Top 10 Best Zones in Sonic Mania

Studiopolis Zone is the kind of stage that is unimaginable in any game other than Sonic. The franchise has always had a weakness for funny and crazy stage gimmicks, and this time they combined the token gimmicky casino level with a Hollywood/movie set, and it's genius. For once, there are no slot machines but an actual lottery. It's just a shame it was a bit unspectacular. I wanted to spend hours trying to get to 999 rings, like back in Casino Night Zone.

The track is great. But to be honest, the only reason I'm picking Studiopolis over Oil Ocean (which has really improved in Mania, and I already liked its original) is that I didn't die to the boss 5 or 6 times.

Brand new Zone that has a multitude of references that hardcore Sonic fans will definitely geek out over. Not to mention, Act 1 is very much like Sky Chase from Sonic 2.

I like how the hooligans destroy the plane and that you get to fight them.

By far the prettiest zone in an already beautiful-looking game. I love the transition between Act 1 and Act 2.

The gimmicks are all pretty neat, and it has the best boss in the entire game.

I adore this stage. There are so many level tropes smashed up into this one gorgeous zone. There's nothing else like it in any other Sonic game.

Brand new Zone that resembles a press factory and ends up being an icy forest. The music is phenomenal here too.

This was great to play through again, and the new mechanics in Act 2 were well executed. I'm happy that this zone was in the game. Originally from Sonic 2.

Act 2 is very easy and predictable, and its background is beautiful. The major boss, however, can be hard (unless you transform into Super Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Mighty, or Ray).

Act 1, on the other hand, is inferior to Act 2, but the mini-boss (where you control the Egg-Mobile to create a vortex and pull Eggman into it) is pretty amusing.

This was a nice surprise to see. Good pick for a water level, and I love what Tee Lopes did for the music. Originally from Sonic 3.

Act 2 is possibly my favorite level in this whole game.

Metallic Madness is the perfect example of Sonic stage design and aesthetics, alongside Stardust Speedway. The Kirby Triple Deluxe-like gimmicks add some extra feeling to it. I love bouncing on the springs, going fast in the tubes and half-pipes, getting launched into the air, and even playing as Chibi Sonic.

Both acts feel amazing to play through, have incredible boss fights, and feature the best music tracks in the game (in my opinion). This is my favorite zone.

I wasn't a big fan of the original zone in Sonic CD, but the Mania version is outstanding. It's the right level of challenge while still being fun, with the background/foreground switches and the shrink rays.

Plus, the music for both acts is amazing, with Act 2 being my favorite in the whole game. The boss battles are really cool as well.

I thought about this for a long time, and I came to a toss-up between this stage and Press Garden Zone. This zone wins for me on a purely subjective matter: Act 2's background and soundtrack made me feel like I'm inside a cathedral. I love that kind of feeling.

A brand new zone and one of the last zones in the game. The Act 2 boss is really tough as well. Depending on whether or not you have the Chaos Emeralds, this is the final level of the game.

Best level in the game. Act 1 is really fun to speedrun. The music is on point too.

Classic stage that was no doubt going to be in the game. What more is there to say? Originally from Sonic the Hedgehog.

Easily the best zone in the entire game, especially Act 2, which also has the best music. The iconic race between Sonic (or Tails, Knuckles, etc.) and Metal Sonic returns in the "third" act of the zone (actually still Act 2, but not the main Act 2).

Also, the transition between Act 1 and Act 2 (aka the time traveling) is the best act transition of the entire game.

Announced before release, but this was a good pick. Also has amazing music. Originally from Sonic CD.

Very fast with cool music all in one package.

Oh, Lava Reef. How I missed you! Amazing music (Tee Lopes is a genius), fun new and returning mechanics, and a beautiful setting. Easily my second favorite, besides Flying Battery.

The look and graphics are very cool.

I feel like I'm the only one who likes this zone, as it does a lot to keep the player engaged with tons of fun gimmicks and some speedy sections.

The Act 2 boss sucks, though.

I think I'm one of the few people that actually liked the original Oil Ocean from Sonic 2, but this remake doesn't do enough new or interesting aside from Act 2's main mechanic of clearing the smoke.

Many chunks of level design are too repetitive. Every time you ascend, you either climb on the lids of pipes that get blown up or use an elevator. Every time you descend, it's always, ALWAYS just falling down those oil slides.

I love how you have to take so many complex steps to get here, and the soundtrack is great too. The boss can be challenging sometimes, but luckily you can fight the Death Egg Robot Mach 2 as Super Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles.

It's weird that they would incorporate a future stage in a game that takes place in the past, but overall, a really cool zone for Sonic Mania to have.