Sonic Mania: Classic 2D Platformer Reborn for a New Generation

Sonic Mania is a 2D side-scrolling platformer that brings back the speed, spin dashes, and ring-collecting chaos of the original Sega Genesis games. Built as a love letter to the early 1990s Sonic the Hedgehog titles, it strips the franchise back to what made it work in the first place — tight controls, vibrant pixel art, and levels that beg to be replayed.

The game launched on August 15, 2017 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with the Windows version following on August 29. It was developed by Christian Whitehead, PagodaWest Games, and Headcannon, and published by Sega to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary. Whitehead — known in the Sonic fan community as “Taxman” — directed and programmed the project after pitching a prototype called Sonic Discovery to series producer Takashi Iizuka.

Gameplay and Characters

Players pick from three characters, each with a distinct twist. Sonic has his signature speed and a new “drop dash” that launches him rolling the moment he lands from a jump. Tails can fly and swim, which opens up shortcuts other characters can’t reach. Knuckles glides through the air and climbs walls — useful for finding hidden routes most players miss on a first run.

Two-player co-op is built in. One person controls Sonic while another takes Tails, just like Sonic 2 back in 1992. There’s also an “& Knuckles” mode that lets you pair any character with Knuckles, including Knuckles paired with himself. Weird? Yes. Fun? Also yes.

Zones, Bosses, and the Phantom Ruby

Sonic Mania spans 13 zones, with eight reimagined stages pulled from past Sonic games — Green Hill Zone from the 1991 original being the most obvious — and five completely new ones. The Hollywood-themed Studiopolis Zone was the first original level designed. The desert-flavored Mirage Saloon Zone took cues from an unfinished Sonic 2 level and the Monument Valley region in the United States.

Every zone splits into two acts. The first act keeps things familiar. The second introduces new gimmicks, enemies, and a boss fight against Doctor Eggman or one of his new elite robot henchmen, the Hard-Boiled Heavies. These villains are essentially upgraded EggRobos from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, each given a unique power by a mysterious gem called the Phantom Ruby.

The story kicks off after the events of Sonic & Knuckles. Sonic and Tails detect a strange energy signal on Angel Island and fly off in their biplane, the Tornado, to check it out. Eggman gets there first, his robots dig up the Phantom Ruby, and the chase is on. Knuckles joins as the trio travels through familiar zones to stop Eggman from weaponizing the gem.

Rings, Power-Ups, and Special Stages

Rings still work the way they always have. Get hit with at least one ring and you survive — but your rings scatter everywhere and vanish if you don’t grab them fast. Television monitors scattered through levels drop rings, elemental shields, invincibility, or speed boosts.

Hidden giant rings in each act warp you to pseudo-3D special stages styled after Sonic CD. Here you dodge obstacles, grab colored spheres for speed, and chase down a UFO carrying a Chaos Emerald. Collect all seven Emeralds and you unlock Super transformations plus the game’s true ending. There’s a catch — your ring counter ticks down during these stages, so you have to keep grabbing more or the chase ends early.

The “Blue Sphere” bonus stages from Sonic 3 also return. Hit a checkpoint with 25 or more rings and a portal appears. Clear the stage for a silver or gold medal. Medals unlock extras like debug mode and a sound test.

The Music

The soundtrack was composed by Tee Lopes of PagodaWest Games. Lopes was hired largely because of his YouTube arrangements of classic Sonic tracks and his work on the Sonic 2 HD project. His goal early on was to make the score feel like a sequel to the Sonic CD soundtrack — though he eventually pulled influences from The Revenge of Shinobi, the Sega Rally games, and 1990s pop music including Michael Jackson. The opening theme “Friends” was composed by Hyper Potions and later reused for the prologue of the 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog film.

Controls:

• Move Left / Right: Left / Right Arrow keys
• Look Up / Duck: Up / Down Arrow keys
• Jump / Action: A, S, or D keys (any of these will make you jump)
• Pause Menu: Escape (Esc)
• Switch Character: W key (in menus/Level Select)

As always, remember to have fun!