Sonic Mania Plus (Xbox One)

Hands down the best game I've played this year. I was never into 2d sonic, I had a Dreamcast and played sonic adventure 1 and 2 literally every day and completed both games. I first played sonic mania at a friend's house and wasn't fully convinced, but upon seeing a physical release promising 4 player co-op - then they got my attention. If you don't know it yet, this game was created by sonic hackers who are sonic fans who were embraced by Sega! Besides coming with a little art booklet (the only game I own in the switch with one) the game is fantastic - and made even better by the low price! The music is good, the animations great, no bugs, the game saves your progress every time you finish act 2 and allows you to replay any level once you beat the final boss - to try to catch those emeralds. All characters can turn into super too! The two new characters are fantastic - I recommend playing with Mighty the Armadillo if it's your first time - as he usually avoids dying on spikes, as for Ray the Squirrel, left and right makes him fly (took me a while to figure that out) I've got over 50h so far and finished the game a good 6-7 times and I'm still itching for more. I have yet to finish encore mode - the special stages are HARD! If you like Sonic or if you want to tell the games industry we need more fan-lead games then - buy this game. I didn't have nostalgia for the blue blur but this game made me want to play the classics, I've installed the mobile games and an emulator to play 1, 2 and 3 and knuckles and I still can't get enough of it.

Sonic Mania caused massive buzz when originally announced and was a bold move by SEGA. There's no pretending that the Sonic series has had it's issues. Sonic Team occasionally hit on good ideas, but their own Sonic titles can be pretty hit-or-miss with audiences. A previous effort to go back to the series roots, Sonic 4 Episode I - had been marred with physics issues and "modern style" gameplay elements that made the game less enjoyable. There's always been an active fangame scene for the series, with lots of hacked versions of the classic games out there where people have designed new zones and even successfully introduced new mechanics. Most of the staff on Sonic Mania come from this fan community and are accomplished creatives and programmers. They are passionate about the series and this really shows in everything Mania has to offer, from loving recreations of classic Zones with slight twists (like the massive syringes that turn Chemical Plant Zone's Toxic Mega Mack into Mega Jell-O) to fun obscure references to the series past and Sega in general (which Studiopolis is packed to the gills with) . Visually it's a delight, with fresh new art for each location and overall improvements, the original core characters of Sonic, Tails and Knuckles all have fresh new sprite sets with some lovely expressive animation (not that much of it is needed - it's mostly confined to cliff-edge wobbles and wait animations) along with the new Ray and Mighty from SegaSonic Arcade - an additional treat for long time fans. It not only plays well, but feels like a classic Sonic game too. Characters run at high speed and while gravity can act on these characters as they hit hills and slopes, it never feels like it completely kills the momentum of the gameplay. Pitfalls exist - but most of them are to prevent the player just "holding right" to finish the level or give them something to remember to avoid next playthrough - it rarely feels cheap or unfair. The Physical release is a massive treat, coming in a lovely foiled slipcover - an art book with lots of concept sketches and level design concepts, including concept art for the game's lovely animated opening. This also comes complete with the "Mania Plus" DLC that adds Encore Mode - a harder and adjusted playthrough of Mania that adds Mighty and Ray to the playable roster as well as an improved vs mode.

I got this for my 9yr old son who is a big sonic fan. Whilst there are quite a few sonic games on the market, including the recently released Superstars, many of them have struggled to capture the feel of the original 16bit sonic games. This one definitely nails that. Think of it as a kind of greatest hits game, it essentially takes all the best bits of the older games, along with all new levels, characters and other content, bundling it into one ultimate package. It’s been referred to as “a love letter to sonic fans” and I can’t disagree with that! The presentation is in the classic 16bit art style, but of course the game moves smoothly on modern hardware. It really does capture the feel of the retro sonic games perfectly and as such, can be considered as a great starting point to those who are young enough to have missed that era. I’d definitely recommend this game for anyone, whether they are new to sonic or veterans of the original games.

just a great game, super fun and a nice refresh of the classic series plus all the extra content for the game in the plus edition also the boxart is nice and even has reversivble cover art mimicing the mega drive box arts

1. It’s great that we’ve got a new 2D platform Sonic the Hedgehog game to play and I hope to see more. 2. I was somewhat disappointed with certain aspects of the level choices, particularly the emerald special stages, as the format of them was not to my taste in the original game; there were some cracking levels that could have been used from the original games that would have been better; but it’s good and full of fun surprises. 3. The game is inventive with the past and the controls are beautifully smooth. 4. For a big sonic gamer I found it easy to get into the swing of things. 5. As well as the main game there are a tonne of extras that you earn to alter the gameplay of the main game as well as the delightfully enjoyable Encore mode and bonus games. 6. Artwork and music stunning. I enjoyed it very much. In the future if I decide on a Sonic marathon, the order will be Sonic 1&2, Sonic Mania, Sonic 3 & S&K, Sonic CD and Sonic 3D.

Arrived safely and christmas present and the child was very happy with the game.

This is sonic brought back to life amazing

I grew up with sonic games back during the 16-bit era of gaming and was very much a fan. I've eagerly awaited a new sonic game based on those originals and boy does this deliver. Not only in its graphics, but in its game play and music but amps everything up to 11. Made by the fans for the fans and does it show. The care put into bringing back sonic here is just joyful to see. For those not initiated this is a side scroller with momentum based mechanics. Its alot of fun building up speed and blasting through levels but for the curious their are multiple paths in levels and each one will reward you. Its a game I've sunk many hours into and I'm still finding things. The music here is exceptional. Re-worked classics as well as remixes just bring so much joy to the ears. The best soundtrack I feel in any game for a long time. The modes on offer here will keep you busy. Along with the standard mania mode the new one here is encore mode which has a few changes to the main game. Its still the same zones but each one has a pallet swap and a few weeks here and there so that veterans of this game are kept on their toes. I think its a little harder too, especially grabbing those chaos emeralds. All new UFOs to hunt and they are a pain to catch. Lives are different too as you gain all characters in tge game to play as and they are your lives. Lose all of them its game over. Theirs even new a new bonus level at tge beginning as well as a level to replace the blue spheres. Its a cool bonus to an already exceptional single player experience. Theirs also time trial mode to really test your speed and knowledge of a level. Their Is now 4 player multiplayer too which is a great time. Also we have the two returning characters who both add something new to the way you'll play this game. They are both fun to use and in Mighty's case abuse. Their is more to unlock but I shall not spoil that for you. The game comes with a wonderful mini art book and a reversible sleeve that has mega drive atheistic and even the back depiction of the game is in the vein of a 90's game. Very nostalgic. I can go on and on as I really do love this game. I think everyone can enjoy this. And if you already have sonic mania downloaded the game automatically updates on switch and all progress will be kept which is such a nice touch. I'd highly recommend this to all gamers who want a blast from the past. And I think this is essential for anyone who is a fan of the blue blur. Go go Sonic go