Hey gang,

Got this a few days ago, and I'm doing 2/3 zones a day at the moment. But fuck me if I'm not finding it super difficult. I've found 3 chaos emerald zones, but I can't beat any but the first. Those bonus stages are hard as fuck.

But even the game itself is super difficult. I'm getting through each zone in a continue, but I'm still finding it really hard.

Also, I feel like I'm being just crushed by inexplicable things. If you follow Ben on twitter, you'll see he posted a video where he got crushed by raising blocks, and I feel like at least 5 times I've been unfairly crushed by something.

Anyone else enjoying/struggling with this game?

For much of my first playthrough I also had difficulties. Often, it helps to slow down if you find yourself dying a lot. I know everyone wants to go fast, but it's not always the best option. That should help you avoid crushing, for the most part.

I don't think these 2D Sonic games have ever been *super* forgiving. I regularly go back to Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and that game's final level pits you against 2 consecutive bosses without the ability to get any rings. You have to do it all in one flawless shot.

I haven't finished Sonic Mania yet but just barely squeaked past some of the mid and late game bosses. The later levels get to be pretty technical as well. Crushing seems to be just a wee-bit more common in Mania than in the Genesis-era games. But other mechanics mitigate some of the difficulty. When Sonic gets damaged, for instance, the rings feel like they stick around for longer, and on repeated hits the rings don't automatically clip through the map (giving you a better chance to keep a lifeline in tough situations). Plus, there is that giant ring mechanic, which condenses a handful of rings into a single large one.

I've died a lot too, though less so once I started to play the game at a slower pace than simply moving fast.

I played through Sonic 2 the week before Mania came out and I'd say that both games are similar in difficulty. I hate it when I get crushed by random moving platforms in Mania but that happens a lot in the old Sonic games as well. However, I found that I got crushed far less often in my second playthrough of Mania when I knew the level layouts better. Also the special stages are indeed pretty tough but again, as I became more familiar with the levels, it got easier.

It's good to hear I'm not struggling alone

Yeah, it's suppose to be difficult enough from what I've gathered. If it wouldn't be for the fact that Sonic's immune to damage for those few seconds after getting hit or that time would be a second shorter, I would probably still be stuck at one boss. Though right now I'm struggling with the underwater zone and those were already the pain of my existance back in Sonic 1/2.

I've died alot, I never played much Sonic back then only having nintendo consoles myself, but it hasn't become frustrating yet.

The distinction between Romhack/fan game/indie platformer has gradually faded over time so platformers tend to be overly difficult now almost universally.

I found the stages generally easy to get through, though a few were so maze-like that I eventually died after running out of time. The bonus areas are fairly hard, but if you keep jumping into them at ever single checkpoint you'll soon get a feel for them, however they never become easy. As for the chaos emerald challenges, I found the first four to be doable once I figured out the layout of the course, but I've ran into a brick wall on the fifth one, it feels like I can never close the distance to the emerald even after reaching Mach 3 and making several full circuits of the course without hitting anything that would slow me down. It makes me wonder if I'm missing a critical shortcut somewhere, that or maybe the answer is as simple as going backwards.

Anyway the thing that has killed me more times than anything else in the game is that damn octopus boss at the end of Oil Ocean Zone act 2, not only is there way too many ways you can get instant killed when fighting this boss, my rings don't bounce off of anything in the arena and are almost instantly gone after I take my first hit. This means I can only survive one hit in this boss fight before it's game over for me unless I'm very lucky and one of my rings falls on my head as I'm still locked in the knockback animation.

The last few zones have proved to be super hard. I think there is some really piss-poor level design going on. As someone who loved the hell out of Genesis games growing up, this game has kinda teetered me into the "Sonic was never good" mentality. I just don't have the patience for the BS these games throw at you anymore.

My problem, and the problem I have had with the franchise all along, is that there are some times where the game really does want you to go fast, but I don't have time to understand what exactly is happening. Those sections where you run real fast, do two loops, hit a spring, and then hit a brick wall all of a sudden, or worse yet, a spike pit. And there is a particular section in Chemical Zone where a wall spring just keeps shooting me into one of those blue orb spout hazards. What is that about, exactly? A trap?

This advice is of little use to those of you now deep into your 1st playthrough, but fwiw: farm the heck out of the first few stages. Studiopolous, Chemical Plant, and especially Green Hill have tons of rings, shields, and ufo stages, allowing you to get two or three extra lives per act and plenty of opportunities to get chaos emeralds.

Regarding the emerald stages: I think a good rule to follow, no matter which course you're on, is to follow the ufo regardless of what you think you need. Taking a slower route to collect more spheres might level up your speed faster, but you will lose a lot of ground with the ufo in most cases, making the detour not worth it. You'll probably be surprised at how efficiently you can catch it after you learn the course and the route the ufo takes.

It's hard for me to really judge the difficulty of Sonic games because I've been playing them for so long, but I'd say Mania is right in line with the Genesis games.

I died a fair amount in my first playthrough, but by my third I was obtaining all the emeralds by mid game and getting through the whole game without dying at all.

Of course, I've played the Genesis games a ton, to the point where I've gotten through some of them without ever taking damage. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that these games can be mastered. Having an innate understanding of how to control Sonic combined with knowledge of each level can result in near flawless play. Every obstacle can be avoided and every boss can be beaten without getting hit.

