Sonic Mania makes me understand the appeal of 2D Sonic games. It makes me want to go through the whole series (except Sonic 1, because no) and play through all of them. Sonic Mania looks stunning and at its heights, it feels insanely satisfying to blast through the levels. To think that this level of polish was achieved by FANS?! Wow.

But Sonic Mania doesn't completely get rid of all of the awkward moments that you know and love from the other Sonic games. You know, slow paced sections and boss fights that can take a while. But I guess these are necessary to make the faster sequences feel more fun and rewarding. It's a double-edged sword.