Rolling around at the speed of sound – from Bridge Island Zone all the way to my heart – Sonic Superstars is a fun romp.
I never had the chance to grow up with Sonic The Hedgehog; we were a hand-me-down-console family and inherited every Nintendo console and Mario game ever made from my uncle. Sonic Frontiers was my first foray into the world of the Blue Blur, and while I enjoyed the game overall, my favourite parts were the classically inspired levels in Cyber Space. That’s when I knew I would be a “classic” Sonic fan.
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Sonic Superstars is subsequently my first classic-inspired adventure in the Sonic franchise, and I love it… With some caveats. There were quality-of-life improvements present in Sonic Frontiers that were removed for this more old-school 2D platforming approach, and boy howdy did their absence leave me frustrated. That being said, what the game lacks in certain features, it more than makes up for with great music, pretty graphics, and fun platforming.
Enter Stage Right: The Gang
In Sonic Superstars you can play as one of four different characters, with the option to switch them out between levels.
- Sonic – The game’s namesake and probably your first choice. His ability allows you to roll into a dash after a jump.
- Knuckles – His ability allows you to glide, and climb walls that might be otherwise difficult to jump over.
- Tails – His tails grant him the ability to fly. Though it’s not infinite, it can carry you a surprisingly long way. This is a great choice for any players inexperienced with platforming.
- Amy – Her double jump and hammer combo can help level the playing field, so if you’re having difficulty with any of the acts, try swapping out to Amy and see how you fare.
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Put A Ring On It
While it may be a staple of the Sonic franchise, in this game, collecting rings is absolutely pointless.
Rings usually act as a life force for Sonic, allowing him to take hits from enemies, losing a portion of your rings as a result. In Superstars however, you lose ALL your rings every time you get hit, no matter how many you have. Rings basically grant you one free hit before you perish at the hand of an obstacle or enemy, ultimately making their collection meaningless.
What’s the purpose in collecting all these rings if they don’t add to the life metre? There’s no point going off the beaten path to do extra side quests and collect more rings; as long as you get to the end of the level with at least one ring in your possession you’re fine.
This bizarre ring-based mechanic created a lack of significance to do anything else in the game, other than getting to the end of it. It’s as though the developers created a hard mode and then forgot to create a normal mode.
In Sonic Frontiers, there was a purpose to maxing out your ring capacity, having a full wallet equated to having a full life bar; you could take some hits and still be OK. It ultimately begs the question, why did they regress the ring mechanic for Sonic Superstars?
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Classic In The Wrong Ways
Another issue that creates an unnecessary level of difficulty in the game is the lack of checkpoints during boss battles.
Let me be clear, the boss battles in Sonic Superstars are HARD. They can often be lengthy, some going upwards of 10 minutes, and there are ZERO checkpoints. Meaning that no matter how far through you are, if you die you go ALL the way back to the start of the battle. There were some boss battles where I was in the final phase (10+ minutes in), bit the dust, and had to go redo the whole thing again.
It also wasn’t always clear what needed to be done in a boss fight. You can easily miss opportunities to learn key mechanics as you’re speeding through a level, and subsequently be at a loss for the next boss.
The amount of times I put my controller down after losing a boss fight to prevent myself from flinging it out the window in a fit of rage is… Phenomenal.
Despite these frustrations, I don’t regret my time with Sonic Superstars. These drawbacks are outweighed by great level design and enjoyable moment-to-moment gameplay.
READ MORE: Review | Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)
Classic In The Right Ways
Though I lack a single musical bone in my body, it must be said that the soundtrack of each area is an absolute bop. One thing I have noticed about Sonic fans is their love for the franchise’s OSTs; both the atmosphere and memories they create. I believe Sonic Superstars holds true to this concept, with Bridge Island and Cyber Station being my personal favourite tunes.
Graphically, this game is GORGEOUS. It holds its own with the Mario Wonders‘ of the world. While I often find myself complaining about the graphical bugs and infidelities of a lot of modern games (not looking at anyone in particular, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet), Sonic Superstars is absolutely perfect. Rolling around at the speed of sound is seamless, and creates a truly captivating experience. Kudos to the developers for achieving this.
Furthermore, I highly recommend playing this game with a smart-light sync set-up for a truly elite experience. The colours in this game are so vibrant that the synced lights fill your room with an incredible rainbow.
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Don’t judge my cable management… Or lack thereof.
Beyond pretty lights and fun music, the 2D platforming and level design are fantastic; rolling across the screen at high speeds is simply exhilarating. However the inclusion of boss battles at the end of almost every act was overkill, especially given the caveats of those battles. I would’ve preferred half the amount of boss battles in favour of more levels because they were so much fun to play.
The main takeaway here is that Sonic Superstars FEELS fun to play… For the most part.
The Verdict Zone
Sonic Superstars is a difficult delight. It is let down by its unintentional permanent hard-mode gameplay; but lifted up by its banging tunes, enchanting colours, and high speeds. If you’re looking to challenge yourself while enjoying the charm of Sonic and his pals, this is the game for you.
Quest Daily scores Sonic Superstars: 7.5/10
Quest Daily was granted access to Sonic Superstars by the publisher.
