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Sonic Mania |OT| Dreams Come True
- Thread starter Hot Coldman
- Start date
No dude, you need blue spheres to speed up. First time around the track should be learning the layout and grabbing blue spheres to get to at least Mach 2. If you're still not fast enough to catch the UFO then keep grabbing blue spheres, but stick to using any shortcuts you come across.
IrishNinja
Member
I get the logic there, but I would've loved to hear what Tee could've done going all out remixing
Hydrocity Act 2
Just beat it
I guess I'll try and get the final 3 Emeralds and call it a day. The Blue Sphere stages are too hard/too fast for these aging reflexes to handle :\
8 out of 10
Timed out at Titanic Monarch Act 1. WAY too long of a stage. The second one is a problem as well, but at least I didn't time out on it. The ending "cutscene" also seemed kinda compressed on Switch for some reason. I don't see why it'd need to be compressed, either.
I guess I'll try and get the final 3 Emeralds and call it a day. The Blue Sphere stages are too hard/too fast for these aging reflexes to handle :\
8 out of 10
Man, does anyone else find Knuckles way easier than Sonic? Maybe I just got better at the game but with Sonic and Tails I was flying around everywhere looking for giant rings, not finding shit, constantly hovering around 3-6 lives, etc.
Playing Knuckles now and I'm at
sitting pretty with like 18 lives and 6 Chaos Emeralds lol.
Playing Knuckles now and I'm at
Stardust Speedway
You can still do this with the level select code and choose Knuckles and the true final level. But not in an actual playthrough.
Net_Wrecker
Member
Brehs ok so this is my 3rd time mentioning the Drop Dash in this thread but whatever
I was showing a few people the game yesterday hopping around level to level, and it occurred to me that the Drop Dash has completely changed the way I play the classic Sonic game. Like, I don't think Sonic Mania is better than 3&K, but this one maneuver may have just made all the Genesis games unplayable. I thought it was weird that they focused on this in the reveal trailer, but it's actually the best thing in the game. Jumping and revving a mini-spin dash mid air.... genius.
I was showing a few people the game yesterday hopping around level to level, and it occurred to me that the Drop Dash has completely changed the way I play the classic Sonic game. Like, I don't think Sonic Mania is better than 3&K, but this one maneuver may have just made all the Genesis games unplayable. I thought it was weird that they focused on this in the reveal trailer, but it's actually the best thing in the game. Jumping and revving a mini-spin dash mid air.... genius.
Lmao, how do you end up thinking the blue spheres need to be avoided. At least you're on the right track now. The UFO is the far superior bonus for me, so fun trying to catch it.
FeenixRising
Banned
I'm 0-3 on Titanic Monarch 
I'm seriously considering double dipping on the PS4 version of the game and having one of you guys share play it for me
I'm seriously considering double dipping on the PS4 version of the game and having one of you guys share play it for me
Waddle Dee
Member
The Drop Dash is fantastic but the original games weren't designed with a move like that in mind so it's fine. I don't think I'll have any trouble going back to the GOAT Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
These special stages are the best in the classic series.
The ufo doesnt go off track, it sometimes cuts corners but you can easily jump over corners at higher speeds, or the speed decrease on higher speeds doesnt affect you as much.
TheCongressman1
Member
I am. I tried playing some S3, but I just kept trying to drop dash. I usually rocked the insta-shield, but now I want both. Insta-shield just isn't enough anymore...
Waddle Dee
Member
I'm 0-3 on Titanic Monarch
I'm seriously considering double dipping on the PS4 version of the game and having one of you guys share play it for me
What part of the stage are you having trouble with?
IrishNinja
Member
okay! so i just got my first emerald, thanks again
realistically though: if this is chemical plant zone 2 & i got my first one, do i have any real shot at getting them all in time on this playthrough?
Mr.Fletcher
Member
Yeah, there's loads of giant rings to find.
IrishNinja
Member
cheers! onward i go~
Mania is slightly longer than S3K combined, and unlike that game, there's only 7 emeralds, not 14. There's plenty of chances.
