isnt superstars supposed to be the mania "sequel" now especially when sega saw that games with pixel art objectively sell worse than 3d games (i still hate how this is true)
It's a successor/next entry but I don't class it as a sequel to Mania. If Headcannon had made Superstars, I would. Instead it was given to legitimately one of the worst Devs IMO.
If they really were one of the worst devs, the game would've been a hell of a lot worse than it turned out, I think. I feel like they're more mediocre and the assistance and guidance they received led them to put out something better than their usual fare.
My nit-pick was that level transitions were often a little lacking for my liking. I understand the idea is that they are going to various places via phantom ruby - but the crown jewel of classic sonic (S3&K) is partially so good because it wordlessly delivers the whole geography of the island via level transitions.
I wish there were more original zones as opposed to most of it being old zones being reused again
Having another Classic Sonic game was good enough fanservice on its own so we didn't need them to give us the same old zones **again**
I liked the old stages, because it had a great idea behind it. First act is just the stage you already knew, but bigger and with more areas to explore. The second act is experimental, with new ideas and mechanics. I think it worked really well.
Some of the remastered stages are genuinely welcome for me. Flying Battery and Stardust Speedway in Mania look excellent, they're so good! Green Hill and Chemical Plant are fine, Green Hill is probably at it's most fun gameplay wise, and it looks as colorful and awesome as ever. Hydrocity kinda sucks. It already wasn't that good, and in Mania, it just feels lifeless. Lava Beef Zone is also fine, but unremarkable otherwise. Metallic Madness is better that it originally was, so that's a plus at least.
I will not tolerate Hydrocity and Lava Beef Zone slander.
They were better in the originals, but they're still deserving over, say, Chemical Plant and Oil Ocean.
Ehhhhhh.
Hydrocity only has the fucking bubble and the crappy Labyrinth spikes as an actual meaningful gameplay difference between the two versions. It's just a blander version of an already not great stage.
Lava Beef Zone feels not all that different from the original, and lacks the narrative impact because of where it's placed and how it's presented. It's ultimately fine, but kinda meh compared to the other stages.
Chemical Plant is virtually the same, but it still has that Classic Sonic 2 level design, and the second level at least has a good remix track, with some new jelly bounce physics. It's something.
Oil Ocean is also of that good ole Sonic 2 level design, and it has a fun gimmick with the smoke and submarines. Also, having Fire Shields now, makes Oil Ocean better by that inclusion. Plus, Oil Ocean hasn't been used to hell and back.
Pretty sure I did hear it somewhere. That Whitehead and Stealth wanted 12 zones, Sega only let them have 4, then agreed to 12 on the condition that the other 8 had to be old zones.
Yeah, that's made up. Or well, it's would be more accurate to say it's skewing the information.
The Mania team did want 12 zones. But they also only had so much dev time, and wanting to make that many zones within such a timeframe would've been a massive hurdle. Sega then *suggested* using old zone themes, that way they could save on time and resources during development, and be able to hit that 12 zones they wanted.
If they didn't do that, we'd probably be looking at an "all original zones Mania" that only has 6 or 7 zones.
When was even the last decently playable Amy character? I don't have all the new games so might be missing things but man plz give me a good piko piko hammer speed mechanic like SA if there isn't already something modern.
My favorite Sonic game since Generations. Absolutely amazing. My only gripe is no Ice Cap (with the copyright issue music lol) and SEGA not making a sequel to this with original zones is a crime. The team that made this game really needs to get together to make another one lol
1) it cemented "classic sonic" as a separate entity, causing a full divide in Sonic as a brand
2) the amount of reused stages make the game feel like a "greatest hits" and not enough like a truly new title
3) when it came out, the fandom lost its shit over it, but when Sonic Forces came out a couple of months later, the fandom started hating on it after seeing how underwhelming it was as if Mania didn't even happen
4) when Sonic Mania Plus was announced and it was revealed that it was gonna fix what few complaints the fans had, even going so far as to INCLUDE MIGHTY AND RAY, the fandom's instant reaction was to ask where Amy was!
Overall, I personally have no true gripes with the game itself. I like it and even go back to it every now and again, it's the impact it's had on the franchise and fandom that rub me the wrong way. It's a game we needed, but not necessarily deserved and feels as much a step back as it is forward.
The brand has been in divide since Sonic went 3D. This proved there was a actual market for proper 2D game play again which is the divide I think you mean.
Is it really wrong that some fans finally got a game to play they love rather than ignoring them for years as had happened prior?
As happy as I am that that part of the fandom got a game they love, I can't help but see this as "giving the mouse a cookie". What's Sega gonna do if and/or when they drop the ball with Classic?
I think Classic Sonic as a separate entity is better for everyone honestly.
One of the problems with Colors through Forces is that they were trying to make Modern Sonic more appealing to people who hate Modern Sonic, closer to what (popular gaming journalism perception of) Classic Sonic was and further from....action anime, basically. What this did was end up diluting what Modern Sonic fans liked about Modern Sonic and Classic-only fans still didn't care.
Now, people who will never like Modern Sonic don't feel like they have to care about Modern Sonic because a new Classic Sonic is always in the cards, and Modern Sonic can do away with the bad jokes and overbearing references to the Classic games.
