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Sonic Mania review thread
- Thread starter Savantcore
- Start date
Myself for example, I have never owned any classic Sonic game. What I have played however was very interesting and I think Mania is a very compelling game, and I will probably buy it for the Switch.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
Like, we're living in an era where every indie dev is releasing their own 8-bit style game. A new Sonic game going back to it's 16-bit roots isn't gonna put off anyone.
It's a solid game nevertheless.
Black_Stride
do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
The moons have answered my prayers.
Sonic mania is amazing
Sonic mania is amazing
AzureSkies
Member
Great review!
Just wanted to say that I always found your work in ONM (and the rest of the staff) to be amazingly high quality.
OrbitalBeard
Member
haha I know! It's crazy.
This game deserves every single piece of praise it's receiving. I'm blown away at how wonderful it is.
Finaika
Member
Didn't he give Hellblade a 1?
OrbitalBeard
Member
He updated his score to a 7.
themagicalkitsune
Member
idk. Do you not care about (let's say) sterling or gamespot's reviews too, or do you have some beef with dunkey in particular?
Regardless, I'm getting the game on ps4.
Paul_Str337
Member
So 20 years ago SEGA were agonizing about how to get a Sonic game working in 3D and now we've a glimpse of what could have happened if they hadn't bothered and kept things 2D. Does Mania completely make the previous 20 years of Sonic irrelevant or has 20 years of history created the need for Mania as a response?
Neither
Its a game like the old games they used to make, like new super mario bros
And they'll make those now along with 3d ones.
That's it really. Less revalatory and more the mining of nostalgia.
I'm in the 3rd zone. This is a legitimately good platformer. For a Sonic game, it's sensational and such a great nostalgia trip.
But even just evaluating it on its own merits, the level design here is very slick, fair, and engaging - which is what makes a good platformer. Every moment feels inventive yet controls tightly. Great game. And it's an instant classic in the genre overall.
But even just evaluating it on its own merits, the level design here is very slick, fair, and engaging - which is what makes a good platformer. Every moment feels inventive yet controls tightly. Great game. And it's an instant classic in the genre overall.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Yeah, I think it's safe to say this game has the best level design in the entire series.
themagicalkitsune
Member
Sonic Forces will be out pretty soon so I don't know how you arrived at that conclusion. Mania is a blip on the radar, it won't make the entire franchise's history obsolete and it will likely not be a turning point for the series.
At best I can see them in the future making this type of games alongside, as a nostalgia cash-in.
Android18a
Member
If Mania brings in new 2D fans though, it can hopefully start a 'new' 2D Sonic series with the classic trappings but one that can stand on its own two feet as a solid product without relying on nostalgia. A great platformer is what it is.
Had Mania released as a Saturn game I suspect it would have reviewed worse. The cult of the new hotness of 3D was strong at that point and amazing 2D games would still get marked down for being old fashioned.
In this era where 2D is no longer a dirty word again it just works better. It didn't need to take this damn long though. They could have done this 10 years ago at least if they actually understood how to make them then.
The level design is insanely good.
themagicalkitsune
Member
I agree, I'm not using nostalgia as a derogatory term here. Fueled by nostalgia can be a good thing when you can back it up with solid level design and interesting additions. I don't know how much I can trust Sega or the current Sonic Team with such a project though.
3D was the hot new thing and a bunch of new 2D games while its competition all went polygonal would have been a very, very poor branding decision.
Context is everything.
Anyone giving this a score under 90 I have no respect for. This is what Sonic 4 should have been all along. I really hope all involved with this return to the golden age get a chance to do the next entry as I would happily preorder. Amazing effort all around and I'm barely a third through.
And Slant? 60? Really? What the heck is wrong with you?
And to the review that said play the modern entries over this? Stop. Just stop. It's not big, and it's not clever.
And Slant? 60? Really? What the heck is wrong with you?
And to the review that said play the modern entries over this? Stop. Just stop. It's not big, and it's not clever.
Wow calm down, those are subjective opinions.
Dude, I'm chill. But honestly, to suggest that Sonic 06 is objectively better than this... Cmon. Seriously?
Thank you. I bought it on the Switch and I'm having a blast.
I can't wait to get back from work and resume playing this. So good!
Yeah, this wouldn't be right for a "mainline" game at the time.
Maybe it would work as a GBA game, that's when they started making 2D Sonic games again, but they didn't quite reach this level, i am not even sure if they tried (although i think Sonic Advance 1 was a nice game)
I think Sonic Team would have gotten away with it if they did a 2D game on the Saturn and tacked on the 3D halfpipe bonus stage from Sonic 3D Blast Saturn.
I was waiting for a Sonic 4 to get a Saturn, all I got was... Bug? :<
Dull Brain:
Sonic was good
Active brain:
Sonic was never good
Huge brain:
Only 3D Sonic was good
Cosmic Brain:
Sonic 06 was the best one
Foxy the Fox
Member
The king is back. It looks like the best Sonic games are now being made by a western team.
Pretty sure this is going to be a better game than forces.
It's like STI never left us.
Jim gunning for the IGN audience, nice!
Aeternus Malum
Member
Aw hell yeah.
Feels weird seeing a Sonic game score this high. Tomorrow needs to hurry up.
I've been thinking about this gif so much since this post was made. Holy shit. Where is this from
TheDinoman
Member
GabeTheGrouch76
Member
Anyone know when reviews for the Switch version of the game are coming out?
>I keep getting stuck on these little hills because Sonic jumps away from a slope--what a design flaw
>Sonic 2's special stages are better than Get Blue Spheres
horrible opinions. almost as bad as jim sterling liking sonic 4.
