Sonic Mania is Bad Now, Apparently? 

what'd you think of Sonic Mania 🤔

Criticizing Sonic Mania's story for a lack of innovation is like criticizing a movie like Schindler's List for not being funny. The story isn't the fucking point of the game.

Sonic fans be switching up opinions on games 24/7 and still won’t accept sonic eraser is better than all of them

I used to say the Sonic fandom was an echo chamber, but I've come to realize that's false. It's actually just a fucked up game of telephone, where one person says "hey, this game is great!", followed by "Hey, this game is good!", then "This game's pretty good.", "This game's alright", and it just keeps going until the community decides it's actually the worst game ever.

Mania is actually my first sonic game, and it has such a lasting impression that I really got into playing the Sonic games.

I like Superstars, I think it's slightly above average... but saying it's better than Mania is simply blasphemy

When people say mania has reused levels there for the game is bad. I always just saw this criticism as worthless since the game essentially remakes the whole level’s concept and adds new gimmicks to make them feel fresh and new. Also the lack of bullshit that comes with classic sonic game design. With a lot of the time the mania versions being the definitive versions of theses stages especially with all the polish. Plus the music stomps

The “Splash Dash is always negative” crowd just fell to their knees

I have a kinda cool story with mania. So when I was a kid I was obsessed with sonic, as most kids are. I loved playing Sonic Colors, Unleashed and Black knight on my Wii. As I got older though I drifted away from Sonic. He became all but a memory. Until mid 2020 I went to a friend’s house and he was playing games on his pc and he let me play on his switch. That’s when I saw it. Sonic Mania. “Ooo sonic Mania what’s this?” I asked. “Omg dude it’s like the best Sonic game ever” he replied. I thought hey, I haven’t play a sonic game in almost 10 years, I’ll give it a shot. It ended up being one of the best video game experiences I have ever had. Ever since that day I’ve become an avid sonic enthusiast. I played every single game in the franchise and really got invested into the community. I started collecting Sonic merchandise and now my room is a Sonic collector’s room. I fell in love with this franchise, all thanks to Sonic mania. One of the best games in the franchise

People hate Generations and Mania both for having largely past games as their identities.... but they're taking the best parts of classic games and enhancing the gameplay 10 fold. Hydrocity in Sonic Mania is not just Hyrdocity from Sonic 3&K. It's amped up with tons of new mechanics, new boss fights, all new level layouts, an updated soundtrack, the works. These games are here to celebrate why we love Sonic, and people hate them because they remind them to much of games that they enjoy. Never understood the weird hate for these games (besides Generations which does have flaws besides gameplay) when they've largely been considered the 2 best games in the series

A cute detail I've always loved, but never see anyone talk about, is that the amount of levels themselves are the exact same as the number of the entry they're from. Sonic 1 has Green Hill, Sonic 2 has Chemical Plant and Oil Ocean, Sonic CD (which was originally meant to be an enhanced port of Sonic 2) has Stardust Speedway and Metallic Madness, Sonic 3 and Knuckles gets Hydrocity, Lava Reef, and Flying Battery, and Sonic Mania has 4 original stages, Studiopolis, Press Garden, Mirage Saloon, and Titanic Monarch. Yeah, technically Sonic 4 is a different game but shut up

I swear I was JUST about to play Mania when I saw this. You perfectly sum up what I love about Mania. -The gimmicks don't feel intrusive but actually act as fun gameplay additions and options for the player -The boss fights and level designs expand and improve on the original games' ideas -The MUSIC is so good, I listen to it even when I'm chilling I've even been making challenges for myself such as trying to beat my best time or holding onto as many rings as I can. Just can't express how much I love this game. Now if you'll excuse me, Ima go play it right now...

