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

I sincerely hope so. Amongst everything else, it'll really help to breath new life into the remixed stages. It's quite likely, considering it's been the norm for the series ever since S3. Plus the different acts seem to be set against different backdrops ala S3K, really changes the tone of the stages at times and requires a change in music to get the mood across properly (Marble Garden, Sandopolis, etc...). I'd love to see something akin to Generations Seaside Hill Act 2 where the track switches to Ocean Palace halfway through, especially if some of the other returning stages continue to incorporate elements of other levels.

Like pretty much everyone else, I think it's a bit of a shame that there'll be more remixed stages than new ones. The series' reliance on nostalgia at this stage is really getting to be a bother. But as I've said before, I'm actually hugely looking forward to seeing what stages are being brought back and how they'll differ from the original versions. It's pretty exciting, and there's absolutely no reason to doubt that they'll be anything except brilliant. Just got my fingers crossed for Desert Dazzle!

 

I'm pretty sure the different acts will get some kind of polish. It'll be really cool too.

Also, this is a different point, but does anyone else love Taxman's designs. His kind of graphic design style. Not sure if it's him, or he pays someone to do it, but it's stylish and clean.

 

I'm pretty sure it's the guys from PagodaWest who are behind the game's art.
We should give credit to the right people.

 

Oh of course.

But I mean the graphic design. The logo stuff. It looks very similar to Taxman's designs. It could be by Pagoda though :v:

 

It's all based on the Japanese boxart for the Classic games.

 

Oooh xD. Well the more you know :v:

 

Count me among the crowd that's wanting to know how many Zones there'll be. Assuming they're "Sonic 3 & Knuckles big," I'm anticipating about 12 full-fledged Zones with the odd "event" Zone like Hidden Palace or Sky Chase. If that's the case though, I also wonder how the Special Stage count would be balanced. S3K used the Super Emeralds to prevent you from destroying everything after Marble Garden, but iirc the Super Emeralds were confirmed to not appear in Mania. Maybe they'll cut it down to one Special Ring per act?

 

Hey that's a good point. Well, we know there are a special type of 'item'. Perhaps these are substitute special emeralds :specialed:

 

Calling it now, the new "special item(s)" mentioned in that interview will be the Ring's of Order in keeping with the 32-bit nature! :specialed:

All joking aside, this game has me super hyped! I keep finding myself itching for more info, even a small showcase of Green Hill Zone Act 2 so we can see a slightly less-tame re-imagining and what that entails, knowing info drops will be small for now.
Best of luck with everything Taxman/Stealth/PagodaWest, eagerly awaiting your game!

 

We've already seen the locations of two giant rings in Studiopolis, so unless they don't lead to the special stages, it's not one per act.

 

Has anyone tried skipping the time/ring bonus at the end of a level? Christian if you're reading this, please make that an option.

 

Hell no

 

Why is pressing a button to speed up the score tally a bad thing exactly?

 

Any particular reason for the hellish no-ee-ness? :specialed:

I think it's a pretty good idea, not everyone is content to sit around for a score to tally up and a simple button press to skip allows for those who do care to take in the tally as they wish.

There is pretty much no down side to this unless you want to watch the tally yet are still a compulsive button pusher.

 

Think that'd be a good option too. Don't particularly mind watching through the time/ring bonus as it never lasts long but if we're too eager to see the next level in this game then why not?

Always have good vibes when checking up on this game. The music is good to de-stress to after long work days. SEGA hiring Tee Lopes to do the soundtrack was one of their best decisions with this game.

Can't wait to see what else he's cooked up for other levels in the next trailer.

So wish that I could play this game now.

 

It also ruins real-time speedruns.

 

This is a little reassuring, even if I can't work out what the ironic bit is.

Randomly, imo Hydrocity is by far the zone that most deserves a remix from Sonic 3.

Structurally, it's the zone that was just a bit too undercooked when it came to branching and complexity. I like the level but its linearity was always a bit letdown for me from the first times I played it, and a re-do in Mania would fix exactly that. Hydrocity already has the speed and the playfulness; in fact Hydrocity or no, I'd be very interested to see what kind of level design Mania's team would come up with if given the directive "fast plus water". That needs to be done again, and yeah Hydrocity's the obvious and sole example... just gotta work on that linearity. Water-running especially deserves a legit, classic, reappearance, in ways that are more about choice than Sonic 3 or 4. There are heaps of ways they can play with that, and Hydrocity is its home.

Even space-wise, it's a good contender. Cramming new areas into Carnival Night or Marble Garden would be difficult, but like the open air above Green Hill that's now being used, Hydrocity simply has room for additions all over the place, so much of it.

It's also one of the classiest zones in the franchise; mainly that music. It will be nice to hear any of the classic tunes redone, but Hydrocity's music is already waiting to show off... it loves itself more than any of the other zones' tunes imo.

Even if only 1 zone in the entirety of S3&K made an appearance in Mania, I'd still back Hydrocity. Not because it's my favourite, but because it would shine the most after a renovation.


/random

 

I'm sure all the zones are decided by now, but I would also love to see Hyrdocity again. I think it's probably my favorite water level.

 

I agree about Hydrocity being a very well-designed water level for a Sonic game. Regardless of what Sonic 3 stage(s) are ultimately picked, it'll be nice to see something official again related to S3&K after years of Sega ignoring it rerelease-wise in favor of Sonic 1 and 2.

I wonder how much, if any, input that Tax and Stealth had in terms of which stages to give the Tax Mix / Stealth Run to.

 

I like to think they have free-rein in terms of which stages to choose from. Maybe Green Hill had to make an appearance regardless. It's gonna be so good to play some (re-imagined) Sonic 3 levels.

I'm curious as to what the music will sound like for the Sonic 3 stages. If the music for the remade Sonic 2 & CD zones is similar to the original version like the GH remix is in Mania, then I do wonder if the music for the Sonic 3 stages will be remixed or completely new. I'm guessing the latter. I like to think the inclusion of Sonic 3 levels could mean some of the legal stuff has been resolved. Come to think of it, if the music in the Sonic 3 stages is brand new and gets well received, then perhaps SEGA could interpret this as in the community would be happy with a brand new or partially new soundtrack, if this is what it takes to get SEGA to green-light Sonic 3 Remastered.

On the subject of Sonic 3 stages. If I were to pick two I would go for Ice Cap and also Hydrocity. Despite the nice visuals and music, Ice Cap always felt like the weakest stage in Sonic 3. Act1 is too linear for my liking and Act2's design isn't particularly challenging. So it's definitely a stage they could improve on.

As for Hydrocity, for me it was Sonic 3's answer to Sonic 2's Chemical Plant, very fast and fluid. So if Chemical Plant doesn't appear in Mania (I hope not because it was in Gens) then Hydrocity gets my vote.