Sonic Mania / Project Sonic 2017

Guess I should probably give this game a go, then. Will probably be picking up the Switch version

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For real. By the way, for anyone that may be struggling with the Special Stages, here's a tip that can help. Since the characters are automatically running the entire time, don't bother trying to hold the control stick forward while also going left and right. Only move the control stick left and right as precise as you can and know when and when not to make those sharp turns, as well as mixing in a jump when turning to save a little bit of time. Once I realized I didn't need to hold forward, the experience became a lot easier. I struggled like crazy trying to get "that damn 4th Chaos Emerald..."

The special stages are damn hard. Im stuck on the 5th one.

For me the problem is catching the UFO even after reaching Mach 3 speed.

Yeah, controlling them at Mach 3 can get ridiculous. That's why knowing when and how hard to make those turns is key. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you can reach the UFO at Mach 2. There have been two times so far that I managed to catch the UFO in the final Special Stage at Mach 2.

Now that Mania's been out for a few weeks already and the hype has died down a bit, I wanna know what everybody still thinks of the game. I still love it, though I must admit that I've been bugged by a number of things in the game. I'd list them, but they all hinge very heavily on spoilers, so I'll spare anybody who hasn't played through the game yet.

Opinions here:
First of all, I think requiring you the player to beat Blue Sphere stages in order to unlock all of the game's extras was a really crummy move. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE Blue Sphere. I've been playing Blue Sphere my entire life. I think it's super-fun, and I'm super glad they brought it back.

BUT

I also understand that Blue Sphere is very unforgiving in its difficulty when compared to other Special Stages and is considerably harder for Mania newcomers to get the hang of. Unlike other Special Stages like the Sonic 2 half-pipes, Blue Sphere only gives you 1 try to win and absolutely no room for error. If you don't know how to play it properly, the chances of getting ANY medals past the first six or so will probably be next to zero.

It wasn't an issue for me since I already had so much experience with Blue Sphere from my childhood, but to others who are trying it for the first time, it's gonna keep them from ever getting to experiences those great unlockables. That's not cool.

I also thought that some of the game design was inconsistent. There were many points where the game was absolutely amazing in both its design and presentation, but then there were other points where it just felt 'okay' and 'par for the course'. Anybody who's experienced Hydrocity or Oil Ocean can probably agree on this statement: Both of these zones are fun, but EXTREMELY lacking when compared to the truly amazing zones like Flying Battery and Press Garden.
The same could be said for other small aspects of the game, too: How come some stages have level transitions, but others don't? Why are Bean, Bark and Nack given the spotlight in Mirage Saloon, but Amy only appears as a fake robot in Metallic Madness' Boss battle? How come Flying Battery's climax isn't nearly as exciting or as dramatic as its original from S&K? Why does Knuckles get exclusive pathways, levels and bosses, but Tails doesn't? Little things like that bugged me when I played. They didn't actively make the experience WORSE, but it made it feel like the game cut corners here and there just for the sake of it.

And dear lord, I really, REALLY thought the final bosses were mediocre. Titanic Monarch Act 1's boss is just a re-hash of the boring Death Egg Act 1 boss, Act 2's boss isn't nearly as intimidating as the final Eggman encounter in S2 or S&K, and I thought that the extra final boss against Heavy King and Eggman was just boring. Believe me, I don't think any of those three fights were BAD, but in turn, I'm used to playing Sonic games with fresh, exciting final boss encounters. I just didn't like these as much as previous titles, and it felt like a weak way to end the game. That's all.

Am I the only one that didn't have a problem with the emerald stages and got through them all after a few tries? I personally thought they are pretty cool and after a bit of practice they were a lot of fun and I can get the emeralds straight shot no trouble now. Overall(SPOILER FREE(From my Facebook review) The game is gorgeous from top to bottom. From the new, intricate levels, to the fast, speedy gameplay we all know and love about the series, to solid amazing remixes of classics and new songs composed by Tee Lopes. Love all the new stages including the 2 new ones not shown yet, lot of clever stage design here with so many paths to take and places to explore. The classic returning stages feel new again with extended paths and the Act 2's are fresh and new takes on the classics while keeping the classic feel of the level and expanding upon it. Time Attack mode is so much fun! They've implemented so much to it to keep things going including a restart feature so if you mess up you can start fast from the beginning of the level. 2P battle has returned, you can either play as tails alongside sonic in the single player campaign or compete in the 2P battle mode from Sonic 2. Plus tons of unlockables and secrets including a true final boss fight if you collect all 7 emeralds but I won't spoil it. Sonic Mania is such an amazing experience from beginning to end and I can't thank Christian Whitehead and the entire team enough for putting such love and passion into this project and creating something truly special for the fans. And thank you SEGA for recruiting these guys and starting Sonic back on the right foot again. Only gripes I have is how short the game felt, there was a rare problem where the games music would stop and after about 2 minutes the game would outright crash for no reason. Other than this I love it!

I just saw this on Facebook a couple of minutes ago:

“Sonic Mania goes packaged with Sonic Mania Plus! Mighty and Ray join as playable characters, new Encore mode, 4P Competition mode, Holographic packaging, 32-page art book, and more. Summer 2018.”

https://www.facebook.com/Sonic/photos/a.406270927417.185036.23050342417/10156191637202418/?type=3

Anyone enjoying Sonic Mania Plus? I know I am.

Hell yes! I wrote a review on my FB page, check it out!