It’s no exaggeration to say that when Sonic Mania was released in August, critics and casual Sonic fans alike were jubilant. Here at GameSkinny, we said it was “a game you can’t afford to miss out on,” and we certainly weren’t alone in singing its praises. Years of inconsistent Sonic releases had somewhat tarnished the franchise’s reputation, so when Sonic Mania showed up to remind us of the old-school games’ platforming greatness, we just couldn’t get enough.
Flash-forward to April 2018, and Sega has announced that even more Sonic Mania is set to arrive July 17 in the form of Sonic Mania Plus, available now to pre-order for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch for $29.99. If you previously purchased a digital copy of Sonic Mania on PC or console, an Encore DLC pack will be available for $4.99 to upgrade to the latest and greatest version once it’s hit the shelves.
New to Sonic Mania Plus is the ability to play as two old-school Sonic characters — Ray the Flying Squirrel and Mighty the Armadillo — as well as “Encore mode,” which breathes new life into old zones. Updates to Competition and Time Attack modes will now allow for four-player competition, and players can take on ghost challenges in time trials.
All of this Sonic-y goodness will also be available in a physical edition that includes a 32-page artbook, holographic packaging, and a (totally awesome) reversible SEGA Genesis cover.
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Stay tuned to GameSkinny as July 17 approaches, and be sure to catch up on all of our Sonic Mania coverage to help tide you over until then.