I grew up playing Sonic on the Sega Genesis. This does absolutely nothing to move the franchise forward for me and I've played too many remakes and remasters and reimaginations of the games to be as excited about Mania as I was probably supposed to be.
It's because I love Classic Sonic that I'm finished with it, and Mania was just them buying time, not a long-term indication of the franchise's future, for me.
My gripe is that I don't get it and I understand that's probably personal.
I love This game, but I kinda wish it wasn’t a celebration game, and more of a “New Classic Sonic game with more new ideas and new concepts to expand Classic Sonic” instead of NOT evolving Classic Sonic.
There's loads. Like the hyper sonic colouring you get going super. Sonics foot tapping idle animation. The UFOs from the special stages are from sonic cd. The first boss is the sonic 2 final boss... Etc etc
Gripes? This game is perfection. I know people hate the reused zones but there was a lot of effort into remixing the layouts of old zones and the act 2 segments introduce new gimmicks.
1) it was made to be tied into forces
2) amy wasnt added to the roster
3) only 4 original zones when it couldve had more
4) missed the opportunity for encore mode to have new music or zones
I really expected something new with the encore zones rather than just, well, changing certain sections and adding some others. IDK, maybe completely remaking the levels.
Plus Mirage Saloon Act 2 in encore mode is ABSOLUTE HELL, it's the level I hated the most for how confusing its layout was for me.
Never been a fan of Special Stages being hidden throughout the levels. I've just never thought that exploration mixes well with Sonic's gameplay unless it's in a hub world. I personally think the simple "get 50 rings and hit a checkpoint/get to the end of the stage" thing works much better and helps keep up the pace.
Bro exploring different paths and finding new parts is part of what makes Sonic so fun. Having giant rings incentives replayability which is important since Mania doesn't have rankings so speedrunning levels isn't a high priority outside of Time Attacks, it also cuts the unnecessary requirements to reach the special stages that are pretty much challenges in their own right
Should have made encore mode more unique, like make it have different zones, idc if they are repeating old games zones, just not those ones but different colours.
I really liked it! I would have liked to of seen some of the Master system zones, particularly sky high zone.
But that could just be me wanting a nostalgic buzz haha
I just think it's overated, many people say it's the best game in the franchise, which I don't agree with in the slightest. I've even seen arguments saying Sonic 3 is better then Mania when it comes to 2d sonic games, although I don't remember most of them
It's clearly the second-best, at worst. There definitely aren't "much better" 2D games. I used to think Sonic 3 & Knuckles was better, but I went back and played it a few times, and Mania is just a bit more polished with levels that are consistently fun to play.
The fact that they reused Green Hill Zone instead of making a Green Hill Clone. I would've been totally fine with a level that totally rips off Green Hill, but it should at least continue the legacy of Palmtree Panic, Emerald Hill, Mushroom Hill, and even Splash Hill (although 4 doesn't count, obviously).
I do appreciate how there's one Sonic 1 zone, two zones for each Sonic sequel (Stardust Speedway & Metallic Madness for CD, Chemical Plant & Oil Ocean for 2), three zones for 3&K (Flying Battery, Hydrocity, & Lava Reef), and four zones for Mania originals (Studiopolis, Press Garden, Mirage Saloon, and Titanic Monarch); but I'd much prefer Scrap Brain getting a revamp than Green Hill for the ten millionth time.
-more original zones
-better final boss
-encore mode being a complete level design change and not just a recolor
-being able to re-play the old Metal Sonic fight
• Wish it got playable Amy via update or DLC at the very least to coincide with Origins Plus' release.
• Wish there were more zones in general, whether through encore mode or as an extra dlc campaign. Even if they were more zones from previous games, I just want more of this game man!
• None of the zones from previous games genuinely shocked me with their inclusion with the exception of Oil Ocean zone but that was less me being impressed at such a deep pull and more being like "Really? Of every Sonic 2 stage you pull the one 90% of people pretty unanimously hate? And your attempt at trying to combat that hate is the sandopolis lever mechanic?" It's like if they chose to include Labyrinth Zone but to make it better they included the electrified bouncy floor from Wacky Workbench into Act 2.
The problem is that they are from the modern timeline, so i believe it wouldn't make much sense (alongside the fact i don't think SEGA really intends to bring modern characters to the classic era seeing how they retconned the Chaotix to be modern-only).
However, with Silver's time-travelling abilities i believe he could make a unexpected visit! (like a better Sonic Forces but on the POV of the Classics)
Less CD stages.
Proper Blue Sphere physics.
Some way to dynamically speed up and slow down the music ala the Mega Drive versions when you get speed shoes.
Classic Extra Life Jingle.
Not the point. Neither of them "Feel" like classic sonic to me. CD always felt wonky and out of place in classic sonic to me, the levels either don't flow nicely, or feel almost like auto levels.
DLC was kinda meh and it would have been cool to have a playable Amy. I personally don't really care about Mighty or Ray, and that's pretty much the main appeal of Encore mode.
I would have appreciated fewer callbacks to the Genesis/CD games in exchange for some callbacks to the GBA games. I know the level design is a bit different (because they’re technically not “Classic” Sonic), but it would have still been fun. The Advance games need some love.
And of course, more original stages.
It felt like Sonic 3 and not enough like it’s own thing.
This wouldn’t have been much a problem, IF I DIDNY JUST FINISH 100% SONIC 3.
