SEGA has announced a brand new Sonic title for PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One as part of the Blue Blur’s 25th anniversary celebrations.
Sonic Mania takes the form of a 2D retro platformer that captures the aesthetic and gameplay values of the classic Sonic the Hedgehog titles from the Sega Genesis (aka Mega Drive), and features three playable characters: Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles.
In addition to featuring all-new zones to race through at blindingly fast speeds, Sonic Mania also includes reimagined versions of classic zones from previous Sonic titles, including Green Hill Zone.
Sonic’s also got a few new tricks in his white sneakers this time around, which you’ll be able to check out in the trailer below.
Sonic Mania is currently in development by Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, and Pagoda West Games. The title is the only new Sonic game in production, with another game planned for release on PS4, Xbox One, and NX known only as Project Sonic 2017.
Sonic Mania release date still TBA, series celebrates 25th anniversary
Sonic’s latest adventure will be released in spring 2017, although a more concrete release date has yet to be announced at the time of writing. As mentioned, it’s not the only new title from the venerated franchise in development.
SEGA is marking Sonic’s 25th anniversary this summer, with the original title having first released on the Genesis/Mega Drive back in 1991. The genre-defining platformer has since gone on to sell over 15 million copies as of February 2009, and has been ported to numerous formats over the years.
Despite being one of the most popular gaming franchises of the 16-bit era, Sonic’s fortunes began to fall precipitously by the time the 2000s rolled around, resulting in the franchise low point of Sonic the Hedgehog in 2006.
There’s been a few highlights here and there (Sonic Generations springs to mind), but overall SEGA has failed to recapture the magic of the Blue Blur’s glory days. Hopefully, Sonic Mania looks set to finally change all that.
Stay tuned to PSU for more details.