Sonic Mania Adventures: Papercraft Edition

Sonic Mania Adventures: Papercraft Edition

Original Release Date: January 19th, 2019 / February 14th, 2019

In today's hyper-online world, when we live so much of our lives through social media and our phone screens, the question must truly be asked: Where does an advertisement end and everything else begin? There is now an industry of "influencers" and "content creators" who are paid by companies to shill their products, usually while disguising it as their honest opinion or as a regular post. Shockingly, many of their young followers then go out and buy these products. It's gotten so bad that YouTube actually forces uploaders to specify if their videos contain paid advertisements. Unavoidably, we have reached a point where, when looking at anything we see on the internet, we have to wonder if something is trying to be sold to us. We are constantly inundated with advertisements, trying to influence our opinions and sway our wallets, to the point that it's hard to distinguish them from everything else.

This raises some complicated questions of its own: When do advertisements end and art – an expression of something from inside the person making it – begin? To say that "commercials can't be art" is demonstratively false at this point. Corporations have hired critically acclaimed filmmakers like David Lynch or Jonathan Glazer to run wild and make weirdo short films out of sixty second spots. A case can be made that some of the great documentarian Errol Morris' most iconic works are fucking Apple commercials. We live in a society, a capitalistic one, and that infects everything we do. Drawings, paintings, sculptures, songs, books, movies: We sell them for money. Does that mean that everything, no matter how sincerely made by the artist for its own sake, is an advertisement for itself? If that is the case, then surely it cuts both ways. Something made simply to sell a product can also be art. 

Don't you love it when I open a review for a stupid "Sonic" meme video with a philosophical discussion? The truth is that most beloved pop culture franchises exist to sell something. That is the nature of the beast. "Transformers," "He-Man," "Ninja Turtles," and "Power Rangers" were all shows created to sell toys and that has done little to stop them from developing die-hard fan bases who are touched, moved, and inspired by them. The creation of fan work – art made strictly for its own sake, with no intention of monetary compensation, inspired by commercial work! – suggests that this conversation is much stickier than it seems. "SatAM" was a cartoon made to sell "Sonic the Hedgehog" video games but its stories, characters, and themes resonated with me so deeply that it still influences my life thirty years later. If you are immersed in any fandom, this is probably the case. Maybe artistic expression is such a fundamental part of the human soul that we can't help but sneak something of ourselves, a feeling or thought that we hold deeply about life and the world, into the most mercenary of work. Are the burger flippers, house painters, plumbers and trashmen not artists in their own ways? Idunknow. 

I bring this up because, after the success of "Sonic Mania Adventures" in 2018, somebody at Sega's advertising department realized they still had some copies of "Sonic Mania Plus" to move. In order to push the title back into people's timelines, perhaps reaching some dedicated Sonic fan who didn't yet own it, they commissioned two short animations to post on their YouTube channel. Tyson Hesse was busy I guess, so someone else – uncredited, as far as I can tell – was hired to make some much cheaper, quicker, far less elaborate animations. While "Sonic Mania Adventures" immediately became a beloved classic among fans, nobody has said much about "Papercraft Mania Adventures" since its two episodes were posted in the early months of 2019. I've got nothing better to do today so let us try and examine why this is the case. 

The first episode of the "Papercraft Edition" of "Sonia Mania Adventures" is called "Snow Sculpting Contest." It involves three teams – made up of Mighty and Ray, Sonic and Tails, and Amy and Knuckles – having a snow sculpture contest. They each use their special skills to build sculptures. The viewer is then asked to decide who the winner is. The second installment, called "Valentine's Day," is a little more narratively driven. For unexplained reasons, Eggman has disguised himself as a jewelry store owner and seems to be selling the Chaos Emeralds as enormous rings. Sonic grabs them, because he wants to become Super Sonic. Knuckles and Amy both see the hedgehog carrying around all seven Dragonballs and draw their own conclusions from it. Knuckles thinks Sonic has stolen his EMEROWDS and Amy thinks they are gifts for her. A chase ensues, ending with the reveal that the jewels were never real to begin with. Knuckles and Amy take matters into their own hands. 

While "Sonic Mania Adventures" told a story, invoked emotions, and contained thematic ideas, it's much easier to dismiss these "Papercraft Editions" as nothing but commercials. The first one especially. The way it presents a series of events simply to ask the viewer to respond makes it, in the parlance of our times, engagement bait. We don't know why Sonic and friends are building these snow sculptures. We don't know who wins. There's no rising action, plot twist, or climax. I spent too much time on Letterboxd and there's a lot of debate over there about what a "film" actually is. Is a TV show, a music video, or a YouTube video essay a "film?" The debate rages on with no end in sight. However, it's difficult for me to classify "Snow Sculpting Contest" as a movie. I guess we get some reflection into everyone's personalities from what they build and how they do it. But it's not really telling a story or making a point, is it? 

At least "Valentine's Day" is telling a story. Not a good one, mind you. What did Eggman hope to accomplish by dressing up as the proprietor of a jewel store – which looks more like a hot dog cart – and selling Sonic bogus Chaos Emeralds? The hedgehog does not trade money or services for these artifacts, so it wasn't to make a profit. Does it make Sonic look like a fool? Yeah, I mean, I guess. To what end though? Why does the mere sight of Sonic holding the regular Emeralds, not the Master Emerald mind you, awaken Knuckles from his slumber and enrage him? And why does he smash Eggman's cart afterwards? Why does he need Amy's hammer to do it? Knuckles is perfectly capable of smashing things on his own! Are both of them simply expressing the anger they feel about being duped? As vague as "Valentine's Day" is... At least it is telling a story of some sort. There is a degree of dramatic tension here. It does more than merely exist and distract the eyes with some bright colors for a few minutes. 

Truthfully, I think "Valentine's Day" functions primarily to do something Sega loves: Give Sonic/Amy shippers some hope that the pretend romance between these two cartoon hedgehogs they are very invested in actually exists without confirming anything one way or another. Amy is obviously enamored of Sonic and, seeing him carrying a butt load of rings with big rocks on them, brings obvious connotations to mind. At the very least, she imagines them receiving them as gifts at a romantic gesture, if not thinking of them as engagement rings. Sonic isn't interested though. He's so not interested that, the minute he sees Amy behind him, he willingly gives Knuckles the rocks. Sonic is so disinterested in making Amy think he has any feelings for her that he immediately concedes to his brawny rival rather than have the girl get any ideas. Despite that, certain audiences will use this cartoon as evidence that the fast blue hedgehog truly, deeply loves the little pink one. So it goes. 