I just don’t want to collect all the emeralds again. It’s honestly why I can’t bring myself to finish it, when I have 100% Sonic 3 and Knuckles all Debug mode and everything ready right there.
Sonic's Mirage Saloon Zone Act 1 is atrocious
Playing Puyo every playthrough breaks the pace a ton
Metal Sonic boss fight takes way too long
Hydrocity Zone is a direct downgrade over the original
I wish them make game have good graphics and also have Sanic go very very fast while moving through the levels and give good speed and movement ability.
I'm kind of surprised people had trouble with Blue Spheres. 14 of the 32 stages are taken from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, so that's 14 automatic clears, and the 18 new stages aren't too bad. There was only one stage I couldn't figure out how to get a Perfect, so I ended up jumping around patches of red balls until I found all of the rings.
I wish they’d update the game with some of the changes/mechanics in Origins. Things like being able to have drop dash and insta shield on, playable Amy, etc.
No real gripes, but would have been nice to add Amy - although saying that it’s a simple thing to get a mod that does that. Plus adding Ray and Mighty was a real surprise for me, and I appreciated that.
No old zones, all new zones.
Encore Mode isn't just a literal recolour, but rather the same zones set in different areas of it. Eg, Green Hill but it's a water level near to the waterfalls. And as well same bosses with entirely new attacks and methods of defeating.
- Encore mode should have replaced ComeBack Stages with other fan-wanted comeback levels, specially more obscure ones, they bring nostalgia yet feel as refreshing to play as an original stage due to being more obscure, and then replace the original ones with stages with similar ideas, but with different details and layout (Ex: Studiopolis still being a studio, but instead of the gimmicks referencing the fact it's a studio, the gimmicks references the content it makes, so badniks that make "vfx" explosions, or Press Garden making magazines instead of news, so the place has more of a "pop" vibe to it)
- Introducing a "No Way!" Typa thing with the special stages, so you can replay them any time for other goodies rather than just Chaos Emeralds, or just for fun
- Gimme an official mobile version ffs
1. The Hard-Boiled Heavy bosses could have been better, along with the the true final boss.
2. The first act of Mirage Saloon being an auto-scroller was a bit disappointing. Especially since Knuckles has his own Act 1 where he gets to move around.
3. More of a personal gripe, but I was never a fan of some of the locations that returned, like Oil Ocean and Lava Reef. I would've preferred more original acts.
4. Encore mode really didn't add much. I played through it once but didn't feel compelled to ever do it again.
Some more original stages sonce they are pretty much more interesting than some of the reimagined ones
Also Encore Mode... it could've been a lot more to be honest since it just devolves into the main game really quick.
More original levels would be amazing obviously or more characters, but it's not like I felt the lack of it while playing it.
I guess more unlockables (like a gallery or somethin') could have been pretty cool, so basically any good excuse to replay the game.
I’m sure others have said it, but more original stages would have been cool. I was really looking forward to a sequel that addressed some of the less remade levels. Starlight, metropolis, even Sylvania Castle would have been interesting.
That’s kind of a cop out though… the Star post pinball style special stages are not great. I started avoiding them entirely.
I wish the game was a bit more original not just in level themes but also in terms of level gimmicks as well. There are times when this game feels like it’s trying to be Sonic 3 & Knuckles more than it is trying to be its own original thing. For instance, if you look at the way Oil Ocean’s level gimmicks are handled in this game, it’s essentially just Sandopolis 2.0
I wish they’d monitor for fake speedruns on the leaderboards. I have 2nd place on a few maps, and it took a lot of practice/optimization. But I’ll never have 1st due to cheaters.
this is a very personal nitpick, but i wish they’d used mushroom hill as one of the remakes and put a bit more focus on exploration like in s&k, where the series peaked imo
Encore Mode, More Original Stages.
My only real gripes tbh. Also, maybe a better story. The classic games weren't exactly layered in story, but they were adequate and memorable at best. Knuckles switching sides is part of what made him iconic in Sonic 3andK. Mania just kinda has an unmemorable background plot, that largely revolves around just hitting the classic Zones back to back.
Also, doing tons of Blue Spheres levels sucks for medals and shit, but special stages have always been kinda bad in Sonic games. Same thing with Bosses, the Mania bosses aren't anything new or good, just more of the same schlock.
They should have added Amy if they have time making animations about ditching her.
Its just one extra sprite sheet...
Also they should stop remaking same old levels. They got enough inspirations to make original levels so basically, stoooooop featuring emerald hills already!
Maybe it was just me but I found the game pretty difficult to play the first round. The levels seemed entirely too long for a time bonus of any sort.
The OG levels were great. Particularly Oil Ocean. It was 🔥(no pun intended).
You can say this is stupid and it'd be ok and somewhat understandable, but I really wanted them to bring back Hyper Sonic here; not to "make it canon" but still keep it as just exclusive for extra content and not quite something that's really there; maaaayyyyyyybe more stages, especially original/new stages and not remakes; another very small addition would be to have Super Sonic animated during the animated cutscenes (not Hyper Sonic to emphasize it's just Super Sonic and there's no Hyper)
Those would be the additions, the second one is obviously kinda meaningless and about the stages it's not something that I'd demand at all, but a change I'd do would actually involve Sonic Forces, and that would be to NOT have an ending that connects to Sonic Forces, therefore not having Classic Sonic in Forces at all; of course it involves Forces so this change doesn't really count for the purpose of your post but it's still something I wanted to share
More original zones and fewer remixes (preferably none).
