Sonic Mania and how it loves it's influences

 Smile!

Sonic Mania is by many people's standards the only Sonic game to come after Sonic 3 & Knuckles, because everything in-between was just a bad fever dream that slowly spiralled more and more out of control without sense this way or the other. I don't quite subscribe to that brand of total fatalism, I think there were some pretty good Sonic games here and there, but I do know what people mean when they say this franchise lost itself in the jump to 3D and couldn't find it's way back for so long. The closest they ever got was with Sonic Generations, and even then that game was lauded because it piggy backed off the success of the original Sonic games and the new stuff it bought to the table wasn't really all that great. (As evidence by the fact that when the new stuff took over, for Forces, the game turned into another 3D era disaster show.) But what is it about Sonic Mania specifically that makes it a game which both relies heavily on nostalgia and yet proves itself a worthy successor in the same breath?

I think it all comes down to the way the game handles and cares for it's influences. In the same way that games like Sonic Generations tried to recapture a lot of those old maps and remodel them into the new style, Sonic Mania did feature a best-of run down of classic Sonic maps, but the difference in my eyes comes from the way that these levels weren't some attempt to usurp the originals, but celebrate them alongside the new game. Take one of the most interesting conversion levels the game reintroduced, Oil Ocean zone. The original game had this strangely middle eastern sounding soundtrack which they slapped onto a level that looked like an oil rig and called it a day, even referencing that level seems like a strange choice for the Mania team because I doubt it was anyone's favourite. But the team saw an opportunity and recreated that level with a whole new unique mechanic in this suffocating cloud that players need to periodically find a way to filter out in order to continue traversing the level. Talk about respecting the originals, but not being afraid to try your own thing as well.

There's a certain love for all things Sonic that you can feel emanating off the very essence of this game, and that likely comes from the way that Christian Whitehead and his magnificently early 2000's hair was involved with this project. That's the same man who helmed the simply fantastic mobile ports of the original games which I still think is easily the best remaster these games have ever received. (And which still isn't accessible on PC) So with this sort of talent on board, talent born from genuine love and worship of the originals, it was obvious that this would be a game seeped in that childish fascination for the Sonic brand. But even entering the game with that express knowledge, there's so many more references inside the Sonic Mania world to get all nerdy over. I've picked some of the most interesting out to me.

The first comes from an absolutely classic Sonic level, Chemical Plant zone, and the way that this game copied and then changed it with their own special little twist. Replacing the rather straight forward end boss of this zone is a completely brand new section where the player is shoved into a round of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. Mean Bean Machine being a reference to a spin-off Sonic Game most notable for it's bizarre title, the game itself plays out exactly like Puyo Puyo. I wouldn't call this the deepest cut ever made, but that still far outside most people's recollection of classic sonic games and thus speaks to a heart deeply ingrained with old school sonic. I mean, it's not a Sonic Eraser Easter egg, but it's baby steps.

The next reference I called up is actually a rather subtle-one that I'm sure a decent number of people out there didn't even take the time to think about unless they already had prior knowledge of this reference. Classic Sonic villain Metal Sonic shows up for his own themed level in Sonic Mania, which makes sense after his breakout role in Sonic CD. However, a team that loves Sonic lore this much wouldn't have missed out on a opportunity like this to explore one of the most hotly contested issues in the Sonic canon; the history of Metal Sonic. You see, a mechanized version of sonic is by no means unique to Sonic CD, that game just represents the title who's Metal Sonic design endured in several revisits of the concept. There's also Mecha Sonic and, for the purposes of this reference, Silver Sonic. Yes, those little silver enemies who pop out to attack you during the Sonic Mania Metal Sonic fight are actually an old forgotten version of Metal Sonic from Sonic The Hedgehog 2. (8 bit version) That's a game which shares the same name as Sonic 2, but is almost entirely different in stages, zones and bosses and thus isn't widely known about by most general Sonic fans. (These guys knew, however)

