Easy Allies Discussed Sonic Mania’s Special Stages (UPDATE)

22 Comments

1. More than one Special Stage? Intriguing.. yet worrisome. On the one hand, it will insure an incredible amount of variety and is a cool idea. On the other hand, if there’s a different Special Stage every time, no repeats, it would mean the player gets a completely new set of rules thrown at them to quickly learn and master every time they touch a Warp Ring. It also kills any sense of progression or difficulty escalation.

   Then again, they could just have one Special Stage type per character. That’s a thought.

   It’s a better thought than just the Sonic 2 halfpipe again, like we haven’t seen that a billion time before. (Am I allowed to say that Donnie?)

2. We’ve also seen widescreen versions of Sonic 3 in the back of developer photos.

   1. We have? I though it was still something he wanted to do, but for some strange reason SEGA didn’t approve it. https://www.change.org/p/sega-release-sonic-3-remastered

      1. I am referring to a screenshot from twitter where Sonic 3’s special stages were in widescreen on a screen in the background of a photo from one of the developers.

3. This article could use a update because Whitehead just posted this on Retro:
   “The info in the vid is incorrect, none of the press builds have the special stage. ”
   This means that the old special stages are brought back in this as something else probably akin to Sonic 3&K’s bonus stages.

4. Please no Blue Spheres, I honestly hate that type of Special Stage. The sharp 90 degree angles having to get every single damn sphere but then you’re going too fast and collide head-on into one of the Red Spheres.
   Idk, personal grudge honestly. CD’s, 3D Blast, and Sonic 1’s I like the most personally, as well as the half-pipe in Sonic 2, but came along Rush perfected that type of Special Stage. I also recall the Saturn version of 3D Blast having a pretty nice half-pipe stage but I’ve yet to play that version.

   1. Agreed, I never understood why people loved Blue Spheres so much. Never been able to get far in a single one without pulling my hair out.

      Frankly I don’t think I have a favourite Special Stage type, though I kind of like Generations 3DS’ because they’re an improvement over Sonic Heroes’ SSes.

      1. I liked generations 3DS special stage as well! I also love the music.

   2. I think I can tell there will be special stages to get the chaos emeralds.

5. Too bad Frame Trap not their normal podcast so I don’t think they’ll go back and do corrections.

6. Off-topic comment on Sonic Forces:

   Not sure if this has been considered yet:

   What if three styles of gameplay were just that: gameplay styles? What if 2D stages, 3D stages on rails, and this third style were the only numbers we have so far? What if SEGA made it so you can play as any of the other characters as well? The other caveat is you usually do not play as the other characters since they are primarily offering support from the sidelines via radio. If anyone gets a chance to chat or talk with Aaron Webber, please ask!

   1. That’s basicly what I suggested this whole time honestly. Keep the same styles, just give them movesets to fit into said styles. Advance did it, Rush did it, and if modders of Generations could tweak things into making semi-accurate character powers and traits, then this game can do it too.

      1. Also Sonic & The Black Knight and Sonic Adventure (Tails gameplay) did it, no to mention the Sonic World fangame which feels like a combination of Boost and Adventure gameplay.

         1. Totally agree! There is plenty of years of Sonic games that show plenty of the other characters are equally fun in the same levels as Sonic. Sonic R is another lesser example of this.

      2. Let’s hope so! The “Forces” name suggests more than just Sonic duking it out with Eggman. I would prefer other characters being playable. We have been suggesting for years that they do this and hopefully SEGA does it right. I mean, Knuckles could work in Boost stages too. Just play Sonic or Shadow’s stages in Sonic Adventure 2 using cheats to play as Rouge, Knuckles, Tikal, Chaos, Metal Sonic or Amy. It is quite enjoyable!

         1. But…. They already said the other characters were NCP’s

         2. You are absolutely correct, Axx! Sorry if my comment may have misled anyone. I missed/forgot about that recent headline:

            “As the level progresses, side-characters like Knuckles, Amy, and some members of the Chaotix communicate with Sonic via radio as if to report in on what they’re seeing during the assault. Sega tells us that though these characters are present in the game, they are not playable.”

            Source: Sonic Forces: Amy, Knuckles, Chaotix Members Confirmed as NPCs
            http://www.tssznews.com/2017/03/17/sonic-forces-amy-knuckles-chaotix-members-confirmed-as-npcs/

7. There might be special stages to get the chairs emeralds.

   1. Yeah the plot of Mania is that Robotnik is searching for the Chairs Emeralds to make the most comfortable ergonomic seat ever for his latest eggmobile, this is also why you revisit old levels because the location of some of the Chairs Emeralds are tied to broken pieces of leather and cushion from his old eggmobiles and he’s sent in the Hard Boiled Heavies to look for them.

      1. Sorry I meant chaos emeralds.

         1. That’s a wicked plot XD

8. People ask why do we like the blue spheres special stages:
   1- The music…just the music.
   2- It’s actually more challenging in a good way.
   3- It’s fast based, especially in the end.
   4- Those sharp 3d sprites.
   5- The circle trick ( at least that’s what I like to call it) where you can walk around a bunch of spheres and they’ll turn into rings.
   6- The music dude.
   7- Moon walking (looks like that wasn’t the only thing Jackson added to this game)

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