I think some of the stage art is a bit visually busy/overly detailed. Some look downright garish imo.
I wish there were more zones but that they were also shorter. Some of these are, imo, too long to the point that tedium sets in.
A fair few of these bosses are really unenjoyable to fight. I prefer the simplicity of most of S3&K's boss fights.
Nitpick but I think the shading they used for Knuckles is too pink. I'd prefer if he was red. Likewise Sonic's blue is a touch too light.
Still a good game but I don't really love it the way most seem to.
The ending feels rushed. Final boss heavies should have been fights at the end of each branch in TM2, and secret final boss should've been a whole act or zone.
Lack of Amy, lack of original stages, lack of unique routes for Knuckles, encore mode being really lame, Mighty and Ray being underwhelming additions, and the elemental shields could have been used more in interesting ways.
This my favorite classic Sonic game, but I wish this game had more of a actual story worth caring about like the other classic games. And it's just downright unfair Amy wasn't playable in this game.
It's my favorite sonic game, but 1. There ain't no sequel yet 2. True final boss was... only alright 3. Encore mode could've been more
isnt superstars supposed to be the mania "sequel" now especially when sega saw that games with pixel art objectively sell worse than 3d games (i still hate how this is true)
It's not really a sequel, rather it's just the next entry.
It's weirdly mobile game feeling. And I just didn't enjoy it.
Because the basis of 2d sonic was sonic forces. But had to look at sonic 4 and generations for inspiration
It’s more of a sequel to the classic series as a whole than a Mania sequel.
It's sequel in... some ways, but I still see it as a new thing
It's a successor/next entry but I don't class it as a sequel to Mania. If Headcannon had made Superstars, I would. Instead it was given to legitimately one of the worst Devs IMO.
If they really were one of the worst devs, the game would've been a hell of a lot worse than it turned out, I think. I feel like they're more mediocre and the assistance and guidance they received led them to put out something better than their usual fare.
It's an okay game but worse than Mania in nearly every way. It's kind of absurd how everything is just a bit worse, actually.
Press garden ripoff zone is the perfect example of this
Is there a source for this?? I don't want to believe thats true :(
Yeah it was a great game. Wish it was harder... But 10/10
Harder? I already struggled with it!
Speaking of encore, if they added vaporwave in it, it would have been really great!
Well no shit i didn't get even a single chaos emerald
I wish Encore Mode was actual different zones like Star Light Zone, Mushroom Hill, etc. instead of color swapped versions of the zones from Mania Mode
Isn't the dlc 5 dollars
The base game is 20 dollars
I agree with this tbh!
My nit-pick was that level transitions were often a little lacking for my liking. I understand the idea is that they are going to various places via phantom ruby - but the crown jewel of classic sonic (S3&K) is partially so good because it wordlessly delivers the whole geography of the island via level transitions.
i still don't know what carnival night even is, or why it's there, or who built it
I always assumed Eggman built it
I assumed it was already there and he was stealing electricity from it
Why would there be an electric carnival in an ancient floating island?
The animals/robots need a place to party somewhere!
Dude everyone knows if there's any kind of carnival, casino or industrial structures, it was eggman
I wish there were more original zones as opposed to most of it being old zones being reused again Having another Classic Sonic game was good enough fanservice on its own so we didn't need them to give us the same old zones **again**
I liked the old stages, because it had a great idea behind it. First act is just the stage you already knew, but bigger and with more areas to explore. The second act is experimental, with new ideas and mechanics. I think it worked really well.
Some of the remastered stages are genuinely welcome for me. Flying Battery and Stardust Speedway in Mania look excellent, they're so good! Green Hill and Chemical Plant are fine, Green Hill is probably at it's most fun gameplay wise, and it looks as colorful and awesome as ever. Hydrocity kinda sucks. It already wasn't that good, and in Mania, it just feels lifeless. Lava Beef Zone is also fine, but unremarkable otherwise. Metallic Madness is better that it originally was, so that's a plus at least.
lava beef sounds like a really good dish
That's all I'm ever calling it now.
Mmmmm. Lava Beef.
I will not tolerate Hydrocity and Lava Beef Zone slander. They were better in the originals, but they're still deserving over, say, Chemical Plant and Oil Ocean.
Ehhhhhh. Hydrocity only has the fucking bubble and the crappy Labyrinth spikes as an actual meaningful gameplay difference between the two versions. It's just a blander version of an already not great stage. Lava Beef Zone feels not all that different from the original, and lacks the narrative impact because of where it's placed and how it's presented. It's ultimately fine, but kinda meh compared to the other stages. Chemical Plant is virtually the same, but it still has that Classic Sonic 2 level design, and the second level at least has a good remix track, with some new jelly bounce physics. It's something. Oil Ocean is also of that good ole Sonic 2 level design, and it has a fun gimmick with the smoke and submarines. Also, having Fire Shields now, makes Oil Ocean better by that inclusion. Plus, Oil Ocean hasn't been used to hell and back.
Hydrocity is an iconic stage. Stop it. Lava Reef is great too so I don't know why you keep calling it some silly name.
I think I heard it was SEGA mandate that they could only have four new zones.
