Sonic Mania Reviews
Sonic Mania is nothing short of a triumphant return to the spectacular roots of the Sonic franchise
Sonic Mania is a true love letter to the blue hedgehog's 16-bit days, developed by a team that you can tell have put everything they have into making sure that it not only lives up to fan expectations but gamers in general. And, while there is certainly plenty to be gained here if you're a Sonic enthusiast, Sonic Mania is an excellent standalone platformer in its own right, too, and one that will hopefully open the door to more retro-inspired ventures for some of SEGA's older IPs.
It’s a fantastic entry for the franchise, and it certainly has helped to reinvigorate my interest in the character going forward.
Sonic Mania is the best Sonic game in over a decade and is one of the best Sonic games of all time.
The blue blur returns in Sonic Mania, the hedgehog's crowning achievement
Sonic Mania is a love letter to the past while keeping its eyes toward the future of the franchise.
The bugs and glitches betray its modern gaming background, but otherwise Sonic Mania is an absolute masterclass in how to rejuvenate an iconic series without either straying too far from its roots or essentially repeating a stale and tired formula.
So is Sonic Mania good? Yeah, it’s awesome. Is it the best Sonic game ever? No, Sonic 3 & Knuckles is. Is the Sonic Cycle broken? Probably not, Sonic Forces is due out later this year and looks like more of the third-person rubbish that we’re now so sadly used to.
Sonic Mania proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sonic is better in 2D. Mania cleverly leans on the best of Sonic’s past while also carving its own path for a bright future for the blue blur. Welcome back Sonic.
If you’re a fan of the classic games you’re going to be in platforming heaven with Sonic Mania. On the flipside, if you’ve been living under a rock for the last twenty five years and haven’t played a single Sonic the Hedgehog game, Sonic Mania is an absolutely fantastic place to start. You might not appreciate the nostalgic elements as much as a long-time fan, but you’ll certainly appreciate the incredibly fun gameplay that’s on offer from start to end.
Sonic Mania brings the best that the classics had to offer and then goes Super Sonic on you.
Even with the small issues, Sonic Mania is a love letter to Sonic fans. As it should be though, it was designed by fans for the fans. Sonic Mania is right up there with the best Sonic titles and an excellent throwback that longtime fans have been hoping and waiting for – myself included.
It’s clear that Sonic Mania was made with a lot of tender loving care, and with all the fans this game is set to please in addition to finding new ones, it would be a shame if Sega doesn’t name Christian Whitehead and company the new Sonic Team.
Sonic Mania is quite possibly the best blue blur experience in over twenty years. What Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, and Pagoda West Games have accomplished is nothing short of breathtaking, and it most certainly steers the Sonic franchise back on course. Now, we can only cross our fingers that both the flawless quality and overwhelming success of Sonic Mania will result in a series of future franchise entries within this style.
If Christian Whitehead just keeps making new Sonic levels, and SEGA lets him head more games, then the future of Sonic will be bright. Hats off to you, Mr. Whitehead.
The nostalgia felt when playing Sonic Mania means that SEGA have done a fantastic job. It looks the part, sounds the part and most importantly plays the part. It’s more challenging than I remember, but this is quite possibly due to there being a lot of new elements to the levels to learn, and my muscle memory from the old games counts for nothing here. There is plenty of replayability here though, so maybe one day those memories will return.
If you’ve been waiting for Sonic’s grand return to the spotlight, your wish has finally been granted. Sonic Mania is as good as it gets, proving that sometimes a franchise needs to rediscover its roots to move forward.
What are you doing reading the Review description? Get yourself to the eShop, the PSN store or Steam and pick up this beautiful game. It's not even full price. Beautiful art, music and level design works to enhance the nostalgic glory of 90's sonic, and results in a hedgehog Tour de Force. Buy Sonic Mania and don't look back. Gotta go fast.
Great Sonic games are a novelty these days. Fortunately, the novelty doesn’t wear off in a hurry. Sonic Mania is fast, fun, and full of surprises, from the first level until the last.