Sonic Mania Plus SPOILER THREAD with UNMARKED spoilers!

Umm...

Source?

 

https://clips.twitch.tv/WonderfulCoweringWallabyWow

 

https://clips.twitch.tv/SaltyPhilanthropicStinkbugBibleThump

Here is the ending with all 7 emeralds in Encore.
After the credits there is a cutscene of the characters eating ice cream and cake and stuff.

 

It's going to be interesting to see how different gaming sites score higher or lower based on whether or not they're only reviewing the new content. In any case, I do feel like it's overall a net positive because of the additions to Mania mode, particularly Mighty/Ray, the missing level transitions and the ability to use bonus features on save files. Encore is just icing on the cake to me.

I like the concept of the new bonus stage, but it seems like play sessions will be pretty lengthy if you're going to play them long enough to obtain the extra characters you'll likely need for Encore's tougher challenges. I miss Sonic 3's much briefer bonus games where you spent maybe 20-30 seconds in them before getting back to the main action.

 

Spoiler

So based on the linked videos, the Phantom Ruby goes haywire and starts sucking up the place after the not-Super final boss is defeated (I think it's the not-Super final boss, but the streamer has Super Sonic?). Eggman tries to flee on the ejection pod thing, but gets (accidentally? lol) knocked by Super Sonic and co. (who are fleeing the place at the same time) into the Ruby's vortex. A flash caused by the Ruby happens....and then game credits. Then the ice cream "You're Too Cool!" stinger with the playable cast (and Heavy Magician...for some reason).

I wasn't really expecting a new final boss myself, but I have to admit, that ending to Encore Mode is a bit....odd. Is Eggman getting sucked up by the Phantom Ruby supposed to be a teaser for a Mania sequel?

e: Wait, so the ending to the original Mania/Mania mode had Sonic, after the true final boss fight, also being transported by the Phantom Ruby into a vortex. That of which turned out to be a portal to the modern Sonic dimension; and thus lead into his role in Forces....

....so is this going to be the same thing for Eggman in Encore mode? The Ruby's going to teleport him to the modern dimension? Is this a hint towards what the next Sonic Team Sonic game is going to be about? A reverse Forces/Generations 2 scenario in which Mania!Eggman and Modern!Eggman team up together [again] to stop Sonic?...

 

Regardless of what IGN wants people to believe their review is about, it focuses a lot on the difficulty of the base game, and has awfully high expectations. I agree with a few above posters that review scores don't matter too much because, in the end, if we love the game that's all that matters. BUT I think it's important to note that IGN is an outlier and the reviews so far have been quite positive, which if anything is important because it means the public image of this franchise is going to be getting another small boost. After what happened with Forces I think this slew of positive scores, regardless of what scale they're based off of, means that Sega will continue to see the various reasons why Mania is so critically well received and learn from that in future releases.

 

Spoiler

Classic Eggman is probably getting transported to the Modern Sonic dimension so he can team up with Modern Eggman. Sonic Forces 2, Fall 2021.

 

Yeah, just had the thought a couple of minutes ago and updated my post to match.

For what it's worth, SDCC did recently reveal Sega will have a Sonic panel at the event next week...with Iizuka and Austin Keys (director of product development) attending...and will feature discussion of "upcoming games"....and "surprise announcements".

...

Spoiler

...hoo boy. Can't say for sure if I'm looking forward to that panel or not, if another time-travel/dimension-hopping Sonic Team Sonic game is indeed what we're getting.

Sega revealing the next major modern Sonic game is (yet) another game that relies on Classic/Mania Sonic as a crutch? Oh dear...(hehe)...

EDIT: More/new ending discussion stuff

Spoiler

Can't confirm because I haven't seen it for myself, but apparently there's two endings based on a comment I read?

Eggman being sucked into the Ruby vortex is the "Super/True" ending, the "standard/regular" ending has the Heavy King grab onto the Ruby again.

 

Woah. News of the thread right here. Particularly if there'll be game news/announcements. First time I'm seeing this so thanks Yeow. Really glad it's not like with SXSW where we waited several weeks beforehand for the panel and this one's arriving as fast as next week. Mania 2 might be a long shot but odds are something interesting game-wise will probably be announced.

We should have a dedicated thread just before like last time. SXSW was quite awesome in retrospect (Plus announcement, Mania Adventures etc.) so hopefully this'll be awesome too.

 

Apparently the aggregate sites thought the same way too, as IGN's review no longer counts towards the Plus metascores on both Metacritic and GameRankings. For both sites, it's now instead filed under the entry "Sonic Mania: Encore Pack". (Their review is still counted on Opencritic's aggregate for Mania Plus, however.)

