Reviewed on Xbox Series S

Sonic the Hedgehog is back! Um, again! Look, we all know Sonic and pals aren’t going anywhere, and every time a new Sonic game gets released, there seems to be a mix of excitement and skepticism surrounding the series. Many franchises have their ups and downs, but I think we’ve gotten to a point where you probably know if you’re going to enjoy a new Sonic game or not.

Thankfully, Sonic Superstars is a fine game that features fun level designs and a nice cast of playable characters. It’s not perfect by any means, and there are some really low points — but overall, Sonic Superstars is one of the best Sonic the Hedgehog games to come along in quite a while. It might even be a top five Sonic game. If not, it definitely fits somewhere in a top ten list.

Back to Basics

The best Sonic the Hedgehog games are those that keep things simple. You don’t need silly gimmicks. What you need is a sense of fast speed and nonstop action. The Sonic series is at its best when it has you zipping across the screen, running around loops, and getting lost in some fast-paced running and platforming. Sonic Superstars mostly sticks to that formula, which is why it works so well.

The first half of the game focuses on speed much more than the later parts, so those early stages are easily the best ones in the game and, arguably, some of the best in the entire Sonic series. This truly seems like a proper return to form. It doesn’t try to mess with what’s worked in the past, and it’s all the better for it.

Even in the later levels, when things slow down a bit, you’re still treated to really cool level themes and designs. Sonic Superstars definitely loses a bit of traction the more you play due to some slow-paced parts, but it’s mostly pleasant all the way through, and this is due in large part to how beautifully the stages are designed.

From the jump, you can choose between four playable characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. All four characters are fun to use, and they each have special abilities that make traversing the levels a great deal of fun. Sonic plays as well as he has in the past, focusing on speed. Tails can helicopter his way upward to reach new heights and hidden platforms. Knuckles can glide, and this acts as an attack if you collide with any enemies. He can also climb walls, which makes for some enjoyable exploration if you’re hunting down secrets and collectibles.

Then there’s Amy, who is definitely the dark horse pick in Sonic Superstars and quite possibly the best playable character in the entire game. She’s a lot of fun to use thanks to the giant mallet she wields that can help her take down enemies in cartoon-like fashion. She also has a double jump, which just works great and allows for better movement as you dash through levels and perform various platforming feats.

You can play through the main story of Sonic Superstars in about five hours, but if you’re hunting down secrets and playing as each character, you can expect to sink a lot more time into the game. There’s also an unlockable character with his own story to add to the game’s duration. You can even play an online competitive mode, though it doesn’t have much value outside of being a bit of throwaway novelty.

It’s Not All Speed, Unfortunately

While Sonic Superstars works incredibly well when you’re going fast, it’s just not as fun when the later levels introduce trickier platforming that forces you to slow down. There’s still some fun to be had, but the game loses steam in these sections because the platforming simply isn’t as tight as it would be in, say, a Mario game.

Another area where Sonic Superstars loses its footing is in the boss bottles. These aren’t all that fun, and they end up feeling more tedious than anything. The final battle against Eggman is particularly bad, with multiple phases that are a total nuisance to get through.

Sonic Superstars Isn’t Perfect, but…

With Sonic Superstars, it seems like the developers wanted to recapture that old magic the series was known for back in the Sega Genesis days while creating something new. That’s most evident in the world designs. The levels’ themes are all great. You’ve got your Green Hill Zone-like stages and your pinball/casino levels, which feel like great throwbacks. There are also sky stages and factories. There’s a nice mix of themes, some of which are brand new, and some that feel inspired by the various eras of Sonic throughout the years.

Visually, the game looks great. This is a shiny new Sonic the Hedgehog game through and through, and the graphics reflect that. Aside from the great aesthetic direction, there are some cool lighting and perspective effects. This is what a side-scrolling Sonic game should look like on modern hardware. It’s a proper visual evolution of the series.

The same can be said about the audio direction, too. There are a lot of catchy musical tracks in Sonic Superstars, starting with the main menu theme, which will likely fill diehard Sonic the Hedgehog fans with pure nostalgia.

Though Sonic Superstars suffers from glaring flaws, particularly in the late game, it’s still by no means a bad title. Quite the contrary, actually. Sonic Superstars is a very good game that’s a lot of fun to play. it features some excellent level designs, and it’s a total blast to play a lot of the time. Some missteps definitely hurt the overall experience, but even then, there’s no denying that this game is a treat, and one of the best modern Sonic the Hedgehog games.

Score: 7.5 out of 10

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