Without a doubt, my passion for the Sonic The Hedgehog series has only grown over time, following the blue hedgehog on various adventures, from live-action films to spin-off titles and solid compilations. Sonic Frontiers, in particular, was a surprising experience, revitalizing the franchise in an audacious way and signalling a promising future for 3D Sonic games and, by extension, 3D platform games in general.
Transition to 2D: Sonic Superstars
With the advances in the 3D design of the series, curiosity arose as to what would be done in Sonic's next 2D platform title, and that's where Sonic Superstars comes in. In a side-scrolling style, you play with Sonic and his friends as they try to stop Dr. Robotnik from kidnapping giant animals on North Star Island. Although it's a return to traditional 2D platform gameplay, the refined gameplay and stunning presentation ensure that it's a more than welcome return.
Gameplay and Design
Sonic Superstars features 2.5D-style gameplay, combining 3D models on a 2D plane. Movement is incredibly fluid and responsive, making Sonic's running, jumping and spin dash a delight. Spread over 12 zones, each stage offers a variety of challenges and paths, encouraging players to revisit the levels to explore everything the game has to offer. What's more, each level brings unique elements that keep the experience fresh and interesting.
Characters and powers
The game also innovates by allowing players to choose between four different characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy, each with their own unique abilities. Although there are specific sequences in the story that require a certain character, the player's choice is crucial, and all the characters offer a satisfying gaming experience, but at times the game forces you to play with a character other than Sonic, for example. My experience in a certain stage playing with Amy broke the rhythm of the game too much, as it focused too much on small puzzles and not on the speed itself.
Challenges and difficulties
As far as difficulty is concerned, especially in the boss fights, I noticed a higher level of challenge than in other 2D Sonic titles. I believe that players who take advantage of the cooperative mode, which allows up to four players on screen simultaneously, may find the experience a little easier, although I haven't had the chance to test this mode so far.
The game also follows the tradition of containing many bonus stages, with the traditional ones that occur at certain checkpoints if you have collected more than 50 rings, for example, as well as some others that are hidden in the stages, such as portals and giant rings. As Sonic is a 2D game that isn't very linear, with several paths to get to the end of the level, it's interesting to explore more of the scenery to find secrets.
My only criticism is the choice of one of these bonus stages, in which they chose to take inspiration from the same style as Sonic 1 on the Megadrive, in which Sonic spins around in a labyrinth in order to find the exit.
I simply hate this bonus stage because of its feverish atmosphere and bizarre soundtrack. I much preferred the bonus stages in Sonic Mania, for example, which were more inspired by Sonic 2, 3 and Sonic CD.
Visual Presentation and Charm
The visual presentation of each level is simply stunning, with areas bursting with color and eye-popping detail, with the Pinball Carnival stage standing out as incredibly fun.
The character design is also spot on, full of personality and expressiveness, making Sonic and his friends seem to come to life on screen.
An excellent 2D Sonic
Although familiar, the variety and innovation present in Sonic Superstars make it a worthy successor and evolution of the series' classic titles, rather than a simple repetition of past ideas. The game knows what the fans want, but isn't content to play it safe, introducing new ideas and concepts to the established formula. If Sonic Frontiers set a new standard for what a 3D Sonic game should be, Sonic Superstars stands as the new model for his 2D adventures.
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