People’s main point is “the levels are reused! It’s bad!” Which is like, NO DOY ITS A CELEBRATION GAME, what separates it from something like Sonic 4 , is how it recycles and remixes levels/mechanics. It’s FUN and well done

you can argue that almost every sonic game is divisive in some way, but I think everyone (even non sonic fans) can agree that this game is a masterpiece, this and S3&K are peak

"Christian Whitehead Studios" is actually known as Evening Star, the devs behind Penny's Big Breakaway!

That one cheat code that lets you use all of Sonic’s moves, spin dash, super peel out, insta-shield, drop dash, has gotta be my ideal Classic Sonic play style, especially with the momentum, even if it’s from a cheat code, I don’t care that’s definitely my favorite gameplay for Classic Sonic

The Heroes remake is being CONSIDERED. That doesn’t mean it’s been confirmed.

i still dont get why people saw mania reusing zones from classic games as a bad thing since it doesn't use a old zone without adding a new aspect or mechanic that change the experience.

fun fact: the original composer for the Japanese soundtrack from sonic cd actually came back to compose for metallic madness zone and stardust speedway zone. That's why those songs are exceptionally good.

sonic fans cant accept that sonic school house is the best sonic game 🤦🏾‍♂️

I got Mania last Christmas, and it was my second Sonic game after Generations. While I like Generations more, Mania is still INCREDIBLY fun and well-designed. And the thing is, if you’re new to the series, you don’t even know which zones are new and which ones are returning (I could only really tell Flying Battery and Lava Reef were returning because the original zones felt so much more creative, but it’s not like they felt out of place). Frankly, those two games were the 1-2 punch that made me a fan. The desire to celebrate the past didn’t bore me or lock me out as a newcomer, but rather drew me in because of how much love went into making it all quality.

I love Sonic Mania. I really wanted more original stages but it’s fine. The music is great too

Sonic is just bad in general. A sexy bad boy.

Upon replaying Mania shortly after Superstars, I really appreciate there being a sound fx slider to lower the sound of ring collecting all at once.

What? Who is saying Superstars is better than Mania?! I have never heard of this

Sonic fans change their opinions like their underwear

the fact 1 in 4 videos in youtube is using at least one song of the sonic mania OST is a sign that its a masterpiece.

do sonic fans even like sonic?

Sonic Mania is the golden standard. Then I can't believe after 5 years we went backwards instead of forwards. Superstars is fine but that's the problem. It's just fine.

I can't believe Splash Dash will soon get the chance to realize Sonic Heroes was never good.

Yeah this is why no one takes Sonic or the fandom seriously.

16:38 Perhaps even more interesting (to me at least) is the fact that not only has the Drop Dash become a series staple in the official games, but in fan games as well. Pretty much any post-Mania fan game that’s not explicitly based on a Genesis-era title is almost guaranteed to have it. Mania really was “by the mania, for the mania.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself, Can’t wait for the whole fanbase to suddenly be team mania again because no one seems to be able to think for themselves.

mania was my first proper dive into a sonic game, and I loved it, so the sentiment that people only like it due to low expectations is ridiculous

I think my biggest disappointment with Superstars is that it could've had a 2D handdrawn artstyle, however they cut it early on with the reason being "The team felt that 3D format would better preserve many of the classic aspects that are important to the feel of this format" ... yeah that's just straight up corporate talk for "We don't want to spend like half a million pounds on 2D animation".

Once dated a girl who said she didn’t like Mania, big red flag tbh.

sonic mania is peak gaming

As a non sonic fan I don't care, Sonic fans hating on Sonic games, Water be wet

Something I like about Mania is that every time I return to it, I seem to find new areas in the game’s zones, as the gaming experience I’ve gained over the years lends to a better ability to explore and find things I never would’ve back when I struggled with the Oil Ocean Act 2 boss.

There are people who think Superstars is better than Mania? Really? REALLY?!

If there’s one thing Superstars has over Mania, it’s that the zone variety is very nice. No reused levels anywhere. Other than that, Mania tops Superstars in almost every way. I still like Superstars, but between the two, I’d play Mania over it any day. I bought the game 5 times so far lol.

