They started out easy, but grew satisfyingly challenging, and completing them all perfectly took quite a bit of time and practice. These stages donвЂ™t unlock emeralds, but do unlock bonus features once youвЂ™ve completed a set number of them, like a sound test, a debug mode, and even hidden sub-games. Making matters worse, colliding with a bomb can start a chain reaction that sends you careening uncontrollably into other sets of obstacles, which can make otherwise good runs turn bad very quickly.ДЄlso returning are bonus stages from Sonic 3, which youвЂ™ll find at the checkpoints scattered across the zones. ItвЂ™s a fun concept, but it can be tough to see barriers that block your way on the ground, and collision detection on some objects seems off. In special levels, you chase a UFO through a 3D landscape by collecting speed-enhancing blue spheres and rings. I replayed many of these stages over and over, finding little nuances and secrets that eluded me the first, second, and even fifth time around.ДЄnd there is incentive to replay these stages, as there are numerous hidden special levels youвЂ™ll need to conquer to collect the Chaos Emeralds and see Sonic ManiaвЂ™s вЂtrueвЂ™ ending. Sonic Mania has all the the crucial elements that go into making a great Sonic adventure: big, elaborate stages, responsive controls and movement physics, interesting and engaging tricks and traps, lots of hidden nooks and crannies to discover, and hazards that challenge you to stay alert and act fast.

The soundtrack is also top-notch, packed with remixes of classic Sonic tunes alongside all-new compositions. That goes for the enemies, too - EggmanвЂ™s new вЂњhard-boiled heaviesвЂќ are depicted with lots of quirky personality, making them interesting and unique villains without speaking a shred of dialogue. Everything, down to the smallest of background elements, is more detailed and features more movement than ever before. Reworked Sonic stages look more beautiful than ever, packed with vibrant color and dazzling visual flourishes, while the new zonesвЂ™ artstyle meshes perfectly with the 2D pixel art of classic Sonic. The zones arenвЂ™t the only things to get an overhaul, either. Even the old zones are packed with plenty of new tricks. Sonic 2вЂ™s Chemical Plant Zone was always been a fun romp filled with high-speed tunnels and ramps, but with the addition of chemical jelly goop that bounces you around and lets you cling to walls, it feels fresh and fun in a whole new way. TheyвЂ™re bigger, more elaborate, and filled with traps and gimmicks both old and new that tickled my nostalgia bone and surprised me. One route might have you thrust into the guts of a popcorn machine after being beamed around like a satellite signal, while another will send you speeding through the cityвЂ™s underground subway passages.Д«ut even the old zones are packed with plenty of new tricks. Take, for example, the glittering neon lights and electronic contraptions of Studiopolis, an area themed after a television studio in a big city. These new zones are particularly impressive: the theming and level design in each is colorful and creative, and I was eager to run around and explore, finding all sorts of challenges (and easter eggs) within. YouвЂ™ll see classic zones from Genesis-era Sonic games, like Chemical Plant, Stardust Speedway, and Lava Reef, alongside all-new areas like Studiopolis and Mirage Saloon. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are back to fight EggmanвЂ™s forces the best way they know how: running, jumping, spindashing, flying, and gliding their way to victory across twelve zones. Sonic Mania is proof that no matter how much time passes, great gameplay is always in style. With Sonic Mania, Sega brings Sonic back to his classic 2D sidescrolling roots, taking direct inspiration from the 16-bit games that originally propelled Sonic and friends to superstardom. HeвЂ™s had his fair share of ups, downs, and loop-de-loops, but Sonic has proven to be one of gamingвЂ™s most beloved and enduring icons.

Sonic mania reviews