News Articles
Thursday27th Jul 2023
News Sonic Mania 2 Didn't Happen Because Sega Wanted To "Move Beyond" Pixel Art
"You kind of end up targeting a very specific core audience"
Sonic Mania is heralded by many of the blue blur's fans as one of the best Sonic games ever made. A sequel was a dream for many — more classic stages revamped, more brand new levels created, and those buttery smooth physics making a beautiful pixel art return. However, Sonic Mania 2...
Monday15th Aug 2022
Anniversary Impossibly, Sonic Mania Is Now Five Years Old
Well, that's gone FAST
It's pretty hard to believe that Sonic Mania is already five years old. It feels like only yesterday that we were getting excited about a return to the classic Sega Mega Drive / Genesis Sonic games of old, and Sega, Christian Whitehead, and everyone involved knocked it out of the park. Sonic Mania was a huge hit, and it...
Thursday21st Jul 2022
News Sega Reflects On Sonic Mania, Says It Was A Defining Moment For The Blue Blur
Can we have a sequel now?
Sonic Origins saw the return of Sonic 1,2, 3 and CD last month, but the modern generation 2D standout is still admittedly Sonic Mania. It was a revival of the classic side-scrolling Sonic series and ended up being an absolute hit thanks to Christian "The Taxman" Whitehead, Headcannon and a number of other talented parties...
Monday16th Aug 2021
News Sonic Mania Is Now 4 Years Old
A game that brought Sonic back to his best
Sonic Mania is now four years old, which may not be a huge landmark but, well, this Sonic-nerd wants to celebrate it anyway. It is the game, after all, that reminds players old and new that, actually, there's more to Sonic than 'alright' 3D platformers. Created by a group of small developers and super-fans...
Thursday15th Jul 2021
News Yep, Tantalus Was Also The Developer Of The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
You might remember its work on Twilight Princess HD
It's becoming increasingly common for Nintendo to lend out its IP and call on the services of external studios to help remake and remaster its classic library of games - so it's no surprise to discover that the company's latest release, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, was also handled by...
Sunday11th Apr 2021
Soapbox It's Time For Nintendo's Sonic Mania Moment
Go on, cheer us all up
I remember a strange night live blogging the worst Anniversary celebration ever. You know the one, Sonic fans! But it wasn't all bad; we didn't know it at the time, as the widely leaked Switch hadn't even been officially revealed as the NX at that point, but Nintendo fans weren't far away from playing the best Sonic game in...
Friday27th Dec 2019
News Sega's Director Of Animation Thinks The World Is Ready For Another Sonic TV Show
"There are several discussions"
If you're a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, you probably already know the official YouTube channel has released multiple animated shorts based on Sonic Mania and Team Sonic Racing. Since the conclusion of Sonic Boom television series though, this has been the only way to watch Sonic on screen. So what else
Friday8th Nov 2019
News Kickstarter Cancelled For Vertebreaker, The Retro Platformer From Sonic Mania Devs
Update: Campaign is Vertebroken
Update: In an update on the kickstarter page, Headcannon developer Stealth, (real name Simon Thomley) has confirmed that the crowd funding campaign for Vertebreaker has been cancelled after one week. Calling the campaign a "spectacular failure", he has outlined the problems in the video below. The developer states...
Thursday24th Oct 2019
News Sega Plans To Release More Animated Sonic Shorts In The Future
"several projects have been planned"
In a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Sega's director of animation Yukio Kusumoto spoke about the animated shorts released for Sonic Mania and Team Sonic Racing. Known officially as Sonic Mania Adventures and Team Sonic Racing: Overdrive, the plan is to now release more series like this for future Sonic...
Saturday22nd Jun 2019
News Sonic Team "Now Preparing" For The Blue Blur's 30th Anniversary
Expect a "big year"
In March, Sonic Team's Takashi Iizuka confirmed the development of the next entry in the mainline Sonic the Hedgehog series was officially underway. Since then, there's been no other information about this game. When Iizuka caught up with Game Informer at E3 2019 last week, he was queried about the next major entry in the...
Sunday17th Mar 2019
News Takashi Iizuka Confirms The Next Sonic Title Is Already In Development
Gotta go fast
If the video clips for Team Sonic Racing weren't already satisfying enough, the head of Sonic Team, Takashi Iizuka, has confirmed the next big entry in the mainline Sonic series is officially underway. The announcement was made during a panel at SXSW Gaming 2019. Other than this, no other information is currently known about the new...
Monday24th Dec 2018
Video Sonic Mania Adventures Animation Returns For A Holiday Special
Warm the coldest of hearts
One of the DLC highlights this year was the add-on content for the 2017 release Sonic Mania. The Plus version of the game added new characters, an encore mode and four-player split-screen. As we begin to reflect on all the wonderful games released over the past year, the official Sonic The Hedgehog YouTube Channel
Sunday14th Oct 2018
News Sonic Double Pack For Nintendo Switch Listed On Amazon Italy
Twice as fast
Sonic Mania Plus is arguably the greatest Sonic game of all-time. Among critics, it became the highest-rated outing for the blue blur in 25 years. Its original launch in 2017 and DLC update earlier this year also had fantastic sales on the Switch. If you haven't picked up Sonic's latest game in physical form just yet, this latest...
Wednesday25th Jul 2018
News The Switch Accounted For 52% Of Sonic Mania Plus' Launch Week Sales
Beating PS4 and Xbox One
Sonic Mania Plus has had a pretty stellar launch, instantly becoming the highest-rated Sonic game for 25 years among critics. It had a pretty decent week in terms of sales, too, jumping straight into the fifth-place spot in the UK charts, and it turns out that most of those sales were o
News Sonic Mania Plus Becomes The Highest-Rated Sonic Game In 25 Years
Not bad at all
You could say that Sonic Mania Plus has been received rather well; critics have been praising the game left, right, and centre, and fans have been showering the game with love on social media platforms, reminiscing over the nostalgic 2D hedgehog gameplay that made them fall in love with the series in the first place. As it turns...
