You know you made another awesome Sonic game when I keep going back to run through the game for like.. the umpteenth time. But seriously, being the undying Sonic fan I know I am, and knowing how I say I enjoy every Sonic game out there, I can still say that Sonic Mania easily jumped into my top 5 favorite Sonic games. I will admit, I have a soft spot for the older games as well, but I do hold a lot of love for the modern games as well, like Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Generations, and soon enough, Sonic Forces (I don't care what the reviews say, I'll judge it myself and get my own opinion).
So, the game takes inspiration from, at least, Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 (& Knuckles), and Sonic CD, with a few references to other games, such as Sonic 2 on Game Gear/Master System, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, and, from what I read, Sonic Mania's true ending leads into Sonic Forces, which I think is an awesome way to go.
Visually, I love the environments and animation, the animation for all the characters is so fluid and fun to look at. The old games' zones now look refreshed, like Green Hill Act 2 having huge totem poles in the background, or Lava Reef having chunks missing in Act 2 to show off some Robotnik technology in the background. I think my personal favorite part has to be Knuckles' Lava Reef Act 2 boss, where he remembers what Robotnik did to him in the Hidden Palace Zone in Sonic & Knuckles, and therefore stops the same thing from happening with the Heavy King.
The Special Stages have a fun mix of Sonic CD (a UFO being the main target as you chase it down for an Emerald) elements, and elements from other games, such as the polygonal models from Sonic Jam and the orb-collecting from Sonic Heroes. It's just a fun romp through a huge love-letter from the fans. And if I'm being honest, this is what more companies SHOULD do: Find loyal and dedicated fans who know how to work hard on a series they love and let them make something special. After all, fan input is a very important thing for games in general, that's how Sonic Generations got its levels, from polls run on Twitter, asking fans about their favorite levels. It's just a great idea.
I love a few of the throwbacks too, namely the entirety of Stardust Speedway feels like it was taken from Sonic CD and revamped a little bit. After Act 1, your character destroys a machine, complete with Sonic CD sounds, hits a "Future" sign, then dashes so fast that he goes to the Present (Act 1 was Stardust Speedway Past), complete with Sonic CD visual effects and sounds. I love it! And then the boss of Act 2 is a whole race and battle with Metal Sonic, and it just makes me want to pop in the Gems Collection and replay Sonic CD again!
I have to agree with a lot of people, this is one of the best Sonic games to come out, in recent memory. And I'm going to enjoy replaying it more and more and having a lot of fun with it. If you have a PS4/Xbox One/Switch/Steam account, I would highly suggest buying this, it's absolutely worth every single penny, and if you're a Sonic fan, you will not be disappointed.
Have a nice day!~
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