It feels like it wasn’t that long ago that Sega released “Sonic Frontiers,” a game that may not have been perfect, but was a whole lot of fun to play (check out my review HERE). In fact, that game was only released less than a year ago. While that was a more 3D open world style adventure, this new release of “Sonic Superstars” brings things back to its side scrolling roots once again, but this time the classic 2D pixel graphics have been traded in for a more modern 3D style. Leave it to Sega to also release a Sonic title in the midst of a very packed release month, going up against a very similar competitor with Nintendo, that is the new Mario title only a week later. I took this bold decision as a sign of confidence that “Sonic Superstars” can stand toe-to-toe with the best of them, having now played it I can agree on the quality of the game, but I do still worry it may struggle against the fierce competition lying ahead. Perhaps both titans can live in harmony and both succeed, time will tell.
That sense of speed is really the main thing I crave when I play old-school Sonic titles, and in that regard “Sonic Superstars” does not disappoint. With the usual loops and catapults throughout the maps you are constantly moving. With this new game comes twelve new zones to run in and if memory serves, these are probably the first new zones like this in the Sonic franchise in quite some time. Oftentimes we get the same zones we’ve gotten before in the original games, just sort of remixed a bit, so to have brand new zones is really nice to see. Lagoon City and its excessive use of water was exceptionally refreshing to play (no pun intended). Sonic isn’t the only character you get to play as in this game, as the “superstars” aspect obviously nods that you’ll get to play as his friends as well. You get Tails of course, but also Knuckles and even Amy. What’s extra cool and adds to the replayability to these zones is some of these levels are character specific where using Tails’ flight ability can really help finish quicker. Amy has the ability to knock over giant pieces of fruit in her zones and also has a very hand hammer attack. From the world map you can choose any of these four characters to play as on any stage.
There are even more powers you can unlock, not including the unique character abilities. With seven chaos emeralds you can collect during the zones that have their own emerald powers that tend to make things very interesting, dare I say even chaotic. These emeralds can open your eyes to invisible platforms, help you swim underwater, or even create several clones of yourself. You can only use these emeralds only a single time during the span of a checkpoint though, so be sure to use them wisely. Acquiring these emeralds however may take some time, as you need to find a giant golden ring which can be tricky. Once found, the golden ring takes you to a bonus 3D stage that you need to complete before being awarded the chaos emerald. These 3D stages are actually quite cool, as you sling yourself around a wide-open area slowly depleting rings, so you are essentially web slinging like Spider-man and collecting rings while also keeping up with the chaos emerald for you to catch, these sequences are actually really fun and a neat change of pace.
The most unique aspect to this title that really stands out from any previously is its full-on co-op multiplayer, but perhaps not for the better. While I think it’s great you can have up to a four-player co-op on the same screen and play with your friends, things quickly get very chaotic on screen. It also seemed that the camera randomly decided on who to follow throughout the stage, something I hope they can work a bit on in future patches, perhaps have a group leader where the camera only focuses on that player. What made it extra frustrating was if the camera wasn’t focusing on you and you disappeared out of view you will despawn and respawn a little later, which ultimately made me quickly want to go back to just playing by myself. Perhaps this could be a fun mode for younger gamers, but I personally wasn’t having it. There is another aspect of the multiplayer here that works a bit better though, and that’s the battle mode. These are brief mini games that put the players against each other and tend to be simple challenges such as killing the most opponents or collecting the most coins before the time runs out. This mode can also be played online and not just local, with up to eight players per match. A cool choice here is that in these battle modes you aren’t playing as any of the main four characters, but instead a customizable robot that you put together with parts you have unlocked while playing the game.
While “Sonic Superstars” may lose its classic digital sprite presentation, these new 3D graphics do add its own charm. I quickly grew really fond of the overall look and style, as well as all the cute little character moment’s peppered throughout. This may not be the best Sonic game ever made, but it still feels like classic Sonic and it is continuing on breaking its own barriers to try new things even if they aren’t perfect. You know what a classic Sonic game also has? An awesome and catchy soundtrack and this one does not disappoint, there are several new memorable themes to enjoy here. So, at the end of the day, “Sonic Superstars” continues to move the franchise in a bright direction and never forgets the golden rule of gaming, “is it fun?” It absolutely is.
8.5/10
For my review of “Sonic Origins Plus” check it out HERE.
For more information, visit: https://sonicsuperstars.com/
Related: Nick Navarro Reviews
Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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