#SONIC MANIA AND TEAM SONIC RACING PC#

A humorous 'Controls' section also pokes fun a little - you just run and jump, is the message - but worth note is that pressing X when in 'Options' brings up an easy-to-use and informative web-based manual, and the subtle complexities of the original Sonic formula come through. Controls are tight and responsive, the weighting of jumps and tempo is on the money, and it's immediately satisfying to play. Since those 16-bit days SEGA has had mixed fortunes when it comes to how Sonic games feel and play, and Mania is a reminder of the blissful simplicity and polish that made those originals true toe-to-toe competitors with Super Mario. Some levels do fantastic things with shadows, exploding glass and clever background effects.Īll of that only matters because of one key area that this game absolutely nails down - gameplay. Though remixed levels have a major visual enhancement over the source material, for example, all-new stages go further and truly utilise the wonders of modern hardware when applied to pixel art. Over the dozen stages some are also entirely new, and even those that didn't get to play all the originals back in the day - this scribe never had Sonic CD, for example - will likely be able to tell which areas are brand new. The second Acts of each stage are buzzing with creativity, with the developers having fun spinning off and riffing upon the environments in smart ways. Mania isn't simply a greatest hits collection, nor should its appeal be limited to 30-something gamers that lack the speedy reflexes of the past. These go right for the player's sense of nostalgia, but due to the excellence of the source material also serve as delicious 16-bit platforming to those that haven't played the originals. For a decent chunk of the game (particularly 'Act 1' in familiar zones) you're playing levels from the originals that have nevertheless been revamped with additional routes and fun new bosses and twists.

Before we get onto that though, how about a little recap on what makes Sonic Mania so downright brilliant?Īt its core Sonic Mania is partly a love-letter to the 'original' games, a remix but also a new experience. The result is Sonic Mania Plus, a title which takes all of the amazing stuff seen in last year's game and throws in some welcome additions which will please fans and newcomers alike. Rather than simply dump the original onto a game card and be done with it, the publisher has instead taken this opportunity to augment the experience with fresh content. We here at Shacknews were big fans of Sonic Mania, as it scored well in our review.Fast forward to the present, and SEGA has wisely listened to calls for a physical version of the game. It was also announced that popular SEGA titles Two Point Hospital and Endless Legend will soon be making their way to Origin Access Premier soon. If you’re not signed up for either plan, you can just purchase Sonic Mania outright from the Origin store for $19.99. Let it be known that players will need to be subscribed to Origin Premier to get access to Sonic Mania. The Premier subscription runs for $14.99/month or $99.99/year. The basic plan costs $4.99/month or $29.99/year. Giving players DLC content, early access to new games, and 10% off of Origin purchases, Origin Access is comparable to subscription services like Xbox Game Pass.

#SONIC MANIA AND TEAM SONIC RACING PC#

Those subscribed to EA Origin Access Premier are able to get their hands on the platformer free of charge starting today.ĮA Origin Access Premier is the PC equivalent to EA Access. Following its release, Sonic Mania was ported to a variety of platforms and received additional content by way of the Encore DLC. With a retro look that harkens back to the classic titles, Sonic Mania was one of the best received Sonic games in recent years.

Originally released in 2017, Sonic Mania is the most recent 2D platformer in the series. Sonic finds himself in the news once again, as it’s been announced that Sonic Mania is coming to Origin Access Premier, EA’s PC subscription service. From a successful live-action adaptation, to new installments in both the Team Sonic Racing and Mario & sonic franchises, there seems to be a bit of renewed interest in everybody’s favorite blue hedgehog. The Sonic franchise has been in somewhat of a renaissance as of late.

Sonic mania and team sonic racing