Ever since its initial announcement last year, fans of the 2D style of Sonic the Hedgehog games have been waiting with bated breath for Sonic Mania. Sonic Mania promised, and from its trailers seems to fulfill, a return to the retro, 2D platforming style of Sonic seen in Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles.
The official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube channel recently released a new trailer for the game and in the trailer the release date was announced. Sonic Mania will be hitting stores August 15 and will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch. Starting today, the game is available for digital pre-order. You can watch the trailer below.
In Sonic Mania, classic Sonic characters, such as Sonic himself, Tails and Knuckles, will be playable. The game will not only bring back the classic gameplay mechanics of the early Sonic games, but will also include updated versions of classic levels, such as the return of the Flying Battery Zone, which originally appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, as well as several completely new levels.
The other new Sonic game fans are waiting for is Sonic Forces, which still has not been given a specific release date. However, in a recent trailer in which the game’s newly announced Custom Hero mechanic (which allows players to create their own playable Sonic character) was displayed, it was confirmed that the game will be out this Holiday season and will also be available for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch.