2. Sonic Mania General Hints & Tips

The controls for 2D Sonic games are very simple, so you should pick up on the game's mechanics quickly. A, Q, and S all have the same function in a level; press any of these buttons to jump. W is generally unused unless you have Debug Mode on (see the Extras page) or you're playing Time Attack. Moving is done with the four directional keys. Any of the three characters can perform a Spin Dash, done by holding Down and mashing any of the jump buttons (mashing all three will charge it up faster). Changing your direction to forwards instead of down will launch you very fast, depending on how much you charged your dash. Sonic can also use a new move, the Drop Dash. After jumping in the air, hold a jump button until you hit the ground; this will also give you some momentum, and is most useful in Time Attack. Don't forget about it as you play the story, either, as it's useful in lots of situations. Tails can fly, which is done by repeatedly jumping after being in mid-air, and Knuckles can glide by holding down a jump button while in mid-air. These three playstyles make replaying the story and doing Time Attack a lot more interesting, and give the game more replayability.

The Encore DLC adds Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel as playable characters, who both have their own unique moves. Ray can fly around similar to the way Mario can in Super Mario World, where you can gain distance by repeatedly moving up and down, and Mighty can perform a slam straight downward. While Mighty's move is a lot more situational, his hard shell acts as a powerful armor that can deflect many attacks.

One item that hasn't been seen in the series for a long time is a container with a blue ring inside of it. Hitting it gives your rings a sort of shield; when hit, your rings will be condensed into some very large and slower-moving rings that are easier to pick up. This is a much better alternative than having all your rings fly everywhere on the screen.