Quote of the Month

"I'm the best!"
--Jet the Hawk, Sonic Riders

Alright, fine. Let's talk Mania. (About it's awesome opening and it's imapct)

Sonic Mania is a 2D, classic Sonic game (released, that's right, here in 2017). If you don't know that much you either haven't looked up 'Sonic' in the last (year?) or you're not a Sonic fan. In which case, I guess you should find a different blog.



Mania's opening. Note the flickies.


For those who haven't watched it ten million times, here it is, along with it's preorder trailer: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex3QDARGtLg

 
The Opening. It's sick! (I mean awesome)
I recently watched the Sonic Mania opening...



The Opening

 

It's pretty epic. I love animation. Hate CGI. I understand it, in a video game. It's not a TV show, after all. But when they add it, I'm reeling with excitement: obsessed.

Sonic CD was the first to do so (that technically making it the first official cutscenes--something more than the in game sprites moving around...). It had an awesome opening that leaves "Sonic Boom" (by that I mean the song) echoing in your head for the rest of the day. In the American version, of course. It also had two endings and some clips during the credits, all pure amazing...ness.

Sonic CD-an ending credit scene

We wouldn't see anything like this again until Sonic Riders, with it's speedy, way past cool opening (called the "Demo Loop" in the theater section). It showed us, with it's edgy style and it's fast pace, "what true speed is...."

Sonic Rider's Opening

The only other games to compete with these striking scenes where Sonic and the Secret Rings, and Sonic and the Black Knight, AKA the "storybook series." The majority of the cutscenes in these games where not CGI but "purposely made 2D." I thought this was genius. This way, there were no "bad" (lesser quality) cutscenes, and the styles fit in with the themes of each tale. It was revolutionary. Too bad there are and likely will only ever be two.



Sonic and the Secret Rings and it's "picture like" cutscenes

But now we have a new revolution. And it's name is Mania. Sonic Mania.



Mania's pre-order trailer

Although the gloss and quality clear defines it as a work of the modern world, the opening fits early Sonic art (JP art...in the US he looked edgier. Or 90sier. Take your pick) and Sonic CD's style. It defines the game as every thing a Sonic game should be: Cool, cute, and fun.



The Opening

Personally I thought the music was "meh," but everyone was raving about it in the comments. It must be more of the world likes what I hate and blah blah blah. I mean, it was alright, sure. But it's not Crush 40, am I right?
Did somebody say Sonic Heroes? Because...



The Opening


At his side are his best buds Tails and Knuckles (as they are playable in the game). We get some peeks at the levels the game has in store with out it feeling slow. Sonic's attitude is the same as it has been: tapping his foot, giving a thumbs up, and expressing himself through smirks and stares.



Pre-order Trailer

I'd like to point out that Modern Sonic does the same (there where points where I was either like "that's just like modern," or "That's classic right there!") with his expressions, but since Classic Sonic lives in a (er...almost) voiceless world, it has more of an impact. Also, again, it's very similar to CD. 
 
Battle of the Ages...well not really. Gotta think fast?
 
I have to admit, I haven't been obsessing over this like...well? Everyone else. I love classic, I do, but instead of simply enjoying this moment, most have been trashing Sonic's modern era. Here's what I commented on one the youtube videos of it (not that you'd know considering it got buried among a ton of hater's comments--why they didn't reply to me remains a mystery. Scaredy-cats.)

This is what I put, mad at comments putting down modern games, voice acting, and storylines:
 
"First of all: WHOO! That was awesome (jumps up and down like a four year old)! WHOO! (looks at comments-sighs) Second of all: Stop trashing the modern era...When I was young, I played the classic games and watched the cartoons and I always disliked all the modern games and characters, save for Sonic (I loved those green eyes) and the main cast (Tails, Amy, Knux). But when I got older (and my family finally decided to move up from a Sega Genesis), I started to play the modern games, and now I love them (and modern characters--Shadow, Blaze, Jet...). I think most classic fans would like them, too, if they could adjust to the gameplay. Remember the ever so hated Sonic 06? I love that game; I think it's really fun. I like the stories, and the voice acting (at least with the 4kids voice actors). There had always has been a story to Sonic, whether it's the instruction book saying that Dr. Robotnik's up to his old tricks, Knuckles punching Sonic in the beginning of Sonic 3, or Sonic rescuing Amy ("Sally") after beating Metal Sonic. The story is just told differently, now. Now it's Sonic calling Shadow "faker" and it's Amy chasing Sonic with a huge hammer. Sonic may have gotten taller and his eyes maybe green but he's never lost his "I'm WAITING" attitude. Modern Sonic is Classic Sonic. End of story. On a side note, for those of you who have never touched a game beyond the 90s, I'd recommend Sonic Rush. It's 2D(.5) on the DS, close enough to classic gameplay that you could pick it up after playing a round of Sonic 2, and modern enough to include a different character with her own (pretty awesome) storyline and moves. If you not interested, THAT'S WHY THEY MADE THIS GAME, but stop taking your anger (probably from Sonic 4, right? I can't defend that. It made Sonic a slow-mo!) out on those who like the modern games. A person (or rather, "I") can easily love a round of Spring Yard Zone as they can a round of Mystic Mansion. And a person can be excited just as excited to play Mania as Forces (not me, though. I hear they're trying to make Shadow into a henchmen-type. Don't think I like that. Meanwhile, here's Mania, showing off some serious style). Now. I'm going to watch Sonic CD's opening and then Sonic Riders and then I'll watch this one again. Back to the awesome-ness. Back to the awesome-ness. 'I'm outta here.'"

If you don't feel like reading that, here's a summary: I love classic, but I love modern too. So XXXX off. It was a bit kinder but that's what it is.


Sonic CD: Sonic and a rescued Amy

So?
I probably won't get Mania for a long time. I mean, it's not like won't be available five years from now, when it's (hopefully) cheaper. That's my logic with most of the games now. It looks exciting; it looks like fun. But so does Sonic 2, which is currently shoved in my Sega Genesis.
"Respect the classics, man."



Sonic Mania Opening. Ignore Knuckles.



After Thoughts
First of all, I hope there's more of this animation, in Mania (I'm sure I could look it up, but do I dare?), but also in the Sonic series as a whole. I liked the cartoons as a kid, and was pretty disappointed that Sonic Boom was CGI (one of MANY disappointments with that show). But I think we all were impressed/satisfied with this style. I want more! Not just for classic, but for modern, too. I remember wishing that Zero Gravity ("Sonic Riders 2") had an intro like the first one...
It shows that the creators care about quality and expression, and it shows something important: that Sonic is cool.  

I hope that this [game] continues to be a new series, of sorts. Classic and modern. 2D games with simple expression, and 3D with complex stories.
...but I hope they ditch the cliché fan favs. No more Green Hill. Please. If I see or play it again, I swear...Seriously. I avoid Sonic 1 now. And classic should stick to his games and the generation series (if that becomes a thing). There's no need to give us more confusing 2D that's 3D. We want classic to be classic, not modern classic. If that makes any sense.

When they made Sonic 4, this is what we wanted. Old school style with new school polish. I'm sure that we'll all love it, but is it truly a new spin on the old tale, or is it just a rehash of the same old same old?

(Dun dun dun! To be continued...But, you know, not really.)

Have you gotten to play Mania? Tell what you think of it in the comments. Think it's exciting? Lame? Come on. Do it. I'm waiting...



Pre-order trailer

Well I'm outta here.