It’s safe to say that the Sonic franchise, once an ubiquitous pop-culture phenomenon in its hacienda days of the mid-90s, has fallen from grace since the turn of the century. The reasons for this are also pretty diverse. Some might suggest that an artistic change of identity around 2000 - an attempt to win over a new generation of fans in the Dreamcast era - wound up alienating the ones the series already had. Others might also point to Sega’s naivety in giving its once-landmark IP to development houses not up to the task (think Sonic Boom for example). Also, was adding the likes of Shadow the Hedgehog and so many other uninspired, daft-looking spin-off characters necessary to keep that all-important tweener demographic? Did the gaming world really need Sonic and the Black Knight, or actual plotlines (one of which resulted in the uncomfortable weirdness of Sonic 2006’s ending) to all the gameplay? Most likely not. However, I do think there’s a more universal theory that explains all of Sonic’s woes, especially in the post 16-bit era.

Consider me a purist, but the many attempts made at getting Sonic to escape his traditional platformer bindings have all been wasted effort. Quite frankly, most 3D Sonic games suck. I say ‘most’, because there have still been the critical successes of Sonic Generations and Sonic Colors, and while I haven’t played those yet, I won’t question the good judgment of those who have. But it says something that the last Sonic game that I genuinely enjoyed was Sonic Adventure. And with it being a Sega Dreamcast launch title back then and all, that was probably only because its then-incredible graphics blinded me to the mediocrity of its gameplay. Play it again now and it’s painfully dull, and not just because it’s an old game from the end of the 90s. Its open world trappings failed to express what made Sonic games so great in the first place: that thrill of sudden momentum and speed, that immediate need for dexterity in certain moments, and those iconic level designs. Basically, anything that made the 2-D originals so damn good.

Luckily, Sega has perhaps seen a bit of sense and has now given us Sonic Mania, a tribute to that golden 16-bit era when Sonic didn’t have to be kissed by princesses to save the day, or have to share screen time with gun-toting anti-heroes (lol). It’s a game that looks, feels and plays exactly as if the last game of the franchise was actually 1994’s Sonic and Knuckles rather than the horde of hit-and-misses that have followed since that time. One reason for this is due to the developers behind it: namely Christian Whitehead, Headcannon and PagodaWest Games, the first two of whom have spent recent years porting the early Sonic games to iPhone and Android. Despite the many efforts of Sonic Team et al to recreate the magic that made its opening titles such hits, it’s taken this development trinity to actually nail that long-lost formula. It may have been a 23-year wait, but if you’ve been with Sonic since those early days, make no mistake - this is a return to form you’ve been waiting for.

The clue is in the title, you see. Prior to release, Sega has been keen to market Sonic Mania as being ‘by the mania, for the mania’. It’s not an officially-driven reboot of the entire franchise, but rather a side-piece that has come out of its developers’ adoration for the series. Both Whitehead and Simon Thomley of Headcannon were heavily involved in the Sonic fangame scene long before the idea of a 2D return for Sonic had even been considered. Sega’s unexpected faith in the pair - after all, the usual response from corporations for such fan appreciation usually comes in the guise of a ‘cease and desist’ notice - has thus culminated in Sonic Mania’s creation. It’s a bit of an unusual career path to take - going from ROM hacks to being given near-total creative reign on a new Sonic game - but it is one that Mania’s developers have treated with the expected level of respect and a whole lot of love too.

This love primarily manifests itself in a manner that so many forms of entertainment take on these days - through making the old new again. Only the franchise originals Sonic, Tails and Knuckles are available for selection to play through the twelve levels (or zones) that Mania consists of, and the gameplay is much the same: blast through each Act, two per zone, collecting as many rings as you go. Find a big ring hidden in the stage somewhere and you’ll be blasted to a Special Stage to grab one of those ever-elusive Chaos Emeralds. And of course, no level end would be complete without a boss, be it the ever-present Dr. Eggman (Robotnik, whatever) or his crack team of robotic cronies, the Hard-Boiled Heavies, to confront you - which they do in a variety of tricky, thoroughly amusing ways.

