Sonic Mania Plus release date set

To paraphrase Andy's review, Sonic Mania is the best Sonic game in decades. It's also responsible for one of the silliest features ever penned on PC Gamer dot com. Don't read too much into the latter (seriously, Phil, Chemical Plant Zone has the best music in the entire series), but know that the strength of the former has led to Sonic Mania Plus—a definitive version of the original that comes with new stuff. It's due on PC in July. 

When it lands, expect two new playable characters—Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel (tell me who they are in the comments, I've never heard of them)—and a so-called Encore mode that offers a "fresh look to familiar zones with new challenges and layouts." 

Furthermore, competition and Time Attack trials now support four-player tourneys and ghost challenges—and a physical edition will ship with a 32-page collector's artbook. 

The following trailer includes moving pictures from esteemed Sonic animator Tyson Hesse:

Sonic Mania Plus is due on PC on July 17, 2018. Sega says that existing Sonic Mania owners can pick an Encore DLC pack for £3.99 via Steam and first party stores.