Sonic Mania (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC...Netflix?)

Wow, good eye! That's an interesting addition.

 

There's more melodic content in the Studiopolis music they showed than Mushroom Hill zone.

 

I can't stop watching the title screen. This takes me back to when I was a kid and even looking at screenshots or video of the title screen in commercials was a big deal to me. I adore the title screen for this.

 

I understand what you're saying, but maybe melodic content isn't what I'm thinking of. I just think, taking Studiopolis for example, that it's a lot of disconnected melodies wrapped in one package. It doesn't seem very coherent to me and it makes it a bit harder for me personally to enjoy it as much. Key words being as much. I still love it, but it's not how I would have done it. That's a very personal thing though and I don't expect really anyone else to get it or care.


Unrelated to that...

Spoiler

Why is Sonic dabbing? At least, that's what it looks like to me. I guess they had to get the memes in there somehow :specialed:

 

You're basically saying you want the melody to be carried by one instrument

Like cats or something

edit: to be more useful, there's a very very recognizable refrain that comes by every time, and then a piano solo in between that. That refrain is pretty much as Sonic as Sonic melodies gets, especially from the Genesis era.

If I may make a suggestion, I would posit that a big part of what you're saying right now is simply unfamiliarity with a new piece of music vs 25 years of nostalgia. I could be wrong, of course.

 

He isn't dabbing. Both of his arms are straight out at his sides, like this:

 

@Falk: No, of course not. Just never mind; I'm bad with words in general and having to type out what I'm thinking of clearly isn't helping me right now. Sorry about the confusion.
EDITEDIT: I see what you added and I think unfamiliarity is what it is. Again, sorry about the confusion.

@Cooljerk: I would agree with you, but I slowed down the footage and that frame of the arm looking like it's coming from Sonic's left going to his right is there for a while. There's no way he's holding his arms straight out.
EDIT: I see it, but that one frame is just weird.

 

He absolutely is, and other frames make it more apparent. He is twirling with his arms out. There is no way that could be a dab because his thumb is on the wrong side, it has to be his right arm in perspective to the screen, not his left. You can see his left arm behind him, in fact, on the left side of his sprite behind his quills.

 

Eh, I'm not confused. I think I know what you're getting at. I'm just suggesting you may need a little while to let the track sink in ;p

 

I definitely see it now. You have to agree that that one frame does look kinda off though.

Yeah, totally. I'm super hyped for the music! This is so me--not that any of you would have known previously but I tend to take change and make it the worst thing ever. I suppose I'm not entirely warmed up to the new track.

 

I really hope they sneak the Megamix moveset into the game, preferably as Shadow or Mighty. Actually, I want Mighty much more than Shadow. I've always liked Mighty.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, (and maybe this has been brought up before) but the warp sfx from the truck is from Spinball right?

 

It is indeed. It's the sound effect when you go through different portals that teleport Sonic. I think it's cool they're using sound effects even from Spinball, which isn't even part of the main series.

 

I hope they mine the entire series. I think it's fantastic they're pulling stuff from Knuckles Chaotix - that game was chock full of great ideas. Someone else suggested they bring back Fang, and I'd love that. Sonic games work best when there is a rival besides Robotnik - be it Knuckles or Metal Sonic. Fang could fill that role here well.

I'm dying to see what kind of Special Stages we get. The Special Stages in Sonic CD and Knuckles Chaotix were stand out moments in both games. I know Tax likes to play with Mode 7, I'm so anxious to see what they have in store. Knuckles Chaotix has my favorite Special Stages in the entire series.

 

I'd love to see Fang make a return! That and Mecha Sonic honestly, I've always liked Mecha more than Metal and seeing how Metal has been in games since Sonic CD, I think it'd be cool to see Mecha return to the limelight. (Though I doubt it would happen though...) I'm also looking forward to the special stages, wake me up when its Spring 2017! :v:

 

Wait a minute.

Didn't Aaron say there were plenty of secrets in the trailer? Are we aware of anything so far, other than the references to other Sonic and Sega games?

EDIT: Duh, clearly if we knew anything someone would have posted about it. Man, today is not my day. Good night.

 

There isn't much I can say that's already been said. Taxman, Stealth, Tee Lopes??? It's a freaking dream team, my eyes have been legit watering at seeing these names together. For Sega to finally cave and just let someone guide it properly, and for it to be these guys...

I think the best way to describe it is to say there are no fans more jaded than classic Sonic fans, and there was literally no way they were going to come out of that nd actually get excited for a new Sonic game again. To do that you'd have to get some genuine old school classic gameplay fans, some hardcore skillsets, a crazy impressive record that the community trusts... and WTF it is actually happening. There was literally no other recipe for getting an oldschool fan hyped again, but here we are. I can't believe even Tee is on board. I would have thought I'd be asking too much.

And the direction shown in the trailer... already showing attention to detail as high as we could hope. The old school references just tumbling out of the trailer, little new changes exactly as if it were a real sequel.It's not just looking good, it's behaving exactly like a Sonic 4 would. High chance this is going to be the spiritual Sonic 4. We're already at a lock for knowing it's going to actually play properly for a god damn change.

Loved the no-nonsense, no shading, "3 characters, done, go home". The title screen is just bonkers it's so good. It is so good. The animation and simply the personality presented there is beautiful. The CD-esque background rotation? Even the way they've shaped his head exactly in that way.... so much experience in oldschool Sonic appeal on display. So many little touches that lift it out of pure retro content, yet all the new bits are clearly showing the vault of historical knowledge being tapped into.


Anyway, loving it. And yeah, with that intro, Sonic running backwards, new classic title, then Taxman's signature drops... I geeked out.

 

I'd love to see a fully realized Egg Garden Zone show up in Mania. Would be a nice callback to the Retro Engine's origins.

 

The name of the game is perfect - Sonic Mania. it describes both the developers (sonic fanatics), and the dripping with reference aesthetic, and the target audience. This is the coolest thing to come out of the Sonic Franchise in decades. It sounds so much like 90's attitude, too.

What blows me away is how high quality the pixel art is. I'm big into this style of retro games, and the quality here is so much higher than even stuff like Mega Man 9. This is top shelf stuff. I'd say the only other game I've seen of this quality is Fantasy Zone II DX, and this will probably even top that.

 

While I was waiting for the S3K Remake, The Taxman was working on something a lot more Epic. 11/10