This was all true of the classic Genesis games, of course, but Mania builds on that concept in interesting ways. But in each level there’s a moment where you hit a zen-like state as Sonic bursts forward with seemingly impossible speed, as if nothing can slow him down. In some stages you’re spinning through a seemingly never-ending track of neon hamster tubing, in others you’re beamed around the level as Sonic is transformed into radio waves. The hedgehog blazes through neon cityscapes, requiring your input at just the right time to avoid an enemy or obstacle and keep that momentum going. During its best, most exciting moments, Sonic Mania almost feels like it’s playing itself. Mania nails the sense of speed that defines those earlier games, and its level design takes advantage of this. While Super Mario is slower and more thoughtful, playing a side-scrolling Sonic is like controlled chaos. If you haven’t played a traditional Sonic game in some time, it can be hard to remember just how distinct these games feel. “I specifically aimed to make older Sonic fans feel like they're kids again.” - Sonic Mania composer Tiago “Tee” Lopes They managed to create the kind of game the series has desperately needed for some time: an old-school Sonic brimming with clever twists and ideas. Mania was assembled by a team of indie creators who cut their teeth on Sonic fan projects, before partnering with Sega to reboot the franchise. It’s the kind of game Sonic fans have been waiting for, because in many ways it’s a game made by Sonic fans. It channels the best parts of the series’s glory days - the speed, the twitchy action, the Rube Goldberg level design - and largely improves on them. It’s a game that looks and feels like it was made 25 years ago, and I mean that in the best possible way. Most notably, it brings the series back to what made it so popular in the first place: blazing-fast side-scrolling action. But Mania is different than its predecessors. It’s far from the first game to claim that mantle, so it’s easy to be skeptical. Sonic Mania has been billed as a return to form for the series. Sonic has remained an enduring brand, thanks to comics and cartoons, but it hasn’t been an important force in gaming for some time. While Super Mario evolved over the years with inventive new takes on platform games, its longtime rival stagnated. Some of his post-Genesis adventures were terrible, a handful were good, but most were aggressively mediocre - a sorry state for one of the biggest names in the medium. Ever since the 16-bit era ended, the iconic mascot has struggled through one console generation after another. For years, Sonic has been in need of a shake-up.
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