Sonic Mania Reviews
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.
Sonic Mania is a true return to form for the mascot, in his 2D 'Classic' guise at least. It celebrates the glory days of the original games while also enhancing their qualities and taking on new ideas. From new areas, imaginative second acts and some delightful boss encounters, the development team has poured a lot of passion and talent into the project. The occasional bug and a couple of brief and cheap areas deprive it of Sonic-style perfection, but it's pretty darn close.Is it the best Sonic game ever? It's in the conversation, though the classics it's honouring may stake a claim for slightly greater 'flow' in the campaigns. Frankly, it's better just to call it a dead heat and skip the argument - Sonic Mania belongs in the company of the games to which it pays tribute - the Blue Blur is back.
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.
Overall, Sonic Mania succeeds a lot more than it stumbles.
From the beginning to the end, I couldn't seem to put Sonic Mania down. One playthrough, without collecting all the Chaos Emeralds took me about six hours, I never said I was the fastest Sonic player. Sonic Mania has helped me rediscover what it was I loved about Sonic when growing up and it took me back to a time where I could just pick up a game and have fun. This if for Sonic fans everywhere and it will not disappoint.
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
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.
A beautifully crafted love letter to Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Mania is everything a Sonic game should be and more. I'd be deliriously happy if SEGA carried on making them like they used to; if it carried on making more games like Sonic Mania.
In the nearly 20 years since Sonic Adventure, it turns out all Sonic needed was a developer who actually understood what made a good Sonic game. Mania is a joyous non-stop celebration of everything you ever loved about Sonic The Hedgehog, with perfectly designed levels, and controls that feel just right..