This is a great game to start with but personally I think generations is a better starting game just because it has both the classic style of gameplay and the boost
I think you were pretty fair in your critique, but a thing that I often see newcomers to 2D Sonic fail to realize is how Sonic just isn't really designed like other platformers, especially not Mario. Mario is about making precise jumps and proper positioning to clear carefully placed obstacles, while Sonic is about understanding the physics of movement and how to use these physics to traverse the levels. You mention (and show visually) several times where you were annoyed by hitting bumpers or an enemy that you shouldn't be able to see coming. Sonic offers a solution to both of those problems: Roll. Pressing down while moving makes you roll into a ball. This will allow you to damage enemies while going fast, but the "tradeoff" is that you have less control. I say "tradeoff" in quotes because it is actually very useful at times to just let the physics do the work for you. I noticed a few times when you hit springs, you were resisting it and trying to keep going right. Don't do that. Just holding right is a good way to get the idea that Sonic is not fun because you start to see everything as an obstacle. Rolling into springs and letting them lead you naturally can let you see more of the level design, and it was not necessarily placed as an obstacle but as a branch in the pathway. This applies best to Sonic 3 and Sonic Mania where the level design is very nonlinear and exploratory, but not so much to Sonic 1 and 2 because the levels aren't as dense and are usually more of a straightshot. TLDR: Use the roll. It makes the game way more fun.
Also, I don't really like being overly critical, but Mighty wasn't a prototype for Sonic, he was actually made for the SegaSonic The Hedgehog arcade game, along with Ray.
9:32 Don’t feel bad about this. This is a problem EVERYBODY had back then! This video is refreshing, I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed someone experiencing that for the first time. Can’t wait to see you come back to this once you’ve gone through and played all of the classics. Once you catch all of the references, this will be like a whole new game to you.
I don’t know how many times I’ve played through sonic 2 at this point, but I have played it so many times that the game is a cakewalk for me, but I still get tripped up at that water section in chemical plant zone sometimes
The first few times I played Sonic 2, 8-year old me shut the game off at that point. I'd always either get crushed or drown. Finally I was able to do it. What a thrill that was. Then I discovered the shortcut to skip that area every time.
As pretty much a lifelong sonic fan (25 years now) It makes me happy seeing people around my age only just now falling in love with the series. Like... genuinely makes my heart smile.
You say that 2D Sonic isn't for you, so let me ask you this: how often do you roll in this game? Not just spin dash or drop dash, but rolling by tapping down on the control stick? A seasoned 2D Sonic player will almost always roll when seeing a slope or when coming through a section they're unsure about. If you're worried about running into enemies, most enemies can be dispatched with the roll. I would recommend giving it a shot the next time you play a 2D Sonic, it might help transform your experience into something more positive.
Unfortunately, you can't do that in every 2D Sonic game. Take Sonic Rush series, and Sonic 4 for example. Rolling into a ball in thos games does not last very long, and actively messes with the physics, because it slows Sonic down when it logically should cause him to go faster downhill. Then he goes right back into running.
@@esmooth919you don’t go back into running in rush and you get momentum with slopes its just that the boost and running is just faster in general but it was already like that in the advanced games
True! It's been a while since I last played the Rush games or Sonic 4, and in the case of Rush, I myself don't think I rolled very much because the boost seemed like it was usually the better option. But yes, to be more specific, CLASSIC/Advance 2D players use the roll very frequently.
Boy called it casinopolis 💀 Nah but it’s amazing to see such a unique perspective! I’m glad you’re starting to see the charm of classic Sonic! (Btw the “Tetris” mini game is called Puyo Puyo! In 93 it was localised as Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine)
This is peak official Sonic 2D gaming. Fucking amazing style, animation, music, gameplay, flow and momentum. I absolutely love the Sonic CD style intro animation, too. Nostalgia up the ass. Just such a super clean/old-school but at the same time modernized game in a lot of ways.
5:30 it was really frustrating to know the mania team had a great storyline for this game. It was scrapped in favor of shoehorning in the phantom ruby and be a setup for forces...
Incredibly frustrating, especially since Forces was so lackluster. Forces inadvertently casts a bit of a shadow on this amazing game because of its inherent ties to it, but I take solace in the fact that Mania is still being discussed WAAAAAAY more over half a decade later.
