Sonic as a franchise is famously erratic, with some fantastic highs, some very dreadful lows, and a slew of forgettable average titles. But there's one strange category into which numerous Sonics fall: games that are blatantly, unquestionably wrong in some manner, but nevertheless have that something unique that makes a Sonic game feel special. Perhaps not everyone can sense what makes them exceptional, but for others, those characteristics will outweigh any flaws. Sonic Superstars is one such game, one with obvious shortcomings that I adore.
We've all heard the story before: Sonic's arch-nemesis Dr. Eggman is up to no good, and he has his sights set on a new location with resources he can abuse. for nefarious designs. Sonic and his friends, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy, must stop the Doctor, collect the Chaos Emeralds, combat the returning but obscure fan-favorite enemy Fang the Sniper, and meet a brand-new friend to rescue the day. To complete this mission, you must zip through 11 themed side-scrolling zones while collecting rings, bonking Badniks, and dealing with the unique gimmicks and perils in each region. There are no theatrical plot moments, RPG or sim aspects, or uncomfortable romances in this game: It's classic Sonic platforming at its finest.
That doesn't imply it's completely devoid of fresh ideas. All of the zones are completely new: Although familiar features from earlier games, such as gimmicks and adversaries, may resurface, each stage is unique. Collecting a Chaos Emerald now offers a special Emerald Power that players may use at nearly any moment, as long as they have the necessary energy. And, perhaps most importantly, Sonic Superstars now enables four-player couch co-op gameplay. Sure, in Sonic 2 and 3, someone could take up the player 2 pad and thrash around like Tails, but it was fairly restricted; what we have here in Superstars is a unique type of controlled anarchy (pun intended).
Sonic Superstars' new Zones cover some familiar Sonic archetypes--a lush island with lots of loops, a bouncy carnival-type area, a factory-type location--along with new stage concepts, some of which appear to be based on unused concepts dating all the way back to Sonic the Hedgehog. At their finest, these zones are packed with unique, inventive themes that entice you to return and explore further--the voxel-graphic, electricity-zipping, transformation-heavy Cyber Station feels destined to be an all-time favorite among veteran Sonic fans. At their worst, the level gimmicks make the zones a terrible slog--for example, push Factory Act 2 adds the underwater-timer aspect to the whole stage, forcing you to repeatedly push switches throughout to progress. To progress through the stages, you'll select one of four heroes to play as. This decision is significant because the cast's talents differ greatly: Sonic has his Sonic Mania Drop Dash, Tails has timed flying, Knuckles can glide and scale walls, and Amy, a relative newcomer, adds a double-jump with a considerably larger hit radius and a flailing hammer run. While most levels may be played with any character, a few are specifically tailored for a certain character. They're all entertaining, but with the increased navigation and attack variety that the other characters provide, Sonic seems outclassed in his own game.
Despite the fact that our blue friend is not as vertical as his friends, Emerald Powers can assist close the gap somewhat. Every Emerald acquired bestows a permanent new ability. These abilities range from the highly situational (Aqua allows you to move through water with ease, but only when you're close to or in it; Vision reveals hidden platforms and goodies if they're nearby) to the extremely practical (Ivy forms a vine composed of vertical platforms; Bullet propels you far into the distance; Avatar calls forth a wave of clones that fill the screen, gathering items and dealing damage to enemies). A typical Sonic annoyance of spotting a collecting goodie or alternate path but not being able to take it is lessened when character skills are combined with the more practical Emerald capabilities.
However, getting those Emeralds is a really unpleasant process. Giant rings that you find scattered across the levels lead you to a unique stage where you must use a tether beam to launch yourself from several floating grapple-points in order to capture the Chaos Emerald, which is floating and moving. It's hard to tell how close you are to reaching the Emerald—or, occasionally, what you can and cannot tether to in your present position—because there isn't much of a ground and only a jumble of orbs, rings, and strangely shaped speed points. I felt like I was lucky most of the time when I received the Emerald.
The Special Stages might be annoying at times, but nothing compares to some of the boss encounters in Sonic Superstars. It's not so much that the bosses are badly made; rather, they feature some really interesting and difficult attack patterns and vulnerabilities. The issue lies in the fact that, in many cases, you have to dodge and move for a very long time before you can strike them again, and after you do damage (or, god forbid, miss the window), you have to wait a very long time to hit them again. Amy's enormous damage radius and the Avatar talent may fake out strikes, so there are occasionally methods to get past this, but even those couldn't eliminate having to spend a lot of time avoiding fire blasts on a floating platform before
In addition, there are generally not enough prizes. Similar to Sonic Origins' Anniversary mode, there are no life limits in Sonic Superstars. Rather than gathering rings and searching for 1UP monitors, your task will be to gather medals hidden in unexpected locations and throughout bonus levels. There isn't much of a motivation to obtain those medals if you won't be playing online multiplayer because you can only swap them for items to decorate your avatar. As a result, the motivation to investigate levels may be diminished. While some of the stages are enjoyable to go through again, many are not, and the allure of the slow-moving, spinning bonus stages reminiscent of Sonic 1 fades quite quickly.
Sonic Superstars has several, glaring problems, and is by no means the finest Sonic game. That basic Sonic high-speed platforming thrill still exists, though, as do those very wonderful instances where the game pulls off a flawless landing with a quirky new concept, unexpected twist, or endearing throwback that outweighs its own mistakes. After all, sometimes reaching for the skies can lead to overextending yourself, but it also makes the moments when you do achieve sparkling glory much more delightful.
Writing By Kennedy Lucas Patterson & Evelyn Harper
Head Editor & Chief Kennedy Lucas Patterson
Presented By "Kennedy Lucas & Associates
© 2023 "Kennedy Lucas Patterson" Entertainment
© 2023 Kennedy Lucas & Associates
© 2023 The Vox Times By K.L.P Entertainment
© 2023 Kennedy Lucas Publishings LLC
© 2023 The Office Of Kennedy Lucas Patterson
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