Sonic Mania

Overview

Sonic Mania is a 2017 platform game developed by Christian Whitehead, PagodaWest Games and Headcannon and published by Sega. Produced in commemoration of the Sonic the Hedgehog series' 25th anniversary, Sonic Mania pays homage to the original Sega Genesis Sonic games, featuring speedy side-scrolling gameplay. It takes place over 13 levels, including several redesigned from past games. The story follows Sonic, Tails and Knuckles as they venture to defeat Doctor Eggman and his robotic henchmen, the Hard-Boiled Heavies.

The development team was composed of members known for their work in the Sonic fangame and ROM hacking community. Development began after lead developer, director and programmer Christian "Taxman" Whitehead, who was previously contracted by Sega to develop enhanced mobile ports of Genesis Sonic games, presented a playable prototype to Sonic Team producer Takashi Iizuka. Art, level design, audio, and additional programming were provided by independent studios PagodaWest Games and Headcannon. The team used Whitehead's Retro Engine and aimed for a graphical quality between Genesis and Sega Saturn games.

Sonic Mania was released in August 2017 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows. It became the highest-rated Sonic game in fifteen years; many reviewers saw it as a return to form following a number of poorly received games released after the 1990s. Its presentation, level design, music, and faithfulness to the early Sonic games were praised, but its lack of originality was criticized. Several critics named it one of the best Sonic games and one of the best games of 2017. Within a year, it had sold over one million copies. Sonic Mania Plus, an enhanced version with additional content, was released in July 2018.

Official trailer

Interview. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Platform, Adventure

Developer

Headcannon, PagodaWest Games

Publisher

Sega, Sega Games

Series

Sonic the Hedgehog

Engine

Retro Engine

Platforms

PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One

Age rating

ESRB E

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

Yes

Co op

Yes

Age ratings

CLASS IND

L

PEGI

3

ACB

G

USK

6

CERO

A

GRAC

ALL

ESRB

E

Release dates

Editions

Check out the store

Subscription history

Trophies

Trophies18

Platinum possibleNo platinum

Platinum

0

Gold

0

Silver

3

Bronze

15

Total

18

Points

315

• No Way? No Way Collect gold medallions in Blue Spheres Bonus stage Silver 3.56% of players
• Full Medal Jacket Collect silver medallions in Blue Spheres Bonus stage Silver 3.8% of players
• Magnificent Seven Collect all seven Chaos Emeralds Silver 4.95% of players
• See You Next Game Achieve any ending Bronze 6.75% of players
• Superstar Spin the Star Post! Bronze 16.63% of players
• That's a Two-fer Find the hidden item boxes at the end of the Zone Bronze 6.58% of players
• Now It Can't Hurt You Anymore What would happen if you cross a bridge with a fire shield? Bronze 19.81% of players
• Triple Trouble Try for a 3 chain combo! Bronze 5.74% of players
• The Most Famous Hedgehog in the World Have your photos taken in Studiopolis Zone Bronze 7.7% of players
• Window Shopping Let the wind take you through Bronze 5.75% of players
• Crate Expectations Wreak havoc at the propaganda factory Bronze 5.29% of players
• King of Speed Get through Stardust Speedway Zone as quickly as possible Bronze 4.44% of players
• Boat Enthusiast We really like boats Bronze 6.42% of players
• The Password is "Special Stage" Try pushing a barrel to see how far it goes Bronze 5.44% of players
• Secret Sub You might have to submerge to find it Bronze 4.89% of players
• Without a Trace Barrel through the lava, don't let anything stop you Bronze 7.35% of players
• Collect 'Em All Gotta gacha 'em all Bronze 4.05% of players
• Professional Hedgehog That elusive perfect run, only a professional can achieve Bronze 3.97% of players

Space and patches

Space neededAbout 189 MB

Playable today

Credits

Publisher

Sega, Sega Games

Developer

Headcannon, PagodaWest Games

Released

2017-08-15

Age rating

ESRB E

Region

US

Time to beat

about 5.5 hours