A side effect of this change is that with the IGN review no longer factoring into the metascore, this boosts the Switch version of Mania Plus up to 90(%) on both sites.

 

I'm pretty hyped about Mania Plus imminent release, but I feel like this is more important. Are we gonna have a new game announced ? Should we create a new topic about the event ?

 

Your wish is my command dude! Yeah you're completely right. This is super important news and we need a dedicated thread. And now we have one.

 

For all this fangirling over Mania scores, we're forgetting the REAL QUESTION : Will Famitsu score it higher than Sonic 06?

I mean, the original barely squeezed pass by two points but this not definitive version could go either way.

 

Spoiler

Holy Mother Fuck was that???? I'm sure there will never be an explanation of this and will end up as another Generations white space scenario. We never saw how both Eggmen got out and back to their respective timelines. This will be no different. Maybe Eggman is now gone forever, thus ending this alternate classic timeline. Why can't the original, no modern, Eggman fuck up like this and cancel his existence?

 

Okay... so I've watched all (minus 1) of the bosses streaming, both endings (yes, there are 2), and most of what could be deemed "new" content... Here are my thoughts.

Spoiler

So Encore mode really is hard mode. While only Metal Sonic has been fully revamped, all of the other bosses have had their attack patterns altered to make them more challenging to at least some degree. Most will now attack faster, and more frequently. The differences are subtle, but it makes some of the bosses more of a challenge in surprising ways.

For example, The final Eggman Boss has had a simpe, but very effective change. Only the top 2 tentacles will be destroyed first while the bottom 2 are destroyed last. His missile attacks are also much faster now and actually dangerous. His window of vulnerability is also much smaller. These changes are minor by themselves, but combined? Without a super form your entire strategy for fighting him must change, drawing out the fight a lot more. Mean Bean Machine simply has better AI. Oil Ocean 1 uses the special attack sooner. Heavy Magician takes more hits and transforms between characters less often, often using deadlier attacks with "the boys" ect. ect. Most layout changes open new paths, add monitors in different spots, change up existing monitors, and do subtle things to change obstacles. Special stages are MUCH harder. The new lives system can be very tough at times, and entire zone restarts may be more frequent. EVERY change I can spot makes the game more of a challenge for veterans. This REALLY is hard mode, period.

Having said that, I don't think anything is broken either. The special stages seem to be the worst challenge of the lot, but they ARE beatable... just requires a lot of practice/repetition. Good luck folks.

Only thing is... WTF is up with that super ending? Are the HBH giving up their evil ways with Eggman gone or something? This is such an odd semi-canonical entry in the saga... it's kind of like the repeating episodes of Haruhi Suzumiya. Very similar, yet subtly different. A repeating of the same events, with slight changes... leading to a different unknown outcome.

So, hey, ultimately? This is a 5$ DLC and a Quality of life update. Would I have liked a new boss? Yes, but Encore mode IS worth playing if you want a new challenge. Plus the new Angel Island and Mirage Saloon layout are nice unexpected additions, the zone transitions are (mostly) fixed (Hydrocity to Mirage Saloon is still a bit lazy/odd), and the level layouts do seem to have some clever changes at the very least.

Overall? Only real reason I'm disappointed is because the darn thing leaked early and I spoiled so much. If nothing leaked and I found this all out on release? I think I'd be shockingly happy. These fixes put Mania in league with the best of the classics, easily.

 

This is the way I see it too. At the price of 5 dollars all we're getting is quite reasonable, and the QoL changes + the fun gimmick of Encore Mode for an experienced player make me really happy about this update.

 

Do we know at this point if there's new trophies/Achievements?

 

Store I pre-ordered Mania Plus from broke street date and now I have the game early oops.

Only played a couple of zones but on first impression Ray and Mighty are fun to play as. It can be kinda easy to skip a lot of the stage with Ray by just flying in the air a lot Mario World style. Mighty's ground pound is a bit more useful in the actual level since it seems to negate certain attack enemies do like bullets, though I haven't tried it out enough to see how much it actually negates. The new bonus stage is neat. And the music in Encore Mode's save menu is incredible.

 

Man, where did the time go? I feel like Mania Plus has snuck up to only being less than a week away. Whilst I'm not doing a full-Blackout like I did with original Mania, I am ignoring the surge of videos that are popping up recently.... (Also a lot of the journalist videos - i.e "Oh this Ray dude was like an unused Sonic concept that hasn't been in a game before!" - have been a bit hard to watch... )

Going in unspoiled and seeing the changes fresh is going to be a cool feeling. Hell, being excited for Mania a second time is just bonkers. Can't wait!

 

Forgot to mention these: I uploaded clips of the updated title screen and new main menu also.