What value is there to these "Papercraft Editions?" They certainly don't feature the lovingly rendered hand drawn and painted animation of the proper "Mania Adventures" shorts. This so-called papercraft is much, much cruder. That's by design, obviously. The charm of animation like this – ostensibly assembled by arranging specifically cut paper into various shapes and photographing it in sequence – is that it has a handmade, simplistic quality that reminds us of playing with constructed paper in kindergarten. I kind of doubt that these shorts were made with real papercraft, the old fashion way. One assumes it was all done digitally. However, it does look cute. There is certainly a charm to these images, despite the unavoidable feeling that this format was chosen more so because it's a lot faster to produce than regular animation. 

These two videos also carry on the gimmick of the first five "Sonic Mania Adventures" episodes by using music and sound effects from the games. That continues to strike me as an extremely fun, entertaining choice. However, while the series these two cartoons spun off from was undoubtedly an achievement, it's much harder to consider these "Papercraft Editions" as anything but cute little commercials. Harmless, sure. Eggman wearing a fake mustache over his real mustache in the second one is a good joke. Stuff like this, however, truly straddles the line between a creation worthy of in-depth conversation and a thing that pops up on your phone, you chuckle at and give a heart or thumbs-up to, before immediately scrolling onto the next distraction. (Though that didn't stop me from writing an in-depth examination of them... Good God, what am I doing with my life?) Is it art or is it merely "content?" I guess you can argue about that but I know I'm never going to think about these again after I finish typing these words. [5/10]

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 6: From A. Rose

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 6: From A. Rose

Original Release Date: December 25th, 2018

I've pointed this out before but it bears repeating. Sonic the Hedgehog, for whatever reason, has a strong association with Christmas. The most evident reason for this is not hard to figure out: This is a cutesy franchise for kids, designed to sell video games and consoles. Exactly the kind of thing an eager child would ask Santa Claus for once December draws near. It probably doesn't hurt that the Japanese love the secular visuals of the holiday, incorporating red and white hats, evergreen trees, colorful lights, and snowy vistas into the kawaii mascot culture the country is deeply enamored of. This is so common that cute anime girls in a "Santa Skirt" outfit has become a trope onto itself. Since Sonic is also a huggable mascot, it makes sense that his creators would often stick a Santa hat on his head and have him delivering presents. That ice themed levels are common features in the games, tying in closely with the areligious Japanese version of the celebration, furthers the connection. I'll let you know if I ever come across official art of Sonic and friends having a festive KFC feast or of Blaze being compared to day old cake. 

Obviously, a "Sonic" Xmas special is not without precedence, as I've explored in the past. Because of this – and also, I imagine, a desire to drum up some more sales during the holiday buying season – "Sonic Mania Adventures" would have one more episode tagged on in late December, several months after its main run seemingly concluded. This final episode would also spotlight the fourth corner of the Classic Sonic series' heroic cast that had, up to this point, been excluded from the YouTube animations. I guess Tyson Hesse isn't a totally despicable monster and felt he owed it to the Amy Rose fans to focus an episode on her, after leaving the pink hedgehog out of "Mania Adventures'" main narrative. In that sense, this extra installment operates as a two-fold treat: A holiday bonus and a chance to see a long-time character in animation again. 

"From A. Rose" actually picks up right where the previous episode left off, with Eggman and Metal Sonic thrown a great distance by Knuckles' fist. They land in the jungle and, disgusted by his latest defeat, Eggman leaves Metal Sonic laying on the ground there. The seasons past and winter arrives. Soon, the mechanical minion is buried in a heavy layer of snow. That's when Amy Rose stumbles across the robot, buried in the frosty layer. At first, she's frightened by his appearance. However, after pulling out of the path of a falling tree, Amy grows a little fond of the machine. She patches Metal Sonic up, slaps a bow on him, and delivers him right to Eggman's door step. It is a gift that the doctor, after a minute of consideration, accepts. Aww, ain't that sweet? 

The "Sonic" series has never been the best at female representation. Being a relic of nineties "no girls allowed!" childish sexism, the series didn't have any real female characters for its first two installments. When the first prominent heroine in the games was introduced, she still only filled the role of a helpless damsel in distress, like so many princesses and captured babes before her. Attempts have been made over the years to correct this oversight. More women have appeared in the games. (Though whether you consider sexy femme fatale, a mom and a toddler, and Token Girls on otherwise all male teams to be forward thinking or not is up for debate.) The comics and cartoons have added more diverse women to the cast, though the movies still aren't there yet. The biggest way Sega has addressed the "Sonic" series' gender imbalance was making Amy Rose more of an independent character in her own right in "Sonic Adventure," who didn't need a blue hedgehog to fight her battles for her. By the time we got to "Sonic Boom," Amy was mostly allowed to exist without the baggage of being defined solely as "Sonic's girlfriend."

This is a development that the Classic branch of the "Sonic" series has struggled to incorporate. Modern Amy hardly defies gender roles, still being extremely pink and classically girly in most ways. Her tendency to smash shit with an oversized hammer is born largely out of negative stereotypes about feminine rage, after all. Classic Amy, with her frilly skirt and short stature and perfect little bows on her shoes, continues to exist in mostly a supporting roles. She's been playable in the weird spin-off racing and fighting games – where she gained her mallet for the first time – but wouldn't be playable on a mainline "Sonic" until last year. Tie-in media has attempted to expand this version of the character beyond her crush on Sonic. Her status as a friend to the animals, dabbling in divination, and generally a loving and kind person have been focused on more lately. This has done little to move Amy past her role as The Chick in the classic corners of the franchise. That she got left out of "Mania" all together, when obscurities like Ray and Mighty were included, maybe didn't make for the best optics either. 

I can't help but I imagine that this was a factor in making the "Mania Adventures" holiday special about Amy. She is, in fact, the protagonist here. She discovers Metal Sonic and it is her kindness and love of all sentient life – something Sonic would not be expected to show towards this particular foe – that drives what little story exists here. That Amy cleans up Metal Sonic and returns him to his "family" of sorts certainly doesn't defy her conforming to feminine archetypes of being a nurturer and a caregiver. At the same time, that she protects a deadly enemy from harm, when anyone else would immediately spin-dash him, does show us what Amy can do that her bro-y teammates can't. After all, this is the same Metal Sonic who threatened her and the kindness she shows him proves what a big-hearted individual she is. In other words, this episode does not stray from the somewhat reductive role Amy has always had in the classic games while also giving her more to do than get captured, fawn over Sonic, and be a prop for him to rescue at the end of the game. 

