Sonic Mania Plus [Spoiler thread]

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big_smile
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Sonic Mania Plus [Spoiler thread]

Post by big_smile »

So it seems Sonic Mania Plus has been released by accident on PS4, long before Sega even released a single screenshot.

Let's keep all spoilers in this thread, at least until a few months after the game has been released proper. Take care to use spoiler tags in other threads.

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Re: Sonic Mania Plus [Spoiler thread]

Post by Wombatwarlord777 »

I feel it's necessary to clarify that Sonic Mania Plus was not actually released, but there was a massive update that was accidently released early for PS4 owners in the UK. That update might've been a part of the changes for Sonic Mania Plus, or was (more likely) just it's own thing. Some of the juiciest promised bits of Plus (namely playable Mighty and Ray, and Encore Mode) still have not materialized.

Still, it is a pretty impressive update nevertheless.

* The main menu was revamped, presumably to make room for Encore Mode.
* You can now turn level time limits off.
* You can choose to use the Insta Shield and Super Peel-Out on permanent save files.
* The are now level transitions between each zone.
* The awkward final phase of the Metal Sonic fight has been completely revamped. Now, he uses the Phantom Ruby to turn into a Metal Sonic Kai-esque thing. Appropriately, he goes down rather easily despite being a hulking, intimidating beast. The overall fight was made much less difficult and time-consuming. For instance, during the second phase, recoiled Silver Sonics don't gain nearly as much air, basically guaranteeing a hit on Metal Sonic if you Spin Dash into them.
* Some new animations for Tails and Super Sonic.

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Re: Sonic Mania Plus [Spoiler thread]

Post by Wombatwarlord777 »

What does everyone think about this so far?

In Metallic Madness Act 2, it's so, so easy now to cheese Encore Mode's switching mechanic, bypass the shrinking lasers, and end up in places were you not only don't fit but also end up having no item collision with objects and gimmicks, making for some pretty amusing moments.

Interestingly, I nearly got stuck once, but the game really seems to try to get you out of those jams, as best as it can. After being blocked in a tiny little space by a door and tiny tubes that my characters were either too big to fit through or not detecting, I was able to phase back through the door after the seventeenth attempt and eventually backtrack to a place via strategic switching where the characters and level realligned with each other. Pretty neat.

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Majestic Joey
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Re: Sonic Mania Plus [Spoiler thread]

Post by Majestic Joey »

I liked encore mode for what it was but I like the gameplay in the original game more. Not really into the switching aspect of characters. It does open up more paths but I still like finding paths with one character.

Also Mighty is awesome. He's like a buff sonic. Not as mobile but being able to absorb spikes is so useful. I don't like Ray the Squirrel that much. I hate how innacurate his gliding is. I never played Mario World so I'm pretty terrible at using his glide right.

The new pinball special stages are pretty terrible though. It looks nice, the music is nice but god damn the physics are bad.

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Re: Sonic Mania Plus [Spoiler thread]

Post by Wombatwarlord777 »

I initially didn't like the way Ray operated, but what he does is so different from anything we've had in a Sonic game before that it legitimately opens up a whole new way to speedrun the game. He's almost semi-situational, though. Stardust Speedway kills the flying squirrel.

Mighty I think could have more potential. I'm surprised he doesn't have any way to bounce high off of enemies and monitors after performing a Hammer Drop, like a perpetual Bubble Shield (maybe they could've split the difference and had you bounce if you just tapped, and not held, the action button leading into the Hammer Drop), and I'm really surprised he can't angle the Hammer Drop off of banked curves very well to translate his vertical drop into horizontal distance. Mighty works well as an Easy Mode, but he's nowhere near as nuanced as I think his moveset might suggest.

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