You should check out Sonic 3 and Knuckles if you like the flow of the zones a lot of the zones change as you progress. It's also one of my favorite games of all time. Just avoid the Sonic Origins version of the game if you can, they didn't get the music made by Michael Jackson for certain levels and I feel it would be better played with the original music
Good video. I've never seen someone out themselves so hard without realizing though, haha. Hope you keep playing these older inspired, or just pre-2000 games.
2D sonic is something that really means a lot to me, since it was one of my very first games of my childhood, and to see sonic mania being released back in 2017 made it feel like I was back in 2004/5 playing sonic 3 and knuckles on the windows XP PCs my kindergarten had at the time. Plus during my high school years I went through a really rough patch with bullying and sexual harassment and sonic was often the caviar for that, but was something I still played to death because it really felt like my escape from reality. Sonic mania was that feeling but dialled up to eleven
dude - this video has a whole new vibe from you - not really sure what it is, but your production values on this one seem seriously leveled up! Glad to see the channel growing and evolving
1:05 i always thought this was a bad argument that almost all casual game journalist types make when bashing Sonic as a franchise. literally all you have to do is tap down once while running to roll & you barrel right through enemies without stopping or getting hit. I've never understood people criticizing a game because the game is harder when they decide to not learn the rules & mechanics of said game before they play it. thats like playing Monopoly without reading the instructions beforehand. almost any game is harder without reading the instructions or learning how to get good at it. this is the "IGN argument" in a nutshell. its the EXACT same argument IGN & Brian Altano used to say "Sonic was never good" its the equivalent of going into Street Fighter 3 for the first time as a noob, not learning how to parry & then docking a game's score because everyone online is parrying your moves. it makes no sense right? thats why this argument was never a good argument. 2D Sonic is a physics-based time attack game. the goal of 2D Sonic is to learn the stages like you would learn a track in a racing game. the more you learn the stages you get rewarded with the sense of speed & the thrill of going fast. if you see someone going fast & not getting hit or running into things, you know they are a skilled player, just like a racing game. Sonic is very much a product of its time... the 90's. Sonic was one of the easiest platformers from back then. even the easiest games from back then took skill & required time & effort from the player. part of the hate for Sonic comes from this new "participation trophy" era of gamers. people want to be good at a game without learning the mechanics, having to practice, learn the layout of a level or get good at it. but I do give Matty credit for making an attempt to understand the franchise. so at least he has that over IGN.
One of the first 2D Sonic game that I actually finished and own both digital and physical copy. I never played the remix stages with the new characters but I think I will give a try now
The "Tetris mini game" is a game called "Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine" for the Genesis. For many Americans, it was our first time playing Puyo Puyo.
I'm sure you get this kind of "advice" from 2D Sonic fans a lot, but rolling is your best friend! A lot of stages will be designed so that when you roll, you'll be able to go with the flow and be relatively safe from sudden enemy appearances, and the stage will often stop you itself if it's time to do a bit of platforming or anything. Beyond that it's as you said, replaying the games and stages to try out different routes, playing with the momentum physics like a pinball machine to do crazy jumps, that kinda thing. If you did like Mania, I think you'd like 3 too! A lot of the stuff you said about Mania having a good game flow originates from 3/3&K, the two have a lot in common. Classic Sonic and its appeal can be a pretty hard sell to newcomers, but I'm so grateful to Mania because I think Mania is one of the best games ever made when it comes to making it easier for newcomers to get why it's loved!
awesome video as always I recommend you play the game using the no-save file it will help with you're skill issue to a good degree I also recommend you learn a little bit about something called momentum _especially slope jumping_ it will be a game-changer I hope you have more fun with the game because there is still a ton of it that you haven't seen yet!
This one of my favorites of the 2D games. I think it was smart to make this game not too hard. Other classic games have a bit of a learning curve to them. Fun in time but requires some investment. Just like you though I'm more of 3D fan myself. The developers of this game are actually making their own platformer and I'm excited to try it. Hope you enjoy Superstars
The area in Chemical Plant you had trouble with is iconic from the Sonic 2 version. That area gave me so much trouble as a kid. The first few times I played Sonic 2 I just stopped playing at that point. Then I finally was able to do it.