IrishNinja
Member
this was the perfect spoiler-free way to answer my question, by the way - thanks so much, man. mind is at ease.
Professor Lexicovermis
Member
I want another Spinball that embraces the surreal, almost nightmarish original game. Give me disembodied, screaming Eggman heads everywhere. Give me ludicrously deep bass in every song. Give me that ungodly, tinny laughter every time a life is lost.
The emerald stages are waaaaay more fun than Blue Spheres, I got stick of those after playing them every signpost.
try tweeting them
Outtrigger888
Member
Ya this game feels like its sucked out of the 16 bit generation in a good way. You get games that go for that era, but this is the first game that feels authentic.
Hot Coldman
Banned
If Christian gets his hands on the OG Games again for any reason, it's definitely gonna be a toggle.
FeenixRising
Banned
Resumed my Knuckles gameplay
Knuckles Mirage Saloon Act 1 >>>> Sonic and Tails
Much more fun having to utilize Knuckles mechanics to complete that level. Plus the music is cool.
Just in general, I keep making stupid mistakes.
The first two times I actually made it to the final boss before dying.
Then, this time I didn't even get 3 paths finished before I died.
Knuckles Mirage Saloon Act 1 >>>> Sonic and Tails
Much more fun having to utilize Knuckles mechanics to complete that level. Plus the music is cool.
Just in general, I keep making stupid mistakes.
The first two times I actually made it to the final boss before dying.
Then, this time I didn't even get 3 paths finished before I died.
The Hermit
Member
Couple of criticism, now that I am on the second playthrough:
Some stages lack Zone transition.
I can't quite grasp what the storyline is about. Real ending feels worse than regular ending.
The boss of the hard-boiled egg robot only appear on the special boss
Some stages lack Zone transition.
I can't quite grasp what the storyline is about. Real ending feels worse than regular ending.
The boss of the hard-boiled egg robot only appear on the special boss
and his legs are gone... Was he supposed to be the regular final boss instead Robotnick?
He's got a more traditional fight still, keep an eye out.
The Hermit
Member
Removing the checkpoint special stages and their ability to award extra lives, and in turn extra lives, was a silly one for the sake of fan service.
I got to the final boss and died, game over. Had to get through the whole 10-15 min final act again but just as I got to the boss, was victim to a final insta-death.
This is frustrating design. Going into the final boss with 3 lives alone is risky, but with the risk being having to do acts 1 and 2 again... ugh, it really puts me off trying to do it if I know I'll probably die and have to do it all over again.
I get it, there are people that are good at Sonic and can do this, but the level is littered with crush based insta-deaths and collecting rings is tough when you're often launched into a trap or something off screen.
The checkpoint stages should be a chance to get rings, lives and even a power up. Sonic 3 had that right, Mania just injected a tad too much fan service over a good design element.
Rant over.
I got to the final boss and died, game over. Had to get through the whole 10-15 min final act again but just as I got to the boss, was victim to a final insta-death.
This is frustrating design. Going into the final boss with 3 lives alone is risky, but with the risk being having to do acts 1 and 2 again... ugh, it really puts me off trying to do it if I know I'll probably die and have to do it all over again.
I get it, there are people that are good at Sonic and can do this, but the level is littered with crush based insta-deaths and collecting rings is tough when you're often launched into a trap or something off screen.
The checkpoint stages should be a chance to get rings, lives and even a power up. Sonic 3 had that right, Mania just injected a tad too much fan service over a good design element.
Rant over.
stargateheaven
Member
Why was emerald 5 so hard and 7 so easy? i caught the emerald 7 without it even doing 1 lap.
edit: is the announcer guy who says GOAL! and stuff from some sega game?
edit: is the announcer guy who says GOAL! and stuff from some sega game?
AzureSkies
Member
I felt the same way about the special stage orders.
Also, the announcer is Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, the composer and vocalist behind Daytona USA and Burning Rangers.
