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Thread: Sonic Mania - 25th Anniversary Debut (New 16-bit style game)

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    Default Sonic Mania - 25th Anniversary Debut (New 16-bit style game)

    Sonic Mania - 25th Anniversary Debut


    "It's the ultimate Sonic celebration! Sonic returns in a new 2D platforming high speed adventure, and he's not alone!

    Developed in collaboration between SEGA, Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, and PagodaWest Games, experience new zones and remixed classic levels with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles!"


    This looks great! Finally a true retro Sonic feel, unlike Sonic 4. I'd like to try this game out.
    Last edited by buzz_n64; 07-26-2016 at 11:41 AM.

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    I actually think it looks interesting

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    I think the game looks spectacular! The way it was presented, I originally thought that it was a huge combination of every single sonic game in 1 disc. Also its great to see that the there will be at least 1 new move added to the classic runner.
    http://www.ogreatgames.com Hey check out Ogreatgames for video games and much more!

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    Hyped for this. I have pre-ordered the collectors edition. Can't wait to play the new zones. Studiopolis and Mirage Saloon both look great.

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    I really want the game but im not buying until they release a physical copy. I want it for vita!!

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    Recently posted at [ http://store.steampowered.com/app/584400/Sonic_Mania/ ]:

    Requirements

    Minimum:
    OS: Windows 7
    Processor: Pentium 4 1.6GHz
    Memory: 2 GB RAM
    Graphics: DirectX 9.0c compliant video card 32MB
    DirectX: Version 9.0c
    Storage: 400 MB available space
    Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c Compatible

    Recommended:
    OS: Windows 7 / 8 / 10
    Processor: Core 2 Duo
    Memory: 2 GB RAM
    Graphics: DirectX 9.0c compliant video card
    256MB
    DirectX: Version 9.0c
    Storage: 400 MB available space
    Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c Compatible

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    Four days before launch, SEGA announced that the PC variant, and only the PC variant of Sonic Mania, would be delayed by fourteen days. This delay is supposedly to add polish and optimizations.

    ...I am hugely disappointed, SEGA. 18 more days? I've already been waiting 13 MONTHS. I pre-ordered the Collector's Edition for a large sum during December 2016. And I don't own any of the other hardware platforms that this game is for, and I certainly can't afford to buy any of those modern consoles.

    I guess it is, in part, my own fault for paying attention and being hyper for the game. These days, I'm usually fairly close to indifferent to even the games that I'm interested in playing (like the official Metroid II remake and Hey! Pikmin). Nonetheless, being a big fan of Sonic and following SEGA's social media accounts and the enthusiastic Sonic news sites, all of it built up so much hype for me. Sonic Mania for my computer was the bright spot of my month.

    I think the real reason for the delay is the management at SEGA believes the stereotype that PC gamers are a bunch of dirty software pirates that don't pay for games, so if the PC copy is put for sale the same day as the consoles' copies, then they believe the game will have its console sales ruined by people just turning to PC to play the pirated game for free.

    Their official claim is that the PC software is delayed so that they can add "polish," but I figure that's unlikely considering the game was developed, debugged, and demoed on Windows first and foremost, even having Windows's Sonic Mania shown at conventions and trade shows instead of any of the consoles'. And, of course, PC's can be much more powerful than the modern consoles, so PC's don't require as much optimization as they require.

    Besides, the Retro Engine, Sonic Mania's game engine, is so old/optimized already it can run games on 11 year old hardware and even 1998's Dreamcast!
    http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/thr...Test-Released!

    Thus I don't believe the PC copy really requires additional work, especially when Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony all have much harsher quality assurance requirements for game releases than Steam. The only way I can see SEGA's words being true is if work was stalled on the computer copy so that consoles could have a higher priority, and then they waited for the last minute to announce a delay for PC due to guessing wrong about how much time the PC copy would need.

    But that doesn't ring true when you consider everything else and that the variants of Sonic Mania all share the same common core of code and art. It's like the old days with Sierra Online's game engines, AGI and SCI: the core of their games was the same across all platforms, it was just the compiled interpreter that differed from Apple to Commodore to PC.

    Even if all they said was true, why wait until Friday to announce a delay of a game due for the following Tuesday?

    Whether someone bought the pricey Collector's Edition or the completely digital edition, the unlock/code can be redeemed immediately, but the game can't be unencrypted/played until August 29th. As an apology, SEGA has said PC players who have pre-ordered the game will get a complimentary copy of emulated Sonic 1 for Steam. Rhetorically, though, who doesn't already own a copy of 16-bit Sonic 1 by now? Personally, counting the originals, duplicates, compilations, remakes, and ports, I own over 10 copies of Sonic 1 by now, so yet another one isn't really soothing the wound, SEGA.

    *sigh* I guess computer games and computer gamers once again get low priority compared to the consoles. Typical.