The 3&K | Mania and Unleashed | Generations comparison is spot on. I might not enjoy everything a game has to offer, and in some cases, genuinely despise a large portion of its required gameplay, but I think for some games and some series, the one you consider the best, or even just your favorite, comes down to whether or not you judge one as more a piece of art, or a work of science. If asked what Sonic game of each I'd consider the best overall - it's going to be 3&K, SA2 and Unleashed. But if you asked me which ones I most revisit and would replay at any given moment? I'm gonna answer with entirely different choices - those being Mania, SA1, and Generations. This sentiment is why I and I imagine many others find Sonic such a frustratingly inconsistent series to be invested in, because things like 06, Forces and now Superstars, in many cases, could very easily make these discussions and decisions easier (and in turn, better inform the direction for future titles) but an absence of either quality assurance, competence or even just focus, weaken them substantially compared to what came before.

Blue Spheres, that's all I need, give me a cartridge of Sonic & Knuckles with a cartridge of Sonic 1 and a Lock-On, that's enough to make a man happy

Your video made me realize that Sonic games immense replay value might be the reason why people change their opinion on a game When it's a game like let's say Mario that is played once and put down you can't see any issues unless it's really big and your experience is gonna be more about the feeling and the atmosphere not the actual gameplay of it But when it's a game like Sonic I feel like we play these games to the degree that the feeling or the atmosphere of the game (the taste of it if you will) is almost gone And it makes small imperfections feel like reasonable issues and small issues into a huge deal One example of a changed option through repeat playthroughs is the orca chase in SA1 the first time you go through it you lose your mind from the sheer excitement and spectacle but after many playthroughs, it becomes this section of the level where you don't do anything for 7 seconds I believe the reason for your changed option about SA2 was the fact that when you were a kid you were experiencing the game as a "spectacle" or an "experience" and now as an adult, you're experiencing it as just a game ... SA2 isn't exactly a game you can enjoy playing casually it's either you are a master of the game and love or you play it casually and don't like it and in general it does have a lot of issues one being the painful radar system I don't think the opinion on Sonic Mania has changed, there have always been these people who don't like classic Sonic and 2D in general and they are the same people who don't know how to play the classic Sonic games and these people didn't like it from the very start but their option was overshadowed by the many lovers of the game, which is something I can understand because I've been there before the game is boring if you don't know how to play it and it has a high skill sealing, it took me about 7 playthroughs to see the game for it's worth and super Sonic helped a lot The game never was overrated and no one compared it to Sonic Boom, people were comparing it to Sonic 3&K and it was praised for the fact that everything thing about was perfect and it still is to this day and the only complaint about it was the "original levels"

i unironically had this same exact argument before, where someone said portal 1 wasn’t as trash as portal 2 they got grilled by portal 2 fans in a matter of seconds.

People thinking sonic mania is bad is one of the many reasons the franchise is what it is

Hearing people claiming that Sonic Superstars is better than Mania was truly the most ridiculous thing I would ever hear in my life

Dawg, I have like, more than 500 hours on Sonic Mania across two platforms. I love Sonic Mania so much. It's like candy to me.

The fact that this thumbnail mirrors the superstars one is hilarious 😂

Fun Fact: You are allowed to instantly disregard the opinions of people who think Mania is a bad game. They are factually incorrect.

Fun fact: before it was changed,the video title used to be: Sonic Mania Is Fundamentally Fun.

Mania became unplayable when they removed the Dunkey easter egg.

You probably said it best. Sonic Mania has the best gameplay, but its closest comparison, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, is the better overall experience. Truth be told, the main reason why I prefer to play S3K is because of its narrative. If I was asked to play Mania, I'd do so without complaint, but I have my preference. Mania compared to Generations though, I'll actually choose Generations. Mainly because I thought Generations was a stronger celebration of the overall series and I thought its unique spin on Classic Sonic was more exciting to me, amongst a few other reasons.

