Sonic Mania was released in 2017 by Sega as a 2D platform game that returned Sonic, Tails and Knuckles to their classic 16-bit style, with remixed zones and new boss fights. The boss defeat cue comes from that game, where clearing a boss triggers a short victory sting before the act moves on. As gameplay clips, speedruns and retro gaming edits spread online, short sounds like this one were lifted onto soundboards and reused far beyond the original game, because the instantly recognisable retro fanfare works as a shorthand for beating something hard.