The mini game you encounter during "Sky Temple" is based on an old game called "Alleyway". It's basically a "brick breaker" type of genre where you use a ball & paddle to bounce the ball around the game field & break the bricks at the top of the screen. The newer versions added different power-ups.
That boss fight its not Tetris, its puyo puyo. There's a puyo puyo game with the sonic branding called Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. Thats why its in the game.
Sonic Mania in terms of reaction time has actually best level design on part with Sonic 2. Great balance of speed and challenge. Sonic 3 would demolish you with its traps and enemy placement.
Only real drawback with Sonic Mania in my opinion is that it borrows so much from previous games. If it had more original stages then it would've most likely replaced Sonic 3 and Knuckles as my favorite Sonic game. Hope the upcoming Sonic Superstars lives up to the hype!
"I always get Sonic games on the Xbox because I feel like the original Xbox was the spiritual successor to the Dreamcast." And here all this time I thought I was the only one who did this and felt this way.
I like your thinking in regard to the Xbox being a spiritual successor to the Dreamcast. Since the Xbox One I've been buying all my Sonic games on Xbox due to the backwards compatibility support. So with the mixture between Digital 360 titles like Unleashed, and physical Series X games like Frontiers, I have this massive library of Sonic games all focussed on the one console, and it just feels right. I'd never thought of the Dreamcast thing until you mentioned it here though, and I think that might be what I've been subconsciously thinking the whole time.
The original Xbox got a lot of Sega IPs like Jet Set Radio, Panzer Dragoon, Shenmue, Phantasy Star, and obviously Sonic. It was like their second home after Sega left the console market. Gamecube also got some like the Sonic Adventure games and Super Monkey Ball, but Xbox felt more appropriate for diehard Sega fans rather than just Sonic fans.
About 2D Sonic in general, it's less about reacting to what's ahead of you and more about learning the level layouts and planning your route for better times or stylish runs. That's the shining point and kind of the whole premise when Sonic was being created. A game about replayability. Good impressions though!
I would argue you don't actually need to memorize level layouts much at all. It's more about knowing when to let the physics engine do the work for you. You might not be able to see what's coming, but jumping off an incline at high speed is almost always going to be exhilarating and could potentially land you into a place you wouldn't have seen otherwise. You don't need to plan routes, you just need to feel the flow.
Classic sonic is about momentum my guy not necessarily speed. Recommend you always should be rolling and knowing when to stretch your legs when you feel you want control back, thats how you balance out control vs automation because in a sense theses games can play themselves at moments if you know what you're doing and to be honest all of the classics are easy but really fun. If you remember to stay rolling the majority of the time playing you'll have a much easier and better time understanding how these games work and flow with the level design.
Yeah the amazing soundtrack mixed with the great first half of the story, while the later half feels a lot like they didn't know how to finish it properly... In hindsight there are a lot of parallels with XV 😅 And yet I still have a major soft spot for both! Especially with how you can absolutely break the junction system :p
One thing I wish they would have done over the years when they released the Sonic collections on newer systems all the way at PS2 is stretch the camera back to where you can see more of a stage. Growing up when Sega first came out and playing Sonic 1 on our CRT was awesome and the thought of camera never came to me it wasn't until the PS2 started getting collections that I really thought about why didn't they do that. Maybe one day... Maybe lol.
Is the art book only exclusive to some physical copies of Mania Plus? I got the Switch version of Mania Plus physical a few years ago and it just came with the box and the game itself, nothing else, just like any other typical physical Switch game.
@@thelastofus2872 The "Plus" version is the only version that got a physical release as far as I'm aware, normal Mania doesn't have a physical version I don't think (and my game does contain Encore Mode and other stuff which I never got off the eshop, so yes it is Mania "Plus"). And while I don't have the box with me right now, I just checked the cartridge and it does in fact say "Sonic Mania Plus" on it and I know the box does too. And yet, the game alone is all it came with.
I bought the game a couple years ago but I’ve never completed it because 2D Classic Sonic isn’t really my thing. I tried it again a few days ago and Stopped at Flying Battery like I always do lol.
