15 Games That Overcame the Odds to Become Successful

Sonic Mania

Sonic Team has had its ups and downs through the decades with 3D Sonic platformers, but we’ve received some genuinely fun results like Sonic Generations, Sonic Colors, the recently released Sonic Frontiers and much more. However, a traditional 2D side-scrolling Sonic title felt like a fantasy. Sonic 4 is technically 2.5D and didn’t receive the best reception.

So when a new 2D side-scroller not developed by Sonic Team was announced, reactions were mixed. Not completely negative, since the developers – Christian Whitehead and Headcannon – were known for their work on Sonic fan games. Not completely positive because they were still working under Sega’s mandates and creating something that paid homage to the classics while forging a new path forward.

Lo and behold, Sonic Mania was a massive hit. As it turned out, fans wanted some fun 2D Sonic platforms. Even critics agreed it was an incredible title due to its visuals, new stages and gameplay being perfectly in line with the classics. It was released in August 2017 and sold over one million copies worldwide by April 2018.