A sublime return to roots, handcrafted pixel by pixel by fans turned developers. Blazing speed, ingenious level design and a catchy soundtrack revive the Mega Drive magic, while the multiplayer mode extends the fun.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer4 players3+
Co-op
Description
Sonic and friends race through remixed classic and brand-new zones to thwart Dr Eggman. Published by Sega, released worldwide in 2017. Pixel art faithful to the Mega Drive era, the new drop dash, secret-laden levels and a four-player competitive mode.
Sonic Mania review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Tee Lopes captures the essence of the old Mega Drive compositions and hurls it into the present: crackling FM synths, funk bass and chipper melodies that race along at Sonic's pace. Reworkings of classic themes sit beside original creations every bit as catchy, tuned to the rhythm of the level design. This nostalgic yet vivacious sonic journey is one of the finest love letters to the 16-bit era.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Tearing through loops at full speed feels as exhilarating as in the 16-bit days, because the fans-turned-developers grasped the essentials: momentum you have to earn and level design packed with multiple paths. Every zone rewards mastery with shortcuts and secrets, the Mega Drive-faithful pixel art is gorgeous, and the pacing swings between fury and demanding platforming. Far more convincing than the 3D Sonics of the era, it draws on a timeless formula that simply doesn't age.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Rediscovering the hedgehog's pure speed in lavish pixel art delivers instant joy. The levels breathe a perfect rhythm, alternating dizzying rushes with precise platforming, while every loop, spring and tunnel rewards boldness. The nostalgia is intact, yet the inventive level design and modern feel make you want to blaze through act after act.
Everyone hails it as the hedgehog's grand comeback, but it's underrated how far it goes beyond a nostalgia exercise: the new drop dash, the secret-stuffed level design, and the obsessive care for pixel art make it, mechanically, one of the best 2D entries in the series, period. Wedged between flashier releases, its quiet genius is worth diving back into, especially four-player. For purists and the curious alike.
Better with friends
Sonic Mania revives retro speed for two, between a competitive race where you scrap over best times and old-school co-op. Rivalry over course times has you redoing a stage just to beat it, wrapped in joyous pixel nostalgia. The second player controlling Tails can fall behind, but the heart of it stays that shared thrill of blazing along and comparing feats afterward.
Is Sonic Mania still worth playing in 2026?
Sonic Mania remains the finest love letter ever written to 16-bit Sonic. The pixel art faithful to the Mega Drive era is gorgeous, the remixed classic zones brim with ideas, and the brand-new stages show a perfect grasp of what made the original magic. The level design is packed with secrets and shortcuts that reward mastery of speed. Far more convincing than the 3D entries of the same period, it simply has not aged, because it draws on a timeless formula. For the nostalgic and the curious alike, it is a dazzling success.
