Sonic Superstars
PlayStation 4
Nostalgia Factor:
Until just two weeks ago, I had never even heard of this game before. I just so happened to be browsing the games list on Game Fly when I saw this title and thought to myself: huh, what's that? I looked it up and saw it was a 2D side scrolling Sonic game modeled after the old Genesis titles (but with modern day graphics). So, like Sonic Mania, but not quite.
I added it to my Game Fly queue, but moved it down pretty far on my list. I was interested in the game, but it was not a priority for me. In typical Game Fly fashion, guess what title they shipped out next?
Well, now that I had the game, I wasn't going to not play it. So here we go, my review of Sonic Superstars for the PS4.
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Story:
This game has a story? I know there are cutscenes and some in-game story sequences at the beginning of the game, but let's be real: they don't matter. As soon as you start playing, the story is immediately forgotten. Your goal is to make your way through the game's stages, collecting Chaos Emeralds and saving your little animal pals along the way. At the end of the game, you square off against Doctor Robotnik and you beat him. The end.
Gameplay:
Right off the bat, this feels like a classic Sonic title. The control scheme is great. You run, you jump, and you spin dash just as you did in the original Sonic titles. Only thing missing is the little invincibility flash that was introduced in Sonic 3, but I was able to live without it.
If you've played a Sonic title before, I barely need to tell you how this game works. You make your way to the end of each act, collecting rings, jumping on enemies, avoiding spikes and bottomless pits, until you reach your final destination. You fight a boss, and then you move onto the next act in the stage. Almost all stages end with a Robotnik battle.
You can earn the opportunity to obtain Chaos Emeralds by jumping into hidden giant rings located throughout the game's stages. Just like Sonic 3. Unlike Sonic 3, you earn Chaos Emeralds by participating in a "swinging" minigame. It almost feels like a Spider-Man title, but instead of swinging from building to building, you are swinging from stars, blocks, and other items that are suspended in space. You have to chase down the Chaos Emerald, which is actively trying to run from you. Touch it, and it is yours. Each Chaos Emerald gives you a new ability, like the ability to swim or see secret platforms. Nothing game breaking. I didn't invest enough time in this game to collect all the Emeralds (I mainly just worried about completing single player mode), but I am sure you can turn into Super Sonic when you get them all.
Despite the nice graphics and the added bells and whistles, this is a classic Sonic game at heart. I had a fun time playing through these stages and seeing everything there was to see. The casino stage in particular was a nice throwback to Sonic 2. There are also little minigames you can play when you cross a checkpoint, similar to the bonus stages in Sonic 1. So all three original Sonic games have little call backs to them, which I was able to appreciate.
You can play through the game with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and a few other characters. Beating the base game unlocks a second story mode, where you play as a side character named Trip. I didn't bother beating the game with Trip. Everything I've read online says that his quest is absurdly difficult and rage inducing. No thanks. I was already tired of the game due to its obnoxious, overly long boss battles. The final boss in particular was a pain in the butt. The last checkpoint starts you off right before the boss, so each time you die you have to make it to the boss, sit through a cutscene, and then fight through the boss's multiple different attack forms JUST to make it back to the part where you died. I found myself dying on this boss quite often, so having to replay five plus minutes of the battle each and every time was quite tiresome and annoying.
Graphics:
Honestly, the game looks great. This is the 2D Sonic side scroller with next-gen graphics that I've been wanting for years and years. The world of the game feels like a living, breathing cartoon world. Sometimes I would just put the controller down and soak in what I was seeing onscreen. Just seeing Sonic standing there, and how he is fully fleshed out and animated in 3D, looking like he stepped out of a Pixar movie, would have blown me away as a kid. Nevermind the gorgeous backgrounds, giant set pieces, and colorful special effects. This is a very good looking game.
Sound:
Sonic games are recognizable when you aren't even in the room solely because of their sound effects. There is no mistaking the sound of a Sonic game. The sound of collecting a ring has always been very satisfying, just as the sound it makes when you are hit and you lose them is equally distressing. The jump and spin dash sound effects are equally recognizable and iconic as well. I am so glad they've kept these sound effects the same over all these years. They are truly a staple of video game history.
Overall:
This is a fun game, although I feel as if it may be too little, too late. I would have loved to play a gorgeous 2D Sonic title like this about 20 years ago, not here in 2024. Even with improved graphics and added features, it is hard to get too excited for a Sonic game - because you've already been there and done that dozens of times already. If you've played the Genesis games, this is essentially more of the same, but with shinier bells and whistles.
I do like the game, but as I said, it is hard to really get too excited over anything about it. It follows the standard 2D Sonic formula closely. It's good for a nice little playthrough, and you will probably have fun playing it, but it is fairly forgettable in the long run. In the future when you get the urge to play a Sonic game, you aren't going to pick this one. You're going to pick a Genesis game, or maybe even Sonic Mania.
That said, it is still a Sonic game, and a fun one at that. It is definitely an above average title, but I don't know if it is quite memorable enough to make the B range. So I guess a fair compromise would be going with a C+. I feel like that might be a bit too low, considering I did have fun, but oh well. In three months I am going to remember nothing about this game. So I think this is fair.
THE GRADE:
C+
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