For nearly three decades, Sega has kept its most iconic franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog, in the public eye with exciting 2D and 3D platformers. But while new entries have consistently released since Sonic's first appearance in 1991, not all were hits. As Sonic entered 3D, some titles were resounding successes like Sonic Generations. Others were met with mostly negative reviews. By contrast, his 2D titles have thrived, like 2017's Sonic Mania. However, while that game was such a success, no sequel has been announced -- and a follow-up is long overdue.

Part of Sonic Mania's excellence is how it brought back all of the best things about the original Sonic games. From its catchy music to its colorful stages, the entire game is both an homage to the classic series and a continuation of the overall narrative. Even the game's cover is reminiscent of the franchise's early box art with its bright colors and geometric shapes surrounding the titular character. Sonic Mania is more than just a retro-themed throwback, though.

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Sega Sonic Mania Mirage Saloon stage

Since Sonic Generations, Sega has made room for both classic and modern Sonic to operate within their own timelines. This is exemplified mainly in Sonic Mania which is a continuation of Sonic and Knuckles. The story also tied directly into Sonic Forces, which saw both classic and modern Sonics teaming up for a second time to take on Eggman. However, once classic Sonic returned to his timeline, his story wasn't continued.

The door is open for the next chapter, and a Mania sequel could pick up where Forces left off. Sonic could either be in a new world trying to get back to his dimension, or in a world similar to his own that was changed due to Mania and Forces' events and the use of the Chaos Gems and Phantom Ruby.

A sequel to Mania would also mean a continuation of the unique level designs that expanded the franchise's 2D capabilities. In the first game, some classic Zones like Green Hill and Chemical Plant were included, but new stages like Studiopolis showed how technology had progressed. It featured visually impressive gimmicks, like Sonic being transported through radio waves and being stuck in a giant popcorn machine. Mirage Saloon also saw Sonic and Tails working together on Tails' airplane to catch up to Eggman's train, which gave a new perspective to the level with Sonic jumping from the plane to the train and back again. A Sonic Mania sequel would be able to implement similar techniques and introduce new ones to show that the platforming genre still has room to grow.

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One of the best parts of Sonic Mania was the new characters added to the roster in the expanded version, Sonic Mania Plus. Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel joined Sonic, Knuckles and Tails as playable characters. A sequel could further expand this with new allies like Amy Rose and Espio the Chameleon. Even characters like Silver and Shadow the Hedgehog could make the leap into 2D and show these Sonic icons from a new perspective.

With Sonic Mania tying directly into Sonic Forces, a Mania sequel could also continue this trend and keep the 3D aspect of the franchise alive by teasing a brand new title that would see the modern and classic heroes teaming up again for a new adventure. A new Sonic Mania has the potential to be an incredible success, even though one hasn't been announced yet. It has been far too long since Sega has revisited the characters, and it is time to dust them off and hit the ground running.

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