Game:

Sonic Mania (2017)

Duration: 2:29:53

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Sonic Mania done in one sitting with Sonic & Tails and all 7 Chaos Emeralds collected. This is a fairly long Sonic game if you're scouring levels for goodies, but it entices you to run past everything so much that it can end very quickly as well. I had to re-record the game on the second try after some issues with audio in the beginning of my first try, but I didn't have to catch up much. I just wish Tails was more consistent with grabbing Sonic when using the assist function.

A huge success for SEGA, a project made by fans. Many do forget that those fans took actual game design courses and are specialized in this sort of work, though, so sometimes people praise random fans for doing literally anything, including plastering Sonic in a UE4 demo. But those specific fans behind Sonic Mania were definitely driven by passion for the project and the franchise as a whole, and it all paid off really well. This is considered by most as one of the best games of all time, and while I personally don't think it's really that, the game is quite good.
Sonic Mania was meant as a true return to form, a new adventure for Sonic and his friends, all settled in the classic universe with the classic Sonic gameplay from the 90s. But it instead ended up being a nostalgic ride through Sonic's early history, hence the heavy reuse of old levels with gimmicks reused around all over the place. And while it is an incredibly great game, the nostalgic factor is just way too high. The four original levels the game provides are fantastic, but there's just not enough of them. Because of it's heavy reliance on those old reused levels and overall theming around going back to the past and reliving it, Sonic Mania doesn't really go forward. Rather, the game stands still and simply improves what worked before, which isn't bad but it could be a lot better. Something like Sonic 3 & Knuckles succeeded so well not just because of some of the new additions it made and the classic Sonic gameplay formula being pretty much perfected by it at the time, but also because of a seemingly large world you traveled through and a true feeling of adventure and discovery. The game had an entire new world to find and explore when compared to it's predecessor, Sonic 2, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles gave this grand feeling of being lost and absorbed by Angel Island and it's vast areas. It really felt like an actual world that you explored as you went through it.
Sonic Mania only ever emphasized on rediscovery of the lost identity of the classic Sonic games and not much else. It brought back old levels with some new coat of paint and even some overhauling done for them, which is nice to see. But they aren't anything new, and because of how the game reused those old levels and pitted them around randomly, the developers had to use a plot device to explain why they are so spread out, and it doesn't really feel like an adventure in the way it's done. It's more of a roller-coaster of "best of" the classic Sonic games, and it could definitely be so much more than that.
Sonic Mania is a great return to form, but it also illustrates well about how the fans feed on the nostalgia for the old Sonic games and never think about what could be in store for the series' future. It rather seems like they try to escape that future, possibly because of knowing that it will never satisfy them like the past did, which I can understand. It's hard even for me to let go of the old Sonic games, but they were really great in the end, so I value them dearly. But when I think about a new Sonic game, I think of new experiences. New levels, enemies, bosses. Maybe even some inspiration taken from the past games, other games did that. But when I think about new, I never think about seeing Green Hill Zone again, or almost any of the other old stages for that matter.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles will always be on the top for me, but because of how late I was introduced to the series, it's not for nostalgia. It will always be the best for me simply because it pulls off almost everything the past games did but bigger and better, while also providing a fresh new experience for fans and newcomers alike to enjoy. And while Sonic Mania does come pretty close as well, it's something different. Sonic 3 & Knuckles didn't rely on old levels or the past to sell you the game, which is what made it so great.

Ever since Sonic Mania came out I mostly heard people wanting a "Sonic Mania 2", as in another nostalgic ride with some different levels from Sonic's past. Only a few, including me, wanted a new original game, with all new levels and bosses. A true Sonic 4. A game that could move the classic series further and maybe even give hope for more things to come in the future. Perhaps that might happen someday, but knowing SEGA and Sonic Team, that will be a really hard goal to achieve, should they ever attempt to chase it.

Game: Sonic Mania (2017 + Plus DLC, PC Version)

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