Sonic 4 before or after Mania?

[Underdog]

Hey guys, I'm being a nerd and clearing all the 2D games in "order"... reaching an impasse on whether to play 4 or Mania first. Wikipedia says both games take place after Sonic 3 and Knuckles with no other hints. I haven't played 4 or Mania yet, so I don't know if the plot points matter at all.

Anyway, 4 then Mania? Mania then 4? Overthinking and it doesn"t matter?

[Kakhi]

Do as you wish, in these cases, it doesn't really matters.
Yes, both are tells as being sequels from the same game, but different ones... ( And Sonic 4 wasn't actually really concluded, guess why ? ^^' )

[chozora]

Personally, I wouldn't even play Sonic 4. As far as I know, absolutely nothing happens story-wise, but if you're dead-set on playing it, I'd go with 3&K, 4, then Mania.

[Shinyoka]

Mania suppose to be directly after 3, That's why the intro Video the elevator have floors 1-2-3-M. 4 did get canceled but no proof story got trashed. Even though Sonic Mania suppose to be after 3, Mania is still not canon (yeah I'm one of those)

[Gnidex]

They aren't even in order. There is a timeline split after events of Sonic Generations, what means that 4 and Mania happen in timelines alternate to each other.

I recommend 4 first. Mostly because Mania is better, 4 came out first and you'll get a refresher after S3&K.

[Underdog]

Call me crazy, but I actually enjoyed Sonic 4... I did do Sonic 4 before Mania since it seems Mania is a lot more of an "anniversary" title than anything... I'm aware it isn't actually for an anniversary, but since just about every level is a throw back or recreation, it seems to be like one. I'll start on Mania once I get this super pesky last achievement in Episode 2... but yeah, seems there is zero story in Sonic 4, unfortunately, so this was mostly for nothing :P Thanks for replies regardless!

[Sleepy Sylvie]

Originally posted by Sleepz:

Mania suppose to be directly after 3, That's why the intro Video the elevator have floors 1-2-3-M. 4 did get canceled but no proof story got trashed. Even though Sonic Mania suppose to be after 3, Mania is still not canon (yeah I'm one of those)

doesn't it directly tie into *Forces though?

[Underdog]

^ Mania ties directly into Sonic Forces, not Generations. The jewel that Eggman and Co uses the whole time is the Phantom Ruby in Forces

[mdesaleah]

Sonic 4 does not make sense as a sequel to 3. Sonic Adventure is meant to be the characters growing older so it doesnt make sense for 4 to have them look older than Adventure. You can still place Mania before Adventure, and it still makes sense

[GamerXT]

this is sonic 4

[Underdog]

Originally posted by mdesaleah:

Sonic 4 does not make sense as a sequel to 3. Sonic Adventure is meant to be the characters growing older so it doesnt make sense for 4 to have them look older than Adventure. You can still place Mania before Adventure, and it still makes sense

I don't think they look older; seems more like the transition between 3 and Adventure. I would have to assume in canon, it'd go Mania then Sonic 4 then the Adventures, but who knows

[mdesaleah]

Originally posted by MVP:

Originally posted by mdesaleah:

Sonic 4 does not make sense as a sequel to 3. Sonic Adventure is meant to be the characters growing older so it doesnt make sense for 4 to have them look older than Adventure. You can still place Mania before Adventure, and it still makes sense

I don't think they look older; seems more like the transition between 3 and Adventure. I would have to assume in canon, it'd go Mania then Sonic 4 then the Adventures, but who knows

The 4 designs are the ones from Unleashed which were meant to look even older than the Adventure designs.

[Gnidex]

Originally posted by Calai:

Originally posted by Sleepz:

Mania suppose to be directly after 3, That's why the intro Video the elevator have floors 1-2-3-M. 4 did get canceled but no proof story got trashed. Even though Sonic Mania suppose to be after 3, Mania is still not canon (yeah I'm one of those)

doesn't it directly tie into *Forces though?

Yes, it does. At the good end of Sonic Mania Plantom Ruby and Chaos Emeralds teleport Classic Sonic to Modern Sonic's timeline. It's not time travel to the future, it's a travel to alternate reality in which more time passed and which Classic Sonic already visited during bithday party in Generations.
Just play the games.

[NickTheBox06]

Originally posted by Sylvie:

Originally posted by Sleepz:

Mania suppose to be directly after 3, That's why the intro Video the elevator have floors 1-2-3-M. 4 did get canceled but no proof story got trashed. Even though Sonic Mania suppose to be after 3, Mania is still not canon (yeah I'm one of those)

doesn't it directly tie into *Forces though?

I believe Mania Encore takes place immediately after Forces