25 Best Sega Games Of All Time - RANKED
4. Sonic Mania
The fact that Sonic Mania actually exists is something of a miracle.
Created by fans with Sega's blessing to use their iconic Sonic IP, Sonic Mania is seen by many as the resurgence of the glory days of everyone's favourite speedy hedgepig.
This comes after years of Sega throwing Sonic into whatever they fancied. It was very much a throw excrement at the wall and see what kinda sticks sort of situation - with a few gems sticking, and more than a few sliding off into a horrible pile of dung below. We're looking at you, Sonic 06 and Sonic 4.
Mania is an absolute loveletter to the 2D Sonic games of old. It was helmed by Christian Whitehead, prolific Sonic fan-game creator and designer of the Retro Engine. This custom-made engine perfectly apes the design of the older 2D Sonic games and with Sega's financial support, the team was able to use this engine to create the best Sonic game in years.
Mania succeeds where other Sonic games don't as it nails the feel of how a Sonic game should look and play. It's got crazy, sprawling levels. It's got long stretches where you can fly at top speeds. It's got collectable Chaos Emeralds.
It's chock full of Easter eggs from Sonic's long and storied history too, including a buzzing noise at the end of Studiopolis Zone which is ripped straight from a disastrous Sega livestream where the sound played all the way through it.