Sonic Mania Plus SPOILER THREAD with UNMARKED spoilers!

What you've seen is pretty much what you get. It's been said from the beginning that the stages with just be palette swaps and rearranged objects. Sonic and Tails: Mirage Saloon act 1 is the exception.

 

Well so far from what we've seen of Encore: Angel Island and Mirage Saloon Act 1 are both entirely new, and Chemical Plant Act 1 seems to have the most design changes (in terms of different badnik/object/gimmick placement). You're right that the other design changes in the zones themselves in Encore seem fairly minor from what we've seen so far (I watched OcelotBot's entire playthrough but did not write down or make a mental note of all the design changes--there are other minor ones but they did not stand out very much). Based on everything else we've seen that's been added, I strongly suspect this is such an old build of the game (where the Encore material wasn't even supposed to be able to be accessed) that it does not have the full design changes of different badnik/object/gimmick placement in existing zones for Encore. We should hopefully be in for surprises when it comes to that with the final build. If not, then that aspect would be a bit underwhelming and seemingly at odds with everything else added. We'll see!

Also should note: making design changes for Encore seems like a tricky balancing act to achieve. The original game was already so well-designed that you wouldn't want to make too many major changes that could possibly mar the good choices that had already been made. And seemingly only one designer worked on this aspect of "Plus" whereas the original game had four level designers. Don't think we should expect it to be a radically different experience when it comes to design, but again, I do think we'll see more design changes (meaning different badnik/ojbect/gimmick placement) in the final build than we have from this old, accidentally pushed beta build.

 

This has been pretty much confirmed to be the case already, what with Encore Mode having its own unique Save Select theme - "Double Take" - listed on the OST that's bundled with the Japanese Switch/PS4 releases.

 

I agree, that this is all really impressive for the small (or in the case of the patch, practically zero) cost that's being offered for those who already have the game; and budget-price cost for those who have yet to pick it up. Getting ahead of myself again, but I do wonder if Mania Plus could actually be a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe scenario in which the updated re-release gets markedly better reviews and sales than the original (MK8: 88 MC, 5M sales in its first fiscal year > Deluxe: 92 MC, 9M in its first fiscal year). [Hopefully better sales is virtually guaranteed, since this is a digital exclusive getting a retail release...]

 

Reviews being better should be a lock - given this is a vastly improved and enhanced version of what was already a stellar and amazingly-reviewed game. Sales will also undoubtedly be helped by the retail presence. I can see children for example who may not have been able to get Mania because it was digital-only and therefore beyond them - pleading with their parents for this once they see it in stores.

A Mario Kart 8: Deluxe scenario would be fucking awesome and I hope it happens. Anything to further convince Sega to keep going with Mania and potentially produce an eventual successor.

 

Since I do not see that this was poster before, I am going to link the Miniboss' Knuckles' Theme remix of Sonic 3 used in Sonic Mania Plus:

https://twitter.com/Xeeynamo/status/1000171450341515264

 

Whatever that may be, it doesn't sound anything like it. Danger on the Dance Floor is more so modeled after it as the spiritual successor, but obviously enhanced and with an intended MJ style.

 

It sound as a replacement that would help Sonic 3 to get released for mobile, but I can not hear nothing of S3 miniboss there.

EDIT: moreover, I hear it more alike SegaSonic's intro than anything else:

 

It's a drum loop that's been added to the end of Mania Plus' version of the Chaotix 'partner select' jingle. I've only seen one video where it plays correctly so far - in the rest, the partner select jingle seems to erroneously fade out before the jingle even completes (possibly due to the partner being selected too close to the end of act tally?). In the 'correct' version, the jingle transitions into this drum loop which plays until Heavy Magician appears, at which point the HBH theme plays - no idea how this person got the drum loop to continue past that point instead (possibly messing with debug during the cutscene?).

 

Oh yeah, forgot to mention this.

The music doesn't always play properly. To get the track to play after freeing Ray or Mighty you have to use an extra life-box (or something similar) to cause the previous music to stop and this new track to start playing (which it then does continuously until you trigger the next cutscene).

