I’m about to revoke my gamer card here, but as much as I unironically love the Blue Blur, I’ve never been as big a fan of ’s 2D outings. I know that most fans with more sense than myself put Sonic CD, , and the original trilogy high above games like 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Frontiers,ꦺ Generations, and Unleashed, but I’m just not one of them. Give me cringey Shadow the Hedgehog with a Billy the Hatcher gun, I beg of you.
I’ve played every 2D Sonic game, so it’s not like I’ve not tried to enjoy them. They’ve just n🍸ever clicked. I love the music and visuals of the 2D games, the high-speed platforming has never felt that satisfying when I’m usually winging it (skill issue) and never able to see more than two feet ahead of me until it’s too late.
Mania was the closest I’ve been to getting on the 2D Sonic hype train, but even then, I just finished it and never went back, feeling little more than a satisfied head nod. My lack of interest in the lack of a third dimension made it all 🍌the weirder that, when was announced earlier this year, I instantly found myself excited.
I can’t put my finger on what was different about Superstars. But the fact remained that I was tentatively stepping aboard the Sonic hype train once more. After playing nearly an hour of it at Gamescom, I’m glad to kick the word tentatively out of my vocabulary and get fully invested, baby.♕ Superstars is excellent and has not only become a day-one buy for me but has me reconsidering my thoughts on 2D Sonic in general.
During my hands-on session, I got to play through two acts of four zones. They ranged from a Green Hills Zone-esque starting world, to the fantastic Cybe൩r Station Zone. The latter is set in a digital space and splits up the rolling around at the speed of sound with sections that have you controlling digital animals, like a swimming octopus or a mouse that can only move in specific directions.
Three out of the four zones that I played were excellent and full of variety. Bridge Island starts things ⛄off small 💫and lets you get a handle on the characters, but from there, things start getting more complex. My favourite was Speed Jungle, with rail-grinding vines and stretchy leaves that catapulted me around the level.
The only level of the bunch that I didn’t enjoy all that much was Pinball Carnival Zone - every Sonic seems to have a casino, and unfortunately Superstars is no exception. I know many people love these zones, but being bounced around without much control is exactly what I don’t like about Sonic. This one was sli♒ghtly more fun since I played as Amy, who can double jump with a hammer swing and has more control of her momentum, but it still made my hands sweat and my eyes dart around to make sure no one was watching my awful performance.
Amy was another reason why I loved my time with Superstars so much. I tried out all four of the characters across the zones, and while Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are the same as ever (albeit much more vibrantly animated), Amy feels like the standout here thanks to the aforementioned double jump. She’s technically been in 2D Sonic games before, thanks to the recent Origins Plus, but she’s at her peak here and finally feels like more than just an aftertho▨ught. Let’s hope this is yet another step in the Amy Rose renaissance.
Amy isn’t the only new thing about Superstars, though. It also introduces Chaos𝕴 Emerald powers that let the gang activate new abilities, such as swimming up waterfalls, flying forward like a bullet, attacking enemies with a rush of clones, and even seeing hidden platforms and🌃 rings in the environment.
Although the ones I got my hands on felt a little situational, Chaos Emerald powers are ano🦩ther reason Superstars has more of a grip on me than other 2D Sonic games. Bullet isn’t much cop, but the ability to see things in the environment and swim around encourages you to slow down, which is ironically when I was enjoying Superstars the most.
Even if “gotta go fast” hasn’t quite been my 2D Sonic vibe, Superstars is the first game that’ღs encouraged me to get to that point. For once, I want to revisit levels to find the best path, use the Chaos Emerald powers to their fullest to get the best time, and blaze through levels like a certain purple cat that Sega is seemingly keen on pre𒁏tending never existed.
Since I’m clearly all the way in on Superstars now, the only big question that remains is whether its co-operative multiplayer will go the way of something great𝓡 like Legends or something painful lik♋e the New Super Mario Bros. games. Time will tell, but it’s nice to finally see what all the fuss is about.
