure essence of Sonic the Hedgehog, sometimes it is good to simply go back to the basics...
From the beautiful and lively opening animation to the start screen, it immediately felt both comforting and fresh like putting on a pair of brand new pajama pants. I'm glad they took a chance on getting developers who originally started work on Sonic ROM hacks because they really nailed the feeling. This is what nostalgia should feel like and hopefully this leads to more excellent reboots of Sega properties.