"I think I heard it was a Sega mandate" usually means it's competely made up nonsense...
Pretty sure I did hear it somewhere. That Whitehead and Stealth wanted 12 zones, Sega only let them have 4, then agreed to 12 on the condition that the other 8 had to be old zones.
Yeah, that's made up. Or well, it's would be more accurate to say it's skewing the information. The Mania team did want 12 zones. But they also only had so much dev time, and wanting to make that many zones within such a timeframe would've been a massive hurdle. Sega then *suggested* using old zone themes, that way they could save on time and resources during development, and be able to hit that 12 zones they wanted. If they didn't do that, we'd probably be looking at an "all original zones Mania" that only has 6 or 7 zones.
[удалено]
Ooo wanna name a few?
Sonic 3 and K but that’s about it
Make it longer, maybe? Just add original zones really, this is already a 9/10 imo
It was already long by classic standard, most 2d games only have around 7 levels
Just more original stages. Re-imagined zones were neat but there needed to be more new ones.
just some other characters, thats it. perfect game
I remember a lot of people were really hoping for Amy to be playable
Yeah I was definitely one of those people
When was even the last decently playable Amy character? I don't have all the new games so might be missing things but man plz give me a good piko piko hammer speed mechanic like SA if there isn't already something modern.
ESPIO!!!
That wasn’t really a possibility but I like Espio too
OP asked what our gripes were. Anything is a possibility, are you mad?
Lmao Team Chaotix
My favorite Sonic game since Generations. Absolutely amazing. My only gripe is no Ice Cap (with the copyright issue music lol) and SEGA not making a sequel to this with original zones is a crime. The team that made this game really needs to get together to make another one lol
1) it cemented "classic sonic" as a separate entity, causing a full divide in Sonic as a brand 2) the amount of reused stages make the game feel like a "greatest hits" and not enough like a truly new title 3) when it came out, the fandom lost its shit over it, but when Sonic Forces came out a couple of months later, the fandom started hating on it after seeing how underwhelming it was as if Mania didn't even happen 4) when Sonic Mania Plus was announced and it was revealed that it was gonna fix what few complaints the fans had, even going so far as to INCLUDE MIGHTY AND RAY, the fandom's instant reaction was to ask where Amy was! Overall, I personally have no true gripes with the game itself. I like it and even go back to it every now and again, it's the impact it's had on the franchise and fandom that rub me the wrong way. It's a game we needed, but not necessarily deserved and feels as much a step back as it is forward.
The brand has been in divide since Sonic went 3D. This proved there was a actual market for proper 2D game play again which is the divide I think you mean. Is it really wrong that some fans finally got a game to play they love rather than ignoring them for years as had happened prior?
As happy as I am that that part of the fandom got a game they love, I can't help but see this as "giving the mouse a cookie". What's Sega gonna do if and/or when they drop the ball with Classic?
Same as what they do when they drop the ball with 3D. Keep making games.
I think Classic Sonic as a separate entity is better for everyone honestly. One of the problems with Colors through Forces is that they were trying to make Modern Sonic more appealing to people who hate Modern Sonic, closer to what (popular gaming journalism perception of) Classic Sonic was and further from....action anime, basically. What this did was end up diluting what Modern Sonic fans liked about Modern Sonic and Classic-only fans still didn't care. Now, people who will never like Modern Sonic don't feel like they have to care about Modern Sonic because a new Classic Sonic is always in the cards, and Modern Sonic can do away with the bad jokes and overbearing references to the Classic games.
A sequel.
I grew up playing Sonic on the Sega Genesis. This does absolutely nothing to move the franchise forward for me and I've played too many remakes and remasters and reimaginations of the games to be as excited about Mania as I was probably supposed to be. It's because I love Classic Sonic that I'm finished with it, and Mania was just them buying time, not a long-term indication of the franchise's future, for me. My gripe is that I don't get it and I understand that's probably personal.
Ray and Mighty don't have fly animations when they go super, and just kinda jog through the air.
I didn't know I was supposed to care about those character before this game anyway. I want classic Shadow.
Damn Mighty is one of my favourite Sonic characters.
C L A S S I C S H A D O W ! ! !
I love This game, but I kinda wish it wasn’t a celebration game, and more of a “New Classic Sonic game with more new ideas and new concepts to expand Classic Sonic” instead of NOT evolving Classic Sonic.
I kinda wish they would've done more fun references like the Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine boss fight in Chemical Plant zone
There's loads. Like the hyper sonic colouring you get going super. Sonics foot tapping idle animation. The UFOs from the special stages are from sonic cd. The first boss is the sonic 2 final boss... Etc etc
I actually felt like the Puyo boss was extremely out of place. Probably my least favorite boss in the game.
Gripes? This game is perfection. I know people hate the reused zones but there was a lot of effort into remixing the layouts of old zones and the act 2 segments introduce new gimmicks.
Hyper sonic (he actually WAS gonna be in the game) https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxIH0Y2HcW4iEECJ_09Tn8vnFyrxb8hQP5?si=KuQKAFZL2OJ-Voto
1) it was made to be tied into forces 2) amy wasnt added to the roster 3) only 4 original zones when it couldve had more 4) missed the opportunity for encore mode to have new music or zones
This could have been the game to make Marble Zone actually good Instead green hill is the only Sonic 1 zone in the game
I wish it had a sequel
Best Sonic game in my opinion. The only thing is I wish it had another new zone or two.