Here's a complete list of his Sega work:
http://segaretro.org/Takenobu_Mitsuyoshi
Stick to walls and glide. Its easier that way
After now having seen the entire game bar the final stage, I have to say that while Mania nails pretty much everything in terms of gameplay, physics and overall classic Sonic feel, there are some blemishes to me on a presentation and aesthetics level that bum me out a bit, especially because I think a few more months of development and / or bringing in more outside help to look at the game as a whole could have fixed all of them.
For one, while the game features great little stage / zone transitions initially, the team seems to have given up later in the game in terms of showing how Sonic transitions from zone to zone. This is a really big missed opportunity to me, in part because it makes the game overall feel less polished and consistent artistically. At the very least they could have done the emerald distortion transition instead of just fading to black, but even then, without the more detailed transitions seen in the earlier zones (and S3&K of course) it becomes difficult to follow the "story" progression and the connection between certain zones.
In addition, I am not fully satisfied with the zone lineup as a whole. To me classic Sonic games always had a greatly appealing mix of zones featuring natural environments like lakes, forests and caves, zones with mystical influences like ruins and such, and more urban / industrialized zones featuring factories and cities. In Mania this balance has shifted heavily towards the latter, especially if you focus on the returning zones, with only a handful of zones that have a less crowded, mechanical feel in favor of more natural beauty or mystical feel. Again, gameplay wise I have no problems with this zone selection and I do appreciate the new twists the team has added to old favorites, but looking at the game aesthetically and in terms of its overall feel, it falls short in terms of (visual) variety compared to the older games imo.
I can see how many here would call these problems nitpicks compared to the countless things this game nails so perfectly, but just like with a game like SFV and its inconsistent stage design in terms of out-of-screen animations and interactable objects (which since launch have been improved, I'm happy to report), it's these kind of details and small story/lore enhancing bits that greatly enchance the game's artistic quality as a whole imo, especially when combined with the many, many awesome things the team already did manage to put in the game in the form of references and transitions. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the "no planned DLC" stance won't mean the team will not be able or willing to add in a few missing transitions at least.
For one, while the game features great little stage / zone transitions initially, the team seems to have given up later in the game in terms of showing how Sonic transitions from zone to zone. This is a really big missed opportunity to me, in part because it makes the game overall feel less polished and consistent artistically. At the very least they could have done the emerald distortion transition instead of just fading to black, but even then, without the more detailed transitions seen in the earlier zones (and S3&K of course) it becomes difficult to follow the "story" progression and the connection between certain zones.
In addition, I am not fully satisfied with the zone lineup as a whole. To me classic Sonic games always had a greatly appealing mix of zones featuring natural environments like lakes, forests and caves, zones with mystical influences like ruins and such, and more urban / industrialized zones featuring factories and cities. In Mania this balance has shifted heavily towards the latter, especially if you focus on the returning zones, with only a handful of zones that have a less crowded, mechanical feel in favor of more natural beauty or mystical feel. Again, gameplay wise I have no problems with this zone selection and I do appreciate the new twists the team has added to old favorites, but looking at the game aesthetically and in terms of its overall feel, it falls short in terms of (visual) variety compared to the older games imo.
I can see how many here would call these problems nitpicks compared to the countless things this game nails so perfectly, but just like with a game like SFV and its inconsistent stage design in terms of out-of-screen animations and interactable objects (which since launch have been improved, I'm happy to report), it's these kind of details and small story/lore enhancing bits that greatly enchance the game's artistic quality as a whole imo, especially when combined with the many, many awesome things the team already did manage to put in the game in the form of references and transitions. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the "no planned DLC" stance won't mean the team will not be able or willing to add in a few missing transitions at least.
...I never thought about doing that.
When you just run, you have some kind of "maximum speed", but when you are in "ball mode" you can push down + the direction you want in order to really go as fast as possible.
So when you spin dash, you have to push the direction of every slope you see in order to build ever more momentum. That's how you go "fast" in Sonic.
If I had to change just one thing about Sonic Manía is that I prefer lush, happy, natural areas over factory/urban ones, and Sonic Mania has a lot of the latter (
) but I'll still admit Studiopolis as a "happy" one because of how colorful and happy the stage looks and sounds.
Please Sonic Mania 2 with more caves, jungles, beaches and snow.
like 8 vs 4
Please Sonic Mania 2 with more caves, jungles, beaches and snow.
Vampirolol
Member
I just realized that this may actually be my GOTY. A Sonic game, in 2017. Still unbelievable.
You just hold down the jump button.
Finished it, the final zone boss is trash. Game overed on that twice and lost the will to live, the cups segment is brutal and the running segment had to half off the screen so didn't see the incoming spikes.
Ending felt abrupt (not super) and didn't like the boss.
I think the game is great but could have done with less complex levels, felt like they were just noodling away for the sake of it or to increase the time.
New stages (Mirage and Studiopolois) were great but Press Garden felt like something out of (ironically) a fan game, mostly due to the poor colour contrasting and visually looking different than the rest of the game.
Loved the music, loved the engine and the drop dash was cool but under used.
Fan service through the roof but too much in some points (that Chemical Plant Zone main boss) and the checkpoint stages should have been 30 second things, not several minute big bonus zones that offer no reward for the level you're on.
On the flip, I enjoyed the cameos a lot but would have loved to see a Mighty and Espio cameo in that zone.
New special zones I loved but damn those rings are hard to find.
Overall, it's the Sonic game we've all been waiting for but a bit too much fan service come off as poor design decisions. Weak story, I literally had no idea what was going on so it felt more like a greatest hits collection.
8/10
Ending felt abrupt (not super) and didn't like the boss.
I think the game is great but could have done with less complex levels, felt like they were just noodling away for the sake of it or to increase the time.
New stages (Mirage and Studiopolois) were great but Press Garden felt like something out of (ironically) a fan game, mostly due to the poor colour contrasting and visually looking different than the rest of the game.
Loved the music, loved the engine and the drop dash was cool but under used.
Fan service through the roof but too much in some points (that Chemical Plant Zone main boss) and the checkpoint stages should have been 30 second things, not several minute big bonus zones that offer no reward for the level you're on.
On the flip, I enjoyed the cameos a lot but would have loved to see a Mighty and Espio cameo in that zone.
New special zones I loved but damn those rings are hard to find.
Overall, it's the Sonic game we've all been waiting for but a bit too much fan service come off as poor design decisions. Weak story, I literally had no idea what was going on so it felt more like a greatest hits collection.
8/10
sometimes i game
Member
I want to buy this but I am scared (haha)
1. I've never been great at "replay levels to find every hidden item to progress" - is that a big thing here? I've seen it mentioned in reviews
2. I hate sonic underwater. Is that a big part of this game as well?
I'm a sonic fan, for background. Ive played others like 1 and 2 most recently on my phone (#repent). Please help!
1. I've never been great at "replay levels to find every hidden item to progress" - is that a big thing here? I've seen it mentioned in reviews
2. I hate sonic underwater. Is that a big part of this game as well?
I'm a sonic fan, for background. Ive played others like 1 and 2 most recently on my phone (#repent). Please help!
Just a few water levels and you can take a surface path mostly on those levels if you want.
If you liked sonic 1 and 2 you will LOVE this.
And about your first question you can easily gain all Chaos Emeralds in the first few stages if you want after beating the game. I replay the game alot and i don't actively search for all secrets if i find em nice otherwise i just truck along the way further.
Blue sphere is tied to checkpoints with 25 rings so the only secrets left are lives, shields/powerups, different paths etc. So you can play however you want.
I'm just over halfway and so far I can't think of a convincing argument for any of the Mega Drive games being as good as Mania. I'm a Sonic 2 diehard but you can't compete with 25 years of hindsight. The Mania devs have managed to capture the exploratory feel of 3&K while retaining that Sonic 2 flow that was sabotaged by 3&K's obstacle and enemy placement. The length, variety and creativity is off the charts and the bosses (while sometimes over-designed) are on average much better than anything that has come before. Plus the special stages are the best in the series by a long shot. My only real gripe so far (apart from no level select as you go) is that the blue orb stages are back. I mean...whyyyy? They're worse than the damn half pipe.