Sega has yet to announce an official date for the title, but considering that the date was given in a trailer, it seems likely that the Sonic Mania will in fact launch August 15. However, the North American Steam page for Sonic Mania retained the “Summer 2017” launch window that we’ve known, and at publication, the European trailer has reverted back to a summer 2017 window as well.
Sonic Mania, which remixes classic Sonic stages like Green Hill Zone and Flying Battery Zone, in addition to new levels, was last shown at SXSW in March. Sega announced that although the game would miss its spring launch, it would arrive before the end of summer.
Originally unveiled as part of Sega’s 25th-anniversary celebration for the iconic franchise, Sonic Mania faithfully follows the 16-bit aesthetic of the three numbered Sonic the Hedgehog titles, as well as Sonic & Knuckles, all of which launched on Sega Genesis in the early ’90s. Early Sonic titles are widely considered to be the pinnacle of the series more than 25 years later, and Sonic Mania will let users play as everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog, and also as Tails and Knuckles.
Sonic Mania will be available for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It’s still unclear how much the game will cost at launch, but it’s not likely to go for the traditional $60 tag, given that the super cool collector’s edition is just $70. With E3 fast approaching, we should learn Sonic Mania‘s official launch date and price in a few weeks, if not sooner. At E3, we also expect to learn more about Sonic Forces, the next 3D game in the franchise that bears a promising resemblance to Sonic Generations. Sonic Forces is slated for 2017 for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.
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