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

You know until I saw these I really thought that the insta-shield was more circumstantial than this with me only really using it on Bubbles in Marble Garden Zone. I just saw the insta-shield as a means to hit things like hit boxes that were just out of reach.

 

No that's not what he meant. He meant exactly what he said.
Insta-shield used to have extra functionality in Sonic 3 compared to Mania. Now that feature is obsolete thus making insta-shield less useful.

 

I would tell that there was one situation in S3&K when insta-shield could be considered as "lazy method". It's about one of the favourite methods of level creators used in platform games (Sonic 3 had it as well) - narrow space with enemy hard to hit. Usually you can't make here method with "being hit but going forward", due to to fact that terrain is unfriendly + you're thrown back/don't have enough time of temporary inviolability (in some games it's completely absent)/etc.

Man, I'm still repeating myself that I should stay away from this thread and stop thinking about game which has really far and only approximate release date... but it doesn't work :P On the other hand - after first euphoria I'm starting to be worried about assumptions (probably quite probable) that part of levels will be slightly re-made levels from original series. Recently I've noticed that one thing which is making allergic reaction on me when I'm watching/reading about some rom-hacks I didn't heard about earlier. What is that? Green Hill Zone*. Everything, but not the Green Hill Zone. I was always terrible about remembering names of zones in Sonic games, but this one I remember too good. And not by positive reason. It's fair enough for me if someone is serving some "green grass and trees zone", but made from the scratch/seriously re-made and with different music. I have hope that I won't need to start Sonic Mania with Green-again-Hill-again-Zone-again with the same (again) music.

*to all rom-hack creators - please, don't be angry on me, I always appreciate effort and time spent on such things like rom-hacks or fan-made games, but I feel that I have enough of starting... well, anything with Green Hill Zone. Not to mention that in my opinion Green Hill Zone has one of the worsest music in classic series - probably only Marble Zone from Sonic 1 and "desert level" (can't remember name) from Sonic 3 & Knuckles

 

Correction, 3 things. It returns horizontal control.


Oh, so control lock is removed from Mania? Can someone confirm? Damn, that's sad for me anyway.

Editing to reduce the carrying-on I'm doing. I'll just say I really admired the choice that Megadrive rolling forced onto the player -- to purchase speed & curled up safety at the expense of jumping control. So now the player can smash out a Megadrive spin dash for instant speed but not even have to pay with Megadrive jump control shenanigans.

The insta wrapped it all up nicely and made Sonic boss. No new speed, no new function, but much better at flow than Tails or Knuckles or Sonic 2. I would use that ability easily 10 times more than the invincibility/radius business. Anyway, other posters like Josh & InBru have expressed my thoughts perfectly already.

 

Yeah, Hyper was only ever for 3&K.

I'd like Super Sonic in Mania to have the same visual effects as Hyper. They could make Super Sonic flash different colors (or at least different shades of yellow and gold). The "three Sonic's effect" when Hyper Sonic runs would naturally compliment the three (four) Sonic effects you get in Mania when (normal) Sonic runs fast. I always liked how all badniks on screen would be instantly destroyed just by pressing double-jump when in Hyper form. I think you should be able to automatically breathe underwater in Super form. Can't believe you needed to transform into the Hyper form to be able to do this!

I'm expecting Sonic and Knuckles to have a super form. I also want Tails to get one, there's no reason why he shouldn't. In the Sonic 2 remaster you could only get a super form for Tails via debug mode because they kept to the original canon by only giving Sonic & Knuckles super forms, so I wonder if SEGA will ask StealthTax to keep to the original canon? Hopefully not and Tails (and Amy if she's playable) will get a super form.

As for the special stages; I'd rather we don't get another version of the half-pipes. I'd settle for something similar to Chaotix special stage, although I'd prefer something completely new. Also, kind of hoping there will be a bonus stage.


Is the design of the starpost/checkpoint new? I don't recall seeing this design in previous games or is it based on an unused design from a previous game?

