While the new content isn't as awe-inspiring or as groundbreaking as the original it only adds to a perfect game and never harms it. I have the digital version so I can't talk about all of the nice goodies that came with the physical version but I can definitely talk about the new content. In the end we got a physical release but with a new DLC added. It came out with gorgeous graphics and enchanting level designs with an amazing soundtrack, many were clambering to get a physical version or a sequel of some kind. From the color palette to the character animation to the adorable little spin Sonic does when the title screen launches, everything in this game drips with life and attitude.Sonic Mania was one of the best returns to form ever in gaming history. Without an ounce of irony, I can say that this game is more visually arresting, dazzling, and inspired than any Sonic game ever made, including the 3D ones.
But perhaps more than any game this year, Sonic Mania Plus asserts that there is a certain electricity to the pixel-art style that conveys a crackling energy that you just can’t find in most modern, high fidelity games. The core game is an unfettered delight (particularly for fans of the original line of 16-bit and 32-bit games), retaining the series’ classic visual and gameplay style while incorporating new details that make the experience more palatable for modern audiences.Ī lot has been said about the reemergence of 16-bit, retro graphics, with most attributing the appeal to nostalgia.
Thankfully, if you already own the original game, adding the new content will run you only $5, and if this is your introduction to the game, the $30 price point for the retail version is well worth every penny (plus, you get the bitchin’ packaging).
There are definitely enough changes here to warrant repeat run-throughs for those who have already mastered the original game, but don’t expect a wealth of new content - Plus is essentially a modest DLC add-on. A two- to four-player competition mode is also included, in which you can challenge friends to furious couch co-op races, and some boss battles have been updated to be less frustrating this time around, with visual cues added to more clearly delineate the path to victory. Sonic games are blistering and intense as is, but this added swap feature makes playthroughs even more hectic. This change-up alters the rhythm of gameplay in an interesting way, as it forces you to think carefully about which character is most effective for any given situation or obstacle. You have two characters deployed at a time and can switch between them with a simple button press, and when one dies, they’re replaced by the heroes you have left on reserve. These remixed stages come in the form of the Encore Mode, a new campaign that also introduces a new way to play in which, instead of lives, you gradually assemble your cast of characters via item boxes and special tasks peppered throughout the levels.
Those were Sonic’s glory days, and while the series has had a rocky go of it over the past fifteen years, to say the least, it’s safe to say that with Sonic Mania Plus, the future of Sonic is looking brighter than ever. This is as heartfelt an homage to the Sonic franchise as you could imagine, a direct continuation of the original, 2D line of games that made the character a pop-culture mainstay in the ‘90s and the only character who could rival Mario at the time. The coolest and most unique thing about the original release is that it was developed in a joint effort between Sega and select fan-hackers, whose involvement gives the game a passion-project vibe. But Sonic Mania Plus, a refined, expanded version of last year’s digital-only release, is a welcome repackaging of what was already the definitive Sonic the Hedgehog experience, adding new wrinkles to gameplay, a handful of extra features, and retro-inspired packaging including an art book and a sleeve modeled after original Genesis box art. Unnecessary, egregious re-releases have become commonplace in today’s gaming industry, so much so that Bethesda felt compelled to poke fun at themselves during their annual E3 presentation for the almost comical number of Skyrim iterations they’ve released since the game launched.
Release Date: JPlatform: PS4 (reviewed), XBO, Switch, PC Developer: PagodaWest Games & Headcannon Publisher: Sega Genre: Platformer