I love sonic mania, it was never my favorite classic sonic game (that will always be 3&K) but it's absolutely worth every penny I put into it.

Facts! Edit: I replay over and over just to love the game itself into Mania, and the animations!

Great... Now I gotta go play Sonic Mania again...

one thing thats always bugged me was Encore Mode's ending, as Eggman got sent through a Phantom Ruby portal, which was clearly teasing Something, but then they just never resolved it.

Saying Mania is bad is crazy because like, it's just super refined classic Sonic, and classic Sonic is fun. Like damn, the worst thing you can say about Mania is that it's like a bunch of hella fun games.

They also retroactively added dropdash to origins

For me, I like mania. But it is one of those games for me when I pick it up and play it once, say "that was pretty good" and never touch the game again

I have not seen mania hate at all. People have complained about mania reusing old levels but the thing is that is uses them in cool ways instead of just being a lifeless rehash like a certain 2D platformer from 2010 from this franchise.

My only issue with Mania is that it has a lack of bababooey! (Nah fr tho mania is my favourite classic game, just above sonic 2)

My problem with Mania is people calling it classic and putting it in with Sonic 1,2,3&k when those were made in the early 90s, and this was made in the 2010s and was built entirely off of those and the 20+ years of research and development the community gave. Every thread, video, and romhack between Sonic 3&k and Sonic Mania is part of the Sonic Mania development, so it's like saying the person who did the math test without a calculator and the person who got the answer sheet from the teacher are equally good and had the exact same experience during the test. Also, people tend not to think about Sonic 3&k costing twice as much as Sonic 2 which in context today would be $140 (not even adjusted for inflation) All that R&D from Mania and only less than half of the game is fully original, plus the whole SEGA meddling is seen for what it is in Mania context but then people just assume all other modern Sonic games don't suffer from that even more than Mania.

Bros out there thinking "More ambitious" equals "better". XD

I find it hilarious how Sonic fans have started trashing on Mania just to prop up Superstars for being less favored. The reused levels are literally a part of the game’s story and have new and different layouts and new gimmick because of the use of the reality altering abilities of the phantom ruby. Superstars may have less nostalgia bait and new levels (that are pretty unimaginative and just pul and blend together elements of classic zones while also still relying much so on nostalgia), in fact those are the only arguments if seen people use in favor of Superstars, but Mania honestly a lot more of something I felt Superstars lacked; heart, charm, and commitment. Mania knows what it wants to be and sticks with its guns from start to finish whereas Superstars I feel struggles in trying to figure what it wants to be and what it does in execution. So sorry not sorry, I’ll take Mania any day over Superstars.

If it wasn't for the reused zones, mania would be the best 2d sonic game of the franchise (still better than superstars lmao)

Reminder that Sonic Labrynth was decently recieved when it released.

"You can’t top perfection" (Sees Sonic Mania Addendum) *"…I stand corrected"*

16:20 I'VE BEEN PLAYING THIS GAME FOR THE LAST 7 YEARS AND HAD NO IDEA YOU COULD DO THIS, THIS S GAME IS SO COOOOOOL!!!

I think that saying Mania is bad is dumb because is "best of classic sonic compilation", and because of that, is going to be good. But that's the reason why I got bored of it after some time, because it has not personality. Playing levels out of context is just shallow and incoherent. Like, I prefer playing the original games than Mania

I was hardly watching the vid but saw the dog come up when you said something sus. Shoutout that editor simplydad.

This channel is perfect for me (Ive only ever played the first 3 sonic games)

Sonic Mania reinvigorated my fondness for Sonic and Puyo Puyo. Any game that can do both at the same time is clearly a masterpiece.

Well Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric solos both of those games

First RU-vid video to have a spit rate of 100%

I love this video i surely agree with splash dash honestly i loved this game it was amazing and the fact they decided to bring back 2 forgotten charecters is truly beutiful i like the effort put into this especially saying its 7 YEARS OLD i will always keep this game dear to my heart and i might as well like this video as i do that!

