Sonic Mania is smart, I’ll give it that. Rather than just being a new Sonic game designed as if it was still the Genesis era, as some other long-running franchises have done, Sega has instead taken old Sonic levels and seamlessly mixed them with new content. This approach, at least in the couple of stages I played, fueled my fun without relying solely on nostalgia.
Yes, I had fun. Lots of it! Sixteen-bit Sonic, in my humble opinion, holds up remarkably well for being 25 years old. Stages can begin familiar (hello, Green Hill Zone!) and then blend effortlessly into new territory, with speed, pinball bounces, and ring-collecting remaining at the forefront of the gameplay. Better, you can choose to play as Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles – the most beloved of the motley crew the Big Blue Blur has assembled over the years. The $20 price point seems right on target as well.
Meanwhile, you’d expect 60 frames per second from a product like this, and you’ll get it. You’ll even encounter a few grin-inducing surprises along the way – one of which I got to experience, though Sega has asked me not to spoil it (and I can’t blame them; it’ll be more fun if you don’t know it’s coming). If the rest of Sonic Mania can maintain the mix of new, old, nostalgia, and surprise that I experienced in the E3 build, then it might end up being the best Sonic game in years. And if you’re thinking, “This sounds awesome as a Switch game I could take anywhere,” rest assured that yes, a Switch version is on the way alongside the other three major platforms.
I’ll be tapping my foot impatiently waiting for this one, a la Sonic’s classic idle animation.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews and Xbox Guru-in-Chief. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.
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