Sonic Superstars: Unleashing the Ultimate Evolution of Sonic the Hedgehog!

Highlights

Sonic Superstars adeptly captures the essence of the original Sonic games, excelling in its portrayal of physics and platforming mechanics, in stark contrast to Sonic 4's disappointing performance in terms of physics and momentum.

Sonic Superstars presents players with fresh stages, obstacles, challenges, and gimmicks, breaking free from the overuse of nostalgia and recycled material. Although lacking online co-op and not quite meeting the musical standards set by Sonic 4, the game remains highly enjoyable with engaging gameplay and catchy songs.

While the blue blur has a long and storied history, some fans still believe that the Classic Sonic era was the pinnacle of the franchise. To cater to these fans, Sega has made efforts to recreate the old school games in new ways through two different projects. One of these was Sonic the Hedgehog 4, released episodically in 2010, while the most recent attempt is Sonic Superstars, now available on major platforms.

Given that both games aim to provide nostalgia while offering a fresh adventure, it is only natural to compare the two. The success of Sonic Superstars relies on Sega learning from the mistakes made in Sonic 4, which many loyal fans of the series consider to be a lackluster experience compared to its potential. While the bar may have been set low for Sonic Superstars, surpassing Sonic 4 is not a difficult task.

It's All in the Physics for Sonic Superstars

Both games aim to capture the essence of what made the original Sonic games exceptional, and one crucial aspect that fans closely scrutinize is their gameplay. Throughout the various titles, developers have made significant improvements, yet replicating the exceptional platforming mechanics of the original Genesis games has proved to be an arduous task. Sonic 4 highlights the significance of this element more than any other title.

Naturally, numerous fans perceive the physics of Sonic 4, particularly in the first episode, as its most significant shortcoming. The game suffered from sluggish and peculiar acceleration, relying on dash panels to maintain momentum flow, similar to the criticism later faced by Sonic Forces. The momentum physics of the original Classic Sonic games were noticeably absent, compounding the disappointment felt by many fans.

Sonic Superstars Thrives in the New and Not the Old

Sonic Superstars skillfully pays homage to the classic games without being an exact replica. It successfully captures the essence of what made those games great. The game maintains a consistent sense of momentum, and the level design only incorporates automation for certain cinematic moments and stage gimmicks. This means that all the platforming challenges in Sonic Superstars are entirely up to the player's own choices and abilities. With perseverance and familiarity with the stages, players will experience a sense of accomplishment when they successfully complete them.

The significance of nostalgia plays a crucial role in determining the adoration for older titles. However, this sentiment often constrains newer games, causing them to overly emphasize replication rather than innovation. Even Sonic Mania is not exempt from this pattern, as it revisits half of its stages from past titles.

Sega took note of the small criticism from Sonic Mania players regarding one of the best-selling Sonic games of all time. Sonic Superstars clearly established from the start that everything in the game would be completely new. Now that the game is available, players can easily see that every stage offers unique obstacles, challenges, and gimmicks.

While Sonic Superstars falls short in comparison to Sonic 4 (particularly episode 2) when it comes to online co-op, there is one aspect where the latter excels. Unfortunately, Sonic Superstars's soundtrack seems to be reminiscent of Sonic 4's, with half of its tracks sounding similar. It's evident which songs were composed by Tee Lopes, the composer of Sonic Mania, and Jun Senoue, a veteran composer who worked on Sonic 3 and Sonic 4. As the Sonic franchise is especially known for its exceptional music, even during its lesser moments, it's disappointing to hear some Superstars players claim that Sonic 4 surpasses the latest title in terms of certain musical aspects. However, despite these shortcomings, Superstars still offers enjoyable songs and excels in various other areas.

Sonic Superstars is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.