5 Things We’re Expecting from Sonic Mania

In recent times, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has not been as prominent as it was at its height. However, there remains plenty of interest in the franchise, as shown by the installments that continue to be churned out on a semi-regular basis. As a result, it is no wonder that there is an upcoming side-scroller called Sonic Mania, which should appeal to those who remember its predecessors on the Sega Genesis.

Here are five things that we can expect from Sonic Mania:

By Fans

The lead programmer on Sonic Mania is a man named Christian Whitehead, who might be better-known to some by his alias of “Taxman.” In main, he is known for his creation of an updated port of Sonic CD that could run on the modern platforms, which had so much potential that Sega didn’t just release it as an official product but also commissioned him to port both Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Likewise, the rest of the team is made up of Headcannon and PagodaWest Games, which are known for their involvement with Sonic fan-games as well.

For Fans

People who have seen both Sonic Mania and its predecessors on the Sega Genesis will be able to see the clear connection between the two. This makes sense because Sonic Mania is meant to provide interested individuals with a similar experience to the installments that caused Sonic fans to fall in love with the franchise but better by incorporating new content as well as new changes. Based on some of the initial reactions, some of the reviewers seem to believe that the people behind Sonic Mania have succeeded, which is important because some of Sega’s own side-scrollers in recent times have not been so inspiring in this regard.

Choice of Three Characters

Players will be able to choose between three characters, with the first being Sonic the Hedgehog, the second being Miles “Tails” Prower, and the third being Kunckles the Echidna. Naturally, each character will have his own special capabilities such as Sonic’s speed, Tails’s flight, and Knuckles’s wall climbing. People who remember Sonic Mania‘s Sega Genesis predecessors will find it unsurprising but nonetheless welcome to learn that co-op play with one player controlling Sonic and the other player controlling Tails is planned for inclusion.

Both New and Remixed Levels

Given its premise, it should come as no surprise to learn that Sonic Mania will be featuring some of the most familiar levels from its predecessors, with an excellent example being the Green Hill Zone. However, even when Sonic Mania makes use of content from its sources of inspiration, it will be making changes so as to suit its new mechanics. Meanwhile, it will have more than its fair share of new levels as well, which should come as welcome news to both old and new players.

Potential for a Sonic Renaissance

As mentioned, recent Sonic installments have not been as well-received as some of their predecessors, which has had unfortunate results for the franchise as a whole. In this light, Sonic Mania is most interesting in that it is appealing a great deal to Sonic fans, so much so that it was one of the most well-received games at E3. As a result, should Sonic Mania live up to its promise, it could inspire a renaissance for the franchise as a whole, which would mean a lot more Sonic products in the not so distant future.