But yeah, it's definitely a remix of "Quick! Escape!"?



Without a doubt it's the new track listed on the Mania-Plus Jp physical soundtrack release: as "Back In Action - Mighty & Ray Cutscene".




On the level-select screen you can now use the original debug-mode code from Sonic 2 (01, 09, 09, 02, 01, 01, 02, 04) in the 1.04 version of Mania. The 04, 01, 02, 06 code to activate Super Sonic has also been added and works.

You no longer have to enable debug-mode to access level select via a no-save file.


EDIT:

I have also uploaded another playthrough of the new special stages where I beat them all without going over Mach2. Definitely makes some of them easier.

 

Ah, thanks for the clarification! Also, good spot that it's a remix of the percussion line from a SegaSonic music track - I'm not really that familiar with a lot of that game's soundtrack so didn't spot the connection, but once you've heard both tracks one after the other it's clear as day. I guess this makes "Back in Action" a remix of tracks from both SegaSonic and Chaotix! = )

 

New episode of Mania Adventures is out and its my favorite one yet!!
I was hoping the credits reel would showcase something new from Plus, but it's just footage of Knuckles gameplay in some already revealed zones. Still nice, but at this point I just wanna see more of Mighty and Ray

 

It does seemingly confirm that Knuckles Mirage Saloon Act 1 in Encore mode will be the entirely new Act 1 created for Encore, and not his unique one from Mania mode--so that will seemingly be the Act 1 for any and every character you play as when playing Encore mode.

But yeah that's the only thing I noticed from the "Plus" footage in the credits. Maybe a more eagle-eyed observer will have noticed anything else.

 

So accessing the Level Select screen is as simple as holding the delete button (? (PS4) / Y (Switch) / X (XB1) / Q (PC, default)) on the No Save screen? Cool.

Mania Adventures 3: short, but I enjoyed it. Anyone else enjoy the rock remix of Knuckles's S&K theme?

 

Yeah, the Knuckles footage is from the new act1 of MS. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles (and of course Ray and Mighty) will all be playing the new act1 in Encore mode. None of the other footage at the end of episode 3 revealed anything of interest.




Something to note is that some of the Knuckles-only routes have been reworked in Encore mode so that Sonic/Tails & Mighty can go through them.

 

But if Sonic and tails can go through them then... what's the point of a Knuckles-ONLY route?

 

Well Encore mode still seems to be kind of a mystery. Sonic teams up with mighty or ray but Knuckles and Tails just seem there? And the tag team mode doesn't have lives but still has life monitors.

If you can swap out characters via monitors ala Chaotix they'd have to make all the routes work with all characters, otherwise you'd get stuck. A couple things I've noticed from the leak is that the partner returning now jumps in from the screen like in Chaotix rather than by flying (if you force Sonic to be your partner his current return animation is him floating via the peel out) and also the Knuckles cutscene no longer plays in lava reef act 3 if you show up as Sonic (Sonic will look up and still hit the heavy king away but he won't turn into knuckles).

I think that part of the point of Encore mode is to mix up the default. So in this case now everyone can take every route under the right conditions. I think that's part of the reason why it seems like everyone gets the new mirage saloon act 1 in encore mode.

 

So does anyone have any expectations for the Mania Plus stream tomorrow? Not sure what they're gonna show off considering I think it's just going to be a gameplay demo. I'm really hoping to see some of Mighty and Ray, or at least a little bit of the finished Encore stages so we can see if they've been worked on since the demo.

 

What Mania Plus stream? This is the first time I've heard of anything of the sort.

 

SEGA's E3 stream schedule lists something called “Sonic Mania Plus - Gaming Battle” at 3:30 Pacific tomorrow.

I don't know if “gaming battle” means they're gonna showcase the new multiplayer or if it means they're gonna have two people compete back to back I in single player (probably the former). Ideally I'd like to see Mighty or Ray in single player going through one of the Encore stages.

Edit: Couldn't post the link from mobile, but TSSZ has a link to the stream schedule