Sonic Mania Critic Reviews

Sonic Mania surpasses the Mega Drive/Genesis originals. It not only incorporates what made Sonic great, but has the inventiveness to shatter what was possible in a 2D platformer. As a nostalgia trip, it sets the bar for what comes next for the modding community. For those unexposed to what made 2D Sonic great, this is still a solid game in its own right and may create new fans in the process. If being this good took ages, it’s about damn time.

It’s a fantastic entry for the franchise, and it certainly has helped to reinvigorate my interest in the character going forward.

Sonic Mania isn't only a very good Sonic game. It's a fantastic retro tinged platformer that just about anyone can appreciate. It's beautifully realised, fantastic sounding, passionate and incredibly surprising in so many ways. It not only respects the original games in the franchise, but could well surpass them totally. Mania is a masterclass in retro revival and raises the bar for all who dare challenge it. Get on it fast.

Finally, we have the return to form that Sonic fans have been waiting for all these years. This isn’t just one of the best Sonic games of recent years, but one of the best Sonic games full stop. You owe it to yourself to get a copy of this masterpiece.

Overall, Sonic Mania is a remarkable game and the best Sonic game released in over a decade. When looking at the game as a whole, it’s hard to find fault with it. Some may wish all of the stages were all-new, but the existing stages have all been revamped – so it’s less a retread and more of a remix blended with a lot of new content. It’s clearly a passion project and one that should result in Sega revisiting the idea of more 2D Sonics, hopefully with a focus on taking what makes this game so good and expanding it into future 3D entries. Sonic Mania is a must-buy for anyone who has ever loved Sonic the Hedgehog games – it will remind you of why the character had such a huge peak, and is a great buy for either the Switch or PS4.

Sonic Mania is a brilliantly staged celebration of the past that acts as a true sequel to the Genesis line of games.

Sonic Mania is easily the best game of the speedy blue hedgehog in years. Not only that bit it is also one hell of a game that pays tribute to all of the franchise history itself. If you are a Sonic fan don't even doubt about it, go and get it as fast as you can.

Sonic Mania isn’t just a great game for old Sonic fans. It’s a great game. This inspiration from the past should be Sonic’s future.

Christian Whitehead deserves an ovation for bringing back a fast hedgehog who had been injured for a long while. Sonic Mania is a worthy heir to the five amazing 2D platformers the porcupine starred in on Mega Drive.

About the last thing I would say about Sonic Mania is to simply go and play it — it’s awesome, masterfully blending the old with the new and reminding us all what a true Sonic game is about. If you got burned on some of the 3D Sonic titles (although Sonic 3D Blast was great in my opinion) from the last decade, set those expectations aside and get into the Mania — you’re not likely to be disappointed at all.

Sonic Mania is not a perfect game, and the Sonic playstyle is not definitely for everyone. If you love the blue hedgehog, though, you cannot let this one go: it's huge, challenging, full of secrets, with lots and lots of different situations. Hands down, one of the best platformers of the past ten years.

Sonic Mania is a fantastically well-worked continuation of an iconic franchise and a great reminder of why the Genesis games were so well loved. Everybody who has waited patiently for 20-odd years for Sega to get it right again is in for a treat. Top notch.

Sonic Mania methodically uses its sentimental appeal to great effect, but in the process, it heals the wounds inflicted by its most disappointing predecessors and surpasses the series' best with its smart and interpretive design. An excellent 2D platformer, Sonic Mania goes beyond expectations, managing to be not only a proper evolution of the series' iconic formula, but the best Sonic game ever made.

Sonic is back with a unique love letter to the original 16-bit games. Mania is an amazing game, fun, long and with a lot of nostalgic elements. This is the Sonic that 2D lovers were waiting so eagerly for so many years.

Sonic Mania is a solid game that reminds us how amazing in terms of design were the 16-bit episodes. We can say this game is inarguably a new classic for the blue hedgehog and that it has to become a reference for the future titles of the franchise.

Sonic Mania has helped me rediscover what it was I loved about Sonic growing up and it took me back to a time where I could just pick up a game and have fun. This is for Sonic fans everywhere and it will not disappoint.

Sonic Mania doesn’t necessarily mark Sonic’s return to his glory days, but there is still much to love about this game and it can easily serve as a foundation for the future of the series if the Sonic Team chooses to continue in this direction.

A touching, and highly playable, labour of love by fans that understand Sonic The Hedgehog better than Sega ever has in the last 20+ years.

Sonic Mania is the return to the 2D gameplay style that the community has been waiting for for a long time, and it's one of the revelations of this year. A game made by fans, for the fans.

For Sega's mascot fans, Sonic Mania is a real dream come true.