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Sega is releasing two new Sonic the Hedgehog games this year that represent polar opposites of the sides of the franchise. On one hand, there's Sonic Mania. Due to release this summer, it’s a retro, 16-bit-styled 2D platformer that appears to ignore any Sonic games released after Sonic and Knuckles in 1994. And on the other end of the spectrum is Sonic Forces, the latest entry in the ongoing 3D Sonic series. The two Sonics were set back-to-back at Sega's booth — stand on one side of a wall, and you can play the re-created ghost of Sonic past; walk around to the flip side, and you can gaze upon Sega's vision for the future.
I got the chance to try the pairing, and it was an odd juxtaposition, like chasing a fine aged wine with Red Bull. Mania looks like classic Sonic not as it is (low-resolution), but as your remember it (sleek, HD). Sega has melded the original retro style with some smooth animations that give the character just a little more personality. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles’ sprites are all impressively detailed, and things like Sonic’s ears or Tails’, er, tails will subtly ripple in the wind when the characters are running. Gameplay is pure, classic Sonic — if you've played any of the Genesis Sonic games, you'll know exactly how Mania feels to play. Levels feature layered paths from one end to the other, and you get the overall sense that the game’s mandate is: the thing fans love but more.
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