Sonic Superstars Preview – Co-Op In Cyber Station Zone

In our previous issue, as part of the cover story, Sonic Superstars was featured. This upcoming 2D-platformer stars everybody’s blue hedgehog. I’ve recently played a brand-new area that I had not seen earlier this summer. In addition, I experienced what was probably my biggest mystery to date: cooperative gameplay.

I play in Cyber Station Zone. This is the same stage that many of you may have seen on the trailer, where Sonic turned into pixelated creatures and then squidlike. The name and early appearance of Cyber Station Zone gave me a good idea what I could expect, but it was the first time that I used a second controller.

Sonic Superstars allows four local players to join forces. A representative told me that it could get chaotic, but I haven’t experienced this myself. Sonic Superstars is inspired by 2D cooperative platformers. But the pace of play makes Sonic Superstars unique. I experienced this firsthand as my co-op partner, playing Tails, flew ahead of where I could reach as Sonic.

The camera will follow the character that is moving forward towards the goal. Although this rule is good in general, you may have some issues if your goal is to explore all the stages. If you plan to accomplish anything other than making it to stage’s end, communication will be crucial. When a character is off screen (or has died), it will zap into the scene next to your leader.

As rings are not shared by characters, even one who is doing well could have a character on the verge of death. Respawns are also unlimited, just like the single-player life. The characters will respawn instantly and easily, giving you some safety in waiting.

Arzest and Sonic Team seem to realize this, as they have made an exception to that rule: If you die during a boss battle, you are out for the rest of the fight. The goal is to stop players from cheating through boss fights. It will be tense if the player is left as the last one standing to fight Eggman, or any of his devices. 

The cooperative play in Sonic Superstars is a great way to have fun with friends while exploring the different stages. However, as other co-op platforms, this may not always be the best way to get around. Even though the main camera is following the protagonist, the other characters cannot interact with each other except for Tails, who carries another hero while in flight. This means that it won’t be quite as chaotic as say four-player New Super Mario Bros.

Cyber Station’s futuristic title is well suited to the area. You run across beams which turn your team members into pixelated versions. These creatures can range from mice to squids. You can also ride in various pipes. One section requires you to pick the right path to avoid the enemies that are placed across the network of branching pipes.

Near the end, characters become rockets. To fly fast and far they must hit the booster cones while avoiding obstacles. In the boss battle, Eggman is combined with one of his inventions. A silver robot creates copies of itself and must be fired back at the boss. The boss battle is challenging because it happens in a chase scene, especially when played with a friend.

Sonic Superstars is still a great game. Sonic Superstars continues to impress.

Sonic Superstars will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch on October 17, as well as PlayStation 4, Xbox One Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series X/S.