SONIC MANIA PLUS: THE GENESIS SEQUEL FANS BUILT, AND IT IS STILL THE BEST

8.5 of 10 bananas. The classic Sonic that a team of fans built for SEGA, plus Mighty, Ray, Encore Mode, and four player competition. The best 2D Sonic in decades, with tough late bosses and a lot of remixed old zones.

By the Alpha. Switch cartridge listing. Updated Oct 29 2026.

Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, plus PS4, Xbox One, and PC (developed by Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, and PagodaWest Games, published by SEGA; Sonic Mania came out in August 2017 and the Plus physical edition in July 2018). The Amazon button is the Switch cartridge. At my Oct 29 2026 check it was sold and shipped by a third-party seller named GAMES R US, with few units left. The listing photo shows a European PEGI box, so this may be an import; Switch games are not region locked. Sellers and prices change, so look at the seller before you pay.

Store check, Oct 29 2026: new copies on offer from a third-party seller, GAMES R US, shipped by the seller, and stock looked low. The listing photo shows a European PEGI 3 box, so this may be an import. Switch games are not region locked. Prices and sellers change, so look before you pay.

Sit with me a moment. The best Sonic game of the last thirty years was not made by a big studio. It was made by fans who knew every pixel of the Genesis games and finally got the keys. Old apes like me felt seven years old again.

What It Wants To Be

Sonic Mania Plus is a 2D platformer built like a lost Genesis sequel. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles run through reimagined classic zones and brand new ones, with special stages and Blue Spheres bonus rounds. Plus adds Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel, Encore Mode with remixed zones and a character swap system, and four player Competition mode.

What Works

Sonic Mania earned some of the best reviews in series history, in the high 80s on Metacritic. The physics feel exactly like the originals, the remixed zones keep surprising you, and the new zones are among the best Sonic has ever had. The music and pixel art are perfect, and Encore Mode adds real replay value.

What Breaks

Listen well. A lot of the game remixes old zones, so it leans hard on nostalgia. Some bosses are clunky and the final stretch spikes in difficulty. Special stages can be frustrating. And the copy I checked came from a third-party seller with a European box and few units left.

Who Should Play

Play it if you love classic Sonic, pixel art, or fast 2D platformers. Skip it if you want new 3D Sonic; Frontiers and Shadow Generations are that path.

Related: Sonic Superstars, Sonic X Shadow Generations, Rayman Legends Definitive Edition.

Sources: Amazon Switch listing, checked Oct 29 2026, Metacritic, Sonic Mania on Wikipedia.

Affiliate note: this Amazon link supports the troop at no extra cost to you. One CTA per review. Platforms listed honestly above.