Sonic Superstars review: a faithful (if deeply uneven) return
The pitch from Sega is pretty simple: Sonic Superstars is a direct sequel to the Mega Drive/Genesis Sonic games. While, yes, Sonic 4 exists (though we all wish it didn’t), and Sonic Mania is arguably the best Sonic game of all time period, you can feel one fact emanating from every fiber of Sonic Superstars’ existence: this is the fourth installment in the 2D Sonic series.
Where the rubber-soled sneakers meet the road in the court of public opinion is inevitably going to center largely on Superstars versus Mania, and the fact that Sega elected to make this 2D Sonic in-house rather than invite back the minds behind Mania for a direct sequel. Handily, though, that’s also a pretty good place upon which to hang the central conceit of this review.
That is this: Sonic Mania was largely about refining and polishing the 2D Sonic experience as delivered across the Mega Drive titles. Superstars is a different sort of sequel – one that offers up a pretty relentless barrage of new gimmicks, ideas, and mechanics that aim to level up and modernize the classic Sonic formula. The question, then, is if that new stuff is any good.