2D Sonic is weird for me. I don't really love any of the official ones, but then fanmade stuff like Triple Trouble 16 Bit and Sonic and the Fallen Star, are totally my jam. Also, the Switch version of Mania is honestly the best one to get, cause it has a Mega Drive style reversible cover.
Same here man. Visuals and music ate really great but never liked the slippery controls of Sonic. Also getting squished in later levels sucked if you didn't know the layout.
I love this game my friend hailey she loves the franchise like me she let me play it and let's say wow and I mean wow I love it and it happened at when I was in 11th grade so yea after 2020 i didn't see her much until 12th grade we talk and talk but after that i never play the game 😔 until 2 years ago in January I got me an Xbox One with team sonic racing it was fun next I got sonic frontiers then spongebob cosmic shake and finally got me hands on sonic mania and after though of that was that 2 year of wait worth it u bet ur ass was and let's say i love it and the gameplay itself too so yea sonic mania is in my top 5 favorite sonic game
You can just skip the Chemical Plant block bit entirely by spindash-jumping off one of the inclines after the water rises, liquid physics allow you to do crazy jumps. This isn't like some ridiculously advanced speedrunner strat or anything, it's SUPER easy to pull off even on your first try
There is definitely more to the story of how Mania came to be than what you’re saying. It makes it come off as very one sided which is far from the case.
10:05 It's Puyo Puyo not Tetris. You're not even clearing lines you're matching 3 colored blobs. Dr. Mario would be a better comparison, even Bejewed would be closer with the color matching, but not Tetris.
You do NOT need to memorise the levels. If you simply hold down to roll when you’re moving fast, you’ll destroy upcoming enemies and have a much better time. It’s a failure of the original games not to teach this to players, but it also reflects how little critical thinking gamers have.
I'm the complete opposite. I prefer most 2D Sonic games over the 3D ones; aside from Generations and maybe Adventure 1 depending on my mood. Most 2D Sonic does an better quality improvement over the 3D ones where they can't to seem which style it wasnts to be and even when they did, most comes off as either mediocre or just plain bad. 2D Sonic games never has bad game; with the exception of the Sonic 4 epilog. But even that one isn't what I call bad. Just lazy.
Sonic superstars is poo.. the 1st 2 levels is clearly beatifull vibe from Tee lobs guy that done the Mania titles, everything else is rushed EGO as ud say
This. After all the hype I felt for Sonic Superstars, I was so deflated when I heard the boss theme...and it all went downhill from there. Can't believe they rehired Tee Lopes, but only let him make 2-3 songs for the game.
Sonic games are so weird. they never explain you something. the level layout is so confusing. You never know where to go. is it about hard platforming like in mario world? Is it about collecting the emeralds like in banjo kazooie Is it a puzzle game to find the exit in this mess labirinth? or is it a speedrunning game or a coop game? It has so many things that I don't know what this game even is and i dont understand the identity. everytime i play it,i just get lost in this world and die after 10 min or something.
Think of Sonic levels as a sandbox, with physics being the main vehicle of progress. The levels are designed in such a way that at several points, you can choose which pathway to go down, and that choice depends upon how well you are accustomed to the physics of the game. The higher/more hidden paths often require a certain amount of understanding of the controls and physics to pass or even find, whereas other paths are more obvious or straightforward. Sometimes, if the level is open enough, you can even improvise your own paths; you'd be surprised with how much stuff you can bypass by just jumping off an incline. You don't really need to memorize level layouts as much as you just need to familiarize yourself with how Sonic moves and interacts with level design. Get past that hurdle, and even the stages that you have no memory of will be much easier. Memorizing level layouts doesn't hurt though! And that's more of a natural result of replaying the game than something you need to actively think about doing.
@@jacobmonks3722 ive played eight hours just green hill zone act 1 i think i know the physics. still the game is to complicated. i just want to run from a to b. And 3d sonic is a whole other topic. in 3d sonic nobody knows how to create a good game,except generations and unleashed.
@snaaakebbeater575 You might be the only person I've ever seen to call Sonic the Hedgehog, a game you control with 1 button and the only necessary goal is to get to the end of the level, complicated.