Tuesday24th Jul 2018
News Multiple Cheat Codes For Sonic Mania Have Been Discovered
Just like old times
Back in the '90s when micro-transactions were nowhere to be seen, cheat codes reigned supreme. All you had to do was input a code and you became unstoppable - no monetary transactions required, just a series of button presses. When you think of all the cool games during this era, one of them might be Sonic the Hedgehog. It turns...
Monday23rd Jul 2018
News The Japanese Version Of Sonic Mania Plus Comes With A Gorgeous Mega Drive Reversible Cover
An exclusive alternative
Last week, we showed you a lovely secret message that Sega had hidden on the back cover of Sonic Mania Plus' artbook, thinking that it would definitely be the coolest thing we see from the deluxe bundle. Now, though, we've discovered that the Japanese version has its own exclusive Mega Drive-inspired reversible...
News Octopath Traveler Slips In UK Charts As Crash Bandicoot Takes Fourth Consecutive Top Spot
Sonic Mania Plus does well, too
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy has once again managed to bat away the competition, keeping its position at the top of the UK charts for a fourth consecutive week. With a generous amount of Xbox One price reductions taking place over Amazon Prime Day last week, the top ten is a strange blend of current...
Friday20th Jul 2018
News Sonic Mania Lead Talks About The Fan Service Magic That Makes The Game Tick
How do you make a Sonic game for the fans?
With Sonic Mania Plus' recent release on Switch, it feels fitting to allow ourselves another chance to bask in the nostalgia-filled glory the original game presented. Sonic games can be a touchy subject to talk about, with fans of the series liking and disliking different elements of each - and a...
Video Sonic Mania Plus Team Explain Reasoning Behind Physical Release
For the fans
In the latest Sonic Mania Plus developer diary, the focus was on design and also how the game got a special edition in the form of a physical release. The game’s lead developer, Christian Whitehead, said there was high demand for a retail version: So, there was so much demand for a physical version of Sonic Mania that we...
Wednesday18th Jul 2018
Random Sega Has Hidden A Lovely Secret Message In Sonic Mania Plus' Artbook
Have you already found it?
Sonic Mania Plus was released into the world yesterday, giving players yet another chance to bask in the nostalgia of the blue hedgehog's old-school style. If you've managed to grab yourself a copy of the game, you might have noticed a secret code that reveals a lovely message for eagle-eyed fans. The game comes with...
Monday16th Jul 2018
Random Sega Recreates Classic '90s Commercial For Sonic Mania Plus
Blast from the past
Sonic Mania Plus hits stores tomorrow and Sega has recreated one of its classic '90s TV adverts to celebrate - and promote! The video has been shared on Twitter from the official Sonic the Hedgehog account and features a store salesman desperately trying to get the customer to buy the "same generic games as everyone else"...
News Head of Sonic Team Has Some Surprise Announcements To Share At This Year's Comic-Con
What are you hoping for?
It was only a few weeks ago SEGA was celebrating Sonic's birthday in Tokyo at a live steam event and soon it will be revealing even more surprises regarding the blue blur's upcoming plans at a panel at this year's Comic-Con. Scheduled for 19th July between the hours of 2:00 - 3:00 pm, the 'Sonic the Hedgehog's Way Past Cool...
Tuesday10th Jul 2018
Gallery Sonic Mania Plus Is The Version Of Sonic Mania You've Always Wanted
Keeping it physical
When Sonic Mania launched last year it received critical acclaim and restored the faith of many a lapsed Sonic fan. However, as a digital-only affair (no, the collector's edition with a download code doesn't count) it felt very much like a 'bonus' release alongside 2017's full-fat Sonic outing: the much-maligned Sonic...
Saturday7th Jul 2018
News Sonic Mania Plus Art Director And Sonic Team's Kazuyuki Hoshino Discuss The Creative Process
"A collaborative effort"
SEGA’s Sonic The Hedgehog YouTube channel has uploaded episode one of its Sonic Mania Plus developer diary. In a brief chat with Sonic Team Creative Director, Kazuyuki Hoshino, and Sonic Mania Plus Art Director, Tom Fry, the pair discussed how certain art and design choices came to fruition. In reference to Mighty...
Tuesday3rd Jul 2018
Video Take a Peek at Some of the Best Switch Games Coming in July
13 to be precise
We laugh in the face of superstition here at NL Towers. We couldn't care less if a black cat crosses our path, dramatically smashes a mirror and runs away underneath a raised ladder. That's absolutely the reason we've dug up 13 of the loveliest looking games coming to Switch in this fair month of July, it's definitely not just a...
Wednesday25th Apr 2018
News Sonic Mania Has Sold One Million Units Worldwide, Plus Version Release Date Confirmed
Sonic Mania Plus Will cost $4.99 / £3.99 if you own the original
Sega's Sonic Mania has now sold over a million units globally, according to Famitsu. The 2D platformer launched last year on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC, and made up for the fact that the mainline 2017 Sonic title - Sonic Forces - wasn't very good. Sega's...
Monday19th Mar 2018
News Sonic Mania Plus Arrives On Switch This Summer
Physical version coming, but existing owners don't miss out
Announced during the SXSW Gaming live broadcast, one of the most requested physical editions of last year will finally become a reality during Summer 2018: Sonic Mania Plus will be available on the Nintendo Switch featuring extra content. Two new playable characters join in the existing...
