Title: Sonic Mania Plus
Genre: Action, Adventure, Casual
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch [reviewed], PC
Developer: Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, PagodaWest Games
Publisher: SEGA
Release Date: Jul 17, 2018
It feels weird living in a time where the idea of a new Sonic the Hedgehog game being released isn’t met with disdain and disappointment. The good memories I have of Sonic and of growing up in the 90s are ones that I never thought I’d get to experience again –until today.
I’ve always been the person that said Sonic is the sort of character, and game, that can only ever really work in the 16-bit generations. Sure, there have been all sorts of Sonic games in the 3D world but aside from the odd outing (Sonic Generations) they were all pretty sub-par.
This issue is only highlighted when going back to play the old Sonic games. The early 3D outings on the Dreamcast are nearly unplayable and that first was downright broken. The following generation games were a chore at best, with the emo-inspired Shadow game nearly making me give up on gaming.
But those 16-bit games were great, the first three games in the series a master-classes in what a 2D platformer is all about. Blast processing mumbo-jumbo aside, these classic outings are well-designed games that stand the test of time. Okay, so maybe the first Sonic game is sort of a slog, but 2, 3 and the magnificent CD are masterpieces in their own ways.
So when Sonic Mania dropped I was excited, even if Sega themselves only saw it as a side project, placing their focus on Sonic Forces. Yeah, remember Sonic Forces? I don’t blame you if you don’t as it was some weird furry dream come true that introduced the internet to a bunch of OC (do not steal) characters.
Sonic Mania was an absolute joy to play the first time around as it took everything that made the original series great and really did pump in the blast processing. It looked and played like the original retro games but was still something altogether new that the Genesis could never handle.
It also helped that the game was headed up by a fan that truly loved classic Sonic, dare I say almost more that Sega themselves did at the time. Thankfully things are different a year later as Sonic Forces is a bad memory and Sega is throwing its weight behind Sonic Mania Plus.
Sega has seen the light and given us an updated edition that is more than just a few nice extras and feels like an entirely new game. Add in the fact that a cool $30 will get you what amounts to a collectors edition and you get a package that really does feel special. And if you already own the game you can spend a few bucks to upgrade to the new features.
I already reviewed Sonic Mania back when it released on the PS4, and to sum things up I loved pretty much everything about it. What I will talk about here is what’s new in this Plus edition that Sega has unleashed onto the world. In fact, I can’t remember the last time Sega released a Plus edition, or any complete edition for a Sonic game, well, ever.
The bulk of the fun comes from the two new characters that Sonic Mania Plus adds, Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel. Really hardcore Sonic fans will know Mighty the Armadillo from the Sonic the Hedgehog Arcade, but Ray the Flying Squirrel is altogether new.
Sonic Mania Plus is essentially broken up into two separate segments on the title screen. You get the standard mode which is the base game that you remember, and that is still as fun as ever, and you get the new Encore Mode that lets you take Mighty and Ray for a real spin.
Much like the introduction of Knuckles, Sonic Mania Plus remixes the original stages in Encore Mode but adds a fun twist that make them feel brand new. Mighty has the ability to ground pound and open up new pathways that weren’t available in the base game.
Ray can fly, which is a bit of fun, but feels a little lackluster only because Tails can already pretty much do that only in helicopter form. Still, he’s a fun addition that changes up the gameplay enough to justify his addition. These two characters are great, but Ray’s solid yellow styling does feel a little out of place at times.
Encore Mode are where these two really shine as the remixed stages (and bonus pinball!) are designed to take advantage of the pairs abilities. The stages aren’t just redesigned from a gameplay setting but also in their visual styling. I replayed Sonic Mania and then jumped into Encore Mode and thought I was playing all new levels.
Everything is rearranged enough that most players are going to think Encore Mode a whole new experience. If you are one of those crazy speedrunner types out there you’ll probably notice the changes, but even then it’s just enough of a change that it will mess with your head.
The changes also affect the games bosses that have gotten their on revamps in the Plus edition. Sonic bosses are all about memorizing patterns and those patterns have been altered for Sonic Mania Plus. It’s hard to tell exactly what patterns were changes, but you fall feel the difference.
Another change comes from how the game deals with lives, or at least deals with them in Encore Mode. No longer are you focused on collecting 100 rings for an extra life, the lives are now represented by the characters you get to play with and pick up through item boxes.
It’s a nice feature that keeps the game flowing as when you lose a life you simply switch to the next character and keep playing from where you left off. There are always two characters on screen that you can switch between at will, but when one dies another one steps in to be your partner. I really loved how this Sonic Heroes sort of thing worked.
Sonic Mania Plus also comes with a fair bit of extra material for fans to enjoy. If you but the retail edition you’ll get a reversible case that makes it look like a classic Genesis title. The art book that’s included is a fine addition for those into that sort of thing.
But the real fun extra are in the Time Trail mode and the new Competition Mode that lets you plays against four other players. There is a lot of content here, doubly so if you only spend the $5 to upgrade the base game is you already own it. To be honest, it’s more content that some DLC for huge AAA titles.
Sonic Mania Plus is taking an already fantastic game and working out all the minor bugs and issues of the original, while throwing in a ton of new features that make the package worth a revisit. If you missed out on the game the first go around this is your chance to get in on the fun, and if you already have the game, a cool fiver gets you tons of new features.
Final Score:
4.5/5
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