It is also, one must point out, extremely cute. Avoiding the difficult question of how Sonic and friends know what Christmas is, "From A. Rose" favors generic seasonal signifiers like snow and gift-giving. Amy dragging Metal up to Eggman's base, and leaving him gift-wrapped for the big bad, makes her into something of a Santa Claus figure. It brings themes like unconditional kindness and giving with no thoughts of receiving to the forefront, solidifying the holiday special status. Making Metal Sonic into a blankly staring straight man, forced to endure Amy's adorable antics, is also a good joke. That Eggman, ruthless villain that he is, is also seemingly moved by this selfless act of kindness certainly also matches the Christmas-y mood of this entire production. Such a sentimental tone means this final episode of "Mania Adventures" lacks most of the action and laughs of the previous parts. I definitely still chuckled a few times. There's a good joke involving a Flicky and Hesse still gets a chance to incorporate the glib, highly expressive faces he's so good at a few times. (Especially during Sonic's contractually obligated cameo at the end of the episode.) This one is definitely designed more to warm your heart than tickle your funny bone. 

This is also apparent in how the episode sounds. "From A. Rose" is as beautifully animated as the rest of the series. However, it foregoes the use of music and sound effects from the classic games. I guess because Amy wasn't playable in "Mania?" It does make this episode stick out when watched in a row with the other ones, not quite having the infectious energy as the rest of the series. But, hey, we all deserve to slow down and relax a bit during the holidays. "From A. Rose" isn't much more than a bonus, a little Christmas gift Sega and Sonic Team handed to fans at the end of 2018. When taken in that light, it's cute enough. "Sonic Mania Adventures" works perfectly fine – and maybe better – without it but who can complain about something this harmless and good natured existing? If nothing else, the end credits do present us with some postcard worthy festive images of Sonic and the gang celebrating the season. At the risk of damning this three minute program with faint praise, I'm definitely more inclined to rewatch this around December than "Sonic Christmas Blast." [7/10]

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 5: Metal Mayhem

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 5: Metal Mayhem 

Original Release Date: July 30th, 2018

"Sonic Mania Adventures" has never been a plot heavy series, on account of mostly being made up of short, comedic-centric scenarios. In the final regular episode, the time for plot has passed and the time for ass-kicking has arrived. Sonic and Tails run to Eggman's base. Some sneaky traps freeze them in place long enough for Metal Sonic to grab the last two Chaos Emeralds. The super-charged robot takes control in the battle but the arrival of Mighty and Ray evens the fight out. It's still a struggle and only a little clever thinking on Tails' behalf defeats Metal.... Eggman still has the Master Emerald though, a fact very much of interest to a particular echidna we all know.

I've often spoken of the environmental message present in "Sonic" media, especially the early games. While the U.S. produced comics and cartoons tended to be a lot more upfront about it, this element was always present. The cold, hard, smoke-belching machines Eggman creates are intruding on green, lush earth. In "Sonic CD," you see factories pumping oil into the seas behind Sonic. Subtle enough that some dumb-asses refuse to see it but not exactly hard to find. "Sonic Mania Adventures," as a homage to that era, continues this trend. Compared to the verdant jungles of the rest of the island that we've seen in the previous episode, this one starts with Sonic and Tails running towards Eggman's base. It's a harsh, metallic shell protruding from the land, an inorganic structure that clearly has forced itself into their area. There's no life around this building, only sparks and steam from harsh machinery. When Sonic and Tails step inside, it's an entirely alien atmosphere, floating geometrical shapes above a smooth, segmented floor. Not anything you would find in nature. Potent imagery, exactly the kind that brainwashes little gentile children into become left-wing, anti-corporate, pipeline bombing wokesters... But I digress. 

Those first two scenes are also, notably, without any music. Which is especially noticeable, since music has been played such a prominent role in this series. This is all by design, of course, helping to further emphasize that Sonic and Tails are in real danger now. When Metal Sonic literally slams down into frame, he's accompanied by the final boss music from "Sonic 3" coming to life on the soundtrack. Obviously, for old timers like me, music like this activates a powerful feeling of nostalgia and recognition. However, even if I had never heard this song before, it would still be a powerful moment. I can say that for sure because, once Mighty and Ray arrive and the heroes organize, the "Sonic Mania" main theme kicks in. Which is a newer piece of music I have little nostalgia for and it rocks just as hard, making that moment equally as impactful as the one before it. The "Sonic" games have always had great music but "Mania Adventures" careful usage of familiar tunes aides it in being a fantastically entertaining cartoon.

In the last review, I talked about the obvious influence comics and manga had on the look and feel of "Mania Adventures," based in director/head story boarder Tyson Hesse's history in that field. That becomes all the more apparent in this climatic episode. There's a montage here, where all four heroes attack Metal Sonic simultaneously. This is shown by the screen breaking into four panels, each one depicting a different one of the gang attacking Metal. This is then followed by a similarly set-up shot, showing the robot countering each attack. This technique serves a few purposes. First off, it saves time in a cartoon with a three minute runtime, showing us all the action at once, instead as one lengthy battle. It also emphasizes the team effort of Sonic and his friends working to take this guy down and the sheer power their enemy is now imbued with, that he can throw all four of them back with such ease. It looks cool, obviously, while also serving the themes and flow of the narrative. 

Teamwork may, in fact, be the driving principal behind this whole show. So many of the episodes have revolved around characters meeting and meeting again: Sonic reuniting with Tails, Mighty reuniting with Ray, Knuckles shot putting Ray into the sky. When Mighty and Ray first show up at Eggman HQ, the looks they share with Sonic and Tails suggests they don't recognize each other. Or at least weren't expecting to see one another. This does not stop them from immediately teaming up and bringing the hurt down on Metal Sonic together. What we see here is a group of many standing against one, very powerful foe that would easily crush any of them alone. It's like the Justice League forming for the first time to battle Starro, man. Or, uh, I don't know, I guess this is why people like sports too? Humans are social animals, after all. Perhaps seeing many come together for a good cause, working together to solve a problem, tickles some deep need within our brains. I suppose what I'm saying is... Kids media so often featuring the message of "team work makes the dream work" isn't there only to teach impressionable babies lesson about the world. Perhaps it speaks to something primordial about the human condition. Even when it's a hedgehog, a fox, an armadillo, and a squirrel doing it. 

