Sonic Superstars puts a couple of fun twists on its classic 2.5D side-scrolling formula that fans of the franchise are sure to enjoy.
Coming in hot after last year’s Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Superstars offers a 2.5D side-scrolling platform experience reminiscent of the classic games. It’s nice to know that there’s still space in the Blue Blur’s future for his past, but he’s not alone in Sonic Superstars. Players will be able to play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose, and even join friends via drop-in/drop-out co-op. Of course, the title may draw on classic games, but many fans will expect it to live up to modern expectations too. After a brief time with the title, it seems like Sonic Superstars will.
Game Rant recently attended the Sega Summer Showcase in NYC where, among other titles, we were able to play Sonic Superstars. We had access to a handful of power-ups, briefly enjoyed some co-op gameplay, and checked out the following maps: Bridge Island, Speed Jungle, Pinball Carnival, and Cyber Station.
Bridge Island was the most straightforward map, a clear homage to Sonic’s classic level design. The obstacles and gimmicks of the map are those common to the franchise, and it by far has the most distilled classic feel to it. It prepared us, gameplay-wise, for the following maps, but it also made sure the more in-depth gimmicks of each map stood out. Speed Jungle was much more tightly put together, creating an almost claustrophobic feel as we went from path to path. We had to grab onto vines to shoot ourselves in the right direction, had frogs latch onto us, and had to outrun or jump other obstacles. On top of that, sections of the jungle would darken the surroundings, making every dash and movement a guessing game and helping pack a lot of emotion into the zone exploration.
