The Sonic franchise has been a laughing stock for years. Each game released is just more fuel for the fire. The series is past its popularity, and there isn’t a way for any new game to be good. The series has been on a downward trend since Sega tried to make it a 3D series.

In my opinion, only two of those games are at least alright, “Sonic Colors” and “Sonic Generations,” which released in 2010 and 2011 respectively. The Sonic series hasn’t been consistently good since the days of the Sega Genesis.

Enter Christian Whitehead and “Sonic Mania.” Prior to “Sonic Mania,” Whitehead was hired by Sega to create enhanced ports and remakes of the original Sonic the Hedgehog games. His experience with the series helped him create a new game in the series; “Sonic Mania.”

“Sonic Mania” was created by the fans, for the fans. It is a return to classic 2D Sonic, which devout fans have been wishing would return for years. Whitehead’s experience working with the Sonic games, as well as being a fan, allowed him to have a unique position where he could create a game that not only pays homage to classic Sonic, but also brings new ideas as well. Nostalgia is the crux of what “Sonic Mania” is all about.

The Merriam-Webster definition of nostalgia is “a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition.”

“Sonic Mania” has 12 zones, or levels if you don’t know what a zone is, and eight of them are remixed versions of old zones, like another version of “Green Hill Zone” and a remix of “Stardust Speedway Zone” from “Sonic CD.” These zones are just the tip of the iceberg, as there are six other remixed zones, and they all have something new to add to them.

These zones may look similar to the originals when you first arrive there, but as you play, the levels cease to be what you remember. “Sonic Mania” uses nostalgia to its advantage, having the player believe the zones will be exactly the same as the ones they are trying to emulate, and it is a great way to create an homage. There are a couple stages in each zone, and the game uses these stages well. The first stage in each of the remixed zones is like the original zone it was based off, and then the next stage changes things. “Sonic Mania” does this perfectly, weaving care and nostalgia into each zone with ease.

One example from the game is “Chemical Plant Zone,” the second zone in the game. The level is originally from “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and is known for having the player travel through tubes and handle  water for the first time in the second game. This zone is one of the more memorable from the series, and the first stage feels similar to how the original felt, with the player taking the tubes to get through the level just like the original. The only change was the updated visuals, which worked well into the player’s nostalgia. This is how the game looked in their mind years ago.

The first stage sets up the second stage perfectly, because it makes the player believe the levels are just carbon copies of the originals. However, that is not the case. As the player runs into the next stage, they come to two massive syringes full of liquid that are dipped in a regular pool of water, which they must push down. Once the players does so, they can jump onto the water, and bounce off it like a trampoline, instead of into it. This new mechanic was not in the old game and changes the level so it doesn’t feel like the same game. That is why the level, and the game, is great. It uses the player’s preconceived thoughts about what the zone is going to be, gives you that thought entirely in the first stage, and then completely flips the game on its head in the second. By doing this, the players don’t want to stop playing, because they want to see the next way the game changes the game they loved.

“Sonic Mania” is great at using the player’s thoughts to its advantage and is a better game for it. The fact that this is the first great Sonic game in years, and that it was made by fans, shows that Whitehead and his team know what they are doing. Here’s to hoping they get a chance to make another game.