Sega explains why a Sonic Mania sequel didn’t happen

destructoid.com:

Since Sega released the first Sonic the Hedgehog game in 1991, the lovable blue speedster remained a permanent fixture in pop culture. Though it has plenty of nostalgic value, Sonic Team will not be returning to 2017’s Sonic Mania. In a recent interview with Game Informer, Sega explained why this is the case.

Sonic Mania was a success that sold over a million copies in its first year of release. This might have indicated a sequel could happen, but that hasn’t panned out. In the interview, Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka revealed that the plan was originally to make a new Sonic game in the classic style following Sonic Mania.

“There was a period after the development of Sonic Mania when we worked with them to consider concepts for the next generation of Classic Sonic,” Iizuka told GI. “It’s too bad that it didn’t become a finished game. Still, I’m pleased that the next generation of Classic Sonic that we talked about with them has been achieved with Superstars.”

The upcoming Sonic Superstars will be using 3D assets. The team felt that the 2D pixel art style attracts a certain “core” audience. While most of these players may be lifelong Sonic fans, developers also wanted the upcoming game to appeal to a wider audience of new players. Hence, as Iizuka explains, they “needed to use the 3D assets to really give it that current look”.

Sonic Team amiably cut ties with developer Christian Whitehead who worked on Sonic Mania. Whitehead went on to form Evening Star, a studio working on its debut Penny’s Big Breakaway. But Superstars does look to be using some pieces of Sonic Mania‘s legacy for the upcoming side-scroller.

Will have more to say on this when it's appropriate, but the Mania physics were indeed fully translated to modern