The worst part of Sonic Mania is that I loved it so much I had to check out the shitty sonic games but they just left me feeling empty

Am I going crazy, or did the title and thumbnail change?

18:52 the music in the background just stopping for a second is perfect

I have never played a full sonic game and i am wondering what is the best to start with?

I would prefer to never have this type of garbage appear in my recommended videos; where the content creator generates views by pretending drama exists. 95% of people on this planet agree that Mania is better than Superstars, you're just lying to the audience and pretending there's a big group of people who dislike Mania. Plus, yet another person dissing people for seeing the potential in 06? Man, you are so right! People are SO wrong about Sonic 06 actually having well designed levels that Project 06, a recreation of 06 without the bugs and some added QOL features, has been receiving acclaim in the Sonic community ever since the first build dropped. Sonic Keemstar out here. Get a life.

idk why anyone would complain about Sandopolis and it's Ghosts. It's basically a good version of underwater mechanics, you just have to hit a lamp switch instead of waiting for a bubble and the lamps last WAY longer than your breath underwater does. The timing is extremely generous and in the 20+ times I've beaten that stage I don't think I've been killed by a ghost a single time so I don't really understand what makes it "an annoying gimmick" it's more just like an additional challenge to the stage that is very easily surmountable.

what is the bg music at 1:10??? it sounds so familiar!!

You gave me the motivation to play sonic mania after 4 years, thanks

Finally, something we can all agree on

The fans saying Sonic Mania sucks are literally just the 8 year olds or people with brains OF 8 year olds thinking it has “bad graphics” lol

i swear 1 day I'll get my classic Vector DLC

It is absolutely unbelievable this game came out 7 years ago. That's the same amount of time between Sonic 1 and Sonic Adventure 1. I remember where I was when it was announced. Sonic Mania still feels fresh and brand new.

Why can't people just enjoy games for being fun and having good gameplay? Who actually cares about Mania's story Lmao. The point of Mania was to re-emulate Classic Sonic, and it accomplished its goal perfectly. The Sonic community is so indecisive and dumb, it's insane

I've never finished Mania but I do think it's pretty good. My favorite track is Lights, Camera, Action.

Anyone else prefer the original thumbnail? It used to say “This Game Rules (And I Love It)”, which was the perfect contrast to the Sonic Superstars thumbnail. Now it’s the same words as the Superstars thumbnail but with question marks, yeah that’s just as good.

What's the song at the beginning of the video?

LS Ma, wait I mean Splash Dash, what should Sonic Hero’s remake on Unreal Engine 5 do to be better than the orignal?

in my opinion, Unleashed has the better gameplay, in Day Stages, the werehog is fine but not my cup of tea and should not have been in the game to begin with, Day Stages however, I love them, the drift can be loose but satisfying to master, QTEs need quick reaction times and are quite satisfying to pull off, and honestly in Unleashed the skill floor is way higher making it way more fun when you get good at it, which is why I prefer it over Generations. Content is also a difference, Generations average stage is 2 minutes long, while Unleashed the first stages are 2 minutes but then go to 5 minutes, and Classic Sonic is kind of boring for me, because I understand the momentum on the Classic games and can do satisfying stuff that Generations lacks. Generations is still a decent game, but Unleashed in my opinion is above it.

Btw the Sonic Heroes remake was in fact not announced and it was Zippo

0:15 Lets goooo. As a Sonic fan who owned a wii but only ever got Sonic Colors cuz I didnt know you could online shop as a kid. I'm excited to play these great classics with a modern look

Sonic mania is without a doubt, the best 2D sonic game ever, change my mind

Hated Sonic Heros as a kid, but to be fair a remake could fix the jank and make the game really good. Probably the best candidate for a remake

What made Sonic great was the swag. There's an edge that the world had that's been lost for so long so when Mania came out, it brought back the swag Sonic lost... ... and then they followed it with Forces

What's the song used in the outro?