Topic: Sonic Mania

@BLP_Software Dude, you are reading way too much into the story here...it's "Sonic Mania" and more or less is billed as a remix album of a game to celebrate an anniversary date. The story wasn't a priority. It seriously just sounds like you're nitpicking. :/

@CanisWolfred Yeah but the game attempts to have a story it genuinely doesnt follow through any of it. Like...why do some levels have transitions? The game starts good with it, setting things up and connecting levels properly. And then it stops 4 or 5 zones in and its jarring.

All I can aasume is Sonic jumps off Little Planet back to Angel Island, visits Oil Ocean, back to Angel Island, then back to Little Planet.

Which would be nice but they dont show any of it. Just...fades to black.

And seriously. That true final boss. That fight just sucks. XD

But as I said the physics and production values are great! But the way it all connects and especially the new zones feels...half baked

@DarthNocturnal Some are like Sonic 2 and 3. Some are like CD.

@BLP_Software Spoiler tags please

@OorWullie Difference is this is actually released content but sure whatever.

I must stress guys. 6/10 is good not great.

@BLP_Software I'm curious if you liked any of the 16 bit Sonic's?If not then this game certainly wouldn't change that.

@OorWullie Love Sonic 2 and CD. Sonic 1 has some quirks because its the original and Sonic 3 is a great time too.

Heck one of my earliest memories is of Chemical Plant and Oil Ocean.

So...the true ending to Mania needs some context.

How is that for a stealth prequel?

@BLP_Software Chemical Plant is to good level design as deep fried aluminum is to good cuisine.

We remember that stage because it was awful, not because it was good

So the first Special Stage in handheld mode has frame drops. Oooh boy

It's not like Sonic 3 & Knuckles's transitions and storytelling were perfect either. Especially in the first half, it's not uncommon to just see the screen fade to black as you go to the next zone, such as from Ice Cap to Launch Base or Marble Garden to Carnival Night. And speaking of Launch Base, the Death Egg just launches and explodes for no reason, and Robotnik fixes it in a matter of hours.

@meleebrawler Well Sonkc 3 had at least some sort of animation. Like from Ice Cap to Launch Base there was a fade to black but you saw Sonic burrow through snow and pop out on the other side.

Angel Island - Hydrocity - Broken bridge, fall into the stage
Hydrocity - Marble Garden - Launched up and falls into the stage
Marble Garden - Carnival Night - Tails airlifts you out and then in
Carnival Knight - Ice Cap - Cannon launches into the level
Ice Cap - Launch Base - Burrows through snow
Launch Base - Mushroom Hill - Falls off the death egg into the stage
Mushroom Hill - Flying Battery - Grabs onto the ship
Flying Battery - Sandopolis - Jumps off the ship into the sand
Sandopolis - Lava Reef - Falls through the floor
Lava Reef - Hidden Palace - Passageway, admittedly boring
Hidden Palace - Sky Sanctuary - Teleporter
Sky Sanctuary - Death Egg - Climbs the tower

See the thing Mania lacks is that...take Stardust Speedway for instance. You get the results screen, it fades to black on that screen and youre in the next zone.

Every stage in Sonic 3 had an opening and closing animation no matter how brief that gave continuity. Mania has that but only sometimes.

Yes Sonic 3 also faded to black but it was never on the results screen. There was always a closing/opening animation around that fade.

@MegaTen Again with different box art and a different PEGI rating on the box...

@MegaTen The thing that throws me is...the game is rated 3+...not 7...

I thought I would wait for a physical edition, but I found the download code at a really good price, so I decided to splash for this. Haven't played yet, but just looking at it brings me memories of playing Sonic 3!

The soundtrack is amazing

@AlternateButtons Hit the blue ones back.

@AlternateButtons Roll into them.

@AlternateButtons I was also having problems with this but it's actually pretty easy. Like BLP says above, just roll into them when you can . The red missiles can be tricky to jump over but just wait until they're really close before jumping. You only need to hit him 5 times and you get an opportunity to hit with him with 2 blue missiles at one part.

Hm, of all the zones I've played so far, Hydro City seems to be the one least changed (can't really speak for CD levels as I don't remember them well). The big difference was actually in the first act, which is almost entirely underwater. Act 2 was almost exactly like the original; at one point I found a special stage due to my nostalgia sense tingling over a familiar layout. Even the boss of the act ends up turning into a carbon copy of the original's Act 1 boss. The music is also the least remixed of all... not that that's a bad thing. In fact none of this is, it's just a bit odd compared to the effort in remixing other zones.