So, Sonia Mania Plus.
It came out about a month ago, and rather than pushing a review out straight away, I
let it slide.
This wasn't a conscious decision.
It just happened, and so I thought, well, that's gone now, it's too late.
But then, I also thought, for christ's sake man, you spend most of your life reviewing
software from 30 odd years ago.
What the hell is a month in the grand scheme of things?!
Seems like I made a valid point to myself there.
So, let's take a look at Sonic Mania PLUS edition.
Sonic Mania was a fantastic game itself, especially when running through a nice CRT like this
one, but I presume this new outing, or upgrade, is like the Master System Plus, in that it
contains all the action of the original game, but with a FRICKIN' LASER GUN and Operation
Wolf thrown in for good measure.
Hmmmm, no mention of Operation Wolf here.
Maybe it's more like an Amiga 500+, and just has some more RAM and an enchanced chip set?
Well... let's find out.
To start with, the packaging is different.
We haven't got that huge monstrosity of a statue for one thing, but the less we talk
about that
the better.
I've got the Xbox ONE and Switch versions here, mainly because Sega sent me the Xbox
ONE version in error.
What I really wanted was the Switch version as I reckon this will make a tremendous handheld
game.
The packages may appear the same size, but the Switch version is padded out with extra
cardboard, making it possible to fit this art book inside.
Hmmmmm, look at all the art...
Mmmmm, prototype art.
Yesss.
More art.
I love the art.
The game box itself also has a secret in the shape of a reversible cover, which turns this
Nintendo game box into a Sega Mega Drive box...
I never thought I'd see the day.
It's a nice touch, but the cartridge is still way smaller than a Mega Drive cart.
In any case, you can download the Plus edition as DLC for the original, under the title of
"Encore DLC", so all this plastic is really unnecessary if you have Sonic Mania.
LET US PLAY.
Initially, all seems very similar to the non plus outing, with the addition of a kidnapping
Robotnik passing by, but then, ahhhh, a new menu and indeed new menu options.
Delightful.
Let's see where they lead.
Now at this point, I would like to stress that I have a monumentally low span of attention
when it comes to games produced in the last couple of decades, even if they're incredibly
good.
It's like by 1998 by brain was so filled to the brim with gaming sensations that it added
a limiter, and anything that exceeds my patience just makes me sick.
So although Sonic Mania was a great game, my excitement just isn't going to be in the
same place for this upgrade.
I'm going to have to concentrate hard on these differences to get through.
So we have the original Mania mode all good and present.
But that is soooo 2017.
Encore Mode is where the main bulk of this release hides, although why the DLC is called
"Encore", yet the whole game package is called "Plus" mystifies me.
Lurking within here, the first you you'll notice is palette changes.
For the most part, these are the same levels as Mania, but with different colours.
But.. we do also get some new routes, and that's mainly because we have new characters
to utilise them.
We unlock these characters at the end of the first act, and their names are Mighty and
Ray.
Mighty seems like a laudable fellow.
Not only is he immune to spikes in his ball form, but also has a hammer-drop ability,
which can be used where appropriate, and indeed, where not.
Ray on the other hand has a gliding ability, just like Mario with a cape, although, a little
less useful in the Sonic landscape.
Ray is more of a character for the adept Sonic aficionado; younger or inexperienced players
may find him (or her) a sack of arse to begin with, but the ability is a grower, and offers
a change of pace if nothing else.
Combined with Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, these two new guys in the fold allow for the real
heart of encore mode; switchable characters.
You amble through with two, as you would with Sonic and Tails, but can swap between them
at a press of a button.
You'll also get the opportunity to switch which characters you're using through special
item boxes or DEATH.
Unlike the traditional life formula, your lives in Encore, are literally the characters
you have.
When one dies, another will join you, until all are depleted, in which case you have to
restart the zone.
It's nice, it works well and it's certainly a creative & lateral game mechanic.
In addition we also get some new cut scenes and takes on the bosses, which I won't spoil
for you here.
Suffice to say, you may like them, you may not.
This outlook also applies to the new bonus stages, which require 50 rings to access,
rather than the previous 25, and throw you straight into a pinball game.
The aim here is to get your ball up to successively higher areas, in a bit to unlock those elusive
chaos emeralds.
You can also get characters and the like back through this crane mini-game, and it works
well enough.
But, it is pretty hard, and I would have preferred a more literal take on Sonic Spinball than
the quirkyness on show here.
The physics of the table also seem to hail from another Universe.
Maybe gravitational forces work differently here.
For me, nothing beats this bonus stage.
That pretty much wraps Encore mode up.
In these other modes, we get to choose from all the new characters, but also we can play
with up to FOUR players in Competition.
This is nice.
This is fun.
I like this.
And that folks, is pretty much it.
I didn't spend very long playing it, mainly as you know it's a game where the quality
will be consistent throughout.
Sonic Mania exudes the markings of a good game from start to finish, and if you've got
the time and inclination to play it again, albeit, slightly differently, then go for
your life.
Sonic Plus does have a number of compelling additions and changes, and indeed some levels
are more than just alternative routes.
They're not the same as these fan instilled changes for the "Game Boy Beyond", hailing
from a Sonic Mania Reddit post created before we even got a wiff of these new expansion,
but whether that's for the better or worse is somewhat subjective.
What even is the Game Boy Beyond?
Anyway...
Is it enough to buy an entire new game?
Well, if you're a big fan of Sonic Mania, sure.
You'll get to play through the game again, with a new look, features, characters and
routes.
But even more likable is the Encore DLC; because for just a few quid, you get exactly the same
additions.
You can't really go wrong.