The GHZ Forum

I wondered that myself.

Whitehead did say on Twitter that Mania is a big game, so I hope we still get a decent amount of original levels. I'm not bothered much by the remixed levels, as long as they can come up with interesting ideas to make the remakes feel fresh and original.

I have a feeling this game is going to have like 14-20 levels. I'm also guessing they may have some sort of like dlc levels as well. Hoping they bring back my favorite zones, flying battery or lava reef.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al0GFfRfq9w

-Tails and Knuckles. I really, sincerely don't mind Knux being pink if it weren't for the fact that it's supposed to signify his "super" form. Tails' flight animation seems to be less abstracted than his 2/3 one, erm...

-Fang, Bean, and Bark "wanted" posters. Again. Guess this means no Fang in-the-flesh appearance. I also don't mind that he's apparently associated with the other two (who I'm not convinced were conceived as villains), so much as it seems to be Archie canon, which is an iffy edge to walk.

-Dark Eggman from the OVA. Neat, I guess.

-American Southwest Zone! Preculombian aesthetics! Ennio Morricone-style music!

The pistol cannons, seltzer dispensers, and director chairs are more evocative of something from a European Amiga platformer than anything I've ever seen in a official Sonic game, though that's hard to argue with imaginative whimsy

Awesome find. The guy playing really sucked though. :P

Tails and Knuckles' super forms were just them flashing. Only a few of Knuckles' frames were actually pink as he flashed between red and white, so he could still flash a lighter pink if Super Knuckles is included. And I'm really hoping super forms are included. I'd love to see what Super Sonic looks like with the new animations. Hopefully they use his *actual* classic design with all the extra spikes and not the retconned classic design we saw in Generations.

For Bean, Bark and Fang, I think that's less of a reference to the Archie comics and more of a throwback to them all appearing in Sonic the Fighters and then vanishing for 20 years with no explanation. I wouldn't take a "Wanted" sign to seriously. After all, there were plenty of them for Tails in Sonic Adventure 2, and he's not a villain either. Too bad they didn't name the Saloon, Dust Hill, huh?

They mentioned that there are levels from Sonic 1, 2, 3 and CD. I was surprised they were planning to bring back some Sonic CD levels. They kind of glossed over that game in Sonic Generations. Hopefully they don't bring back Wacky Workbench with that obnoxious bouncy floor. :D A Stardust Speedway is fine. :)

chriscaffee wrote:Awesome find. The guy playing really sucked though. :P

Seriously! He says he's an old school sonic fan but then the other person has to tell him how to fly with Tails. But I guess what can you expect from a former IGN employee?

Man, Dust Hill. Maybe we'll see a Genocide City reference somewhere.

I was trying to come up with which Sonic CD levels I'd like to see come back, and there really aren't many. It would be either Wacky Workbench, assuming they could find a way to make the bouncy gimmick fun instead of annoying, Stardust, and Collision Chaos (and they've already put the flippers and glass bouncers into Mirage Saloon, so it probably won't be Collision Chaos).

Media deluge!

https://youtu.be/bRabF0_MOeA
https://youtu.be/R8zmICz4q_8
https://youtu.be/dvNQw9MROns
https://youtu.be/LoIVo6M0Pdg
https://youtu.be/Ida00fZryQE

Frieza2000 wrote:...Wacky Workbench...

:(

Hmmm... Tails opening item boxes with his feet while flying? Does that mean that his flying mode counts as a "spin attack" now? That would have been nice in Marble Garden Zone.

chriscaffee wrote:Hmmm... Tails opening item boxes with his feet while flying? Does that mean that his flying mode counts as a "spin attack" now? That would have been nice in Marble Garden Zone.

The Taxman wrote:Yeah, it's not meant to happen, the problem was with the animation ID in the collision code (game dev hooray!)

Polygon has video up for the latest levels/characters, mercifully sans-commentary:

Sonic & Tails in Mirage Saloon Zone

Tails in Studiopolis Zone

Knuckles in Mirage Saloon Zone

EDIT: Whoops, missed the earlier post with most of this stuff! Still all looks aces, though.

Everybody says that the level design in this game seems to emulate Sonic 3 and Knuckles, but I think it's really it's own animal.

I don't recall Sonic 3 having nearly as many segments that were deliberately designed to exploit momentum along walls and ceilings if you hit everything just right. Also, while Sonic 3 generally lead you in one general direction once you hit a main path, Sonic Mania seems a lot more open with the intent to bounce you all over the place. It seems a lot easier to gain or lose altitude in this game, in particular.

If I had to compare it to an existing game, I'd either cite Sonic CD if that game were more focused on speed, or probably more accurately Sonic Advance 2.

https://youtu.be/1nd55RBwFxc

Apparently there was a charity love stream about a week back. Nothing much new 'cept idle animations for Tails and Knux.

The game just got confirmed for release on the Switch.

A youtube video from two years ago showing Desert Dazzle zone... a discarded new zone from Christian Whitehead's Sonic CD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbWeIikEi0c

Surprised I missed this entirely and just assumed Mirage Saloon was an homage to Dust Hill zone. Kind of like when I assumed Ice Cap Zone's music was completely by MJ.

So I was thinking, trains are a common trope in Westerns. Wouldn't it be sublime if Mirage Saloon's (mid-)boss was a recreation of Sunset Park Zone's Act 3, complete with a hi-fi arrangement of its music. Maybe Fang will be there to stage an old-timey train robbery???

That would be awesome. Although I'm not sure if Sonic Team would permit Fang to be used outside of wanted posters. They seem to have retired a lot of the older characters.

I thought they were only going to use preexisting illustrations. What could "HBH" mean?

I'm not keen on the HBH logo (it's a bit generic compared to Eggman's other branding), but I love the overall design and the idea of there being a new faction of enemies.

Green Hill Act 2 footage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBLUSXIqsmQ

I like it. Nice gimmicks and beautiful background. I especially like how the level continues on into act 2. All I'm hoping for now is a solid storyline and decent special stages.

Act 2 looks awesome. I'm really happy they put their own spin on green hill zone in act 2. I jaw literally fell when I saw the fire shield burn the wood bridge. I don't know why but that was the most amazing thing I ever saw. I hope all the elemental shields have moments where they give access to new areas.

I need to try out the drop dash and see what I think. I personally like the insta-shield better.

Weirdly enough, I'm kind of hoping they release the game soon and don't reveal a lot of its levels and gameplay so I can be surprised.

Not that I doubt Taxman or anything, but, uh... still no special stages, huh? I hope they don't just toss in a repeat of one of the old ones at the last second.

I sure hope you guys are getting your news from somewhere else.



Though this is what Taxman had to say about that screen:

The Taxman wrote:Who says that's Sonic Mania running on the second screen? NO WAY! NO WAY! NO WAY? NO WAY!

The Taxman wrote: I will say this: you haven't seen Mania's Special Stage

My personal favorite zone, flying battery, is back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyXg9kAp4Vc

Love how they are using elemental shields to open up new pathways. I also think this level means that ice cap zone will be in this game. I know they say originally in sonic 3 ice cap zone was supposed to follow flying battery zone with a snowboard transition so I have a feeling they may try that. I'm hoping if they do that, they keep the ice cap zone music because wasn't it a MJ song or there some sort of listening issue?

Majestic Joey wrote:wasn't it a MJ song or there some sort of listening issue?

It's not an MJ song but you might still have "listening issues" due to overall 80s badness.