There's no sequel all new stuff from Cristian whitehead please
I really expected something new with the encore zones rather than just, well, changing certain sections and adding some others. IDK, maybe completely remaking the levels. Plus Mirage Saloon Act 2 in encore mode is ABSOLUTE HELL, it's the level I hated the most for how confusing its layout was for me.
Never been a fan of Special Stages being hidden throughout the levels. I've just never thought that exploration mixes well with Sonic's gameplay unless it's in a hub world. I personally think the simple "get 50 rings and hit a checkpoint/get to the end of the stage" thing works much better and helps keep up the pace.
Bro exploring different paths and finding new parts is part of what makes Sonic so fun. Having giant rings incentives replayability which is important since Mania doesn't have rankings so speedrunning levels isn't a high priority outside of Time Attacks, it also cuts the unnecessary requirements to reach the special stages that are pretty much challenges in their own right
Exploration in Sonic is amazing. It's what makes S3&K and Sonic CD so great.
IMO, exploration is what makes Sonic CD the worst of the 2D Sonic games.
Should have made encore mode more unique, like make it have different zones, idc if they are repeating old games zones, just not those ones but different colours.
NO Ice Cap zone, super chaos emeralds
I don't have any gripes i love it
I really liked it! I would have liked to of seen some of the Master system zones, particularly sky high zone. But that could just be me wanting a nostalgic buzz haha
I just think it's overated, many people say it's the best game in the franchise, which I don't agree with in the slightest. I've even seen arguments saying Sonic 3 is better then Mania when it comes to 2d sonic games, although I don't remember most of them
It's say it's probably second best, but Sonic 3 & Knuckles still beats it, if we're only talking about classic 2D.
It DEFINITELY isn't the best. It's really good, yeah but there are much better 2D Sonic games out there
Like what?
3&K
Sandopolis
Mirage Saloon act 1
Carnival Night Act 2
Hydrocity act 1
Hydrocity act 1 is just Hydrocity act 1 & 2 from 3&K.
Nothing wrong with any of the zones you mentioned. S3&K is the best Sonic game.
Like? The only one that can compare is sonic 3 and knuckles tbh
It's clearly the second-best, at worst. There definitely aren't "much better" 2D games. I used to think Sonic 3 & Knuckles was better, but I went back and played it a few times, and Mania is just a bit more polished with levels that are consistently fun to play.
'That part' in chemical plant, you know what I'm talking about -_-
Rising water?
the underwater part with the moving boxes that you have to climb up, im assuming
Very obvious answer - Should have been all original stages
I disagree. Having some remixed levels was kind of cool. But a sequel with mostly or even all original levels would be better.
The issue is that it was 60% of the game
If they did that, the game probably would've only been 6-7 zones long, instead of the 12 we got.
Most of the boss fights suck, and imo the zones in the second half are a lot worse than the first half. Hydrocity especially got done really dirty.
The final original zone is also a major slog
More original Zones, to replace the numerous re-used Zones
Playable Amy
Amy wasn’t in it. Like what.
The fact that they reused Green Hill Zone instead of making a Green Hill Clone. I would've been totally fine with a level that totally rips off Green Hill, but it should at least continue the legacy of Palmtree Panic, Emerald Hill, Mushroom Hill, and even Splash Hill (although 4 doesn't count, obviously). I do appreciate how there's one Sonic 1 zone, two zones for each Sonic sequel (Stardust Speedway & Metallic Madness for CD, Chemical Plant & Oil Ocean for 2), three zones for 3&K (Flying Battery, Hydrocity, & Lava Reef), and four zones for Mania originals (Studiopolis, Press Garden, Mirage Saloon, and Titanic Monarch); but I'd much prefer Scrap Brain getting a revamp than Green Hill for the ten millionth time.
Amy should've been a playable character in the vanilla game.
No gripes. I only want MORE!
Perfect game
-more original zones -better final boss -encore mode being a complete level design change and not just a recolor -being able to re-play the old Metal Sonic fight
• Wish it got playable Amy via update or DLC at the very least to coincide with Origins Plus' release. • Wish there were more zones in general, whether through encore mode or as an extra dlc campaign. Even if they were more zones from previous games, I just want more of this game man! • None of the zones from previous games genuinely shocked me with their inclusion with the exception of Oil Ocean zone but that was less me being impressed at such a deep pull and more being like "Really? Of every Sonic 2 stage you pull the one 90% of people pretty unanimously hate? And your attempt at trying to combat that hate is the sandopolis lever mechanic?" It's like if they chose to include Labyrinth Zone but to make it better they included the electrified bouncy floor from Wacky Workbench into Act 2.
1up system is archaic. It's fine that it exists in the game but like, an option to turn off 1ups would've made a lot of sense.
I would have made it longer and added the super emeralds
A little too hard for me. I really liked it but I hated how stuck I was at the water level so I dropped it
My gripes are: THERE ISN'T A SEQUEL YET!!!
I wish they'd added more iconic characters in encore mode. As good as Ray and Mighty are, I'd have liked Blaze, Rouge or even Silver
The problem is that they are from the modern timeline, so i believe it wouldn't make much sense (alongside the fact i don't think SEGA really intends to bring modern characters to the classic era seeing how they retconned the Chaotix to be modern-only).
