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Sonic games are casual, fun, and fast paced. Hardcore gamers might not like that, but it’s great for someone more casual like myself. Myself and many others just want a fun and easy game to kill time while at home. Sonic Mania is easy, aesthetically good looking, and introduces new creative mechanics to figure out how to pass a level. The game also has catchy tunes that I could whistle to. The Green Hill stage especially has a great remix of the classic Green Hill Zone music. Another highlight is the Studiopolis stage which has a jazzy beat to it.
The Sonic Mania demo was on PC with Xbox 360 controllers. The game being developed by Sega European partner Atlas. The game’s green hill zone was easier than the Studiopolis level. Aestically, this game is far more detailed and has a great creative soundtrack. When hit by enemies, rings look like they’re popping out of the screen a little bit. In the Studiopolis level, there are tv screens with an animated dancing Eggman that remind of me of black and white Steamboat Mickey Mouse. The Studiopolis stage was a bit tricky because you had to learn that windows could be broken to advance to new parts of the game. Until you broke the windows, you would not know where secret items like bubbles are hiding. Sonic Mania seems to be on the right track, it take the best parts from past classic 2d Sonic games but adds to it by having more hidden areas and the best design I’ve seen in a long time.
My closing comments are I think Sega will be around for many years to come. I think the company having a mobile, PC, and console presence is great. Sega is giving characters a fun and semi-challenging new platforms to deal with that require certain character moves to tackle. Also, when I was at the Sonic 25th anniversary party I got to speak with a programmer from the Irvine office. I asked about how they would distribute Sonic on PC and he said there is a possibility of other means than Steam. For those who hate DRM, this COULD be your time to get Sonic DRM free. I think if Sega continues to make Sonic games every year and listen to their fans, then Sonic will be around for another 25 years.