The 50 best Nintendo Switch games right now

Best Nintendo Switch Games #35 – Sonic Mania

Developer: PagodaWest Games, Headcanon

Synopsis: Sonic just can’t stop going fast in Sonic Mania, which hearkens back to the style of old-school Sonic platformers in every way. Art, music, level design, and game structure bring the memories of Sonic flooding back, though admittedly with some improvements such as original and remastered stages and improved (if not perfect) checkpointing.

Why it’s one of the best Nintendo Switch games: After trying every imaginable variation on the 3D Sonic formula in an attempt to keep the chili dog-loving hedgehog’s dreams alive, Sega finally hearkened back to its roots by handing the development off to indie studios who were huge fans and let them make exactly what Sonic-lovers wanted: old Sonic made new. Though the sprites are more detailed, the levels more complex, and the boss battles quirkier, Sonic Mania is the same classic Sonic you remember from your childhood, with all the fast-paced loops and frustrating collisions you remember. If there’s an excellent Sonic for the modern era anywhere, Sonic Mania is all it.