

Pacing isn’t as stellar as in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where multiple acts per zone were followed by three lengthier single-act zones, all leading up to an epic, multi-stage final battle aboard the Death Egg – in Sonic Mania Plus, things just kind of end after a drawn-out final fight, much like Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The entire campaign technically takes place in one long camera shot, then. Each zone has a transition cinematic of some sort, where the player and partner are controlled by the computer and make some sort of jump, leap, or run to the next area. When visiting classic zones such as Hydro City, while classic sections remain intact, they are interspersed with new areas to uncover secrets from – nothing is ever truly left alone, perhaps with the thinking that if you wanted to play the old stages exactly as they existed before, you could simply play an older Sonic game. The zone names may be the same, such as the classic Angel Island and Green Hill Zones, and culminate with a final boss battle in Titanic Monarch Zone, but the individual acts have been remade in a new Encore mode, with special areas for this entry’s new characters.

There are 13 zones to explore again, with two acts for all but the first – 25 acts total. Where to begin? Well, for starters, let’s go with the lengthy campaign.
