Sonic Superstars

Sonic Superstars is a perfectly serviceable Sonic game with beautiful visuals and nailed-on movement of the main characters. The number of collectables and confusing level layouts holds it back from true greatness, but there’s just enough here to keep the fanboys at bay until Sonic and friends return once again.

Sonic returns this year with a 2D platformer, and where the game starts out excellent, it weakens a bit in the long run. This is unfortunate, but the fact is that the gameplay in itself does provide enough fun, and the game is full of nostalgic references to the past, which are on point. The controls are top notch, but the co-op, while fun on paper, is too chaotic in execution, so it doesn't work well. At its core, a more than fine game, but where there are many pros, there are just as many cons to consider.

Sonic Superstars does a lot of things right, the speed is there, the momentum and physics from the classic 2D games are recreated almost flawlessly, but uneven overall quality and a couple of unclear solutions prevent this title from being much more than another half done nostalgia fest.

It’s safe to say that Sonic Superstars is one of the better Sonic games available. In fact, it might even be the best Sonic game since the original trilogy, outside of Sonic Mania at least. It can be a bit chaotic at times, and some bosses need some fine-tuning or at least some checkpoints between their phases, but Sonic fans are likely to appreciate the classic feel and wealth of new zones. Just don’t buy it on the basis of its local co-op features, or you’ll likely be seriously disappointed.

This pretty platformer simply stays in its comfort zone, which will surely please iconic fans at the risk of chilling others.

A true spiritual sequel to the classic 2D titles, Sonic Superstars will satisfy even the hungriest of fans, but not the most demanding.

In short, a good Sonic which could have been absolutely stunning if it had allowed itself to modernize while retaining this recipe which still hits the mark, even after all these years.

Sonic Superstars is far from the best Sonic, and its flaws are both copious and obvious. Despite this, there's still that base Sonic high-speed platforming joy at its core, and those ultra-cool moments when it really sticks the landing with a funky new idea, unique surprise, or charming throwback to outshine the ways in which it trips over itself. After all, when you reach for the stars, sometimes you'll overextend--but it makes those moments when you do seize glittering glory all the sweeter.

Overall, while there are faults with the game’s multiplayer, this is still a good Sonic the Hedgehog game. If you stick with the singleplayer on your own, you will definitely have fun with it. However, I do hope the next 2D Sonic game is one that uses pixel art in the same manner as Sonic Mania.

Sonic Superstars is full of ideas, and while not all of them land (especially the co-op), the inventiveness on show and core gameplay makes it worth checking out.

Sonic Superstars shines brightest when it’s sticking to what made the Genesis titles so successful. Running through the levels, launching oneself off spring boards and dashing through loop the loops is just as enjoyable now as it was in the 16-bit days. Cracks in this Chaos Emerald become more apparent with some of the changes. Many of the boss designs are good, but the patterned approach to fighting them can make them excessively drag on. The powers granted by Chaos Emeralds are fun additions, but the overall emphasis on exploration over speed takes away from the core experience of what one expects and loves from a Sonic game, plus the addition of multiplayer is a reminder of why these have traditionally been single player experiences. But criticisms aside it’s still a fun game, and while far from flawless, still a must play for fans of classic Sonic games.

Sonic Superstars is an adequate 2D Sonic adventure boasting great character control and stage theming alongside significantly improved boss battles. However, the peculiar implementation of the Chaos Emeralds and the only decent level design prevent this outing from really establishing itself as a must-play for veterans of the franchise or genre. At the very least, there’s a reasonable offering of supplemental content packed in replays and bonus modes to satisfy the fans awaiting an original 2D Sonic game.

It’s no Sonic Mania, but this is still one of the better attempts to create a modern day 2D Sonic The Hedgehog, with impressive visuals but boring boss battles.

Sonic Superstars isn’t holding back the series after the positive reception to Frontiers. It’s more than enough to keep it trucking along. Sega is sensible to be cautious about shedding too much of Sonic’s retro identity, but it needs to realise that none of us have hung around this long for Knuckles’ terrible recovery speed, or the strange instances where a single hit reduces our ring count to zero. Sonic Superstars brings us so agonisingly close to the definitive 2D Sonic game, but for now, it’s a good foundation to build on.