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    Sonic's back
    I just can't stand that the new Sonic games are such trash. Is it really so hard to make great sonic games? Just continue makind 2D sonic games and people will buy/play them.
    Check out these links for great video game and gaming related deals!
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    I'm stuck waiting for the Steam release.. I get a bit nervous whenever I see "partial controller support" for a platformer.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jefis View Post
    Sonic's back
    I just can't stand that the new Sonic games are such trash. Is it really so hard to make great sonic games? Just continue makind 2D sonic games and people will buy/play them.
    Unfortunately, Sonic 4 kinda disproved that theory, but I have high hopes for Sonic Mania and early reviews are promising. Hopefully 'Sonic Mania 2' won't be too much to ask for. :-)

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    I've been saying it for about a decade now: Sonic's "curse" is thanks to Takashi Iizuka leading Sonic Team after Yuji Naka left SEGA. Iizuka's first major game as the Sonic lead was Sonic Heroes.

    There were missteps before, but with him at the helm, missteps turned into a regularly occurring thing.

    Iizuka did not lead the development of Sonic Mania. He's credited for overseeing it from afar. The game was primarily developed by three Westerners.

    Fun fact: the composer of Sonic Mania, Tee Lopes, is Portuguese.

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    cool info nz17 I think this game is great hopefully this trend continues what platforms are you all getting it on? I am going to get it on switch so I can have it mobile

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    The PC version of Sonic Mania contains Denuvo DRM, hence the delayed release. Some are reporting controller support issues (sigh..) and others are saying the game won't work unless they are online.

    Guess I'll pick it up on Switch, whenever I find that freaking thing.

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    I am very disappointed over this DRM situation. The Steamworks (Steam DRM) I expected to be there and would have tolerated, but then to add Denuvo DRM to it, and to delay the game by 2 weeks and only for PC players - it's terrible.

    It's like being called a thief, and treated like a thief, regardless of your behavior.

    Courtesy of http://www.tssznews.com/2017/08/29/s...listing-error/
    Quote Originally Posted by TSSZ News
    A few hours after news broke of Sonic Mania on Steam containing controversial DRM code that, among other things, prohibits offline play, an unnamed representative from Sega published an update acknowledging the DRM should have been listed before launch.

    The statement below, in full, has been met with a chorus of negative responses, despite conceding the Denuvo technology should never have required an active Internet connection for play:

    Like you, we’ve noticed an error in the Steam store not mentioning the DRM for Sonic Mania.

    We’re fixing that now.

    Sonic Mania is intended to be played offline and we’re investigating reports on that.

    We’re also investigating other issues like controller support, these are all PC specific things that Christian and the team have been working on these last few weeks

    Please bare [sic] with us while we collate and investigate problems that are being brought to our attention

    In the hours that have followed, a wave of negative reviews have been posted on Steam largely based on Denuvo’s inclusion alone; now about a quarter of Mania’s reviews on Steam do not recommend its purchase. But just in the past couple minutes, members of the Steam community have apparently found a way to at least circumvent the offline play shutout via a hex editor. We are working to verify the authenticity of the information.

    We will continue to bring you updated developments on this sudden turn of events in Mania‘s launch when warranted.
    I like how the Sonic social media manager, Aaron Webber, has been clever on his personal Twitter account:

    One day until Sonic Mania launches on PC! Two things to note: 1.) PC will launch with some bug fixes that are also coming to consoles later.

    And 2, since we've seen the rumors: No current plans for Steam Workshop support. If anything changes, we'll let you know!

    ~~~

    Happy Mania PC launch day! If you have feedback, please do share it so the right people can hear it: https://support.sega.co.uk/hc/en-us/requests/new

    In particular, please do share your feedback on DRM or any issues you're having at the link above. Make your voices heard.
    He must have warned SEGA's management about these reactions weeks ago before they stepped forward with these decisions.

    Oh, and people have allegedly been claiming that if you gave away the Steam gift copy of 16-bit Sonic The Hedgehog (the one given as an apology), then your account will be denied any attempt at a refund of Sonic Mania. My thoughts are conflicted about that.

    ...Perhaps SEGA's management should be called Mismanagement instead? Then again, they've never made a mistake.

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    Even the developer is upset:

    https://www.greenmangaming.com/newsr...-dev-and-sega/

    And hey, SEGA made Rolling Stone! Too bad it wasn't for a good reason:

    http://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/n...denuvo-w500303

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    So, the game's been available for a while now. What are your thoughts?

    I liked it, but not as much as other people. The stages seemed 2 - 3 times too long for a speedy Sonic game. I'd have liked it better if there was the same amount of content, but the acts were split into smaller acts. Imagine splitting the acts along some of the checkpoints, and just having five acts per zone.

    Sonic Mania has a lot of cool SEGA references like to Shinobi, Space Harrier, the Game Gear, the GG Sonic games, and naturally, the Mega Drive and other Sonic games.

    I wish that the game would save your progress after every act, not after every zone. The way it is (like Sonic CD and Sonic 3), and with Mania's lengthy acts, the level progression is only saved about every 20 minutes.

    There's a lot of multiplayer options, but unfortunately no 1P vs CPU for the split-screen versus, so I haven't played that.

    Sadly, most of the leaderboards have been ruined by cheaters who have posted times of 0'00'00 and the like.

    Overall, I liked it. It took around 6 hours from the start to the regular ending including the playing of some special stages and extra stages.

    I'd rank it about on par with Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice, with a slightly higher score for Sonic Mania. Both are good games, but neither are true classics. SB:FI isn't simple enough with too much to worry about regarding controls and collectables, while Sonic Mania is almost like a "Sonic Generations 2D" as it relies too much on references and nostalgia instead of forging its own identity.

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