Stardust Speedway IS the speed level. There's even an achievement for doing it fast enough. Really puts you to the test

You should play again as Knuckles. He has an entirely different Green Hill Act 1, fixes your problem with Mirage Saloon, and has a different boss for Lava Reef Act 2. Also the 3rd phase of Metal Sonic has been updated since this video.

27:48 “it wouldn’t be a sonic the hedgehog game without the 7 chaos emeralds and a true final boss” So forces isn’t a sonic game? I’m fine with that

with how good Sonic Mania was, it is pretty crazy that the story of mania directly ties in with sonic forces

"Sonic Mania has been out for a little over two months now". Me: watching this video 4yrs later...

Sonic Mania basically took everything from its 2-D predecessors and mashed it up into one big mega bomb of a great game that I'm sure blew everyone's minds when they played it. Hopefully we get many more 2-D Sonic games to come from this one doing so well.

"Feels oddly nostalgic" "I like the Greek pillars"He was a Greek in a past life.

"Sonic jumps into a giant gun." This deserves an Oscar.

I've never actually experienced the spike trap boss fight with Metal Sonic. He's always gone into his "Phantom state (if you will)" for me instead

I love that at 14:56 you can see eggman in the background. I love that attention to detail

I loved sonic mania. It was my first sonic game. Also bick, I'm really glad you're expanding your content. I think it's a pretty good choice due to you having a decent audience size now. And your audience is familiar with your personality so expanding your content isn't a problem at all. This is a really well made video and the script must've taken a long time. Good job dude.

In mirage saloon zone, if you play as knuckles you don’t do the sky chase part and instead get a cool new act 1 with new music etc.

Something I really love about the Flying Battery Act 2 that you forgot to mention is how, with some exploring, you can switch from Flying Battery to Wing Fortress from Sonic 2 at times!

I do agree the final boss was a little underwhelming. Imagine something on the scale of Sonic 3 & Knuckles' final boss, not only talking about Doomsday Zone but the buildup to the Doomsday Zone fight.

I love the references to fan games as well, for example the jello from cpz act 2 was taken from techno hill zone, from srb2, titanic monarch was probably inspired by titanic tower, a level from sbts, and the studiopolis boss could be a reference to storm station, from sats. Sega still does what nintendon't.

it took me 3 years to click on this video

Fun fact: press garden is infinitely tall.

The way you say "Hydrocity" like how Megamind says it has me reeling

For the weather boss, sometimes Eggman can get to a height where you can't reach him, until the heat from the heat lamps makes him fall. As for the spider boss, sometimes you can land a hit with a spin dash, though if you miss you'll be hitting the spikes yourself.

Really digging these review type videos, awesome work.

- So, bickuribox12, which zones did you prefer ? - Yes.

I still love the fact that titanic monarchs theme has dial-up sounds in it

Sonic Mania felt more like a remake/remaster than a sequel to 3&K. It was great and all, but I'm still kinda waiting on that "true successor" to 3&K.

This was the shortest 30 min video I have watched,it was so informative

This is your best video in my opinion. Great job man.

Man thinking this video came out 5 years ago makes me feel really old and the difference in pitch of bickuris voice compared to now honestly a great video and I love how much love and care goes into these videos they aren’t quick 12-15 minute videos you take your time to make sure the content is good quality thank you for making videos I love your channel and your content please make sure to keep it up and hope you get more recognition than you do already also congrats on your sonic origins video getting 1 million views (it is at 1 mil views at the time of making this comment) and congratulations on 100k subs this is a big milestone and I’m happy that you got to this milestone

This was amazing, please do more!

It’s been 5 years … and it’s still the best sonic game

The music is what makes this actual perfection

Why was this recommended to me 5 years after release, when I bought the game and it’s dlc three times, and 100%ed it 2 times 💀

5:10 reminds me of Shovel Knight, the Mole Knight stage, where you can kick gel into lava to make it bouncy to able to progress through the level.

Nice work on this :) I agree with your review of it being near perfection. If only this came from sonic team lmao. One thing I mentioned in my own sonic video was that Sonic Forces has an uphill battle because of this game. Everyone is going to compare Forces to Mania, which isn't exactly fair. Mania is kind of a double edge sword for Sega. As amazing as it is, people will water down their enjoyment for Forces because its not the same as the masterpiece that is mania. Good review :)

i honestly like your non-rotmg content more, do more pls

Can never get enough of that voice, keep up the good stuff 😉

I love watching these types of these videos to see how games are to get inspiration but this video is great 👍.

Sonic Mania is great except for Titanic Monarch. That zone can kiss my ass.

Sonic Mania *is* perfection, indeed. Six years after its release and that hasn't changed a bit.

I got a Sonic Mania ad while watching this. Even though the game came out nearly 5 years ago, it made this video better by this ad being here

Great timing! I was just thinking about Sonic Mania earlier.

