![]() ![]() The path to the end of a stage has many branches, so if you're willing to look around and jump, you'll find a path with a few tricks that you may not have seen on your first run. However, those who have played the old titles will also note that those same stages allowed for exploration if you're willing to slow down a bit, and that idea is also accepted here. It makes for quite the spectacle where you feel like taking control will just break the scene. Indeed, there are parts where you'll see the hedgehog and his two-tailed fox companion bounce around like mad pinballs, reaching speeds so fast that the camera has a bit of trouble keeping up. Sonic is often thought of as a game about speed, and Sonic Mania Plus certainly embraces that ethos. Part of the reason why those old remixed levels and the newer stages work is because the design team understood what made the older games shine. Studiopolis has you going through popcorn machines while watching old-timey cartoons of Eggman, and Mirage Saloon brings back the pinball bumpers and flippers while adding seltzer bottles and pistols for propulsion. Flying Battery has piles of junk that are used to slow you down, while Oil Ocean fills the screen with smog if you don't take the time to vent the level at checkpoints. Chemical Zone, for example, introduces syringes that change the properties of some of the toxic liquid so it's less deadly and more bounceable. This sort of thing continues with stage themes that are both old and new. Paired with new bosses and new music, the additions never feel out of place. Enemies are different, and the new level layout is much larger than the original levels. The level's theme remains, but there are plenty of elements added to the background to make the worlds feel richer. If that's all the game was comprised of, then it would be fine, but Green Hill Zone Act 2 changes things up dramatically. It's a neat trick, and the mash-ups are expertly crafted instead of being haphazardly put together. What starts off as a carbon copy of an older level quickly morphs into an amalgamation of the best bits from other Sonic titles. Reach the end of the stage, and you'll be greeted with a boss fight instead of the large sign indicating the end of the level. ![]() Hit a checkpoint, and you'll see the stars for the bonus stage appear, taking you to the large spherical worlds of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Get the bubble shield, and you can now perform a bounce attack. ![]() The flame bubble shield is here, but it burns the wooden beams with spikes on it. The level may start off with the iconic loop, but you'll soon encounter that spiral from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Give it a little time, and you'll notice the gameplay differences. In short, the first level is an exact replica of past games, and while it still serves as a perfect introductory level for the gameplay mechanics, it leaves one wondering what all the fuss is about. More importantly, the game is presented completely in 2D with exquisite sprite work. Enemy placement is the same, the rings are in the same locations, and the springs are also where you remember them to be. Both Sonic and Tails look exactly like they did back when Sonic the Hedgehog 2 came out, and Green Hill Zone looks exactly like it did in the first Sonic the Hedgehog game. The first level is Green Hill Zone Act 1, and from the outset, nothing looks or feels different. As Sonic and Tails arrive on the scene, one of the emeralds has already been dug up, and its power was already tapped, sending the heroic duo time-traveling into adventures past and future. This time, he has the help of some robots that became self-aware and refer to themselves as the Hard-Boiled Heavies. Robotnik is once again trying to steal the Chaos Emeralds to rule the world. The original development team kept plugging away at improving the game, and almost a year later, we have the expanded Sonic Mania Plus, which is also available as DLC for owners of the original title.Īs far as the plot goes, Dr. Die-hard Sonic fans and lapsed ones alike agreed with the critics, and they ate up the title, proving that the blue blur is still as viable as ever. That's a significant feat, since the title was developed by fans instead of the main Sonic Team over at Sega. It provided players with a reminder of how good a 2D title can be, while also introducing new stages and elements that could make it stand out as more than just a tribute game. When Sonic Mania released last year, it was heralded as the best title in the series since the original Sega Genesis games. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |