In celebration of Sonic’s 30th Anniversary, SEGA have announced that they’re hosting a Sonic Central live stream tomorrow to take a glance at some upcoming projects, partnerships and events that concern the Blue Blur. There’s already some educated guesses on what will be announced. A port of Sonic Colours has been leaked already, along with the existence of some kind of Sonic Collection. It’s also possible we’d see some kind of Sonic 2 movie news, perhaps the official reveal of Knuckles.
For me, however, there’s only one piece of news that would make Sonic Central a perfect event to celebrate 30 years of the speedy hedgehog that could: Sonic Mania 2. Developed primarily by Christian “Taxman” Whitehead, a noted figure in the Sonic fan game and ROM hacking communities, the original Mania is a true love letter addressed to any fans of Sonic and a reminder that SEGA’s biggest mascot still had a lot left in the tank.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s been some big wins for Sonic over the past two decades. Sonic Heroes was an underrated banger, though my positive feelings might be informed more by the excellent soundtrack than anything else. Colours was meant to be pretty good, so I’m excited to play it if that port comes to pass, and Generations was perhaps the best 3D Sonic game since the Adventure series. Yes, I like Adventure, let’s not get into it.
There have been plenty of missteps for Sonic over the years though. Sonic ‘06 was fated to be the blue mascot’s big coming out party for the then-next generation hardware, only to flop around on the floor like a Magikarp fighting any land-based Pokémon. Sonic Unleashed wasn’t much better, with the improved fast Sonic levels marred by the terribly boring Werehog levels, and Sonic Forces’ attempt to cram as many new half-baked ideas into the formula as possible created a game that felt like less than the sum of its parts.
Sonic Mania, which launched in the same year as Forces, felt like proof that SEGA still knew what to do with their iconic character, the irony of that being that Mania wasn’t even developed by SEGA anyway. Whitehead pitched the game to series producer Takashi Lizuka, who suggested adding old Sonic levels that were remixed in different ways, and the game was developed using Whitehead’s own Retro Engine, which he used to develop mobile ports for Sonic 1, 2 and CD.
Over the years, classic platformers like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro have been getting full blown remakes, taking the gameplay of older titles and adding a shiny coat of paint, and it’s led to huge success for those franchises, but Sonic Mania feels like the opposite approach. After years of ideas being thrown at the wall in order to decide what Sonic the Hedgehog needs to be in the modern area, Mania felt like a surgical deconstruction of the franchise. Sonic was broken apart, piece-by-piece, in order to find what worked.
The result was a game that relied quite heavily on nostalgia, sure. The gameplay is incredibly reminiscent of Sonic 3, with the same sense of speed, power-ups and jump physics, and the levels are a who’s who stroll through memory lane. Naturally, Green Hill Zone is the perfect opener, while old favourites like Chemical Plant, Oil Ocean, Flying Battery and Stardust Speedway return to make you feel like a kid again.
Nostalgia can’t carry a new game release on its own though. If it did, Sonic wouldn’t have had as many issues as it has recently when it comes to reviews. Fortunately, Mania introduced a host of new concepts such as drop-dashing to make the core gameplay more engaging, and the classic levels were given remixed versions in the second act that made for some interesting ideas. Oil Ocean is certainly a lot more perilous when most of it is on fire.
On top of that, the new zones introduced in Sonic Mania feel like some of the most interesting and creative levels in Sonic history, particularly Studiopolis. Set in a TV studio, the level is filled with the most inventive gameplay mechanics and style choices of the entire game. The classic levels were proof that Christian Whitehead knew how to develop a faithful Sonic The Hedgehog game, but Studiopolis showed that they had the ideas to shepherd 2D Sonic into a new golden era.
It’s clear that we’re going to be getting some kind of new Sonic project announcement at this Sonic Central stream, likely on top of the reveals for Colours and whatever the hell Collection SEGA cobbled together. If it includes Spinball and Sonic The Fighters, you know it’s an S-tier bundle. The announcement of a new 3D Sonic game is always contentious, though. The Sonic Cycle has been memed enough already, showcasing the classic loop of optimism to disappointment that every Sonic fan endures, and the same would likely happen here.
Dropping the announcement of Sonic Mania 2 would forgo all of that. Everyone loves Mania, and a sequel would be perfect. There’s still plenty of stages that could do with a remix, like Ice Cap Zone, Hill Top, Metropolis, Mushroom Hill, Launch Base, and there’s likely to be even more demand for it following the success of the previous game and the recent movie. Maybe it’s a bit of a pipedream, but if SEGA announced Sonic Mania 2, I’d be a happy boy.
It’d make me purchasing these trainers earlier today feel less silly, at least.
The Sonic Central stream will be live on YouTube and Twitch at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm BST.
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