And then there's the big one, the reference so big it spawned a whole new DLC to represent it as gloriously as they could. Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel were included as fully developed playable characters wrapped into their own remixed campaign in the Sonic Mania Plus DLC, and a grander love-letter to the Sonic community there has never been. Both of these characters were once co-stars of SegaSonic the Hedgehog, alongside the blue guy himself, before disappearing into relative obscurity for years. Mighty has a brief appearance in the oft-forgotten classic era sonic game; 'Knuckles Chaotix', but Ray didn't even get that ignoble honour. For all the years since their debut, the most these characters ever got was a cameo appearance on a 'missing' poster from Sonic Generations, which honestly feels more like a mockery of them rather than a loving refence. That was until Mania when they came back in a big way to be unique members of the classic team Sonic once again, much to the delight of deep-cut Sonic fans everywhere.

Of course those are just three of my personal favourite references, and the coolest thing about Sonic Mania is that there are many others dotting the walls and draped over chandeliers, hanging from lampshades and stretched over banisters; this game's bodily content consists of 90% reference, and I love it. The term 'fan service' is often dripping with negative connotations, slapped with the implication that it represents a terminal inability to exercise restraint and respect your art, which in turn means you don't respect your audience. I don't hold such prejudice, and I think any who does merely look at a game like this, making up for over nearly two decades of Sonic content that either just didn't hit the spirit of the originals, or was a plain insult to it's respective audience, in order to see where I'm coming from to some small degree.

Sonic Mania is a game, if you'll forgive the appropriated quote, built by fans in order to enter the hands of fans everywhere. Whereas Sonic Team are caught in constant war with themselves where they cannot please 50% of their fans with any one of their games and decisions, the Mania team managed to slide in and apply a soothing balm over a decade of frayed nerves. Forgotten are the sins of Sonic 06, Sonic BOOM and Sonic Forces when we're wrapped in the nostalgia of good old Sonic bought to life and celebrated with such style. My only enduring shame comes from the fact that this isn't going to be a bold new dawn for the Sonic series, because as I wrote about earlier, Sega managed to chase away the team who made Sonic Mania by being their own damnable selves. Guess that means the majority of Sonic fans can retreat back to their distinct cubby holes into to resume verbal discourse over everything for the next 15 years until the next spectacular project that unites the sides.

Sonic Mania 2 secretly cancelled?

A Funeral before the baby shower 

Sonic the Hedgehog is as classic as it gets when we're talking about video game mascots and discounting the racially stereotypical ones. He's the blue fuzz with attitude, the rad speed freak of the animal kingdom, the sapphire shaded cataract haunting Doctor Robotnik's eye, and he has to be one of Sega's best achievements. And that's saying quite a lot for a gaming company as proud and renowned as Sega, but Sonic is just that big and successful, the praise is justified. Even though I think the gaming public has a very pointed selective memory when it comes to remembering Sonic's contribution to the gaming space. It seems that ever since the well documented disaster that was Sonic 2006, fans have tried to consistently rewrite history in saying that every single Sonic game after 3 was bad and crap and no one ever liked them. Yeah, that's why Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 were are classics, I guess...

But throughout all the good games that poor memories have turned bad (Adventure 1 and 2, Heroes) the middle of the road games that people seem genuinely unsure about (Unleashed, Colours, Black Knight) that one game which no one dares call bad, but people seem to wantonly ignore when trashing the later Sonic franchise (Generations) and then the undeniable bad: (Forces, Boom, Riders) the fanbase has stood ready and hungry to receive it all. For such a whiny bunch they sure do shut up and eat their medicine whenever Sega shoves it in their face, don't they? If only there was some sort of consensus on what the majority of fans wanted there would be some sort of clear path for the Sonic series to follow. If only there was one undeniably stellar entry which stood out as a gold standard you'd have to be completely oblivious not to modelled yourself after. If only this game was so important to the fanbase that it literally spawned from the dedication of one of their best, proving that this was something the fans want. Oh wait, that game absolutely does exist. It's called Sonic Mania.

