Sonic Mania Plus: Encore Mode Part 8: Mirage Saloon Zone (Team Super)
1,221The Act 1 of Mirage Saloon Zone in Encore Mode is quite a unique experience compared to all other zones in Encore mode.
It mainly bases itself on Knuckles' version of Act 1, with the focus of climbing out of a canyon and its Hip-Hop-based music, but Act 1 feels completely revamped here in order to let the rest of Knuckles' friends to get through it. Later on, it seems into a grounded version of Sonic's Act 1 where you eventually end up on the train from there. It even includes the giant pistol at the end of the train, but it still leads you into fighting Knuckles version of the Act 1 boss in the open desert area of Sonic's Act 1, leading straight into his start of Act 2 afterwards.
Both Knuckles and Mighty are assets to have in Act 1, because their strength allows them to break through all of the breakable walls and floors you can find in Act 1. I even managed to find two big Special Stage rings here, with one of them being in the back of the train just like in Sonic's Act 1.
(Tails, Mighty, and Ray also share Sonic's version of Mirage Saloon Act 1 in the regular Mania Mode)
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One of Special Stage rings I found in Act 2 was quite cheeky. You never begin Knuckles' start of Act 2 in Encore Mode, but if you take the effort to go back to where he would normally start it from, you'll have one of those giant rings waiting for you for your efforts. You can't go any further backwards from there, as the path is blocked by barrels. Just look at this video's thumbnail as a reference.
I also think that Encore Mirage Saloon has some of the best zone recolors in Encore Mode. It starts out with evening colors, but once you've reached the Sonic Act 1 train with the big Ring in it, the colors then change to wonderful nighttime shades of blue and purple. It's much like how the Mirage Saloon originally started with early morning colors before transitioning into late morning/afternoon colors. Very nice!
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