Games

Sonic Mania

Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, Christian Whitehead

2017•Platformer•PEGI 3•About 2 hours

Taste attributes: actionadventurefamilyrobots/ai/spacefastwholesomelightimaginarysimplelinearglossybig & variedemotionally undemandinghuman spirit/resilience/survivalrags to richesrescue/escape/jeopardyself destruction/implosionsocial commentary

See which match your taste

Boxlist takeA larger-than-life platformer that is breakneck, sweeping and light. Best if you like the extraordinary over the everyday.

Pace: very fast · Originality: balanced · Tone: balanced · Weight: very light · Realism: imaginary world · Story: simple · Structure: linear · Look: glossy · Scale: big and varied · Emotional punch: undemandingHow we score

IGDB rating

85 / 100

344 ratings

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Based on your film and TV taste: games are matched on the same ten characteristics, with your own match bands.

About This Game

Sonic Mania is a side-scrolling platformer that pays homage to the original Sega Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog games. Players choose from Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles, each with unique abilities, and speed through 13 zones that include redesigned stages from past games alongside original levels. The game features special stages for collecting Chaos Emeralds, time attack with online leaderboards, and split-screen competitive multiplayer.

Summary: IGDB

Story

After the events of a previous adventure, Sonic and Tails detect a powerful energy signal on Angel Island and fly out to investigate. Dr. Eggman's elite robots, the EggRobos, reach the source first, a magical gemstone called the Phantom Ruby, and are transformed by its power into the Hard-Boiled Heavies. The gem warps Sonic, Tails, and the island's guardian Knuckles across familiar territories as they race to stop Eggman from harnessing the ruby's reality-bending abilities. With the Hard-Boiled Heavies pursuing their own ambitions and Eggman scheming to use the Phantom Ruby to retake control...

Characteristics

Where this game sits on each taste spectrum

SlowPACEFast

FamiliarORIGINALITYOriginal

DarkTONEWholesome

LightWEIGHTINESSHeavy

FantasyREALISMRealistic

SimpleINTRICACYIntricate

Non-LinearLINEARITYLinear

UnderstatedSTYLEStylised

IntimateSCALEEpic

RestrainedEMOTIONIntense

Genres and themes

ActionAdventureFamilyRobots/ai/spaceHuman spirit/resilience/survivalRags to richesRescue/escape/jeopardySelf destruction/implosionSocial commentary

Keywords

Multiple protagonistsPixel artSequelBoss fightAnthropomorphismLanguage selectionDeliberately retroSpeedrun

Where to play

Details

Developers: Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, Christian Whitehead
Publishers: Sega, Sega Games
Released: 15 August 2017
Series: Sonic The Hedgehog
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
Perspective: Third person, Side view
Time to beat: 2h normally
Age rating: PEGI 3
Taste scores: How we score
Source: IGDB

How game matches work

Games are scored on the same ten characteristics as films and matched with the same formula and your own match bands, from your film and TV taste. Game scores are estimates, made by fixed rules from IGDB genres, themes, keywords and descriptions.