Sonic Superstars hands on: Sega’s new Sonic game is a glossy spin

Sonic the Hedgehog will be back this autumn with a brand new 2D Adventure. Sonic Superstars, Sega and Sonic Team’s best-looking game in the franchise yet. The game has a sleek, modern design. SuperstarsHas vintage Sonic bones. Co-developer Arzest appears to have painstakingly replicated classic Sonic physics in a style similar to 2017’s Sonic Mania, keeping the franchise’s core gameplay firmly rooted in its past.

Sonic SuperstarsSonic 2D Side-Scrolling is a 2D game that has a high speed and involves side-scrolling. It’s been given a new twist with some tricks. The game’s roster includes Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose, and each has their own strengths and abilities. Sonic is capable of a drop dash, Tails and Knuckles have the ability to hover or float and Amy Rose has the power to double jump.

Sonic and Friends can use the new Emerald Powers as well, which evokes gameplay based on power-ups. Sonic Colors. Emerald Powers allows players to create copies of themselves and swim up waterfalls. They can also get X-ray Vision, which is the ability to view hidden elements on a stage. They can be used at virtually any moment, with a menu that is assigned to the gamepad’s right analog stick. They keep the rest of their secrets. Sonic Superstars’ controls overly simple; it’s mostly controlled with just one button, but confusingly so. These new abilities were rarely used, and I resorted to the tried-and true Sonic platforming methods.

Sonic is a good franchise for fans who want to introduce their children or other partners into it. Sonic SuperstarsIt can be enjoyed by up to four people at the same time. This is an attractive feature on paper. In reality, Superstars’ co-op is incredibly frenetic, even with just two characters on screen. The fast-paced, “blast processing” gameplay that makes Sonic SonicThis means that characters are often hurtling towards the front and will leave allies in their wake. In a recent session of hands-on play, I found my friend’s character to be rushing forward and leaving allies behind. Sonic SuperstarsMy co-op partner spent most of the time respawning as I ran through the launchers and loops scattered around Bridge Island Zone. I would have played it differently or more slowly if I had been more considerate.

Sonic Superstars’ levels draw inspiration from classic Sonic designs. Bridge Island Zone could easily be mistaken for a previously unseen slice of Green Hill, and Pinball Carnival will give Sonic fans their Casino Night Zone fix, thanks to the level’s pop bumpers and flippers. Cyber Station Zone offers a more intriguing experience, allowing Team Sonic members to be transformed either into their voxelized version or other completely different forms: flying squids and rocket ships. The character’s movement in these different forms is totally altered. This arcade-inspired level, with its constant mechanics switches, slows down the pace a little. It was also one of our favorites. Sonic SuperstarsThe game was fun.

Artwork of Trip from Sonic Superstars, she’s encased in copper-like armor, but has a furry tail and white gloves — Trip to *Sonic Superstars*

Regardless of how you feel about Sonic the Hedgehog’s brand of gotta-go-fast platforming, it’s difficult to deny just how good Sonic Superstars looks. Sonic, Eggman, and returning bad guy Fang the Sniper look both classic and contemporary — every character is gorgeously lit and rendered, and at blistering high speeds. Trip is an unknown creature that’s clumsy, heavily armored, and clumsy. She’s been enlisted by Fang and Eggman to “protect and guide them,” Sega says, in the game’s new region, Northstar Islands. Designed by original Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima, Trip’s true purpose (and probable face turn) in Sonic SuperstarsIt is worth watching the entire story.

Fans of Sonic the Hedgehog’s classic 2D side-scrolling style can look forward to Sonic SuperstarsComing to almost every gaming platform. Sega will release the game Oct. 17, on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 Windows PC, Xbox One Series X, Xbox One.

See the images below for a closer look at Bridge Island and the other zones, including Pinball Carnival Zones, Speed Jungle Zones, and Cyber Station Zones.