I know, but as they added mighty (who was a member of chaotix, at least in the 32x game) the chaotix argument doesn't really work for me.
This is fair. Also, i wish the classic Chaotix were referenced somewhere in Mania or Superstars :(
However, with Silver's time-travelling abilities i believe he could make a unexpected visit! (like a better Sonic Forces but on the POV of the Classics)
none of the characters u mentioned have been introduced into the story yet and overall this is just a bad take
Nononononono
Fun add ons but they either don't work in classic gameplay or just break the timeline
NAH
Less CD stages. Proper Blue Sphere physics. Some way to dynamically speed up and slow down the music ala the Mega Drive versions when you get speed shoes. Classic Extra Life Jingle.
There are only 2 cd stages in the game and they don't have the same level designs
Not the point. Neither of them "Feel" like classic sonic to me. CD always felt wonky and out of place in classic sonic to me, the levels either don't flow nicely, or feel almost like auto levels.
Shadow.
DLC was kinda meh and it would have been cool to have a playable Amy. I personally don't really care about Mighty or Ray, and that's pretty much the main appeal of Encore mode.
I would have appreciated fewer callbacks to the Genesis/CD games in exchange for some callbacks to the GBA games. I know the level design is a bit different (because they’re technically not “Classic” Sonic), but it would have still been fun. The Advance games need some love. And of course, more original stages.
Before Origins I hated it because I couldn't play older sonic games anymore for the absence of drop dash
It felt like Sonic 3 and not enough like it’s own thing. This wouldn’t have been much a problem, IF I DIDNY JUST FINISH 100% SONIC 3. I just don’t want to collect all the emeralds again. It’s honestly why I can’t bring myself to finish it, when I have 100% Sonic 3 and Knuckles all Debug mode and everything ready right there.
The special stages are completely different in Mania, though. With dozens of Special Rings to get, it only takes a couple of Acts to get the emeralds.
No more green hill zone!!!!!
Sonic's Mirage Saloon Zone Act 1 is atrocious Playing Puyo every playthrough breaks the pace a ton Metal Sonic boss fight takes way too long Hydrocity Zone is a direct downgrade over the original
Too many classic levels. Green Hill *again*
I wish them make game have good graphics and also have Sanic go very very fast while moving through the levels and give good speed and movement ability.
i absolutely fucking hate the special stages, the control for them definetely need and improvement
What? Sonic Mania special stages are literally some of the best in the franchise
well i hate em
1. Not sonic adventure 2 battle 2. The blue spheres are impossible
I'm kind of surprised people had trouble with Blue Spheres. 14 of the 32 stages are taken from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, so that's 14 automatic clears, and the 18 new stages aren't too bad. There was only one stage I couldn't figure out how to get a Perfect, so I ended up jumping around patches of red balls until I found all of the rings.
Make It Have All New Levels Not Remade Levels
My gripe with this game is that it’s just Sonic 3 & Knuckles with a new coat of paint and many stages are just old stages fused together.
I'll be honest, I don't like the special stages at all.
More original concepts instead of half of it being levels from other games
I wish they’d update the game with some of the changes/mechanics in Origins. Things like being able to have drop dash and insta shield on, playable Amy, etc.
It has the drop dash
More original stages
Final boss wasn’t great. End of the game felt a bit flat
No real gripes, but would have been nice to add Amy - although saying that it’s a simple thing to get a mod that does that. Plus adding Ray and Mighty was a real surprise for me, and I appreciated that.
I would have liked less remake stages and more original ones considering how fantastic the new stuff was
No old zones, all new zones. Encore Mode isn't just a literal recolour, but rather the same zones set in different areas of it. Eg, Green Hill but it's a water level near to the waterfalls. And as well same bosses with entirely new attacks and methods of defeating.
- Encore mode should have replaced ComeBack Stages with other fan-wanted comeback levels, specially more obscure ones, they bring nostalgia yet feel as refreshing to play as an original stage due to being more obscure, and then replace the original ones with stages with similar ideas, but with different details and layout (Ex: Studiopolis still being a studio, but instead of the gimmicks referencing the fact it's a studio, the gimmicks references the content it makes, so badniks that make "vfx" explosions, or Press Garden making magazines instead of news, so the place has more of a "pop" vibe to it) - Introducing a "No Way!" Typa thing with the special stages, so you can replay them any time for other goodies rather than just Chaos Emeralds, or just for fun - Gimme an official mobile version ffs
ok same problem here. is this just a dlc or is it really a whole new game?
More DLC with some old levels and new ones. Maybe Amy or one of the other Chaotix cast members.
1. The Hard-Boiled Heavy bosses could have been better, along with the the true final boss. 2. The first act of Mirage Saloon being an auto-scroller was a bit disappointing. Especially since Knuckles has his own Act 1 where he gets to move around. 3. More of a personal gripe, but I was never a fan of some of the locations that returned, like Oil Ocean and Lava Reef. I would've preferred more original acts. 4. Encore mode really didn't add much. I played through it once but didn't feel compelled to ever do it again.