As a Self Proclaimed Knuckles Main in Sonic Mania, Seeing a Lot of the Sonic gameplay took me a bit by surprise, especially the Mirage Saloon act 1 part. Because I lowkey forgot about the automated section. Since Knuckles gets yeeted off the plane in the beginning, and you are forced to play a different route. That being said, Knuckles Gameplay is surprisingly different because of who Knuckles is. He is a bit more of a loner and while in the end he does have the same goal he has his own way of getting there. And I love it!!

It’s Hydrocity (Hy•dr•Ōh•sit•ee) not Hydrocity (Hy•draw•sit•ee)

This review sold me on this game. Thank you 🙏

Just finished this with my 4yo and what a game! I grew up playing the classic Sonic-games, and Mania really succeeds in balancing nostalgia with innovation, making it the ultimate Sonic Title.

Sonic origins makes this age better. Sad that headcannon may never get a chance to make a second game.

The definitive best Sonic game (in the last 10 years at least), it’s probably my personal favourite tbh it’s so replayable!

Rewatching this video in the hope that it will make me feel less miserable about Superstars

"Name a better duo than Barbie and Ken. I'll wait" Sonic and Tails, Medic and Heavy, Table and Chair, Tom and Jerry and Bread and Butter: 🗿

I just realized that guitar riff from the final boss is the Sonic forces theme

I'm new to the sonic franchise, and I think this will be one of mine first games I will play

Him: "High Dra City" Me: **eye twitches*** -------------------- All jokes aside, good review!

6:53 I love the funny homage they left here after you beat the boss, the TV in the background has the same constant hum sound that was heard during the infamous Sonic anniversary livestream

I like how Titanic Monarch Act 2 sounds more like if you are sneaking around the level because of the more quiet music. It remembers me of a lab level when I tried to sneak around the enemies mostly because of the quiet music.

13:31 I had no idea you had to spindash them, I would just bait it into a corner and kill it so it would launch those beam thingies at metal sonic

Why am i getting recommended this in 2022

This video is absolutely stellar. I already had planned to get this game for a while but you do such a great job at highlighting its strengths.

Special stages were *hard* in my opinion. They really kicked my ass, 4-5 attempts per emerald

While the Studiopolis Act 1 boss does drag and repeat a little too much, I just loved how Mega Drive it felt. It made my mind race to other classics like Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Heady and Vectorman, the latter of which I was also reminded of by the Sonic/Tails Mirage Saloon act 1 boss. That and Press Garden act 2 being absolutely doused in The Revenge of Shinobi references made me one happy 90's kid damn near 30 years later. Every pore of Mania is oozing with love from Chris' team and their clear passion and respect for the IP's roots. It's just plain tragic that we've heard nothing from Sega that so much as hints at another collaboration with them.

Yo, this is the first time I saw the original form of the second boss phase, and it’s as good as the one now. Thanks!

Just now saw this didn’t know it was a year old. Going agree with the people on your content that isn’t realms related is amazing.

Love how the metal sonic fight has changed

I don't even like Sonic that much and I still watched the whole video! Your voice is hypnosis!

Stardust speedway act 2's music is my favorite track in the game, it just makes me feel so freed, and so good, truly a musical masterpiece in my opinion

It's incredible how Sonic Mania still continues to hold up this day even amongst the divisive Classic Sonic Games that came after it, like Origins and Superstar. Just goes to show how much passion the fans put into making this game excellent.

I really like these game “reviewes“. Idk you just have the voice for this kinda stuff hehe. I would like if you would make more of this style of video.

The only sonic game you'll ever need. Fantastic

18:28 ......i have played this game for years....NEVER in my life have i noticed this. you have just blowed my mind

6:04 I cannot get enough of this!!! My favorite part is the piano solo!

5 years and mania is still good

7:46 reminds me of those stages in mario world where you have to hit the blocks in a certain order to get one ups

Great Video! As a HUGE fan of classic Sonic, I can't believe in my adult life I haven't had the opportunity to try Sonic Mania yet. That said, I'm going to cut and paste a comment I wrote on another channel, with minor tweaks. Looking at the gameplay of the original Sonic games, and Sonic Mania, with him bouncing off items in the stages, falling into tubes and piping zipping and looping in the inner walls of a stage to reappear elsewhere, breakable walls and grounds with secret areas, waterslides, snowboarding, swinging, boost pads, springs, and other items throwing sonic into high speeds, and robotic enemies with the animals in them that actually attack you, at least ONE carnival style, or cool thematic circus style stages with very creative and inspiring obstacles, and above all, you can actually EXPLORE the stages! You can find powerups, and extra lives hidden everywhere! The ONLY 3D Sonic game that features these legacy gameplay features of the 2D Sonic games is Sonic Adventure 1. Maybe that's why I seem to keep replaying SA1 over and over more than any of the other 3D games. The other 3D games did away (In my opinion) with all the gameplay elements that defined the Sonic games I loved when Yuji Naka left Sega. All you get now is so much boosting and rail grinding. ZERO stage explorations, uninspired humanoid looking orange robots to just blast through, and you cant enjoy the background environment that's just blurred for high speeds. And even if you stop, there's nothing worthwhile to explore. No hidden powerups to collect. Instead you customize Sonic's loadout before a stage starts (?????!!) by purchasing power upgrades (WTF)?! I'm speaking mostly on Sonic Generations and Unleashed, since I've given up on 3D Sonic after that. They weren't horrible games, they just wasn't my style of Sonic games. Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes are close seconds with the legacy gameplay (I'll give Heroes the closer nod) but still very, very distant from what SA1 achieved.

