The world’s fastest hedgehog is back, blazing through richly colored landscapes at dizzying speeds, with a bumping 8-bit soundtrack to boot. Sonic Mania Plus is a remastered update of the Blue Blur’s old-school exuberance, this time around with a few new characters and callbacks to the halcyon days of Sonic’s golden era.  

If you’re ready for the ultimate journey back to ’90s gaming bliss, read on and find out everything you need to know about Sonic Mania Plus.

What’s Sonic Mania Plus all about?

A modern update on the charming retro visuals and gameplay of the original, Sonic Mania Plus features well over a dozen stages and bonus levels that build off and elevate those of the old-school games, not to mention a few Easter eggs that nod to Sonic lore. 

Along with new characters to play, the Plus edition includes Encore Mode, a new epilogue spread across remastered stages, and even lets players tag out between Sonic and other characters mid-play to help in more advanced levels of the game.

What kind of game is Sonic Mania Plus?

Much like the original, Sonic Mania Plus is a 2D platformer where you maneuver through obstacles and challenges across various levels. The main objective is tearing through enemies by building up momentum and quickly darting through stages at high speeds. Players can ramp up the pace by running through boosters and even roll into a ball to clear gaps and break through barriers.

In addition to going really fast, carefully explore each level for valuable collectibles known as chaos emeralds hidden throughout the landscape. Once you reach the end of a particular world, you’ll face off against the evil Dr. Robotnik and his new devious gadgets.

Who do you play in Sonic Mania Plus?

In Sonic Mania Plus, the leading trio of characters are Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles “Tails” Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna. While each character shares the basics of traversal and combat, they also possess individual special abilities: Sonic’s agility allows him to drop into a high-powered roll after landing a jump, Tails can fly and swim faster than anyone else, and Knuckles can glide on and climb walls. 

With the Plus edition, two new characters, Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel, have been added to the mix. For the uninitiated, Mighty and Ray are two characters who first appeared in the arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog, and later in the Sega 32X game Knuckles’ Chaotix. Mighty’s special abilities include a ground slam and being able to roll across spike traps, and Ray possesses advanced flight abilities that allow him extended airtime.

How hard is Sonic Mania Plus?

Much like the classic Sonic games, Sonic Mania Plus is easy to get into but challenging to master. The early to middle levels give you a feel of the overall vibe and structure, but the later stages can truly test your traversal skills and sense of timing. The bonus rounds, in particular, represent the game’s most challenging obstacles to overcome — best for players already comfortable with the fundamentals of the game. 

Where and when can I play Sonic Mania Plus?

You can play Sonic Mania Plus right now, via the Netflix mobile app (iOS and Google Play), for free with your Netflix subscription. 

What else should I check out if I want more Sonic?

If you’re looking for more Sonic the Hedgehog, check out the animated series Sonic Prime, which sees the witty hedgehog and friends go on some wild multiverse adventures, and the lauded anime series Sonic X.

What’s the maturity rating for Sonic Mania Plus?

Sonic Mania Plus is rated E for everyone.

Check out Sonic Mania Plus and more on Netflix mobile games.