It's not brute force alone that saves the day. Tails using his brain – and Eggman's little handheld computer – to hack into the base and deploy the villains' own trap against them is what ultimately turns the tide of the battle. That's not something Sonic or the others could have done. If you look at "Mania Adventures" as nothing but a cynical extension of the marketing department for a video game – sure, fair enough – the show has existed primarily to showcase what characters are in the game and what their gimmicks are. Sonic runs, Tails flies, Knuckles punches, Mighty is strong, Ray glides, and Metal and Eggman are assholes to everyone. "Please buy this game you probably already own to experience this new content!" However, I do think this structure serves another master as well. It shows what everyone can do, what their skills and talents are. Each hero functions as part of the team, each bringing something new. As cheesy as the message of "Be a team player!" is, the show organically incorporates it in a meaningful way. 

If I'm going to complain about something, I could point out that this message of teamwork is totally undermined by the end. After Sonic and the gang have successfully softened up Metal Sonic, Knuckles marches in. The echidna punches both the robot and his creator through a wall. All by himself and all on his own, walking away with his Emerald without any help at all or a word to the other characters present. I, however, can excuse this. Because it's funny. Honestly, the final images of this episode – basically the end of the series, kind of – are Sonic and the others standing around, arms limp at their sides, before a hard cut to them all sitting by the Tornado and eating chili dogs. It's like a "Peanuts" comic, man. By which I mean it's perfect, showing an expert execution of timing, deadpan stares, and combining the commonplace with the unexpected.

Honestly, Sonic simply hangin' with his bros while snacking on his favorite junk food, the iconic victory theme playing over the whole thing, is about as ideal an ending to a "Sonic" story as I could imagine. Once again, the mastery of wacky faces go a long way towards selling the comedy. Tails making spinning spirals, Mighty's little smirk, Eggman's slack-jawed stare of disbelief, and many other examples all say so much without saying anything at all. Whether enjoyed as five separate episodes or watch in one solid chunk, "Sonic Mania Adventures" is an utter delight. I can't say it's my favorite piece of "Sonic" animation but it's certainly one of the best pieces of "Sonic" animation that Sega gas approved in a very long time. "Metal Mayhem" is a hilarious and perfectly satisfying conclusion to the simple little story being told here. (Even if it's not the conclusion of this mini-series but more on that next time.) Six years out, it remains a classic and with good reason. [9/10]

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 4: Mighty And Ray

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 4: Mighty And Ray

Original Release Date: June 30th, 2018

Mighty and Ray are two "Sonic" characters who have devoted cult followings despite not having the legacy or obvious charisma as other fan favorites. You can look at Shadow – like Sonic but dark – or Rouge – big tiddy bat GF – and immediately understand why people love them. Mighty and Ray, meanwhile, look very similar to Sonic and Tails. When I first saw a pic of Mighty as a kid, on a cover of a gaming magazine advertising "Knuckles' Chaotix," I thought he was a new super form for Sonic. The two also mirror Sonic and Tails' mentor/sidekick dynamic. They are also two characters who have, comparatively speaking, made little impact on the series overall. Ray's only game appearance, for over two decades, was an arcade game that has never been given a console release. Mighty, meanwhile, only had that title plus one more for a flop Genesis peripheral. Sonic Team couldn't be bothered to bring them back for "Sonic the Fighter," a game where a super-strong brawler like Mighty would have fit right in. Yes, the comics kept them alive. The comics kept so many forgotten characters alive without a big slice of the "Sonic" fandom pie noticing or caring. 

Despite their relative obscurity, these two are still – as far as B-tier "Sonic the Hedgehog" characters go – kind of popular. Certainly more beloved than the similarly long-neglected Bark and Bean. I can only speculate on why this is. The armadillo and flying squirrel supposedly have their origins as prototype designs for Sonic himself, the kind of deep cut in-joke that this fandom adores. The duo's status as forgotten classics has been further bolstered by being cut content in a number of unmade or heavily altered titles. "Sonic" fans are notorious for cherishing obscure supporting players that Sega themselves have forgotten about, simply due to our collective predilection for franchise minutia, which is probably explanation enough for the two's cult status. Still, nobody at Sega seems interested in reviving Tiara Boobowski or Sharps the Parakeet. I suppose that Might and Ray resurfaced in "Sonic Mania Plus" is another example of how this project was molded by die hard "Sonic"-heads. That their inclusion was met with thunderous applause shows that those hardcore hedgehog devotees clearly understand what the wider fandom wants. (And I do know people who would definitely lose their shit if Tiara Boobowski showed up as DLC for a future game.)

All of this is to say that Mighty and Ray's appearance in "Mania" is a testament to what a love letter it is to this series' history. Likewise, them showing up in "Sonic Mania Adventures" wasn't only corporate synergy but born out of the creative team's genuine desire to see these guys again. Which brings us to "Ray and Mighty," the fourth episode of the YouTube program. After Knuckles made him see the curvature of the globe last time, Ray continues his search for his missing buddy. Instead, he stumbles upon Metal Sonic. It seems like lights out for our squirrelly friend when Mighty finds him first, saving his bushy tail from the killer robot. Mighty is carrying a Chaos Emerald and Metal eventually uses the armadillo's affection for his BFF as a bargaining chip to get that magic rock. As the mechanical menace flies off towards Eggman's lair, Mighty and Ray take chase, only to see that the rest of the heroes are headed in that direction too. 

Last time, I pointed out that Ray the Squirrel isn't the most defined character. I know so little about the guy that I assumed the stutter he had in the Archie books was from the Sega-approved checklist of traits and not just some shit Ken Penders threw in. Mighty, on the other hand, actually does have a built-in personality. Like most "Sonic" animals, his primary gimmick is right there in his name. As Sonic is super-fast, Mighty is super strong, able to toss huge boulders through the air despite his noodly arms. While such traits usually lend themselves to brutish characters, Mighty's mightiness goes hand-in-hand with his gentleness. The "Knuckles' Chaotix" manual refers to him as a pacifist, driven to retaliation only to protect his beloved friends. This is always a good way to give your team strongman, to make him more than merely brawn. 