One of the loudest cries that the Sonic Team repeatedly received was that the fans want the series to go 'back to it's routes' and tackle the 2D realm considering the 3D stuff never worked out for them. (Literally the most famous images of Sonic today are derived from his 3D self, but sure- let's pretend 3D Sonic never had a good game.) Only ring-a-ding, there goes my 'same old crap' alarm, because the second fans got exactly what they wanted with the incredibly uneven and far too familiar Sonic 4, they complained so hard that episodic adventure was never even finished. (Part of the problem might have been the fact that it was episodic) Sonic Mania was the game which really managed to execute on that plan to it's fullest, and not in the half-hearted 'making concessions' way that Sonic Generations did. This was a fully new and shiny Sonic game reusing that beloved cast and sending fans on a delightful love letter to the furry blue fandom.

I've never been a mouth-foaming rabid fan of the Sonic games, truth be told, but even with that disconnect from others I have to say that I absolutely loved Sonic Mania. It's classic retro heart beating in a slick modern side scroller that did it's best to pay tribute to as many niche corners of the Sonic world as humanely possible is simply sublime in it's execution. It's a game born from so many influences and wears each one of them with pride and impossible grace. (They managed to rope in a tasteful reference to Eggman's Mean Bean machine, for god's sake!) The music slides neatly alongside the unassailably high standard of the originals, the new levels and remixes of old ones carried surprises and mechanics to keep things fresh for new and old players, and the presentation touches are incredible. Top marks for those level transitions alone.

And I'm far from alone in my opinion. A lot of those same fair-weather Sonic fans who keep a foam-hand stitched to the back of their picket boards simply fell over themselves to sing their unchallenged praises of Sonic Mania, as being the true successor to the Sonic throne. (And, of course, this time that wouldn't be a title they immediately snatch away when it becomes popular to berate Sonic again, like they did for Generations.) Parties were held, wars were halted, aliens beamed down in jubilation, all was right with the world once Sonic Mania touched it. And the game got such fanfare that the creators, who crucially weren't just Sega's Official team but a supergroup spotted with talented fan creators too, were allowed to make a special director's cut version of the game which reintroduced two mythical lost characters from the franchise and threw in a whole new mode to play the main campaign with as well, just as a final flex.

All and all the message from the response should have been clear to anyone watching, Sega most of all, but apparently not because speculation abounds that the reason we've heard neither hide nor hair of a sequel is because such a proposition was strangled out back before we could ever see it. Apparently this comes because of the Studio now called Evening Star has broken up with Sega. Now Evening Star Studio might side like a newspaper at first glance, but when I tell you that Christian Whitehead is involved that should mean a lot to Sonic fans. Mr Whitehead is the man who's name is irrevocably tied to the intro screens of the definitive original Sonic trilogy remakes on Mobile, which do their job so well that many don't even realise those games are actual total remakes and just think they're ports. (They are exceptionally well done, which only goes to foreshadow his later work on Sonic Mania)

News on exactly what this conflict was sparked over is unspecific, as is the case with any sore break-up I would imagine, but an insider has claimed that the issues were on Sega America's side as they grew 'extremely unreasonable', whatever that means. But whilst that remains up-in-the-air on it's legitimacy, we can say for a fact that Sonic Mania 2 is almost definitely not in direct development at this moment given that Evening Star just announced their work on an 'original 3d platformer', and it's not really feasible for small new studios to be working on two projects at once. All of which means the dawning new hope for the Sonic series may be upfront laying dead in the water after it's first new outing, dooming us all to another 20 years of games that fans initially like then decide they hate when it get's cloudy outside.

If there is any truth to Sega straining relationships until they snap, then I have to say that Sega have well and truly screwed themselves with this one. I can sort of understand why they would too, long standing once-console wielding studio with ties back to strict corporate Japanese culture exercising their control over their property; it fits their MO. But when we're talking about a series as fragile as Sonic, with one entry that scored universal acclaim from the work of dedicated fans, maybe it would have behoved Sega to give some slack to their tight rope around their franchise for Evening Star to work their magic once again. Or maybe this is really Evening Star's fault and they just watonly blew a great gig with a storied publisher. Who can really say at such a stage? All that's seemingly for certain is that Sonic Mania is about to become a one off, and that's a bag-pipe serenading 100-gun-salute level tragedy right there. (We'll never get our modern send-up to the Sonic Eraser soundtrack now...)