A number of the levels from previous games also make a return. The lush tropical paradise of Green Hill Zone makes for a familiar and gentle start to proceedings, and there’s also room for fan favourites such as Chemical Plant, Flying Battery and Lava Reef Zones to make an appearance as well. Far from being lifted straight out of the past though, the second acts of these old levels often come packed with fascinating twists. Chemical Plant soon ditches its twisting pipes and pink liquid gunk for giant syringes and Flubber-esque bouncy platforms (not to mention an unforgettable boss fight for the more hardcore of Sonic gamers). Meanwhile, the skybound chaos of the Flying Battery airship eventually subjects the player to additional challenges on the outside of the craft, with a deadly, gale-force thunderstorm for company. It’s a steady balance that Sonic Mania has to maintain between providing enough nostalgia for the fanbase to appreciate, while allowing these levels to remain fresh - and for the most part it manages to do so with one fun new surprise after the other.
 

But as much as the remixed versions of these levels impress, it’s the completely original ones that will grab the attention most on initial playthrough. The debut of Studiopolis Zone, a level themed entirely around a Spring Yard-esque city beaming broadcasts of Eggman’s own TV channel, is a particular highlight, packed with more easter eggs and nods to both the fandom and the old games alike than one could possibly imagine. Press Garden Zone - a weird blend of half printing press, half snow-laden Japanese garden, baffles just as much as it compels too. While these levels retain the same gameplay as their legacy counterparts, they continue to provide additional, brilliantly imaginative enhancements to the regular platforming and loop-running. Towards the end of the game they also become incredibly long too - something that could never be said about a Sonic game until now. I’m still yet to complete Titanic Monarch Zone, Mania’s final level, without incurring at least one Time Over each time I play - an observation that proves this to be a tough game to beat to 100% completion.

Graphically, the game definitely looks more 'evolved' than 'revamped' from its heyday, even coming complete with a couple of scanline display modes for you to appreciate that pixelly 90s goodness all the more. There’s definitely a lean in style towards the Sonic CD era of the series too - both in-game and during its animated opening and ending. Fans may debate on whether that was the best moment in Sonic’s heyday to take artistic note from but it does look fantastic, especially on the levels taken directly from that title. Combine this presentation with a wonderful soundtrack (which contains plenty of gorgeous remixes for the reused levels) and there is no doubt whatsoever that Sonic Mania’s charm offensive will utterly captivate the fans of old. Every single thing that made you love the original series is guaranteed to be here, and not just as mere tokens - they’re also reminders of just why Sonic games were such fun to play in the first place.

Of course, these extra touches do also serve as a reminder of what also made such games frustrating to play. Though the idea of making later levels so long that time itself is an enemy is new, Sonic Mania still resorts to the usual tricks of unseen enemy and spring placement to throw you into a trap when at speed. The return of other features, such as certain special stages, also isn’t that welcome either. This certainly isn’t the case for the Sonic 3-lifted blue sphere challenges, though. Required in order to collect coins for unlockables (which include a two-player head-to-head mode, a la Sonic 2), they’re still just as exhilarating - and as fiendish - as they ever were. But the Sonic CD-inspired chase levels, which involve running around a 3-D track to collect rings and blue balls alike to catch Eggman’s ship - suffer from poor controls and frustratingly tight time limits. To make matters worse, these are the stages that also hold the Chaos Emeralds. True to tradition, you’re also not entitled to see the game’s real ending without collecting all seven of them - which means slogging through a genuinely irritating part of the game to see everything it has to offer.

But then I suppose it wouldn’t be Sonic without the minor irritations. Is it all enough to win over new players? Well, it might - thanks to the indie scene, 2D platformers have had something of a resurgence. But for the old players, this is an unquestionable blast. Whether it’s been born out of maniacal dedication or otherwise, Sonic Mania is unquestionably a renaissance for Sega’s long-maligned icon, and it deserves the attention of any gamer keen to remember - or discover - what the fuss was all about in the first place.