Sonic Mania: the game Sega handed to its fan developers

Sega published Sonic Mania on August 15, 2017 for PS4, Xbox One and Switch. Christian Whitehead, who started out making a Sonic fangame on his own engine, developed it with Simon "Stealth" Thomley's Headcannon and PagodaWest Games. The Windows version followed on August 29.

Whitehead's fan engine led to a Sega contract

Whitehead built the Retro Engine in 2007 for Retro Sonic, a fangame known for how closely it matched the originals. In 2009 Sega asked fans which old games they wanted on iOS. Whitehead answered with a video of Sonic CD running on an iPhone on that engine.

The video was taken down the same year. Eurogamer reported that Whitehead may have received a cease-and-desist letter from Sega, and Whitehead said that was false. By his own account it took "about a year or so" to convince Sega to let the port go ahead. It shipped in 2011 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone and Android.

Sega then commissioned Whitehead and Thomley to remaster Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for mobile, released in 2013 on the same engine. A 2014 proof of concept for Sonic 3 & Knuckles never got Sega's approval.

Sonic Mania started in 2015. Whitehead built a prototype called Sonic Discovery and showed it to series producer Takashi Iizuka, who suggested remixing levels from the early games and gave the project the working title that stuck. Iizuka described it as made "by the mania, for the mania."

PagodaWest's Jared Kasl handled level design and Tom Fry the art. The two had met on Sonic 2 HD, a fan remake that began as a community project on the Sonic Retro site. Kasl later said the programmer on that project basically "held the game hostage" and made sure people could not take screenshots. Fry called it "something of a gateway project" that made them realize "we could really make a go of this." PagodaWest grew out of it. In 2011 Fry won a Sega contest for the Sonic CD re-release. The prize was a soundtrack signed by the game's composer and art director.

Tee Lopes composed the music, partly because of his YouTube following and his work on Sonic 2 HD. Sonic Team stayed involved so the team would not "go off the rails into something that doesn't feel like Sonic."

Sonic Mania came out on consoles first and Windows two weeks later

Sega announced the game at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2016 next to Sonic Forces. It was first slated for the second quarter of 2017 and then delayed. Four days before launch, Sega moved the Windows version to August 29 for more optimization. Steam pre-order customers got the original Sonic the Hedgehog as compensation.

The PC release then drew a wave of review bombing over its Denuvo copy protection. Sega said an offline-play problem on launch day was a separate bug and patched it the next day.

A Genesis-themed collector's edition came with a 12-inch Sonic statue and a cartridge cast around a golden ring. To promote it, Sega shot a retro infomercial based on an American TV commercial for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, with former art director Kazuyuki Hoshino in it.

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Reviewers scored it 86 on Metacritic

In August 2017 the game sat at a Metacritic score of 86. Sega's Sonic account called it the highest-rated new Sonic game in 15 years. Metacritic lists the Switch and PS4 versions at 86, the Xbox One version at 83 and the PC version at 84. Sales passed one million copies by April 2018.

Sonic Mania Plus added Mighty, Ray and Encore Mode

Sonic Mania Plus launched on July 17, 2018 in North America and Europe and two days later in Japan. It came out at retail and as an upgrade for owners of the original. Mighty and Ray, who come from the 1993 arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog, became playable. Encore Mode replayed the levels with new layouts. The update also brought a four-player competitive mode. The retail box carried a 32-page art book.

Encore Mode drops lives. You hold a party of characters and swap between them, and falling into a pit takes everyone with you. The upgrade cost $5 for existing owners. Beyond Encore Mode, the stages changed in small ways: Green Hill Zone got a sunset palette and the Metal Sonic fight got harder. Iizuka said a physical release was not planned at first. The team added content to justify its price.

The team stayed together, but not for a Mania 2

In February 2019 part of the Mania team announced a new studio called Evening Star, based mainly in Los Angeles. Whitehead became creative director and lead engine architect, Tom Fry art director, Hunter Bridges technical and audio director and Brad Flick design director.

Evening Star and Sega did talk about the next Classic Sonic game. Whitehead told Game Informer in 2023 that "Sonic Mania 2 was never in development, though, because we actually agreed early on that we should try to make something fresh." He also denied rumors of bad blood with Sega. Iizuka's reason was reach: "When you make a 2D game using pixel art, you kind of end up targeting a very specific core audience." Evening Star did not take the concept into full production. Sega built Sonic Superstars with Arzest instead, and Iizuka said the next generation of Classic Sonic they had discussed "has been achieved with Superstars."

Evening Star's own first game was a 3D platformer. Penny's Big Breakaway came out on February 21, 2024 for Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, published by Private Division.

How to play Sonic Mania today

On PC the game is on Steam. When I checked on October 23, 2026, the page listed the base game at €19.99, the Encore DLC at €4.99 and a "Very Positive" rating with 93% of 14,468 English reviews positive. The minimum specs are modest: a Core 2 Duo, 2 GB of RAM, a 256 MB DirectX 9.0c card and 400 MB of disk space. The page still lists Windows 7, 8 and 10, but the Steam client itself has needed Windows 10 or later since January 1, 2024.

Phones got a version on May 7, 2024 through Netflix Games. Lab42, which Sumo Digital owns, developed it. Tantalus Media had earlier helped with the Switch port.

Questions people ask

What platforms is Sonic Mania on?

PS4, Xbox One, Switch and Windows at launch in August 2017. iOS and Android followed in 2024 through Netflix Games.

How much does Sonic Mania cost?

On October 23, 2026, Steam listed the base game at €19.99 and the Encore DLC at €4.99. The Plus upgrade cost $5 for existing owners when it launched in 2018.

What are the differences between Sonic Mania and Sonic Mania Plus?

Plus adds Mighty and Ray, Encore Mode with its party system in place of lives, a four-player competitive mode and some harder boss fights. Owners of the original could get Plus as downloadable content.

What happens if you get a game over in Sonic Mania?

You go back to the start of the zone, not the start of the game. Each zone has two acts, so losing your last life at the Act 2 boss means replaying both acts before you get another try.

Was Sonic Mania a good game?

The Switch version scored 86 on Metacritic, and the Plus version scored 91 on Switch. Multiple reviewers called Plus the definitive version, although one found its partner system more frustrating than the old lives system.

Is there a Sonic Mania 2?

No. Whitehead said in 2023 that it was never in development. Sega made Sonic Superstars with Arzest instead.