This aspect is front and center in "Sonic Mania Adventures" episode four. The first thing Mighty does when he jumps on-screen is use his armadillo shell – his exterior toughness – to protect Ray. That sets up immediately that, no matter how many big ass rocks he can unearth, Mighty is a big softie at heart. That prepares us for the climatic moment where he hands over the Chaos Emerald he's carrying for some reason so Metal will spare Ray's life. (This risks making Ray look like the team load but the short runtime of these episodes keep you from thinking about that too much.) This also makes a good contrast with Metal Sonic. Mighty believes in the intrinsic value of life. His connection to other living things makes him a better person. Metal is a cold, emotionless robot with no such values, happy to endanger a curly-headed squirrel buddy to fulfill his objective. The way "Sonic Mania Adventures" clearly defines what makes its heroes honorable and its villains jerks, strictly through visuals and the natural narrative flow, proves that the son-of-a-bitch running this show truly knew what he was doing.

The fact that Metal Sonic got a good moment like that is surprising. I've maintained that, in his blanket form, I don't find Metal to be an especially compelling villain. Sure, he looks cool but his status as Eggman's brutally efficient enforcer and a literal robot means he doesn't have much variance or depth. "Sonic Mania Adventures" runs with that though. The way the machine is animated is – at the risk of being repetitive here – mechanical. His head swivels around on his shoulder like an owl, uncaring about how fucking weird that looks. His motions are always sure and rigid, his limbs snapping into place with an inhuman preciseness. It reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger's underrated acting abilities in the original "Terminator," a totally physical performance meant to emphasize the villain's otherness, his single-minded focus on a goal that he pursues with inhuman brutality. It makes for a properly intimidating antagonist, a much better use of Metal Sonic than having him bark "HEDGEHOG-PRIORITY-ONE" while obeying Eggman's whims. 

"Mighty & Ray" represents "Mania Adventures" moving into its endgame. There's only one episode after this. The bad guys have all the MacGuffins they need for whatever their evil scheme is. We wrap up with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and now Mighty and Ray taking the fight right to Eggman. That also means this episode doesn't have time for as much screwing around and goofing off as the previous three. It's not quite as much fun.... While still managing to be extremely entertaining. Aside from the writing being good, the animation continues to be aces. You can tell Hesse came at these storyboards like a comic artist. The force of the physical blows during the action scenes are shown with splash page like visuals. Metal slashing at Ray, Mighty clobbering the machine with a boulder: Both are followed by dramatic pauses, to show the power at play here and act as visual exclamation marks. Somehow, this trick almost always creates dynamic action. The trademark Hesse-ian faces are present too. Mighty's rage at Metal threatening his friend, Ray squinting to search the skyline, or a super cute comedic moment where the armadillo fist bumps his friend too hard 

Truthfully, I only have one minor complaint about this episode. At the end, there is a shot of Metal Sonic flying towards Eggman Central that is seemingly done in CGI. It sticks out quite obviously, especially compared to the lovingly rendered animation of the rest of the episode. Oh, also, Mighty seemingly has the Emerald tucked inside his person somewhere, an odd moment we are clearly not meant to think too hard about. Earthly armadillos don't have pouches but earthly armadillos also don't look anything like Mighty, so who's to say what pockets are around his body. Otherwise, the animation, writing, art direction, music, and sound design all continue to be top-of-the-line. I mean, that scene where Mighty appears, via a hard cut-to-black after a frantic zoom in on Ray's panicked face? That's cinema, baby! "Sonic Mania Adventures" continues to pack in more depth, fun, and love for the source material than "Sonic Prime" did over its entire run. [8/10]

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 3: & Knuckles

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 3: & Knuckles

Original Release Date: May 30th

As predicted, the third episode of "Sonic Mania Adventures" focuses on Knuckles... And almost entirely on Knuckles, as Sonic and Tails do not technically appear in these three minutes. (Aside from a brief shot in one of the Guardian's daydreams.) Instead, the episode concerns Knux dragging the Master Emerald around his current island location. He, in his very paranoid fashion, guards the Emerald while imagining a whole slew of thieves coming for it. Who shows up instead is Ray the Squirrel, in search of his buddy Mighty. That attempted friendship doesn't go well. Afterwards, some RhinoBots appear, distracting the echidna long enough for Eggman – flying around in a stolen Tornado now – to snatch the big green rock. Knuckles jumps suddenly to conclusions and, seeing the Emerald being dragged off by the biplane, naturally assumes Sonic is the responsible culprit. 

In the canon of classic "Sonic" characters, I've always considered Knuckles the Echidna to be among the most complex. He began as an enemy of Sonic's before the two quickly became friends. His standard character arc, as laid out in "Sonic 3 & Knuckles," is of a sheltered kid raised in an extremely isolating environment discovering that there is more to the world than what he's been taught. Not to mention all that time spent, standing alone and staring at an enormous gemstone, probably allows for a lot of insight and reflection. My conception of Knuckles has always been of a warrior monk type, whose brawny and quick-to-anger exterior appearance hides a far deeper thinker, an innocent kid shackled to a destiny beyond his control. I have no doubt that this interpretation of the echidna is based on my childhood reading the Archie Comics, which depict the red guy as far more introspective than is typical. Say what you will about Ken Penders – I've been more than critical of him myself – but I do think this is the ideal take on Knuckles. He doesn't have Sonic's carefree attitude. Knuckles is burdened with glorious purpose and he doesn't have a say in the matter. If Sonic is fast and DGAF, then Knuckles is brawnier and angstier. He's got a lot on his mind. 

It's entirely possible that my fondness for this version of Knuckles is based entirely on being a lonely kid with too much time to think about Stuff too. I suppose I saw a lot of myself in him. Obviously, this is not the take on the character that the majority of people – Sega and Sonic Team most of all – have on the guy. With the emergence of Shadow as the franchise's token antisocial badass, Knuckles has more commonly been reduced to the wacky comic relief. Writers have latched onto the echidna being massively gullible, as depicted in a couple of the games. This has led to him, more often, being written as a fucking idiot. "Sonic X" depicted him as a meathead and played the disparity between his confidence and his intelligence for laughs. The live action media has shown him as obsessed with his Honorable Warrior beliefs to the point of comedic obliviousness. "Sonic Boom" played the guy as a totally vacant man-child, whose staggering dumbness could always be counted on for an easy joke. (Except for when subverting that image would be funny.) Since "Sonic" is a franchise that always skews young, many fans these days aren't aware of Knuckles' roots as a noble if naïve outsider, whose gullibility was more sad than funny. The Flanderized version of the character that exists in fan art and fan fics usually reduces his personality down to three aspects: Tough, dumb, totally devoted to protecting that plot device. 

Some of the blame for this wide-spread conception of Knuckles can probably be blamed on Tyson Hesse's wildly popular "Sonic" shitpost comics. "MAH EMMERROWDS!" has defined the character more than anyone has intended in the last decade. You certainly see some of that classically Hesse-ian take on the echidna in this cartoon. As he did in the Archie "Mega Drive" one-shots, Hesse depicts Knuckles as having childish thoughts about the world via thought bubbles filled with crayon-style drawings. When he hears a rustling in the leaves, he hugs onto the Emerald like a baby monkey clinging to its mom, staring wide-eyed in all directions. His reaction to Ray literally just looking at the Emerald is to throw him hella far into the middle distance. All of this stuff plays exactly like one of Hesse's little comic strips. The entire first half of this cartoon plays out like a "Boxer Hockey" gag, minus all the edgy early 2000s humor. 

Having said all of that, I do think Hesse's characterization of Knux is a little more complex than that. Not the least because the "Sonic Frontiers" short he directed gave me the version of Knuckles that I always wanted to see. Even in the obviously light-hearted and jokey setting of "Sonic Mania Adventures," Knuckles isn't only a paranoid moron that's overzealous about his job. He's also exceptionally bad-ass moron. When the three RhinoBots gather around the Emerald, what follows is a fast-paced and beautifully orchestrated action scene. The echidna uppercutting a robot's head off is, simply put, cool as hell. This scene shows that, while Knuckles is primarily a figure of frivolity in this cartoon, there's still a great deal of respect reserved for him. Maybe thinking things through is not always his strong point but he's, ultimately, someone to admire. This is a good compromise between the "Knuckles is sooo dumb laugh at him laugh at his dumbness!" and "Knuckles is actually really deep, you guys" poles that may exist only in my demented subconscious. 

I've spent this entire review talking about Knuckles, which overlooks that Ray the Squirrel is in this cartoon as well. Once the stuttering hero-in-training of the Archie continuity is set aside, I'm not sure Sega Ray is a character that actually has any personality. Like, what do we know about this guy? What's his deal? What motivates him? Nevertheless, the little yellow dude being playable for the first time in twenty-odd years was a major selling point for "Sonic Mania Plus." Considering the only consistent trait Ray has is being a bit of an enthusiastic sidekick – basically absorbing the parts of Tails' personality that fell off once he became a tech genius – he makes for a good foil against Knuckles. Ray is being a curious kid and, humorless Knuckles hyper fixated on doing his job, catapult him over the horizon. It is, admittedly, a good joke. And a good use of what little identity Classic Ray can be said to have.  

Ultimately, episode 3 of "Sonic Mania Adventures" is not the utterly joyous blast of nostalgia that the first two installments were. This is clearly by design. Sonic is put aside and so is the fast paced action we associate with him. Instead, this is a goofy little comedy short mostly about playing off Knuckles' potential for being a deadpan comedic straight man. Which isn't to say "& Knuckles" slacks off on capturing the spirit of the Genesis games. I mean, a remix of Knuckles' main theme plays at a key moment! Brilliant stuff. I continue to love how this series uses the classic sound effects to emphasize the mood or expressions of the characters. Once again, the ability to convey a lot with a mere look or subtle change of the mouth – apparent when Ray presents Knuckles with Mighty's missing poster – is such an incredible thing. It's what animation is all about, exaggerating and stretching the face and body to express larger-than-life emotions, but you don't see it nearly as much as you should. 

Anyway, it's a hoot. I chuckled and larfed. This series continues to be a complete and total delight, even if this episode is operating in a different mode from the previous two. The plot continues to tease Metal Sonic and move towards a confrontation between heroes and villains, while packing in lots of fun at the same time. That still gets a big and hearty recommendation from me! Thank you for reading 1444 words about my opinion on how Knuckles the Echidna should and should not be written. [8/10]

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 2: Sonic and Tails

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 2: Sonic and Tails 

Original Release Date: April 30th

From the title on-down, the second episode of "Sonic Mania Adventures" makes it clear what the structure of this show is going to be. The first installment was called "Sonic Returns" and it was about, go figure, Sonic returning. This episode is called "Sonic and Tails" and, clearly enough, it is about reuniting this duo. From here in out, it's not too hard to realize how this series will progress. Just as every classic "Sonic" game introduced a new beloved character to the universe's ensemble, each episode of this cartoon will re-introduce those same characters. It serves a practical function for marketing "Sonic Mania Plus," which I'm sure Sega's money people where overjoyed about. The younger potential players of that game might not know some of these guys – or at least the Classic iterations of them – that well and this allows those hypothetic audience members to get to know them. For long-time fans, we are getting a chance to see these characters again, some of them for the first time in animation ever, and that is a treat in and of itself. Normally, you want to keep your viewers guessing but sometimes knowing what's around the corner and seeing it smoothly snap into place is immensely satisfying too. 

And "Sonic and Tails" doesn't waste any time getting to it either. Though the first installment ended with a comic book movie style teaser for future events, the show is clearly not patterning itself too closely after origin-heavy blockbuster cinema. We are not going to have to wait around through a feature length film to see Sonic and Tails meet, to hear the epic tale of how they first got together. Tails is hanging out on the beach and Sonic runs up to him and says "Yo." Obviously, this is a three minute YouTube short. It doesn't have time to run through all that tedious getting-to-know-you shit that CEOs love. Philosophically, however, this represents the show's clear determination to get right to the point and not worry about over-explaining everything. On the off chance you don't know who these two are, you can still figure it out immediately. A good example of showing and not telling in action. 

So anyway, yeah. Tails is tinkering with the Tornado on the beach, as Tailses are wont to to do. Sonic appears and shows him the doohickey Eggman dropped last time. The fox quickly figures out that it's some sort of Chaos Emerald radar, revealing that Eggman is drilling for the magical plot device nearby. Sonic races off after the baddie only to soundly get his butt kicked. That's when his bestest buddy offers his hand in help and the two team-up against evil once again, as the gods predicted. Eggman is far from defeated however and might have inadvertently been presented with his next wicked scheme... Meanwhile, another familiar face is lurking around this tropical island.

In the past, I have sometimes felt a bit of resistance to "Sonic" media that is on the goofier side. Over time, I've grown fond of "Boom" and the sillier "X" episodes but I still struggle to overcome that initial repulsion to slapstick stories with this cast. I suppose this is a natural result of growing up as a "SatAM" kid in a "Adventures of..." world. Blue hedgehogs are serious business. Us Sonic fans are adults and we can handle a little swearing, alright? Despite that built-in reluctance on my part, I have to say that "Sonic Mania Adventures" integrates its comedy and action very nicely. The smooth, high-energy animation surely plays a role in that. It's still satisfying to watch Sonic and Tails weave around and dodge Eggman's drilling machine. Or see them team up and smash it, which builds up nicely before playing as a fantastic visual gag.

I also continue to enjoy how much this series emphasizes that Sonic is, in fact, a vulnerable little guy that only needs a good whack to send his rings flying. We, in fact, see that exact scenario play out here. Eggman smacks him and he sails through the air, power rings trailing behind him. It's an excellent joke but it also continues to show that Sonic isn't an unstoppable hero that always easily outmatches Eggman based solely on the power of his speed. So much of modern nerdom is obsessed with power scaling and showcasing feats of strength that I think people sometimes lose sight of how stories like this are actually more compelling when, ya know, it seems like there's a chance the hero might not win every time. I have no doubt this is meant more as a callback to the Genesis era of the series. That "Mania Adventures" hasn't acknowledged the Power Rings before this point, using them strictly as a visual cue to show Sonic is taking a beating, makes that clearer. It's a small choice that I appreciate. 

"Sonic Mania," as an entire endeavor, was meant as an extended homage to the original video games, after all. "Sonic and Tails" truly doubles down on this by utilizing lots of recognizable sound effects from those games. Before Eggman's machine explodes, it makes the ramping up noise familiar to anyone who played "Sonic 2." The puttering helicopter noise Tails' propeller tails make or the wheel-screeching effect that plays when Sonic speeds off definitely scratch that sense of nostalgia for me. However, the episode doesn't drop these familiar notes in here simply to make old guys like me feel the warm and fuzzies. It helps sell the comedy too, functioning as evident exclamation points on the big jokes. The music is used similarly too, underlining when a situation feels tedious or ridiculous to our heroes. Naturally, the Hesse-isms are present too, in Sonic's cocky grin or half-open eyelid and Eggman's lips curling up and quivering. Little touches like these go such a long way in telling this story. 

The story told here is simple enough. Sonic runs off to meet his brainy friend for some brainy help. When the physical threat is detected, he tries to stop it personally, assuming his super speed and smashing abilities will be enough. Turns out it's not. That's when Tails lends a hand and, together, the two save the day. (At least for now.) That presents a clear arc for Sonic and a lesson that, perhaps, we all need to hear sometimes: No man is an island. You get by with a little help from your friends. Five keeps a neighborhood alive. So on and so forth. Having a bit of an ego is a cooked-in part of his personality but Sonic isn't treated like a cocky asshole who needs humbling because we still need to like him. Again, some of the brevity of these plot points is surely because Hesse and his team only have a few minutes to tell this entire narrative. However, making sure that each single installment of this program, no matter how short, still tells a whole story is a big reason why these little cartoons work so well for me. 

And work for me it does. This is another nearly perfect blast of classic "Sonic" fun that resonates deeply within my barren soul. Much as "Mania" itself gave the keys to super-fan Christian Whitehead and immediately produced the best game in the series in decades – much as how Archie letting this crazy guy who kept sending them a detailed plan on how he'd fix the comic actually fix the comic – the philosophy of handing these characters over to a life-long "Sonic" fan, go figured, produced some fantastically orchestrated art. Going to extreme lengths to appease the pickiest eaters in the fandom is not, in my opinion, the route to making a high-quality product. However, letting someone with an extremely strong vision – who has been thinking about this franchise, what does and doesn't make it work in their opinion, since they were kids – is the best solution sometimes. Anyway, "Sonic and Tails" rocks. [9/10]

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 1: Sonic Returns

Sonic Mania Adventures, Episode 1: Sonic Returns

Original Release Date: March 30th, 2018

All throughout what can collectively be looked back on as the Dork Age of "Sonic" games – which stretches roughly from the release of "Sonic '06" to whatever Modern era game you like the most – fans of my age were begging Sega for something that seemed so simple. Why not take Sonic back to his roots? Why not make a 16-bit style throwback to the original Genesis games? The releases for the various handheld systems had been exactly that for a long time and those titles were a lot better received than the big budget releases. And Sega would half-heartedly acknowledge this request from time to time. "Sonic Unleashed" featured segments where the perspective would switch to a traditional platformer format, short lived respites between the boost shenanigans and werehog brawling. "Sonic the Hedgehog 4" was ostensibly meant to be exactly this but was botched by a number of poor decisions. "Sonic Generations" was obviously the closest we got to this prayer being answered but Sonic Team still felt the need to cut back and forth between Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic stages. In other words, this frustrating need to please two very different audiences, who wanted very different things, at the same time persisted. The idea to simply make Classic games for Classic fans and Modern games for Modern fans seemed out of reach. 

That would change with "Sonic Mania" in 2017, the first "Sonic" game to be universally beloved by the press in decades. It's not too hard to figure out what made this shift happen: Sega decided to let the lunatics run the asylum, at least for a little bit. "Mania" was made by a fan game creator and shows an obvious dedication and love of the original Mega Drive era, resulting in what could arguably be the best 2D-style game in the series. Christian Whitehead was not the only well-known fan who was allowed to do his own thing with "Mania." Tyson Hesse had risen from edgy sprite comics to popular fan artist to official contributor to the Archie books. The bastard would next be drafted to direct the animated intro to "Mania." Hesse's personal style was already heavily influenced by the "Sonic CD" opening, with his own touches of quirky humor added, which made him the idea choice to create this sequence. And it was glorious. Simply beautiful, as fun and carefree and exciting a piece of "Sonic" that had existed in decades. The kind of stuff that reminded old fans like me why we loved these characters in the first place. 

