Sonic Mania (2017)

Developer: Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, PagodaWest Games
Publisher: SEGA
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Action, Adventure, Casual
Rating: 4.7 of 5, 28,465 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 5.7 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A zippy, pixel-art platformer that feels like slipping into a beloved 90s arcade cabinet with tight controls and a vibrant soundtrack.

fast-pacedretrocolorfularcadecartoonyfamily friendlyclassiclighthearted

What players say

A faithful and beautiful recreation of the classic 2D Sonic experience that players call the best since the originals. It is generally easier than the 16-bit games, but boss fights still trip people up. However, co-op splits the party badly and there is no colorblind option for the bonus stages.

Screenshots

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More by Headcannon

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.