
The game is not without new additions and notable changes to the formula, however. Knuckles in the second Act of Chemical Plant, one of the game's Zones returning from the Mega Drive-era Sonic games. Shields also return in this game, with the titular trio of elemental Shields from Sonic 3 (the Water Shield, Fire Shield, and the Lightning Shield) restored, alongside the the standard Shield as seen from Sonic 1, Sonic 2, and Sonic CD. Every Act also ends with one boss fight, with "sub-bosses" featured at the end of Act 1 and standard bosses featured at the end of Act 2. The game's Zones are separated into two relatively large Acts, packed with multiple routes and secret locations for players to discover alternate routes only accessible by certain characters are also present as well. All three characters retain the standard Spin Attack and Spin Dash abilities with Tails also having his flying and swimming mechanics, and Knuckles having his climbing and gliding mechanics as well. Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna all return as individual playable characters, as well as a mode that allows Tails to follow Sonic and provide local cooperative play between two players (with Player 1 controlling Sonic and Player 2 controlling Tails). The game design also follows from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles in particular, resulting in many elements returning from those games as well. Item Boxes are also present, with standard powerups like Power Sneakers, Invincibility, and Super Ring present as well as Star Posts that save the player's spot in the level. Players are still expected to clear the level under the span of ten minutes, with all of the classic elements present-collecting rings to protect themselves from taking damage, running/rolling through loop-de-loops to gain speed, using springs to reach higher platforms, and avoiding Badniks and spikes that can cause damage, as well as other dangerous traps and gimmicks along the way. Sonic and "Tails" in the first Act of Studiopolis, one of the original Zones from the game.Īs a continuation of the gameplay design of the original Mega Drive and Genesis games, Sonic Mania's gameplay is relatively identical to those games and familiar to well-versed fans of the original titles. With something this powerful, he could finally stop Sonic forever. Intrigued by this new energy signal, he plans to exploit it for his own means. Despite suffering defeats at the hands of Sonic and his friends, Dr. Eggman won't stop until he dominates the world with his army of mechanized minions. When Knuckles spots something amiss on the island, he goes to investigate.Īn evil genius with an IQ of 300, Dr. Eggman's previous scheme, Knuckles considers Sonic an ally. Knuckles has unmatched strength, and can even punch through solid walls. He lives alone on the floating Angel Island, kept in the sky by the Master Emerald, which he guards. Knuckles is the last descendant of the ancient Echidnas. Anywhere Sonic goes, Tails is never far behind. He can fly using his two tails, and as a skilled inventor and mechanic, his talents almost rival those of Dr. Miles "Tails" Prower grew up idolizing Sonic, and now joins him on his adventures. After reconciling his differences with Knuckles, he's enjoyed some peace and quiet with Tails and their animal friends - until now. His blistering speed, Super Sonic Spin Attack, and sassy attitude make him a force to be reckoned with. The world's fastest hedgehog! Although often impatient, Sonic has a heart of gold and a strong desire to fight injustice - which means putting a stop to the evil Dr. They're called the " Hard-Boiled Heavies," and they're about to reach the source of the signal first! It's up to Sonic, Tails, and their newest ally, Knuckles the Echidna, to defeat the Hard-Boiled Heavies, unlock the secrets of the energy source, and stop Dr. However, Eggman has been busy: he's just unleashed a new team of elite Egg-Robos to handle his most important tasks.

Eggman has detected it too! Now it's a race between Sonic and Eggman to get there first and figure out what mysteries it holds. Sonic and Tails take off on the Tornado towards the source, but sure enough, the evil Dr. Though different from the Chaos Emeralds, the reading is remarkably powerful, and Tails convinces Sonic to join him and check it out. Some time after saving Angel Island, Sonic the Hedgehog and his best friend, Miles "Tails" Prower, are relaxing when Tails picks up a strange energy reading far away. 4.3 PlayStation Store chart performance.