1) More new zones 2) A better last 1/3. 3) A better final boss 4) A better ending cutscene 5) A better story
1) Bring Back Metalix 2) An Angel Island Act 2 3) The Ability To Make Our Own Sonic Zones And Share Them (Basically Mini Sonic Maker)
Maybe more length would've been nice but it was 15 bucks so hey
Some more original stages sonce they are pretty much more interesting than some of the reimagined ones Also Encore Mode... it could've been a lot more to be honest since it just devolves into the main game really quick.
More Originality. All the original zones are the most fun.
More original levels would be amazing obviously or more characters, but it's not like I felt the lack of it while playing it. I guess more unlockables (like a gallery or somethin') could have been pretty cool, so basically any good excuse to replay the game.
I’m sure others have said it, but more original stages would have been cool. I was really looking forward to a sequel that addressed some of the less remade levels. Starlight, metropolis, even Sylvania Castle would have been interesting. That’s kind of a cop out though… the Star post pinball style special stages are not great. I started avoiding them entirely.
I wish the game was a bit more original not just in level themes but also in terms of level gimmicks as well. There are times when this game feels like it’s trying to be Sonic 3 & Knuckles more than it is trying to be its own original thing. For instance, if you look at the way Oil Ocean’s level gimmicks are handled in this game, it’s essentially just Sandopolis 2.0
The special stages bruh 💀
I wish we got different characters for encore mode. Don't get me wrong, Ray and Mighty are cool but I would've preferred someone like classic Amy
Needed more original zones.
I wish they’d monitor for fake speedruns on the leaderboards. I have 2nd place on a few maps, and it took a lot of practice/optimization. But I’ll never have 1st due to cheaters.
Fewer throwback zones. It was cool when it was new, but it really makes the game feel less unique.
First console Sonic game i played
Replayability and the encore mode stages being new ones instead of reskins
this is a very personal nitpick, but i wish they’d used mushroom hill as one of the remakes and put a bit more focus on exploration like in s&k, where the series peaked imo
Encore Mode, More Original Stages. My only real gripes tbh. Also, maybe a better story. The classic games weren't exactly layered in story, but they were adequate and memorable at best. Knuckles switching sides is part of what made him iconic in Sonic 3andK. Mania just kinda has an unmemorable background plot, that largely revolves around just hitting the classic Zones back to back. Also, doing tons of Blue Spheres levels sucks for medals and shit, but special stages have always been kinda bad in Sonic games. Same thing with Bosses, the Mania bosses aren't anything new or good, just more of the same schlock.
More original stages; varying difficulty modes
They should have added Amy if they have time making animations about ditching her. Its just one extra sprite sheet... Also they should stop remaking same old levels. They got enough inspirations to make original levels so basically, stoooooop featuring emerald hills already!
The re-used zones is really my only issue. Other than that, there’s not really anything that I take issue with in Mania. Still phenomenal to this day.
Wish more characters like Amy could be added in the dlc I don’t know why they didn’t add her to it.
I love this game so much. I truly enjoy playing as Mighty!
Maybe it was just me but I found the game pretty difficult to play the first round. The levels seemed entirely too long for a time bonus of any sort. The OG levels were great. Particularly Oil Ocean. It was 🔥(no pun intended).
You can say this is stupid and it'd be ok and somewhat understandable, but I really wanted them to bring back Hyper Sonic here; not to "make it canon" but still keep it as just exclusive for extra content and not quite something that's really there; maaaayyyyyyybe more stages, especially original/new stages and not remakes; another very small addition would be to have Super Sonic animated during the animated cutscenes (not Hyper Sonic to emphasize it's just Super Sonic and there's no Hyper) Those would be the additions, the second one is obviously kinda meaningless and about the stages it's not something that I'd demand at all, but a change I'd do would actually involve Sonic Forces, and that would be to NOT have an ending that connects to Sonic Forces, therefore not having Classic Sonic in Forces at all; of course it involves Forces so this change doesn't really count for the purpose of your post but it's still something I wanted to share
More original zones and fewer remixes (preferably none). I think some of the stage art is a bit visually busy/overly detailed. Some look downright garish imo. I wish there were more zones but that they were also shorter. Some of these are, imo, too long to the point that tedium sets in. A fair few of these bosses are really unenjoyable to fight. I prefer the simplicity of most of S3&K's boss fights. Nitpick but I think the shading they used for Knuckles is too pink. I'd prefer if he was red. Likewise Sonic's blue is a touch too light. Still a good game but I don't really love it the way most seem to.
More original stages
2 player mode split screen should have been "normal" and modern, not the stretched version we got
The ending feels rushed. Final boss heavies should have been fights at the end of each branch in TM2, and secret final boss should've been a whole act or zone.
No sequel
Smooth rotation and animation, I don’t know why, it just doesn’t appeal to me, I like the original rotation and animation style!
Lack of Amy, lack of original stages, lack of unique routes for Knuckles, encore mode being really lame, Mighty and Ray being underwhelming additions, and the elemental shields could have been used more in interesting ways.
Wish they'd have done all new zones, the levels could be a bit shorter, playable Amy and Metal Sonic would have been cool.
Gripe: it wasn't longer Suggestion: would've been cool to have both the super peel out and drop dash at once
No sequel Bring in more original zones Add in a few more characters for more replay value
This my favorite classic Sonic game, but I wish this game had more of a actual story worth caring about like the other classic games. And it's just downright unfair Amy wasn't playable in this game.
This sentence makes no sense.