

Special stages, the topic of this guide, are 3D polygonal bonus stages inspired by those of Sonic CD. There were a few mini-bosses that could be beat before they even had time to complete a cycle of their attacks. Sonic Mania has two different types of 'bonus' levels: special stages and bonus stages. The issues that I had with Sonic Mania has nothing to do with the gameplay or level design, but I felt the mini-boss battles in the middle of an Act came off as uninspired and unremarkable. Dont worry, this doesnt overwrite any of the original game data, youll still be able.
SONIC MANIA LEVELS MOD
It might be difficult to expect to run through some of these levels without being met with a few game over screens. The way Mania Mod Manager works is that it replaces one of the levels in Sonic Mania with the user-made one. The first two stages are the same as the first two stages from Sonic Generations. However, there is a bit of difficulty spike in the later levels that require some quick platforming as well as knowledge of the level. It also feels very conservative in terms of gameplay and the chosen levels. Sure, there's enemies and spikes along the way, but there is nothing more exciting than running through a stage at top speed while avoiding obstacles and never slowing down. In a game all about speed, any route I took felt like I was getting to where I was going fast. Sonic Manias developers seem to have considered the level design much more. This opens up even more when you play through a level as Sonic, Tales, or Knuckles, who each have different abilities. Ever since the Sega Saturn days, Sonic the Hedgehog has had a rough ride. I've played through different Acts multiple times and found myself taking a different route each time. It can't be said enough how well designed each level of Sonic Mania is.
