Next up in our SAGE 2020 coverage is another Sonic Mania mod, but with gameplay that will remind you of the old Sonic Adventure days. Knuckles is back to look for emeralds in Knuckles’ Emerald Hunt Mania.
Only Knuckles is playable in this mod, but almost every level in the game is playable. Due to technical reasons, Press Garden Act 1, Mirage Saloon Zone Act 1, Titanic Monarch Zone Act 1 Titanic Monarch Zone Act 3 and Egg Reverie Zone are the only unplayable levels.
The goal is simple. Find the three Chaos Emeralds hidden randomly in the level. If, for whatever reason, you need to get back to the beginning of the level, you can press the “P” key on your keyboard or “select” button on your controller to teleport there.
You receive an emerald radar that can detect any nearby emerald, similar to Sonic Adventure 1’s, whether it’s the first or last one in line. The timer is also disabled, so you’re free to explore as you please. Once you find an emerald, you must jump into it to “collect it”.
Knuckles’ move set is the same as Mania’s, so there’s no drill diving, and Knuckles isn’t as fast as he is in the Adventure games. The levels are also largely untouched, so you’ll likely have to take long paths and go around obstructions to get to where you want to go. Nevertheless, if you’ve been craving to hunt for emeralds as Knuckles, now’s your chance. You can go download the mod at SAGE’s site right here.