10 Video Games That Won By Destroying EVERYTHING
3. Sonic Mania
As popular as Sonic the Hedgehog is, there's no doubt the blue furball's glory days are long behind him. Looking at the disastrous Sonic '06 or Sonic Boom, it's hard to believe Sega's mascot was once deemed Super Mario's rival. Although he's had a few impressive entries in recent years, the prickly speedster hasn't been back on top in a very long time.
And when it finally happened, Sega wasn't even responsible. In 2017, Sonic port developer, Christian "Taxman" Whitehead, and a group of ROM hackers created a 2D side-scrolling platformer called Sonic Mania. Since the team didn't contain any of Sonic's original creators, Sonic Mania could've come across as a neat homage to a bygone era, nothing more.
Instead, Sonic Mania was the best instalment since the Genesis days, nailing the gameplay, look, and chiptunes of the classic series. To keep everyone happy, the studio masterfully incorporated elements from virtually every major Sonic title, including Sonic Rush, Sonic Colours, and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine.
Sega tried to go back to their roots themselves, with old-school titles like Sonic Generations, Sonic 4, and Sonic Superstars, Despite their best efforts, they couldn't capture lightning in a bottle the way Sonic Mania did.