Sonic mania reviews5/16/2023 The local multiplayer is a nice distraction from the main game, and it especially makes great use of the Switch’s capabilities. Sonic Mania is a good game, but after playing it through it’s also a game that I have no real inclination to play again, at least for a while. The jumping mechanic is missing a sense of floaty-ness that drops Sonic a bit too early for my liking. The slow moments of platforming are also rather rough and jumping to platforms while not traveling at blistering speeds is tedious. And while I mostly enjoyed the lack of hand holding, it can be a double edged sword that kills the enjoyment a little. (One of the most annoying of my deaths occurred while fighting a late game boss and dying without warning because I ran out of time). The fact that the game is made up of two levels per zone and that a game over sends you to the beginning of the first zone compounds this irritation. The game’s lack of explanation or time constraints lead to many annoying deaths. This sense of randomness is part of where Sonic Mania struggles. And I do mean “run into them” quite literally – there’s no real pattern to where they’re hidden in the various levels. They’re charming and a genuine surprise when you run into them. There are a ton of secret mini levels hidden throughout that range from racing to catch up with a robot to only collecting blue circles from a sea of other colors. Sonic Mania also manages to surprise throughout the course of it’s play time. The variety adds a welcome level of charm to the game, and combined with the classic soundtrack, and visuals makes for a throwback game with great presentation. The best ones managed to surprise me by not being conventional boss battles, like the level where you play Puyo Puyo against Dr. Each one requires a slightly different technique to defeat. Eggman’s menacing machinations that make up the game’s bosses are both visually and mechanically interesting. There are crab creatures, ladybugs, pirañas, wasps, metal sonics and many more!ĭr. The enemy variety and different ways in which speed is utilized is very well done, managing to hit the nostalgia of games from its era while not feeling old. There are twelve worlds that make up the game (including classics such as Green Hill Zone), and they are wonderfully diverse and visually striking. Sonic Mania is at its best when you’re barreling full speed down a ramp and bouncing off jump pads, all the while trying to avoid enemies. It’s clear from the beginning that Sonic Mania wants you to experiment and learn from your mistakes. There is very little handholding and tutorials simply don’t exist. The first level of Sonic Mania is a cheery and fast paced introduction to the world of Sonic. I can appreciate that as the fast pace is what I love most about Sonic Mania. It feels like the development team expected the people playing this game to be familiar with the Sonic franchise. The game throws you into the thick of the frenetically paced Sonic universe and with very little handholding, it’s at times overwhelming. Now that may sound like un-needed hyperbole, but I feel like it needs to be said. A disclaimer as this review begins, Sonic Mania is my first Sonic game and I had no real experience with the franchise before this title.
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