Again in 2010, Sega launched Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. The gross sales pitch was that it was alleged to be a contemporary, polygonal spin on basic Sonic gameplay.
A sound thought in concept, however in apply the try failed. Sonic 4 wasn’t as horrible as some would recommend, however it actually didn’t have the identical really feel because the classic 16-bit Mega Drive video games.
Subsequent makes an attempt to do 2D Sonic with 3D visuals have been a equally combined bag. Sonic Generations most likely got here closest with its side-scrolling phases, however regardless that it was enjoyable the variations have been clear to followers of the sequence.
Sonic Superstars is the sport that lastly achieves the promise Sonic 4 didn’t ship. That is as shut as you’ll probably ever get to a Sonic recreation that appears trendy however performs identical to the 2D originals.
The the explanation why the Mega Drive Sonic video games have been so exhausting to duplicate are well-trodden territory, most notably the way in which gamers must construct momentum earlier than reaching excessive speeds. Sonic Superstars completely nails it.
By the point we have been reaching the closing phases of the sport, we had – with no trace of exaggeration – fully forgotten we have been enjoying a recreation with polygonal 3D graphics. To all intents and functions, we have been enjoying a basic Sonic recreation.
The momentum, the spin sprint, the underwater physics, the precise manner animals bounce out of the Badniks you’ve destroyed – it’s all been beautifully recreated, to the extent that it merely looks like what the sequence would have naturally advanced to, had the 16-bit Sonic video games continued to see common releases over time.
There are a bunch of nice nods for long-time gamers, from the return of older, obscure characters – Fang the Hunter performs a giant function within the plot – to extra elaborate set-pieces.
Lengthy-time Sega followers who have been impressed by the Dr Robotnik’s Imply Bean Machine part in Sonic Mania will likely be equally happy by an excellent part later within the recreation that nods to Sega’s mid-’80s historical past, within the days when the corporate had a unique mascot.
The sport seems to be and performs like a dream, then, and that is backed by a equally genuine soundtrack, which has been put collectively by Tee Lopes (who labored on the wonderful Sonic Mania soundtrack) and long-time Sonic sequence composer Jun Senoue.
Whereas a number of the tracks have a contemporary really feel and sound sensible in their very own proper, it’s the retro-inspired tracks – which seem to take up the lion’s share – which actually get the nostalgia going. These unmistakable Mega Drive drums instantly transport gamers again to the early ‘90s, and these new tracks are an ideal match because of this.
“These unmistakable Mega Drive drums instantly transport gamers again to the early ‘90s, and these new tracks are an ideal match because of this.”
Gamers can even initially select between 4 characters – Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose – every of whom has their very own talents. Naturally, Tails can fly and Knuckles can glide and climb partitions, whereas Amy has a spinning hammer assault which permits her to double-jump and offers her a barely wider assault vary.
Every character is completely different sufficient that you just’ll don’t have any points enjoying by the sport a number of instances with every of them. Whereas most phases could be taken on by any character, a handful of phases are elective additional ranges that are unique to a sure character.
When you’re enjoying as another person you will have the choice to quickly change over to do these additional phases, or simply skip them (in case you wish to play by once more as that character later).
Not all the brand new additions work in addition to Amy Rose and the character-specific phases, nonetheless. The sport’s predominant gimmick is the particular powers that may be unlocked as you acquire every of the seven Chaos Emeralds, and whereas these are fascinating sufficient they’re fairly arbitrary.
These power-ups embody the flexibility to ship in a whole bunch of clones to assault enemies, the flexibility to shoot your self in numerous instructions in mid-air, the flexibility to make sure hidden platforms seem, the flexibility to show into water and climb waterfalls and so forth. They’re enjoyable sufficient to fiddle with however, in actuality, you’ll be able to play by the entire recreation with out ever actually needing to make use of them.
That is most likely for one of the best, as a result of numerous Sonic video games have been wasted previously by shoehorned gimmicks the participant is pressured to make use of, so the truth that purists can ignore the Emerald powers in the event that they wish to ought to have them respiratory a sigh of aid.
One other main addition that’s mercifully elective is co-op play for as much as 4 gamers. When this was introduced we have been perplexed as to how co-op would work in a recreation as quick as Sonic, and now we’ve tried it our conclusion is ‘not massively properly’.
Relatively than providing a split-screen choice, each participant shares the identical display screen area. When one participant goes forward of the pack and the others are scrolled off the sting of the display screen, they disappear and must press the leap button to teleport again subsequent to the participant who ran forward.
The issue with that is that Sonic, by its nature, is a recreation with a number of sudden bursts of pace, be that the well-known yellow and purple springs or the belts on the bottom that blast you ahead as you run over them. As such, extra typically that not, all it takes is for the primary participant to hit certainly one of these for all of the others to get shortly pressured off the display screen and must teleport once more.
It’s not a whole shambles by any means, however it does really feel a bit like making an attempt to jam 4 spherical keys right into a single sq. gap. Gamers used to the graceful, satisfyingly flowing gameplay of a single-player Sonic session when every little thing goes prefer it’s alleged to must make some fairly frequent concessions whereas enjoying with others, as a result of everybody spends half their time teleporting again into the motion.
Whereas we’re itemizing the underwhelming parts, the separate Battle mode can be a tad on the sunshine aspect. Accessible to play both domestically or on-line, it affords a sequence of mini-games for as much as eight gamers which see you making an attempt to gather probably the most diamonds, ending a stage quickest, and so forth. Once more, it’s not horrible, however it’s fairly throwaway and it’s unlikely you’ll be enjoying it weeks from now.
It ought to be careworn that none of what we’ve raised listed below are essentially downsides: they’re options that can click on for some gamers and can fall flat for others. The essential factor is that each one of it – the power-ups, the co-op, the Battle mode – is elective and doesn’t mess with the primary recreation, which is phenomenal.
The one factor that will increase some eyebrows is the sport’s size. Upon beginning the Story mode for the primary time, we have been watching the tip credit inside 4 hours. Your mileage might fluctuate – this reviewer has been a Sonic die-hard for the reason that first recreation in 1991 so these much less skilled with the sequence can count on to take longer to get by it.
The factor is, although, Sonic Superstars is clearly thought of a part of the identical 2D sequence as Sonic 1, 2, 3 and Knuckles, and in comparison with these a four-hour marketing campaign is fairly good going.
It is a recreation that’s constructed for a number of playthroughs. This isn’t solely evident within the variations between the characters in that preliminary roster of 4, but in addition in the way in which that the sport has you amassing Tokens in quite a few methods – amassing 100 rings, discovering them hidden in phases, incomes them in Particular Levels – which could be spent in an in-game store to customize your Battle mode avatar. Many playthroughs are wanted to unlock every little thing.
There are additionally some enjoyable unlockables post-credits that can encourage you to play by the sport once more, together with one that can make you rethink how you can method every stage.
In the end, Sonic Superstars is a recreation designed to attraction to a really particular kind of Sonic fan – the kind of participant who maintains that the 16-bit period was one of the best and can fortunately boot up Sonic 2 for a fast whirl to today, three many years later.
When you deal with Sonic Mania as one thing of a remix mission, then Sonic Superstars feels the closest we’ve come to a very new Mega Drive / Genesis period Sonic recreation since Sonic & Knuckles. It’s brief and never all of its (elective) gimmicks are nice, however the place it issues – the look, the sound, the physics – it completely nails that early ‘90s feeling.
And oh, how nice it’s to lastly have that feeling once more.