CrazyArcadia
Member
My friends make fun of me because I like Sonic games and even liked some of the recent ones (Generations, especially on PC, is amazing).
Hope this will stop now.
Anyway, from what I've played so far, it deserves all the praise. Nevertheless, I think much in Mania works so well because of how it builds on Sonic games during 16bit era. For someone new to the series, it might not have the same impact. For me, it's basically like Mega Man 9&10 - a perfect throwback and a feeling of going back in time in a way.
Though, it also is well-made in a way that I think firsttimers can enjoy it, as well.
Now I hope Sonic Forces won't be a train wreck and they can keep some positive momentum for the franchise and its reception.
Hope this will stop now.
Anyway, from what I've played so far, it deserves all the praise. Nevertheless, I think much in Mania works so well because of how it builds on Sonic games during 16bit era. For someone new to the series, it might not have the same impact. For me, it's basically like Mega Man 9&10 - a perfect throwback and a feeling of going back in time in a way.
Though, it also is well-made in a way that I think firsttimers can enjoy it, as well.
Now I hope Sonic Forces won't be a train wreck and they can keep some positive momentum for the franchise and its reception.
Mikey Jr.
Member
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXturRMOzU4&feature=youtu.be
4k on PS4 pro after me asking for Pro support.
Just wanted to make sure you guys saw this.
I don't get any enjoyment out of it, trust me.
Labrynian Rebel
Member
Will pick this up when I have the time.
LegendofLex
Member
I mean, the lesson to be learned from Mania is that when your video game franchise started out in a very defined era, you should keep making games in the style of that era even while you try to experiment with new ideas. What made your franchise successful isn't always easy to replicate in a new style of game. This doesn't have to apply to graphics per se, just the style and tone of the content and gameplay.
Zelda already kind of learned from this, albeit by applying lessons from the older games to the newer 3D overworld. They can take their lessons with Zelda further by going back to roots with the dungeons as well.
Nintendo still hasn't figured it out with Mario, though. NSMB is not an adequately authentic "classic Mario" and neither is Mario Maker.
GabeTheGrouch76
Member
OpenCritic score for Mania is now at 87.
GameRankings score for Mania (PS4) is now at 86.56%. That puts it just a small 0.05% ahead of the original DC release of Sonic Adventure as the best-reviewed Sonic game on the site with 10+/20+ reviews.
Reviews for the Switch version / Nintendo-oriented sites are still absent, but I can imagine thematic being the best-reviewed version of the game, the few reviews there for that version are super-positive. That version could actually get a 90+ metascore IMO.
I really wouldn't say that. I won't dispute that the NSMB titles and SMM don't have their problems, or aren't better have 1:1 gameplay to the NES/SNES Mario titles. but I'd heavily disagree on those games not understanding 2D Mario's core gameplay. I don't think they would reviewing well or selling as good as the 3D Mario games (or in the case of the Wii game, outsell critically-acclaimed 3D Mario by miles) if they damaged or missed the point of the original formula. Despite the new quirks and changed mechanics, the base gameplay for both titles are still Super Mario Bros. Plus Plus Plus.
GameRankings score for Mania (PS4) is now at 86.56%. That puts it just a small 0.05% ahead of the original DC release of Sonic Adventure as the best-reviewed Sonic game on the site with 10+/20+ reviews.
Reviews for the Switch version / Nintendo-oriented sites are still absent, but I can imagine thematic being the best-reviewed version of the game, the few reviews there for that version are super-positive. That version could actually get a 90+ metascore IMO.
I really wouldn't say that. I won't dispute that the NSMB titles and SMM don't have their problems, or aren't better have 1:1 gameplay to the NES/SNES Mario titles. but I'd heavily disagree on those games not understanding 2D Mario's core gameplay. I don't think they would reviewing well or selling as good as the 3D Mario games (or in the case of the Wii game, outsell critically-acclaimed 3D Mario by miles) if they damaged or missed the point of the original formula. Despite the new quirks and changed mechanics, the base gameplay for both titles are still Super Mario Bros. Plus Plus Plus.
2D Mario is fine(outside of music), can Sonic have a good without people starting make stupid claims?
Its still the same game.
LegendofLex
Member
Personally, I'd say the best qualities the NSMB games had is that they were finally new 2D Mario games after 15 years of Nintendo refusing to make new 2D Mario games, despite the demand for those games never having gone cold.
They're not bad games, but they also don't have the heart and soul of the NES/SNES ones. Older Mario games felt like grand adventures taking video games to untrodden ground. They had groundbreaking graphics (scrolling worlds!), awesome music, and creative ideas for settings and worlds (Mushroom Kingdom!, Subcon!, Giant Land!, Pipe Land!, Yoshi's Island!). NSMB games generally don't have this - weirdly, it's the DS game that felt most ambitious, here, but all the NSMB games felt outdated in presentation from the minute they released. (I'll note that I don't feel that Mania has an outdated presentation; it has what I'd consider a "timeless" presentation.)
They rest mostly on having more "professional" level design (for lack of a better word). And the level design is pretty good! But when level design is the standout good thing in an otherwise kinda mediocre game, that does not a classic make.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
Its not the same game, not the same content
GabeTheGrouch76
Member
Unless I'm missing something, the Switch version for Mania is identical to the other versions.
The main reason why I said the Switch version might better reviewed than the others is due to Nintendo-centric sites being (IMO) more preferential to platformers compared to other platforms, as well as Sonic more established history with Nintendo platforms.
SanguineShark
Member
The portability is a benefit it has over other consoles, and should be taken into consideration.