Sonic games sonic mania1/26/2024 ![]() ![]() From the abrupt way vertical scrolling stopped as the player neared a deadly fall, through to the tame ways badniks and crush traps were introduced so as to warn the player of their mechanics, it quickly becomes clear that Sonic levels are effectively a dialogue between designer and player – with the former repeatedly offering hints and warnings that allow the latter to make brisk progress without needing fear death at the hands of unforeseeable perils. The strict rules of an original Super Mario level might have been limiting, but they offered instinctive clarity – Within seconds of starting the player knows exactly what aspects of the game world will help and hinder them as they make their way towards their goal.īringing that same clarity to the chaotic world of Sega’s mascot seems like it should have been a pretty tall order, but it was a skill that Sonic Team seemed to have an instinctive mastery of. The ambitious nature of Sonic’s level designs, however, offered just as much challenge for the level designer as they did freedom for the player. No longer did charging off a cliff result in the instant death found in other platform games: more often than not, it revealed a spring and an alternate path leading off in a completely different direction. More specifically, the feeling of pure, unmitigated freedom offered by the expansive multi-tier, multi-axis level designs. No, what really made the classic Sonic games stand out was the level design. Yes, Sonic builds up a tremendous amount of speed in strategically placed ramps and set pieces, but his default running speed wasn’t really that much higher than many other platform stars of the era, and it alone certainly wasn’t different enough to extricate the hedgehog from the mire of barely-memorable 90’s platform heroes. ![]() Though speed is definitely an important part of the character’s backstory, its role in the gameplay was never as large as you would think. When the classic Sonic games are mentioned, much is inevitably made about Sonic’s speed. So if it’s that good, what’s the problem? Sadly, when it comes to level design, Sonic Mania seems to have an ignorance of the crucial communicative bond between the player and designer that is crucial for a Sonic game to function to its fullest. Oh look – it’s the usual Sonic ring loss animation. It should be stressed, then that Sonic Mania is, at its heart, a good game. ![]() That’s not all either: The easter eggs – of which there are many – pull some great material from a number of obscure games from the backlist, and the new boss battles and hidden special stages show a masterful understanding of how Sonic games were constructed thematically and mechanically. The remixes of classic Sonic tracks have been tastefully done, while the new tracks sound like they could have been pulled straight from a contemporary sequel to Sonic CD. The graphics effortlessly improve on the look of the 16-originals, but in an incredibly natural way that makes it difficult to remember that the blue hedgehog’s world has ever looked different. ![]() Sonic’s mechanics are so close to his 16-bit predecessors you have to try very hard to remind yourself that this is a completely new game rather than some form of emulation. In fact, there are many, many things to praise about it. That isn’t to say that Sonic Mania is a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. I can’t say I’m quite as enamoured as everyone else seems to be, however. The first “proper” Sonic game in over 20 years, this should naturally be right up every aged Sonic fan’s alley. So after a tremendous amount of build up, Sonic Mania has finally been released. ![]()
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