The animation was so well received that Hesse was invited back to do a trailer in the same style for the expanded physical release of "Mania" the next year, reintroducing Mighty and Ray to the world. The reception to these clips was such that a common refrain went up through the fandom: Why can't we get a full-length "Sonic" animated series in this style, with Hesse's involvement? At the time, there was no "Sonic" cartoon producing new episodes and the live action movie was still a few years off. Seemed like the time to strike, didn't it? Somebody actually involved with Sega Corporate must have had a similar idea because, in spring of 2018, we would kind of get exactly that. Animation – especially traditional animation, in which artists still physically draw each frame – is a long, drawn-out process that can take years to produce. Not to mention arguing with networks or streaming services can lead to less-than-ideal results, as Sonic Team has recently experienced with Cartoon Network's handling of "Sonic Boom." Everyone clearly wanted a Hesse-led animated series in the same style as his work on "Mania" but getting such a project out in a timely manner – much less soon enough to tie-in with the release of "Sonic Mania Plus" – was probably too tall an order to handle...

A rather brilliant compromise was found. Hesse would direct a series of six episodes, totaling only eleven minutes in length all together, and released directly to the "Sonic" YouTube channel, bypassing any exhausting network negotiations. New installments would drop at the end of every month starting in spring of 2018. The plot of "Sonic Mania Adventures" would link the end of "Sonic Forces" with the additional content in the "Plus" re-release, while giving us more of the Classic universe thrills and laughs we so clearly wanted. It wasn't quite what we actually wanted but it would allow Hesse and his team to maintain a high level of quality while making the Sega CEOs happy. The resulting "Adventures" was about as universally beloved as any "Sonic" content can be these days, ignoring the screeds of people who hate anything Classic era by default. The success of "Adventures" would create a habit of Sega dropping new, stylized animations onto YouTube every time they have a new game to promote, one of the best things the studio has done in recent memory.

Each episode of "Sonic Mania Adventures" only runs a few minutes each. I should probably review the entire series in one block. However, I gotta be me and what me does is ramble on about stuff for far too long, so expect individual reviews for each episode. The series kicks off with "Sonic Returns," so named because it begins with Classic Sonic returning to his home world or timeline or whatever it is. He immediately spies Eggman carrying some Flickies in an Egg Prison and leaps into action. This is soon revealed to be a trap, Sonic getting captured by a simple snare and stuck beside a ticking bomb. Eggman must appear to gloat, leading to much shenanigans and the reveal that the doctor is still after those pesky Phantom Rubies. 

Something that makes "Sonic Mania Adventures" such a delight is that it returns to the franchise's roots in more way than one. "Sonic Returns" obviously features many familiar bits of music, environment, and story elements, all designed to activate the serotonin centers of old people like me. However, a particular choice takes us back to the very first bit of "Sonic" media. Before the comics and the cartoons, there were the games themselves. The Genesis titles told simple stories through brief cut scenes that didn't feature word balloons, conveying the plot entirely through visuals and music. Back in the day, you'd play those games, provide your own words for the characters in your head, and imagine deeper interaction in-between the stages. It fired the imagination, in other words. "Sonic Mania Adventures" continues this trend by depicting the cast as speechless, the animation alone telling the story. I realize this was probably not Hesse and his team's decision. Sega has decided a while back that "Classic" Sonic would not talk. However, it ends up invoking the original experience of first playing these games in a surprisingly powerful way.

There's an easily uncovered reason why Classic Sonic and friends wouldn't talk. We all know that the character's original main inspiration were "rubber hose" style classic cartoons from the twenties and thirties. Sonic was very much a product of the nineties and would soon enough reflect that but Felix the Cat, Steamboat Willie, and Oswalt the Lucky Rabbit we're his immediate influences. This is reflected in "Sonic Returns." Mainly, in the way it revolves around a simplistic story of a smiling hero going up against a rotund, buffoonish enemy. Eggman setting traps for Sonic and attempting to capture him brings the straight-forward premises of "Tom and Jerry" or "Coyote and Run Roader." Eggman doesn't want to eat this little blue guy but he's still trying to get one over on him, only to be effortlessly undermined by the mischievous, slicker-than-slick hero. Like Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd or the Wolf and Red Hot Riding Hood, its as direct as can be. Baddie wants to get the hero but the hero is much too clever for that. Tale as old as time. 

And that simple kind of physical comedy is exactly what this episode features. When Sonic gets tossed along by a series of spikes emerging from the ground or fools Eggman into his own boobie trap, it's obviously in the style of old school chase cartoons. We certainly see this in Eggman's characterization as equal parts antagonist that vexes the hero and pathetic fool that he feels kind of sorry for, evident in the scene where Eggman whimpers and blubbers until Sonic tries to set him free. That the adversary is ultimately hoisted by his own petard could not be more in the fashion of classic animation. However, you can still tell that Tyson Hesse was directly involved in this, providing the storyboards. (Which, no doubt, resembled his comic work a lot.) The artist's quirky sense of humor and ability to get a laugh with a wacky but very expressive face remains intact. So much of Sonic's personality, his exuberance but also his attitude, are conveyed through the stretched mouth and squinting eyes. The fact that Hesse's Sonic can clearly be surprised by what happens to him actually adds some depth to this blue dude with 'tude. He can be caught off-guard. He's not infallible. Makes him a lot easier to root for, despite Eggman's machinations still providing little challenge for him. 

There is, simply put, an exuberance that is apparent in every frame of "Sonic Returns." You can tell that working on this short was a dream come true for everyone involved in it and that sheer joy never leaves. That the episode is only a few minutes long certainly doesn't hurt, not giving us enough time for that sugar rush high to ebb or run down. However, you can clearly see that "Sonic Mania Adventures" is largely inspired by the legendary "Sonic CD" opening animation. Not only in the spindly limbed character designs, which clearly draw from that intro. You also see it in the way Sonic runs, jumps, and moves. He doesn't merely speed off in one direction. He twirls around a tree, spins into the air, his limbs unfurling like a flying squirrel. He's having a good time, living his life and being a hero. That fun is infectious. When you combine it with the bright colors, the catchy music, the fun sound effects, you get a short that instantly captures the sense of freedom and speed that the original "Sonic" games produced, all beautifully and fluidly animated in a likable and playful style. 

Being made during the height of Marvel movie mania, it's not too surprising that "Sonic Returns" has a superhero movie style post-credit scene that teased the appearance of a fan favorite villain. The episode sets up a wider story, dropping a hint about those pesky emeralds, while still functioning as a totally entertaining work in its own right. In other words, in all of three minutes, it captures so much of what the Sonic experience should be about. I love it. I honestly can't remember if the rest of "Sonic Mania Adventures" is as good as this first installment, as I haven't watched them since they were new. Now, I'm very excited to see if the remaining episodes stand up to the quality of this one. [9/10]