A new Sonic game is on the way, and it looks exactly like Sonic did 20-plus years ago

For millions of kids in the ’90s, the war between Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog was serious business.

And for Nintendo and Sega, it was actually serious business. Nintendo controlled north of 90% of the video game market before Sega – and a speedy blue cartoon hedgehog named Sonic – showed up.

“Sonic the Hedgehog” – the original Sega Genesis game, not the character – is beloved among game fans of a certain age. It starred the hard-edged Sega equivalent of Nintendo’s goofy, floppy-hatted Super Mario. It was fast, it was edgy, and it was fresh. (It didn’t hurt that Sega included the game for free with new Genesis consoles, making it the first-ever successful free-to-play game.)

For years, fans have wanted a return to the original, 16-bit-era version of “Sonic the Hedgehog” that they grew up with. And now, those fans are taking over the creation of exactly such a project.

This is “Sonic Mania”:

If “Sonic Mania” looks familiar, that’s because it’s a spitting image of the original “Sonic the Hedgehog” games.

It stars Sonic (the hedgehog), Tails, and a third playable character….

Knuckles! He’s an <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna”>echidna</a>.

So, what’s this game about? It’s standard Sonic fare: Take down the evil Dr. Eggman (maybe you know him as Dr. Robotnik?) by any means necessary.

If where Sonic is running looks familiar, that’s because it’s the famous “Green Hill Zone” from the original game. It’s been reimagined for “Sonic Mania.”

The characteristic signs of classic Sonic are back, from collecting gold coins to Sonic’s signature spin-dash move:

Sonic runs, jumps, spin-dashes, and zip-lines around levels.

The classic computer monitors (containing coins, extra lives, and other power-ups) are scattered throughout Sonic’s world.

And, as always, there are various secret areas and alternate routes to take through each level. It’s not just about going <em>fast</em>, but about going smart.

Though the game looks nearly identical to the original Sega Genesis game, it’s taking advantage of modern game techniques to subtly smooth the rough edges of the original.

“Sonic Mania” looks as challenging as ever — you’ll need to carefully control Sonic as he races through levels, lest you lose all your precious gold coins.

For you ultra-serious Sonic fans, there’s a collector’s edition of “Sonic Mania” that comes with a bunch of nostalgia-laced swag:

“Sonic Mania” launches on August 15 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC, and costs $20. Check out the latest trailer right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyXg9kAp4Vc?ecver=1