I'm all for the addition of Amy, her gameplay was so different and an example of how to do multiple characters right IMO. However I don't see those social media posts as evidence of her being added to the playable cast. The wallpapers feature all the characters in their modern designs and the matryoshka dolls also feature the character's eye colours shaded in at the bottom of their pupils. If I remember right, Amy had a peelout move in Advance 2 or 3. That could easily fill in for her not having a spindash. However, she's been shown to be able to spinattack and such in Sonic Heroes so maybe she's been taking lessons? :P
I'd even add these: But anyway, yeah Amy in Mania would be an interesting addition. I like how she made the game a bit more challenging and different in Sonic Advance.
I hate it when people use this term to refer to what are essentially chunk and pixel edits. Sonic Generations was a re-imagining. This is at best a new coat of wax. </grump>
I've got to be honest, I'm quite surprised. I've always thought that most of SR community literally have allergy on Amy and wouldn't like to see her at all. Oh well I've got to be honest, so far I don't see too strong premises to expect her in Sonic Mania though (at least as playable character). Most of the arguments are rather something like "why it's reasonable to put her in Sonic Mania"* rather than "we've got relatively clear signal that Amy will be included" (as playable character). But since there wasn't revealed so far any element of the plot, I'm guessing that I can still be surprised. I'm personally extremely curious how plot will be implemented in the game. I liked the fact that it was slightly improved in Sonic 3 & Knuckles (with those short cut-scenes basing on the game enginge). And I personally wouldn't mind some dialogue lines in game, between levels. Thanks IrnBru for linking that interview, I'm really glad that Taxman pointed out that every level in the game will be brand new. I can forgive re-using some bosses (especialy if they're at least slightly modified), but re-using levels is always something which I really, really don't like. Now I need only find the way to hibernate until April 2017 and I'm ready to go
Thanks for that typing, InBru. So the drop-dash charges also? Sounds ok. With the no-control-lock jumping, and the drop-dash also breaking Sonic out of the "come to a complete stop" restriction, it looks like Sonic Mania is going to feel quite a bit more free than Sonic 3.
Yeah, you just press jump in mid-air and hold it down until Sonic hits the ground. When I played Mania I noted that regardless of how long you hold the jump button in the air the drop-dash appears to release at the same speed each time. Kind of why it reminds me of CD's original charge-up spindash. I can see the drop-dash being quite useful, not just for speed-runs but also getting out of tight situations when under attack from badniks or in a boss fight. Sonic Mania's controls just feel so natural. I think a fully revved-up spindash releases faster than the drop-dash? At least that's what it felt like to me. The spindash definitely feels a bit more powerful than in Sonic 3.
Call me cynical, but the trailer said "3 playable characters". Showed Sonic, Tails, Knuckles. The past however-many pages have all been wanting Amy to be playable. I don't get the appeal personally. I understand the whole "this is the real Sonic 4" and subsequently "we want a new thing because it's the proper Sonic 4"; but I don't think adding Amy is it. All this chatter and 'statements' that Amy will / must be included sounds nothing more than the good ol' Sonic fan communities pressuring and demanding things. The dev's have got this. We've seen their past. Let 'em do their stuff. Whilst I can see them skimming over this topic (which has already exploded in size), I can't see either of them answering specifics yet alone going "so-and-so on Sonic Retro wanted Amy in the game so we need to do that now". Big on the other hand... I mean. He is definitely in this game. For sure. Look at the Sonic Twitter. Guaranteed.
Wow it's almost like you didn't read what people say at all and simply jumped to "sonic fans be misguided weirdos as usual" conclusion. Just freaking go and play Sonic Advance first as Sonic and then as Amy. That's where people are coming from. Alternatively you can play Phi's Amy in Sonic 1 hack if you don't want to touch Sonic Advance for whatever reason. Edit: You know, you should play Amy in Sonic 1 regardless. That's a great hack.
I'll be honest I think people are grasping at straws as far as Amy goes in being a playable character but I wouldn't put it past her appearing in the game at least in cut scenes or even being part of the story. Past the 3 core characters anyone else is a bonus to me, I wouldn't say no to an unlockable character but I think for once Sega need to play this safe, Give us exactly what that trailer offered and do it properly the first time so we can get a Mania 2.
I'm curious what Amy could bring, but I am, admittedly, somewhat skeptical. Remember the old adage - Too many Cooks ruin a Soup. Same applies to the amount of characters in a game. The more characters, the more difficult it is to have each be distinguishable.
If you can aim Amy as a playable character for Mania 1, it might be a good idea actually. Maybe I'm too worried about how it's been in the past, but the idea of adding Amy in Mania 2 and some people saying, "this is what ruined Mania, they did what the old Sonic series did!" makes me shiver with disgust. If you put Amy out there in the first game when people are excited for it, when it's undeniably good, that might break the idea that adding characters and changing things ruins them, while making it feel more like a true Sonic 4. Perhaps that is over nervous speculation. I'll be happy with Mania either way, but hope they won't be boxed in too much in their design with a sequel. It doesn't seem like that will be the case, thankfully. Flygon: That's exactly what I've been pondering about, mechanically. How to make characters feel distinct and interesting in a Sonic game.
Amy is arguably the most distinguishable of the classic four. If anything, the complaint would be that she's too distinguishable.
Oh, I was actually hoping it charges dynamically. So you could value a jump into a big fall, while also not grabbing a fully powered drop dash just from a tiny hop.
Amy should be a playable character in Mania but the only one. She's unique and complementry to the main cast so she would make a great fit, plus adding more than four playable characters would just bog down the roster. I say this with me prefering Cream over Amy but even I can recognise she's a better stand out.
Just in case anyone missed it: Looks like we get a proper S3&K zone revisit that is not Sky Sanctuary....so that means refined "classic" Sonic 3 music. In essence another re-release of sorts for Sonic 3. That's BIG news!
If there is a story to this game and it's handled Sonic 3's way, there isn't much to explain anyway. We'll watch it happen in-game as it happens, without any written dialogue or world-building exposition to tell us what's going on. All "show but don't tell". I think Sonic Before/After the sequel handled this format really well, if a more recent example is needed.
I don't mind dialogue in Sonic games, but I do hope Mania goes with 3&Knuckles' method. That was a really solid story that meshed VERY well with the game.
