When I think of the perfect Sonic game, Sonic Mania is one of the very first games I think of and is easily my favourite 2D Sonic platformer of all time. It's not often that I play games and immediately play it after finishing it, but the Encore DLC was half off and I got it. I ended up being so engrossed in the game that I basically played it twice in one day, the 18th I beat Green Hill and Chemical Plant with 5 Chaos Emeralds while the 22nd (and a bit of the 23rd going past midnight) I beat the rest of the game and Encore mode. Coming out fresh from the game, I can say both versions are great in their own ways. Mania mode gives the original default experience which is catered more towards Sonic's kind of playstyle (unless you play Knuckles) while Encore slightly adjusts levels for each character to get their own times to shine. While I do like going through with the default Sonic and Tails combo in Mania mode, having to be extra careful of the replacement system for lives with the different characters makes for a much more challenging experience for those who got familiar with the game. The level choices for the returning remixed stages are all great, and while there are a few Zones I would've liked to see return, I think the final roster is honestly the best we could've gotten. Act 1 familiarizes us with the original stage, making a similar level layouts to their original sources with some changes, while Act 2 adds new gimmicks that can even make some stages I didn't like in their original games so much more enjoyable. For example: I didn't really care for Oil Ocean in Sonic 2, but Mania's version is much more enjoyable, especially with the toxic fumes of Act 2 or going inside the submarine for powerups. The maps are super large and expansive, meaning there is no proper way to beat levels and lots of secrets are to be found. Tee Lopes absolutely killed it with the music as well, I don't think there's a single bad track. For the new levels, all of them are really unique, especially Press Garden which is one of my favourite Zones. The sprites are absolutely gorgeous and the animations are smooth, making the game super visually appealing in every way. I think what makes Mania so good for me is that it takes the best parts of all the Classics and puts them into one, from the challenging platforming from Sonic 1, the crazy speeds from Sonic 2, the exploration from Sonic CD, and the lengthy but unique and gimmicky levels from Sonic 3 and Knuckles. You can tell really feel the passion from the developers and it results in such a beautiful game that has so much replayability and really is one of the best iterations of Sonic to date. Overall, I would say Sonic Mania is one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played and is one of the most worthy games of a 5/5 status, creating such a perfect Sonic game that everyone should try.