 

It looks like the same overall design as the Sonic Advance checkpoints (themselves an adaptation of the Sonic Adventure checkpoint design), but realised using a more 'classic' aesthetic taking inspiration from Sonic 1 (blue ball turns red as in Sonic 1 on hitting checkpoint rather than yellow as in Advance; bottom half of checkpoint is yellow/gold rather than red), & Sonic 2/3 & Knuckles (star design on the lower half of the post matches the 'Star Post' tops from Sonic 2/3 & Knuckles, rather than a yellow star in a solid blue circle as in Advance; lower half of post is also more detailed in shape akin to Sonic 2/3 & Knuckles' Star Posts rather than the simple tube shape from Advance).

So basically, in some ways it's an amalgamation of the 'classic' checkpoint designs, but also almost like a 'missing link' between the Star Posts of Sonic 2/3 & Knuckles and the checkpoints seen in Sonic Advance. Nice attention to detail from team StealthTax, there! = )

Wonder if these checkpoints will allow entry to Bonus Stages in the final game, similar to how Sonic 3 & Knuckles did things...?

 

I really hope so. I always loved that addition to the games once Sonic 2 introduced it.

Special-stage wise, like OcelotBot I'd prefer something completely new.

 

The special stages will take some serious creativity, Classic Sonic done a good job with special stages imho, Sonic 1 was very basic, on the traditional 2D plane, They kicked it up a notch with Sonic 2's and had you on the half pipe with a totally unique view of Sonic at the time, from behind, Sonic 3 built on that but was a lot less restrictive, no longer where you on a narrow path, you could branch out more. (It had that illusion anyway)

I'm very interested to see what the next step in special stages will be. Also hoping for something completely different but it'll take a hell of an idea to naturally progress from what has been done, enough to make it seem fresh and familiar enough to feel like a sonic special stage.

 

You know personally I've never cared for special stages as I've always seen them as an interruption to the main game, though I'll admit that Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 special stages are decent as their own thing. I do enjoy the Bonus stages much more. They are short, don't get in the way of the main game, are not mandatory and the fact you can earn power ups to bring into the main game makes them all that much sweeter.

If I only had one choice between the two it would be the bonus stages, but special stages are such a staple to the series that removing the emerald hunt element would no doubt cause outrage from some Sonic fans. To some of these people the idea of a Sonic game not having a special stage with an emerald at the end would be the end of the world for them. Special stages to me are just the novelty feature of it's time, a relic of the past that should have be left behind.

EDIT:

You know I just thought of something. I've never played Major Magnet as I basically don't have a boner for fancy phones but I would love to play this on a console. Can we have Major Magnet as a bonus game that comes with Sonic Mania.

 

Late response but apparently the "W Spin Attack" is what the ability is called in Japan.

...according to this wiki anyway. If the Sonic 3 JP manual also calls it the insta-shield you can disregard my little comment. :v:

On the topic of special stages and bonus stages, I'd also like to see them return, and regarding the former, I agree with Deef and OcelotBot that they should be something new. The half-pipe format introduced in Sonic 2 has been well-played out, dare I say run into the ground by this point. Rather curious if they will go for another (pseudo-)3D perspective, which seems to be the popular approach in most cases; or if they will go for a 2D approach.

 

Lange's insta-shield .gifs are amazing. I've always used the move that way (especially WRT Launch Base Zone, basically my default) and I will agree that at a high-level speedrun performance it is indispensible.

Which is why I really hope Amy gets it; would be nice to see her not actually useless (or doubling up as 'hard mode' a la Sonic Advance 1) but offering something to the player.

 

Just how do you guys expect the insta-shield to look good on Amy? She's not even supposed to curl up in a ball.

 

Ooo, were we talking about special stages? This please:

 

Source? Can't find it on their Twitter.

 

Cool! Wonder if it'll be the same build from the anniversary party and Summer of Sonic. Or an updated one? Probably the same one.

 

Her mid-air hammer attack can function identically.

 

I'm reminded of this fellow's video about Sonic Adventure, how he enjoyed that repeatedly using Amy's hammer flip to maintain speed was fun: https://youtu.be/_Gc84YrPmJU?t=5m9s

I did enjoy that Amy was based around high jumps in some of her appearances, and timing, like Mario's jump combos from his 3D iterations. I rather enjoy that aspect of her character, and am not sure if the Insta Shield would fit with that.