It's definitely kicking my butt. Id be nice if there was a more generous check point system or at least something where I dont have to start two levels back when I can't beat a boss (fuck you robot spider).

A mixture of: the game being relatively difficult, I'm not very good, I haven't played much of a 2D sonic before, and I want to look everywhere... has lead to many deaths and even a few Time Overs.

As someone that got everything there is to get in all 5 of the original sonic games, I just think this wouldn't seem as hard if say it was played like a year or so after someone had beat sonic 3 & Knuckles.

Remember there are different ways to get though each zone though much like s3&K

Going in to Oil Ocean Zone Act 2 Boss with the fire shield really really helps. I had one the time I beat it, and i'm fairly sure those little shots that the tentacles fire and nullified by the shield. Only other bit of advice is that it's okay to go slower and take care, Titanic Monarch Zone for instance, I reached the boss with less than a minute, because I made sure to line up the gravity orb sling shots correctly, because if you don't, it just eats up more time and causes frustration.

I'm having a very hard time with the game. It's definitely fun though.

@rockstarrunner: oil ocean act 2 boss is actually easy. Just jump on the oil below one of the three platforms while the boss shoots above you. Then when it surfaces take out the two ball looking guns and smash his face in.

Crappy insta-death squashing aside, Sonic Mania isn't that hard, it's just very 'different' from other platformers. I was a Megadrive kid so the weird mechanics of Sonic games are in my bones, but I can see how people would find them hard. Sonic is less about intricate platforming and more about anticipating and controlling momentum. The whole experience is very 'loose' and I would forgive anyone for saying that they are kind of bad games (they really are). I think the only truly bullshit bit in the game is the Metal Sonic bossfight though. Fuck that fiddly-ass shit.

Gotta get those extra lives.

Metal Sonic and his anaemic skate-boarding friend can do one.

I want to like this game.

I absolutely cannot beat Oil Ocean Zone. It's super hard.

I can often make it to Act 2 with 2 lives, but I just can't beat that boss. Once you get hit, your rings go into the oil and you pretty much get 2 cock-ups before you have to redo it.

I hope i'm close to the end

I definitely got some Game Overs but I didn't find it too difficult, beat it in about 4 hours. Have no interest in trying to get all emeralds and coins though because fuck some of those later bonus stages. Talk about hard and frustrating.

And yeah I'm "glad" they kept the frustrating gameplay moments in a Sonic game of getting crushed by absolute bullshit.

I just got timed out on Titanic Monarch zone.

Fuck me lads, talk about an infuriating stage.

I must have spent 3/4 minutes on just ONE section where you have to circle around those large purple orbs and launch yourself off them. I THINK you control your movement by simply pressing left and right? I at least THINK that's the right way to do it.

What do you all think is the hardest/worst zones so far?

I've been stuck for a few days on each of Hydrocity, Oil Ocean and Metallic Madness. I managed to JUST get through them, but good God is this a KIND OF difficult game

I'm at this part as well and boy, am I ready to put my fist directly through my television. The game is definitely tough and tough in a way I enjoy until this. It's frustrating because you don't feel in control at all. I'm sure there's a way to breakdown exactly how to precisely control your movements with these stupid purple orbs but I can't for the life of me figure it out. I'm just flailing around hoping to get a good jump off of them.

There IS RLY no option beat Oil Ocean Zone. It's extremely hard.

@milkman: @matoya: The purple orbs fucked me up at first, but you definitely control how you are going to launch off of them. The only way to properly do it is to understand how it works. It's hard to explain but you kind off jump off from your opposite point, if that makes sense. So in a way it's kind of reversed? Also there is just a lot of timing involved. Knowing the exact right time to hit the jump.

Some of the bosses are too hard to be in a Sonic game. The levels are all easy, though.

I still haven't beaten TMZ btw. I'm gonna make a push today/tomorrow to see if I can finally finish the game. I'd hate to give up on a game on the last stage, but if I have to...

Apply a bit of patience and you will do fine. Its not an walking simulator.

@matoya: Not just you. The last level is brutal. The first time I did it, I ran out of time on the first act. The second time I got to the last boss, died and was too frustrated to go back and finish it.

That's kind of where I'm at. I had a go this morning, got to the boss of Act 1 with 3 lives, couldn't beat it, and kinda rage quit.

I don't think I'll finish SM because I hate the last stage so much

It's kinda hard but you're probably just an idiot as well. Lol just joking

It's fine, I'm famously bad at games

For the record, I ended up beating this level the next day. The purple orb stuff isn't all that tough once you get a feel of how it works. I was flying through those sections pretty easily by the end. Those two levels are still a motherfucker though.

And also, to be clear, I loved the game. I don't mind getting my ass kicked a bit. It made that feeling when got that final hit on the last boss that much better.

I Alt F4'd angrily during the Titanic Monarch boss. Had two lives left, but didn't wanna bother with another gimmicky boss. I liked the games this is aping better. They were more consistent and didn't have so many lame gimmicks. The original levels and music aren't even that good.

Aside from the Special Stages and the final Super Sonic boss, I have not found this game particularly hard. But then again I'm one of those crazy people who thinks that Sonic 2 is the best game ever made, so I'll admit that maybe I don't think it's that hard because I have an obscene understanding of how the physics in these games work.

@matoya: I only made to chemical plant act 1 and i just couldn't get past any water areas, ended up breaking my phone because i got so angry.