![sonic mania game screen sonic mania game screen](https://wallpaperaccess.com/full/2197205.png)
Honestly, I get why the lock-on attack was introduced in the 3D Sonic games, but for the subsequent side-scrolling games I felt it absolutely ruined the gameplay, breaking the flow and making things far too damn easy.įor example, if I need to bounce off enemies to reach a hidden area of the level, I would rather it be a challenge and skill based, rather than just tapping the jump button and letting the game take control. There’s also the return of the old physics-based gameplay (something that seems to be lacking from more recent Sonic titles), where Sonic makes use of physics to bounce off enemies and springs to reach new areas – it brings back a level of skill required that you just don’t see these days.Īnd, thankfully, there is NOlock-on attack. Gameplay, oh how I’ve missed theeįrom what I could tell, the game plays identically to the Mega Drive Sonic games Sonic needs to build up his speed, but once you do build up speed and get your rhythm going, you can find yourself zipping along like a pro. A bit like Sonic Generations did, but a bit more in keeping with the original source material than Generations. It’s taking the classic engine/game design bringing in new levels, but also revamping some of the classic levels from yester-year. I don’t regret my choice one bit, however, if I had known more about the game, I would have realised that it is not just the Green Hill Zone of Sonic the Hedgehog 1 on offer, but rather a remake, with a brand new added underground section.Īnd, apparently, that’s what Sonic Mania is about. So I opted to play Studiopolis Zone and skipped Green Hill Zone. Now, as I said at the start, I had no knowledge of the game before this day, so in my stubborn mind I said to myself: “I’m here to play a new Sonic game, why on Earth would I play a retro level? What’s the point?!”
![sonic mania game screen sonic mania game screen](https://images.gamebanana.com/img/ss/mods/5e553b5e9778b.jpg)
Classic Sonic: updatedĪt Summer of Sonic, we had two levels available for us to play, but long queues meant limited play time – so we only had time to really play one.Īt the select screen we had one brand new level, Studiopolis Zone (a level with a TV/media theme throughout), and a classic level, Green Hill Zone (from Sonic 1). And the visuals and warm feelings continue when you jump into the game. The title screen alone seeps nostalgia and, for the first time in years, I felt a warm-fuzzy, comfort I’ve not experienced for a long time with Sonic games. The visuals of the island and its ‘3D’ effects are reminiscent of games such as Street Racer or the original Mario Kart and I mean that literally – there’s no modern-day polish or 3D polygons in use (at least from what I could see), just good old 16-bit sprites in action. You see the Sonic Mania logo overlaying a very 16-bit-looking quasi-3D island (assumedly the world of Sonic Mania). The first thing that caught my eye, while standing in line at Summer of Sonic, was how retro the title screen looked. So with Sonic Mania, I steered clear of all the …*ahem*… ‘Sonic mania’ surrounding the game… until this year’s Summer of Sonic 2016 event, where I got some hands-on time with an early preview the game.
![sonic mania game screen sonic mania game screen](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XqeVn6Zv8xw/maxresdefault.jpg)
Not that Sonic 4 was a bad game per se, I enjoyed it – but it wasn’t a “return to glory” that I had been expecting. Trailers can be deceiving – I remember Sonic 4’s early screens and trailers had me giggling with glee, but the final result was lacklustre. The problem here is that neither party really has any idea what the game is like, until they actually play it. SEGA/Sonic fans go nuts and the optimists in us scream: “Yes! Sonic is back to his former glory,” while the pessimists of the Internet cry: “Noooo! It looks terrible.” SEGA releases images and/or trailer of the game.
![sonic mania game screen sonic mania game screen](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NZb5KCI5mCA/maxresdefault.jpg)
You know what I mean, it goes a little like this: SEGA reveals a new Sonic game is in the works. I wanted to avoid the trend that has become common with Sonic games over time. I refused to watch the trailers or read any other articles about it. This wasn’t from ignorance mind, but rather because I chose to ignore everything about it. Other than the name, and seeing the logo posted on social media, I knew nothing about Sonic Mania.