When I play the Stardust Speedway Act 2 boss, destroying the Silver Sonic robots makes them shoot laser balls, which if they hit Metal Sonic, he takes damage, and the fight after has a giant Metal Sonic that chases after you from behind

Another great video! I really enjoyed this review will you do more in future?

So weird how Metal Sonic's final phase is just... entirely different now. Like looking back on Mania with the hindsight of Origins, it was definitely unfinished. More finished than Origins but it lacked polish, that old patched-out Metal Sonic boss was probably just a polished up placeholder for playtesting while the team worked on the real final phase, the Phantom Metal Sonic Kai. Also you pronounced Hydro City wrong and as such I have reported your video for terrorism.

If you like a sonic game with lots of exploration, next holiday, sonic frontiers, (basically breath of the wild) is coming to Nintendo Switch!

Metallic Madness is one of the best Zones in this game. Also the background mechanic making its return is amazing.

30:48 Legitimately gave me goosebumps

Wow, I hadn't realised they changed the stardust speedway act 2 boss so much...

I felt so excited with the Mean Bean Machine reference ❤️

Oh my gosh… I absolutely forgot about the older metal sonic boss… just brought back a few memories

16:14 Mirage Saloon is not an original zone, it's level design actually is inspired by sonic CD's desert dazzle zone and sonic 2's Dust Hill zone. Its mostly tied to act 2 of mirage saloon

The spider mobile boss is really hard. At least for me. Flying battery itself isn’t that bad of a level. Act 2 was a bit frustrating (key word “was”) I could beat act 1 & 2 pretty easily, but it’s really hard to beat the boss in act 2. I understand that ur supposed to hit the spring-thingy-ma-jig into the spikes, but it’s really hard not to get hit back into the spikes. And react quick enough. (I think this is because mania is my second sonic game I’ve ever played. The first being forces…)

2:57 Fun fact about green hill clones:mushroom hill zone technically counts as one

🅱️enis

Wait with the metal sonic boss fight looks different whenever I play it it’s all the same until the end and then he becomes big and you have to spin dash into the glass that has the phantom ruby did they change the boss or something or is it because I’m playing on switch?

"Because Sonic is such a fast character, I can get from one place to another really quickly" Hm yes, the speed here is made out of speed

I like that the encore mode retcons the ending cutting the ties with forces lol.

So this is what a game review actually looks like... noice

I like 3 and knucklese more

Seeing a Sonic fan go through how they explore levels definitely has me interested to revisit this eventually. Was basically my first Sonic game (which I completed (the main game), anyway, had played bits of All Star Racing, had played a little bit of Unleashed), while I liked it well enough, I feel like I may have explored it too linearly. Also did the check point games which, I guess dragged a bit, so I should have skipped 'em.

Oh damn another upload

If it was a Mario game, it would never see the light of day. We are lucky Sega is more benevolent than Nintendo.

fun fact: one time when I was fighting the boss in studiopolis act 2 I apparently did a frame perfect trick at the last hit that softlocked my game no one has ever done this and I'm calling it a boss overflow BO for short and to do it you need to take the last hit on the boss and at the same frame the weather thingy IDK what it's called it only works on 120FPS Edit:when you do this the animal capsule doesn't come :) Edit 2:if you do it in speed hack then it doesn't work for some reason Edit 3:there's a new metal sonic 3rd phase LOL Edit 4:thanks for one like Edit 5:let's get to 10 likes Edit 6:I'm in a swimming pool right now omg

Can't wait for part 2!! Please!!!!!

Sonic Mania: _Pure Platforming Innovation and Appropriately Themed Obstacles_ Sonic Frontiers: "Let's copy paste the dash panel 800 times over and call it a day"

Actually, HEAVY King is only fought as Knuckles, because he tries to steal the Master Emerald (and Knux, remembering the events of S3&K, puts a stop to it PDQ), while the PHANTOM King is fought as Super Sonic.

You mentioned lava reef’s background gave off a feeling of having a story you didn’t quite understand. Well, Lava Reef Act 2 actually has a bit of lore to it. The massive hole in the cavern roof that Little Planet is visible through in its re-mechanized form (because of Eggman meddling with the phantom Ruby) is the same hole caused in Sonic and Knuckles or the latter half of Sonic 3 and Knuckles. It was created when the Death Egg crashed after Sonic stopped its relaunch at Launch Base. Obviously it’s no longer there due to the climax of the Angel Island Incident. But it’s a nice call back that also happens to establish where in the Classic Timeline the events of Mania’s lava reef take place. Because the Phantom Ruby makes you question everything.

I have nostalgia playing this during quarantine

5 years later still fun as ever!

Bro you literally told me alot of the game that I literally didn't wait to notice because my style of playing sonic games is to just beat it as fast as possible.

This is a must-have.