While the campaign is still enjoyable, Superstars’ multiplayer components are far worse options than anything in past Sonic games. Like digging Emeralds out of the rough, Sonic Superstars’ new ideas end up feeling like a mix of both interesting and ill-advised, making it an amusing Sonic game but not exactly a Super one.

Arzest has repaired its reputation after the horrible Balan Wonderworld and released a charming family game that captures most of the things about Sonic that are worth preserving.

Go in expecting the classic with a couple of added extras, and your time with Sonic will be action-packed and enjoyable.

Classic Sonic is back and, whilst it does many good things, it also falls shorts in many aspects, becoming a fun game that still is too far from the classics.

Sonic Superstars is a mixed experience. Although it can bring back good memories with its 2D-style, it also falls short due to poor level design. The game is well-colorized and feels very much alive, but it suffers from an annoying soundtrack and forgettable boss fights.

Sonic Superstars has some of that high speed Sonic platforming magic, but the tedious boss fights make it hard to fully recommend.

Sonic Superstars embodies the classic 2D Sonic game qualities, which is a commendable feature as it ensures an enjoyable gaming experience. However, this also serves as a point of critique, given the series' frequent reliance on nostalgia in past iterations.

Sonic Superstars is packed with classic sonic charm, gorgeous visuals, and fun, fast-paced levels that we love from all 2D Sonic games. But the two big ticket selling points, the chaos emerald abilities and battle mode, are sadly its weakest links. The story mode is still largely enjoyable, and some better implementations of the new abilities but make a sequel to this game legitimately great. If you’re a fan of classic Sonic, you’ll likely still enjoy this title.

Once again, Sonic Superstars is a case of 'could have been great'. The playability is basically there, especially Amy's double jump is a blessing... And yet, in the end, nothing really fits together all that well.

Sonic Superstars is a decent Sonic game, but it is not the return to former heights that some would expect. It offers entertainment and fun, but is marred by the action being slowed down quite a lot, interrupting the flow, and boss fights that drag on and feel like a throwback instead of an evolution.

We loved the soundtrack and the ability to play as Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Trip. It’s also worth pointing out that 2D Sonic has never looked so good. The level design is also superb, and we look forward to exploring new routes in our next playthrough, but we feel like a lot of what makes Sonic so amazing has been sacrificed on the altar of flawed multiplayer...This makes us worry about the future direction of the Sonic games, and if the questionable gimmicks from the 3D entries will slowly start to pollute the usually stellar 2D games. While Sonic Superstars isn’t on Sonic Mania or Generation’s level, it’s still a fun and enjoyable Sonic outing where some ideas work and others don’t.

Respectable platforming and classic Sonic elements are undermined by inconsistent new ideas.

In its core mission, Sonic Superstars is successful. It recreates the foundation of 2D Sonic – some of the finest platformers ever made – well. Unfortunately, the new elements layered atop that are rather hit-or-miss. I personally don’t think this is anywhere near as good as Mania. But it’s good. In fact, it’s good enough that I expect fan debate about which game is superior to be fairly heated – which is a sure-fire sign that Sega is on the right track.

We're a bit at odds with ourselves on Sonic Superstars. Fundamentally it's a really enjoyable side-scrolling Sonic title, but the two big ticket features — chaos emerald powers and co-op — are arguably the worst parts of it. While the emerald abilities have their uses, co-op just doesn't mesh with this gameplay at all. We can absolutely recommend this as a solo experience, as there's a lot to like about the fresh art style, largely great soundtrack, and multi-layered level design. Throw in a friend or two, though, and it quickly gets messy.

Sonic Superstars is a game that understands the broad strokes of 16-bit Sonic games, but not any of the finer details. The new ideas it brings to the table are undercooked, and its multiplayer component is too poorly utilized to recommend. There are undoubtedly moments of genius here when everything lines up just right. But any goodwill I had for the game was ruined by the tedious, arduous boss battles. If you’re a Sonic fan who has thoroughly mastered the classics, you may find some entertainment here. But you deserve so much better than this.

Neither particularly exciting nor even safe, Superstars’ greatest Sonic sin is being really quite boring, and not very suited to multiplayer antics at all. [Issue#34, p.70]

Sonic Superstars ultimately gets bogged down in how it regularly sidetracks the player, tripping them up at almost every conceivable opportunity. There are glimmers of brilliance that occasionally shine through, but the overall experience was a tiresome one to play through.