If Sonic Frontiers was a game-changer for 3D Sonic, Sonic Superstars is shaping up to do the same for the franchise in 2D. At least for this demo, we died more than once and reloaded at the previous checkpoint with no sign of a lives counter. Fortunately, the archaic lives system appears to be out the window. Whether going alone or with friends, Sonic Superstars can be as tough as the original Genesis titles. Players can not only choose between Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy (each with their own advantages), but it's possible to play four-player split-screen co-op with friends able to drop in and out at any time. Sonic Superstars is also going modern in terms of features. The Speed Jungle boss is a spherical robot that swings around a bar, challenging players to stay out of its path as it comes flying in from the background. Plus, the boss battles also take advantage of the new 3D effects. It has bushes with lizard tails, which players use to shoot themselves upwards. Speed Jungle has vines that Sonic can glide across, like the Disney version of Tarzan, which also has him sliding in and out of the background. Bridge Island Zone, for example, has curved walls along the background, and Sonic can run sideways on them while collecting rings. What the new 3D style adds is some new visual gimmicks. The other Chaos Emerald abilities and how they'll ultimately add to the Sonic formula remain to be seen.
For the demo, we earned the power of Water, which allows players to shift into a liquid form and go up waterfalls. When collected, Chaos Emeralds will grant Sonic and his friends a special ability. Speaking of Chaos Emeralds, they'll serve a gameplay purpose in Sonic Superstars. This noticeably feels and plays like a Genesis-era Sonic title, between the breakneck speed that's almost hard to follow at times, the challenging platforming, the crumbling floors, the checkpoint system, the end-of-level boss battles, and the old-school secret areas containing Chaos Emeralds. The visual change in style doesn't overtly affect the formula. It utilizes rendered 3D models for both the characters and the environments. Instead of opting for the retro pixel aesthetic used in the more recent Sonic Mania, Sonic Superstars instead goes in an entirely new direction. Sonic Superstars' most obvious change is its visual style. Shacknews recently had the opportunity to try Sonic Superstars out for the first time. Sega's similar leap forward so far feels just as satisfying. For me, it felt similar to the jump that Nintendo made with Mario back in 2006 with New Super Mario Bros. However, there was a shiny new visual coat of paint and some new ideas made possible by over 30 years of modern gaming advances. This was Sonic the Hedgehog the way everybody remembered it. It was the intro, the colorful worlds, the classic enemies, and the loop-de-loops and bumpers. There was so much about Sonic Superstars that felt familiar.
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