Sonic Superstars

Sonic Superstars is nostalgic, and it makes you feel good.

Sonic Superstars somehow manages to be rough and inconsistent in terms of quality yet remarkably likable – just like the series itself has always been! It surely is a game that could use more polish and care, but even in the state that we found it in, it was a lot of fun. By no means a perfect Sonic experience but surely one of the most entertaining we’ve had in years.

Sonic Superstars is the first decent mainline Sonic game since Sonic Forces (an objectively okay game as rated by civilized minds). A distilled descendent of the original lineage, Sonic Team’s rare display of restraint has resulted in a game that succeeds through the purity of its simplicity. However, the stark contrast of convoluted, tawdry boss fights offsets its positives significantly, contributing some truly offputting misery to an otherwise entertaining time...I’d love to see more of this if Sega could resist reinventing the wheel again next time.

In the end, Sonic Superstars is a fun, modern take on the classic 2D Sonic formula. Its solid moment to moment gameplay, fun new visual style, and great soundtrack make for a very fun experience. The game falters a bit in the new addition of Emerald Powers, which aren’t fun to collect and aren’t useful when collected. The major difficulty spikes in mid-stage bosses and end bosses make for a frustrating combat experience rather than a rewarding one. Still, Sonic Superstars manages to pull together an experience old and new Sonic fans—or 2D platforming fans in general—will get plenty of enjoyment out of.

While Sonic fans (me amongst them), would certainly love this game, it does have its drawbacks that make it a good, yet kind of forgettable game. Still better than Sonic 4 though - by a landslide.