'Sonic Superstars' Review

Video Games

Nov 7

Sonic seems to be in a bit of a renaissance at the moment. From the hit Netflix cartoon Sonic Prime to the landmark title Sonic Frontiers, things seem to be looking up for the blue blur. Sonic Superstars brings the series back to its 2D sidescroller roots but with a 2.5D coat of paint. Does this title continue the upward trajectory the series is in? Let’s find out!

Gameplay

The gameplay of Sonic Superstars essentially stays faithful to the classic Genesis/MegaDrive games. However, there are some updates to the formula. Firstly, the dropdash from Sonic Mania returns. In addition, Amy is also once again playable. The chaos emeralds also have more purpose than just giving the player the ability to turn super or unlock the true ending. Each emerald grants the player special powers for use in the zones. The blue chaos emerald gives the player the ability to make clones of themself. Next, the red emerald turns the player into a fireball that can be launched into the air at enemies.

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Cyan liquifies the player and allows them to traverse through water. Green lets the player create vines to reach hard-to-reach places. Purple gives the player the ability to see hidden items. Gray gives the player a new ability depending on the character. Sonic gets the homing attack, Tails shoots tornadoes from his tails, Knuckles gains a punch attack, and Amy gains a projectile hammer attack. Lastly, yellow allows the player to slow time. How you get these gems is also different from previous titles. Rather than traversing a halfpipe or a maze, the player enters a fully 3D space and must swing from point to point, using their momentum to reach the chaos emeralds.

Also new to the series is an official coach co-op mode and an online battle mode that features players facing off against other players from around the world using a custom robot rather than one of the player characters. Overall, the gameplay stays true to its roots while introducing innovations to the formula.

Graphics

The graphics are beautiful and perfectly capture the art aesthetic of Classic Sonic. Each character is beautifully modeled and animated, and each stage is bursting with details and color. Even on the Nintendo Switch, the graphics look rather impressive, though the higher resolution of consoles such as Xbox One makes a difference. It runs at 60fps on all platforms with few of any real hiccups. Overall, Sonic Superstars is a beautiful-looking game.

Story

The story is an expansion of your standard classic Sonic story. It takes place on the Northstar Islands, and Eggman is up to his old tricks again, searching for the chaos emeralds and imprisoning animals in badniks. He is aided by Fang the Hunter in addition to a young local of the islands named Trip. The story has no dialog, but the cutscenes expertly express the emotions and plot points through body language and facial expressions. Sonic Superstars features in-game cutscenes in addition to beautifully animated cutscenes that add variety to the story presentation, making this truly feel like a classic Sonic title.

Music

Tee Lopes returns to collaborate on the music of this title with Jun Senoue, and what results is a beautiful mix of old and new sound aesthetics that feel right at home on both a Genesis, Saturn, and a modern console. The music truly is a modernization of the style of the classic Sonic games, and best of all, the tracks are original this time around rather than a mix of original tracks and remixes of old ones. There are also times when the music has a slight MegaMan X vibe as well, so overall, the score is surely a huge highlight of the game.

Pros And Cons

There are several pros for this game. First, it retains the same feel as the classic Sonic games on the Genesis and controls beautifully. The addition of couch co-op is also rather interesting. There is also a lot of emphasis on replayability and exploration, as the player is encouraged to go back and find secrets or medals they may have missed. It’s an overall fun experience and a nice modern classic Sonic game. Players may notice that Sonic isn’t always as fast as he is in more recent games. However, this is true to the classic titles, where the speed has to be earned by mastering the level design, but even then, you might not be blazing as fast as you did on Chemical Plant Zone back in 1992. Still, the speed is quite exhilarating.

However, there are a few cons. Firstly, the special stages just seem a bit, well, weird. You swing like Spider-Man to get to the emerald, and even though the trick is to use your momentum, it often feels like a game of chance. Secondly, there is only one emerald per stage, and each emerald is locked to a particular stage. It’s a minor gripe, but as there is a ring to the special zone in each act, being able to get other emeralds would have been a nice touch. The multiplayer is also a bit weird. Rather than play as one of the player characters, you play as a custom robot in a variety of challenges. This is an odd way of doing online multiplayer, and it would have been better just to have been able to play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, or even Trip. Nonetheless, an online battle mode is a welcome addition, but it’s a shame co-op is locked to local multiplayer. The load times are also an issue on both the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, and there are some slight glitches here and there that will hopefully be patched out.

Verdict

Sonic Mania walked so Sonic Superstars could run…even if it “Trips” a couple of times. Everything from the music, art direction, and gameplay oozes that classic Sonic feeling that is sure to give you your high-speed platformer fix. Though some may argue the $59.99 price tag is a bit steep, there’s plenty of content and replayability to be had on this title. Be sure to pick up your copy today!

Rating: 9.5/10

Developer: Sonic Team and Azrest; Publisher: SEGA; Players: Single-Player, local co-op, Online; Released: October 17th, 2023; ESRB: E for mild cartoon violence; MSRP: $59.99 standard, $69.99 digital deluxe edition

Review played on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One

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