Sonic Mania

Sonic Mania brought the series back on Xbox One to its roots in the form of the fast 2D platformer that players knew from games on the Sega Mega Drive, turning away from the more experimental 3D installments of previous years. The game offers a mix of new levels and reworked classic stages from the series' first titles, through which Sonic, Tails or Knuckles dash at high speed, collect rings, destroy Doctor Robotnik's robots and search for hidden zones with bonuses and alternative paths that reward thorough exploration of otherwise fast-paced levels.

Behind the project stood fan developers led by Christian Whitehead, who had long worked on an engine faithfully imitating the movement and physics of the original games, which strongly shows in the result, since the controls feel precise and responsive to command instantly. The pixel-art graphics are more detailed and colorful than in the nineties but retain the readability and style of the classic sprites, with plenty of small animations and references to earlier installments, and likewise the music continues the tradition of distinctive, energetic tracks accompanying the individual zones and changing as the level progresses, with a number of themes directly quoting melodies from the original Mega Drive games.

After years of weaker attempts at bringing the series back, Sonic Mania was received as a decidedly positive surprise, and a number of players and journalists called it the best Sonic game in a long time. On Xbox One it runs smoothly with minimal input lag, which is crucial for this type of game, and it also offers a competitive split-screen multiplayer mode. Today it stands as proof that an old-fashioned 2D platformer design can work even in the modern era if executed with attention to detail and respect for the original, and it influenced the series' later return to fast two-dimensional action in further titles and animated projects as well.

Why play it: Anyone looking for an old-fashioned 2D platformer executed with attention to detail will find here smooth, fast action as well as a competitive split-screen mode for two players.