Developers: PagodaWest / Headcannon
Publisher: Sega
Platformer, Side-scroller, Adventure.
Format Played: PS4
My earliest video game memories come from playing the original Sonic the Hedgehog at home on the Sega Mega Drive. Fortunately as a child I grew up when the Sega Mega Drive was in it's prime and got to play it first time around and be amidst the explosion of a cultural icon. Unlike Sonic's main competition, Mario, Sonic did not transition so well into 3D after leaving the 16-Bit era towards the end of the '90s. Though there have been countless Sonic games from the 00s onwards, nearly all of them have been met with mixed or outright negative reviews. The apex being the downright broken and unplayable 'Sonic the Hedgehog' for X-Box 360 and PS3, also known as "Sonic '06". However in 2010 a downloadable game bravely titled Sonic 4 was made. This 2.5D adventure attempted to mimic the gameplay style and visual look of the classic Sega Mega Drive games. It mostly had that side-scrolling gameplay style with some 3D elements thrown in and was a fairly good attempt at recapturing the real Sonic spirit. Perhaps it is the success of this game that has lead us to Sonic Mania...
Let's cut the bullshit. Sonic Mania is without a doubt the best Sonic game since Sonic & Knuckles on Sega Mega Drive all the way back in 1994. The Sonic Team have tried so far to deviate and try different things since then. But it turns out going back to the well is all they needed to do. Sonic Mania is created utterly from 16-Bit components. The visuals, gameplay, sprites and music don't appear to have anything that couldn't have been made on a Sega Mega Drive. The only modern touches being the flashy menus, loading screens, auto-saves, trophies/achievements etc. In terms of how this game is built, it plays exactly like it could have come out in 95/96, directly after Sonic & Knuckles. It plays much better than the actual game that did come out after it, Sonic 3D: Flickies Island. Sonic Mania is visually stunning, pushing 16-Bit gaming to it's limit with so many background and foreground layers. It especially plays incredibly smoothly on HD formats with a flawless frame rate. In particular the second act of "Press Gardens" looks phenomenally beautiful, with so many vibrant colours. The music is pure 16-Bit too with that "Genesis Sound" in full force, and these amazing retro Synth-Funk gems. In terms of characters it just sticks to the essentials, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Robotnik (or Eggman).
One of the most striking things about the game is that when you begin playing, the very first level is seemingly just Green Hill Zone, looking and sounding exactly as it did back in 1991. However as you begin to play, little subtle changes start to appear. Things in slightly different places, different enemies, power boxes that didn't appear until Sonic 3... As you play on you gradually realise there are completely new areas added. In fact most of these classic levels are practically double the size of their originals, with multiple branching paths. As you keeping playing you have one of those HOLY SHIT moments, like revisiting a childhood haunt only to see how it has changed. Essentially Sonic Mania takes elements from all the 16-Bit Sonic classics (including Sonic CD) and reassembles them into one sphere. It makes for an overwhelmingly breathtaking nostalgia hit for those who played the originals to death. Sonic Mania adds lots of completely new levels built from the ground up too. So this is far from just a re-hash of old ideas, all of the new ideas work really well and stick to the spirit of the originals. There is nothing here that couldn't have been done on a Sega Mega Drive and nothing feels irksomely out of place. In particular the new "Special Stage" is amazing, ironically using early polygonal graphics that seemingly mock the much maligned Sonic R (a racing game made for Sega Saturn).
Sonic Mania has plenty of replay value. Not only are there loads of special stages to play through, but you can play the entire campaign as Sonic, Tails, Sonic & Tails, Knuckles or Sonic & Knuckles, with each character having different abilities, and unique campaigns. There is also a two player mode, time attack mode and unlockables such as debug mode! Combine this with trophies/achievements and you have a game that is even more challenging and engrossing than the originals!
If it wasn't for the retro gaming boom, I doubt Sonic Mania would even exist. The Sonic Team have constantly tried to make Sonic more modern and cutting edge, and with each attempt it has wandered further and further from its roots into something displeasing and unrecognisable. It turns out going backwards was the way to go forwards. Even Sonic newbies will find plenty to love in this game, because it plays like a dream and oozes addictive gameplay. Everything about this game has been crafted with genuine love and care. As if the developers actually listened to what the fans want (for a change)! Sonic Mania plays like an Indie game and sits alongside the likes of Axiom Verge, Shovel Knight and even Minecraft in how it honours nostalgic gaming. The sort of "remix" approach that this game has taken is also potentially boundary pushing and could be applied to other Sega Mega Drive classics. How about they take the same approach to Streets of Rage, and just make those original levels even bigger and more ambitious, yet retaining the 16-Bit limitations? I've dreamed of there being another classic 16-Bit Sonic game, just made bigger and longer, and finally that dream has become reality. Sonic Mania is not only the best game in the series since its classic heyday, but genuinely a stunning work in its own right that totally punches it's own weight. 9/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment