Promotional artwork, featuring Sonic, Tails and Knuckles
Developer(s)
Christian Whitehead[a]
PagodaWest Games
Headcannon
Hyperkinetic Studios (Plus)
Publisher(s)
Sega
Director(s)
Christian Whitehead
Producer(s)
Lola Shiraishi
Miki Takahashi
Terri Watanabe
Designer(s)
Jared Kasl
Programmer(s)
Christian Whitehead
Simon Thomley
Artist(s)
Tom Fry
Composer(s)
Tee Lopes
Series
Sonic the Hedgehog
Engine
Retro Engine
Platform(s)
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
Windows
Android
iOS
Release
NS, PS4, Xbox One
WW: August 15, 2017
JP/AS: August 16, 2017
Windows
WW: August 29, 2017
Sonic Mania Plus NS, PS4, Windows, Xbox One
WW: July 17, 2018
JP: July 19, 2018
Android, iOS
WW: May 7, 2024
Genre(s)
Platform
Mode(s)
Single-player, multiplayer
Sonic Mania is a 2017 platform game published by Sega for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. Produced in commemoration of the Sonic the Hedgehog series' 25th anniversary, Sonic Mania pays homage to the original Sega Genesis Sonic games, featuring speedy side-scrolling gameplay. It takes place over 13 levels, including several redesigned from past games. The story follows Sonic, Tails and Knuckles as they venture to defeat their nemesis Doctor Eggman and his robotic henchmen, the Hard-Boiled Heavies.
The development team was composed of members known for their work in the Sonic fangame and ROM hacking community. Development began after lead developer, director and programmer Christian "Taxman" Whitehead, who was previously contracted by Sega to develop enhanced mobile ports of Genesis Sonic games, presented a playable prototype to Sonic Team producer Takashi Iizuka. Art, level design, audio, and additional programming were provided by independent studios PagodaWest Games and Headcannon. The team used Whitehead's Retro Engine and aimed for a graphical quality between Genesis and Sega Saturn games.
Sonic Mania was released in August 2017 and became the highest-rated Sonic game in fifteen years. Many reviewers saw it as a return to form for the Sonic series following a number of poorly received games released after the 1990s. Its presentation, level design, music, and faithfulness to the early Sonic games were praised, but its lack of originality was criticized. Several described it as one of the best Sonic games and one of the best games of 2017. Within a year, it had sold over one million copies worldwide. Sonic Mania Plus, an enhanced version with additional content, was released in July 2018.
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SonicMania is a 2017 platform game published by Sega for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. Produced in commemoration of the Sonic...
remixes of Sonic tracks on YouTube—was the lead composer for SonicMania and a contributor to Team Sonic Racing. The main theme of the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog...
the developers of SonicMania (2017) fell through, Iizuka began discussing a collaboration with Arzest, a studio founded by Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima...
Episode Of 'Sonic Mania Adventures' Comes Out In Time For The Release Of 'SonicMania Plus'". Forbes. Retrieved June 19, 2021. "SonicMania Adventures: Part...
used in Sonic Unleashed and Generations. It was announced, alongside SonicMania, under the working title of Project Sonic 2017 during the Sonic 25th anniversary...
Headcannon, who worked on SonicMania (2017), developed the remaster of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Jun Senoue replaced a portion of the Sonic 3 soundtrack, following...
Chaotix (1995), the Sonic the Hedgehog anime film (1996), Sonic Heroes (2003), Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (2012) and SonicMania (2017). Amy Rose most...
fellow SegaSonic character Ray the Flying Squirrel. Both Mighty and Ray appeared as playable characters in the SonicMania expansion SonicMania Plus, as...
earlier games in the series like Sonic Advance, as well as later ones like SonicMania. Levels in the game are side-scrolling and displayed using both of the...
early games in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series, as well as being the lead developer of an original game in the series, SonicMania. He has also developed...
young and adult players, while Mania was focused on fans of the original Genesis games. Mania became the best reviewed Sonic game in fifteen years following...
Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series. It is published by Sega, with entries developed by Sega, Sonic Team, Traveller's Tales, Dimps, SIMS Co., Ltd...
collaborated on an original Sonic game using the Retro Engine titled SonicMania, which released August 2017, with DLC titled SonicMania Plus being released...
in other games in the series, such as Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Generations, SonicMania, Sonic Forces, and Sonic Frontiers. Critics have noted a Green...
best known for his contributions for the Sonic the Hedgehog series beginning with the 2017 video game SonicMania. Lopes was born in Coimbra, Portugal in...
the 2017 platform game SonicMania and its promotional mini-series, SonicMania Adventures. Hesse also directed the Team Sonic Racing Overdrive shorts...
option to use Sonic's Drop Dash ability from SonicMania (2017), a time attack mode, and Knuckles in Sonic 2. Emulated versions of Sonic 2 have been released...
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 1994 platform game developed and published by Sega for the Genesis. Like previous Sonic games, players traverse side-scrolling...
life when Sonic and Tails replenish it. He is a playable character in SonicMania Plus, regaining his role from the first games alongside Sonic, Tails,...
2002. Since 2011 the festival has been preceded by the all-night event SonicMania, a separately ticketed event held in Chiba only featuring an EDM-centric...
rides in SonicMania as a tribute. Knuckles in Sonic 1 is a hack of Sonic the Hedgehog created by Simon "Stealth" Thomley which replaces Sonic with Knuckles...
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