The new zones each successfully capture the spirit of what made the early Sonic stages so great during the franchise's glory days, and they seamlessly join the collection of retro zones.

Though it's a blast to see which classic stage Sonic Mania resurrects and reworks next, I wish Sega placed a heavier emphasis on all-new zones. Changes like these are exciting intersections of nostalgia and discovery as you witness these stages in new ways. For example, in Chemical Plant Zone, the second act introduces new gels that let you bounce higher and stick to walls, as well as ways to transform hazardous gels to helpful ones. However, though you may recognize Green Hill Zone from Sonic 1 or Hydrocity Zone from Sonic 3, myriad changes breathe new life into these familiar settings. The developers remade numerous classic levels. You'd be forgiven for thinking Sonic Mania is a Genesis game at first glance the sprites, stage elements, and backdrops all look authentic to those early titles. Though it took me a while to stop using this ability accidentally, once I retrained my muscle memory, I used it regularly to escape tight spaces in boss battles. Sonic has a new drop dash ability that lets him stop on a dime and transition from a jump straight into a spin dash. The moves accessible to Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails feel true to the early games. Critical elements like the way Sonic builds momentum and smaller details like how the camera lags slightly behind when he reaches full-speed are handled with care and precision. The team of independent developers behind the game paid attention to so many facets that fans of the original games remember.

Sonic Mania preserves the pleasure and thrill of speeding through a stage, grabbing every ring you can while bashing enemies along the way and discovering new routes. Sonic Mania is a beautifully made love letter to the classic days of the franchise, and it's also the best entry in more than two decades. With Sonic Mania, Sega wants to wipe away the last couple of decades and give fans a true successor to the beloved Genesis titles. Following Sonic the Hedgehog's meteoric rise to prominence in the early '90s, Sega tarnished the franchise's once sterling reputation with a long string of mostly disappointing entries.

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