The 'Sonic' boom
Among video game fans, there's something called the Sonic Cycle — when a new "Sonic" game is announced and players get incredibly excited, and then the game comes out — with both good and bad results. With the game's uneven track record over the years that means sometimes people are let down. But when another new "Sonic" is announced, people get all jazzed up once again and the cycle continues. The good news is that there's every indication that "Sonic Mania," the latest addition, looks to be no dud.
The sprite-based game is a return to its 2-D roots, when kids in the early 1990s had to choose between two heroes: Mario, an Italian plumber, or Sonic, the blue hedgehog with attitude. The best "Sonic" games were not only a blast to play, but also beautiful and vibrant to look at with Sega's signature blue skies.