SONIC MANIA

VARIOUS, 2017

The most recent attempt to bring classic 2D Sonic gameplay into the present day was an unusual development, as Sega collaborated with fans of the series to make the game – most notably Christian Whitehead and Simon Thomley, who had created well-received mobile ports of earlier Sonic games. Sonic Mania features Sonic, Tails and Knuckles traversing remixed versions of classic stages as well as some all-new stages such as Studiopolis Zone and Press Garden Zone. The game is an absolute triumph, with pixel art that evokes the Mega Drive era while going beyond what Sega’s 16-bit console could do and an abundance of clever touches, like the way fire shields can burn wooden bridges. The classic Blue Spheres bonus stage returns alongside a new 3D special stage that builds on the concept of Sonic CD’S version of the stage, and the game is stuffed with awesome throwbacks for long-term fans. If you’ve ever loved Sonic, this one’s for you.