Why Is Sonic Mania So Good?

So, now that everyone's had enough time to experiment and play around with Sonic Mania (sorry to those who had to wait for the Steam release), I think it's a good idea to analyze just why the game is as good as it is.

Sure, you may not agree that the game is that good, and I can respect your opinion, even if I don't understand it at all, but it's a widely accepted consensus that, yes, the game is great. The return to Sonic's 2-dimensional roots is a warm-welcomed one, along with the recognizable vibrant colors and returning stages we saw all those years back. But, is nostalgia really the reason the game is enjoyed so much?

Some time after my second playthrough, after collecting all the Chaos Emeralds, I thought to myself, "Is the game good on its own merit or is because I'm a fan? Would people who have never played the classic series enjoy this game?" Despite how difficult it was to come to a conclusion, I think it's important to note just how much the game relies on people knowing the source material.

Sonic Mania has a plethora of content that long and die-hard fans of the series will recognize. Not only do they bring back many of the stages from Sonic's past, but the new levels have some nice little references to not only Sonic's history, but to things in the real world as well. But surely references alone don't make the game great, right?

Well, of course not. What worth does a game have if all it does is reference things that came before it? No amount of references could save a game that controls poorly, especially if newer audiences don't understand the references. I'm not saying Mania has poor controls, far from it; it controls just as well as Sonic did in the 90s. What I'm saying is references alone can't make a game good, so I think nostalgia's pretty much out the window when it comes to why the game is as good as it is.

What of the new elements Mania brings to the table? Four completely new stages with a lot to offer. Four new stages... Out of 12, not to mention a Secret Stage once all Emeralds are collected. That means eight stages are recycled from older games:

Sonic 1

• Green Hill Zone

Sonic 2

• Chemical Plant Zone
• Oil Ocean Zone

Sonic CD

• Stardust Speedway Zone
• Metallic Madness Zone

Sonic 3 (I don't like saying & Knuckles because it was meant to be one game from the start)

• Flying Battery Zone
• Hidrocity Zone
• Lava Reef Zone

Sonic Mania

• Studiopolis Zone
• Mirage Saloon Zone
• Press Garden Zone
• Titanic Monarch Zone

... meaning all in all, Mania has more stages in the game than any individual Sonic game's returning stages, but altogether, if you've played them all before, it's still 8-4 (or 8-5 depending on if you count the Secret Stage).

That being said, despite my worries about the game relying heavily on nostalgia in order to sell units, every single returning stage offers something completely new, in terms of level design and gimmicks. What's more, most, if not all, returning stages have elements of other levels of Sonic history:

• Green Hill contains elements of Sonic 2's Emerald Hill, as well as other elements from the 8-bit Sonic games.
• Chemical Plant has so many references to past Sonic games, I won't dare ruin them.
• Flying Battery is combined with elements of Wing Fortress from Sonic 2.
• Stardust Speedway is combined with Marble Garden from Sonic 3.
• Hydrocity borrows a smidgen from Labyrinth Zone from Sonic 1, but otherwise is just a harder version of the same Zone.
• Oil Ocean is practically mashed together with Sandopolis from Sonic 3 (both my least favorite Zones from their respective games).
• Lava Reef has moments that may remind you of Hill Top Zone from Sonic 2 (ironically, both Zones I think are the most underrated from their respective games).
• Metallic Madness has traces of Scrap Brain Zone from Sonic 1.

Even the new stages have a ton of elements that may remind you of their predecessors. But again, referencing old material doesn't make a game good, even if the remixed stages are designed amazingly.

What about the Extra Modes? The Bonus Stages, Special Stages, and Competition Mode? Well, instead of being Special Stages, Blue Sphere from Sonic 3 returns, this time with more maps to traverse. Okay, they're great and fun, but just something else that returns from a previous game. Sure some of the stages are new but all in all, it's the same concept. Competition Mode is very similar to Sonic 2's Competition Mode, down to the damn ugly split screen we all love. The Special Stages are similar to Sonic 3's in that you have to enter through a Giant Ring, but the Special Stage itself is original... in part. You see, it borrows elements from Sonic CD's Special Stages in that you have to chase a UFO before time runs out, but this time in a loop and with much more bearable control. They're tough to the point where it's challenging and might take you a few tries, but not to the point where you're ever turned off from even trying to begin with. Rings award you time while Blue Spheres award you speed to catch up to the UFO.

But is any of this the reason Sonic Mania is as good as it is? Well... No, I still don't think so.

Lest we forget, there was actually a Sonic 4. But why did that not do as well as Mania? I remember back in 2010, when the game was released, everyone was excited for it, and it ended up disappointing. For starters, it was marketed as a sequel to Sonic 3 when it was now a totally different game. Now, I'm all for innovation in sequels; I believe innovation is necessary to surpass the game you're coming after. In Sonic 4's case, the only similarities to the classic series were the 2D platforming and the Spindash. That was about it. And, not even, because it wasn't actually 2D, it was 2.5D, where the 3D models move on a 2D plane. Sonic was in his modern design and had the Homing Attack.

But why did the game not live up to expectations? Mostly due to the physics which had remained a constant throughout the Classic Sonic series. Sonic felt sluggish, heavy, oh yeah, and he could endlessly walk up a vertical plane. Walk. Not run. Walk. What was worse, Sonic 4 was episodic, with, get this, only two episodes, with a third one planned but cancelled due to the poor reception of the first two. But... Sonic 4, both Episodes 1 and 2, borrows heavily from the Classic titles: Episode 1 from Sonic 1 and Episode 2 from Sonic 2. So what went wrong? I think that, aside from the aforementioned physics, was that they tried to tell us that these clearly inferior copy-and-paste stages from the classic days were new. At least with Mania they're upfront about it. Not only that, but that this "game," because they're technically two different games, was comparable to the Genesis titles. So... Is it that Sonic Mania is a more faithful recreation of the Classic series than Sonic 4? Because, it is. But is that why it's so good? Hmm... No, that still doesn't feel right.

As we know, Mania wasn't really developed by SEGA directly, as the Classic titles were, but by fans of the series that now work with SEGA. Everyone that worked on the game has, in some shape or form, experience in developing classic-style Sonic games, albeit not officially. Whether it was proof-of-concepts that Sonic 1, 2 and CD could be built to work on mobile devices, or fan games with engines built from the ground up, the people behind this great title knew what they were doing. They knew what the rest of us wanted, and, more importantly, knew how to deliver. Since I first played it, I've said the same thing: "Sonic Mania is the best fan-game I've ever played." And I don't say that out of disrespect; after all, the game was officially published by SEGA, but what I mean is, it was made for the fans, by the fans. Or, the way Takashi Iizuka put it: "By the Mania, For the Mania."

And I mean it, I don't only think it's the best Sonic fan-game, but the best Sonic game to date, and I think the development team behind it can only get better from this experience. With pretty visuals, from animations to backgrounds, to the amazing compositions and remixes of familiar tunes, the reason Sonic Mania is so good is because of the heart and soul that was poured into it. The people that worked on this game kept it faithful for old fans, with plentiful references, returning stages and bosses, and fresh for new audiences, with the new enemies, the Hardboiled Heavies, a very welcome addition to Sonic's rogues gallery, even if they're only in this game. They put it on all current generation consoles: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Not only that, but it's super affordable at $20! (So you have no excuse to not play it!)

It's not one single thing; it's everything Sonic Mania has to offer that makes it so damn good. The familiarity of nostalgia and the faithfulness of the new elements that don't feel out of place. Sonic Mania has earned its place among the greatest Sonic games of all time.