A new 2D Sonic game is always a joy to get. The precision platforming and various secrets around these levels never fails to raise a smile. It was true of Sonic Mania, and now the same can be said of Sonic Superstars. And Sega seem to have confidence with this one, what with it being priced as a full retail release and also coming a few days before Super Mario Bros. Wonder. It’s almost like a challenge, seeing how well Sonic compares to Mario in a platformer standoff reminiscent of the 90s.

That’s the last I’ll make mention of Mario Wonder, however. This review is focused on Sonic Superstars, and there’s no reason for comparisons other than the oddly amusing closeness of their releases. And I do feel Sega’s confidence with Sonic Superstars is warranted, as despite a few small things, this is a fine-tuned package that is a joy to explore.

Starting out, there’s four characters to choose from. Who you play as can be changed at any point on the world map, if you even choose to go to that world map. There’s Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy, with each having a trait unique to them. Tails can fly while Knuckles can glide and climb walls. Sonic has his drop dash, while Amy can double jump. The speed of each is roughly the same, so as not to give any one person an advantage in the multiplayer co-op.

The story is as simple as the platformers of old, giving a reason for the adventure to begin and interactions to happen. Dr Eggman has come to the North Star Islands to capture their giant animals to help power his robotic army. Helping him are Fang the Hunter and new character Trip, who seems to not be very confident about this being evil thing. The small scenes showing those two messing up trying to stop Sonic and pals are delightfully charming. As are the small transitions between zones and even the boss encounters.

The levels are all enjoyable to run through, with each zone having a very distinct look. Whether that be the green hills of Bridge Island Zone, the zaniness of Pinball Carnival Zone, or the desert wastes of Sand Sanctuary Zone. Each level within a zone also has unique setpieces not seen elsewhere, further increasing the variety seen when having a run through the main story. At no point did I feel wronged by any of this level design, even if at times it can get a bit maze-like with branching paths.

Bosses are faced at the end of each level, with Act 1 usually being against a robot powered by one of those giants animals. Act 2 bosses are usually against Eggman in one of his mechs. Each fight has a particular way to combat it, with a curve of increasing demand the more strikes you get on that boss. Some of them do have an element of randomness to them, which can prove to be annoying when things don’t work as you expect. Even with that, those bosses are fun when you plan around that randomness.

Chaos Emeralds and special stages are here, and said special stages are fun even if awkward at times. Finding a warp ring within a stage for the first time will bring you into a special stage where the Emerald flies in a set pattern in a 3D area. This area is full of orbs, bombs and rings, with the objective to latch onto those orbs and swing yourself forward to finally latch onto that Emerald within a set time.

Because of how many orbs there are around, the game seems to get confused about what you want to latch onto, sometimes not even recording an input to latch onto something. Rings increase the time you have, so while I have had some close calls in getting to the Emerald after things messed up, I’ve never yet failed one. These special stages are also one way you get medals, with the Emerald being replaced by them once you’ve obtained the Emerald in that zone.

Another way of getting medals is through the second type of special stage, which I find more fun. Harking back to the Sonic 1 special stages of the rotating maze-like structures, these special stages are only used for medals, with three stages of increasing difficulty. Collecting all three medals can be challenging owing to how these special stages play, but the randomness doesn’t bother me with them. It’s their purpose, after all. But what are medals used for? Buying parts to customise your battle mode appearance.

Yes, along with the time attack mode to see how fast you can complete the levels (thankfully without boss encounters), there’s a more involved multiplayer mode for both local and online play. A tournament of three rounds where you have to fight, survive, and race to win. It’s a nice addition, with a good amount of customisation on offer so that lobbies aren’t populated by similar looking characters. Only thing is those customisation options cost a lot of medals to buy, so it’ll be a while before you have enough for a complete change.

Sonic Superstars is a very enjoyable time. Great levels, great mechanics that are fluid and responsive, and just a lovely overall design. What I also love is the small details, such as other characters appearing at set points in the background environments. It gives the illusion of all of the characters working toward the same goal even if they’re not with you. There’s very little wrong with it. Except the Chaos Emerald powers, which as you can probably tell from the fact I’m mentioning them now, I find forgettable.

Fun, yes. But they are optional powers that can help you find secrets in levels already stacked with them. It also doesn’t help that to select one you have to use the right stick to bring up the powers wheel, making sure you’ve got the right one highlighted before letting the stick return to its default position to select that power. It breaks the flow of movement, which is something Sonic Superstars excels at. There is never any point in the game where you are slowly waiting for something to complete. It always keeps you moving, but these powers go against that design with how you need to select them.

Aside from them, however, Sonic Superstars is well worth a platform fan’s time if they enjoy fluid movement and a lot of charm. Whether completing the main story, trying to beat times in the time attack mode, or enjoying a bit of chaos with the multiplayer battle mode, it all provides a great amount of fun. As I said at the beginning, Sega has confidence in this in giving it a full retail price, and I believe that confidence it earned. This is absolutely one of the best Sonic experiences you could have.

Images Taken From:
Sonic Superstars | Nintendo Switch [Handheld]