TGS 2023 - Sonic Superstars Hands-on
You can find all of my Tokyo Game Show 2023 coverage here
And there was no shortage of colour in the Sonic section of SEGA's Tokyo Game Show booth. There were shiny dance numbers featuring Sonic and a team of cheerleaders, a huge and vibrant Sonic & friends inflatable hanging above the queuing punters, loud t-shirts with vivid Sonic prints plastered on them, and eye-catching plastic mask freebies for anyone who played the demo.
Initially, I wasn't all that interested in Sonic Superstars. But I'm pretty simple, and there were bright colours, so I played the demo. And I'm pretty glad that I did.
Sonic Superstars is a classic-style, 2D side-scrolling Sonic. Full of old school charm, but with a modern lick of paint. It boasts the involvement of original Sonic designer, Naoto Oshima, though the extent of his contribution is anyone's guess. It strikes me as the antithesis of 2022's Frontiers, which was the featured demo at last year's show. A 3D Sonic that lacked colour and character, which I found to be dull and uninspiring in the twenty minutes I spent with it. The final game may have been much better, but that demo put me right off.
Sonic Superstars is a classic-style, 2D side-scrolling Sonic. Full of old school charm, but with a modern lick of paint. It boasts the involvement of original Sonic designer, Naoto Oshima, though the extent of his contribution is anyone's guess. It strikes me as the antithesis of 2022's Frontiers, which was the featured demo at last year's show. A 3D Sonic that lacked colour and character, which I found to be dull and uninspiring in the twenty minutes I spent with it. The final game may have been much better, but that demo put me right off.
Anyway, back to Superstars. I played the 15-minute, single-player demo on Switch. At the outset, you can select from Sonic, Tails, Knuckles or Amy, all of whom have slightly different abilities. I selected Sonic of course, because I am a traditionalist and Sonic's friends disturb me. During my appointed time, I was able to race through two stages of Bridge Island and one level of Speed Jungle. The stage names are fairly descriptive, and they look like slightly different takes on very familiar Sonic themes. Sega aren't exactly re-inventing the wheel here, but then I wouldn't want them to.
Both stages were bright and attractive, not to mention huge, with plenty of space to explore on the horizontal and vertical planes. Characters and enemies appear large, chunky and vibrant, never at risk of being lost against the busy backdrops. Overall, the visual design is eye catching and clean.
Sonic can spin and drop dash, and you'll need to utilize these moves to stay on top of enemies that are a little more aggressive than those that I remember from 8 and 16-bit Sonic, with some giving limited chase if you rush past them. As for the lay of the land, the stages were filled with loop-the-loops, half pipes, spring boards - you know, Sonic stuff.
The Chaos Emeralds endow you with Emerald Powers, which are temporary abilities that can be accessed during the regular stages. I had one power that let me travel up waterfalls, and another which uncovered hidden routes and secrets. I was given an on-screen indication when to use them, but I'm not sure if this was just for the demo. Others, which I didn't sample, included the ability to dash through the air, and one that let you create multiple Sonic clones. They seemed more optional than mandatory, utilized to open up the levels further, rather than a requirement to complete them.
I left the demo fairly impressed. There was nothing groundbreaking here, but it was certainly entertaining and it scratched an itch for something fun and colourful. I even went as far as to place a pre-order for the full game, though that was largely motivated by the offer of a free t-shirt at the SEGA booth, if you could prove a purchase. It's a good t-shirt. A week later, and I still haven't cancelled my order, which speaks to the quality of the demo, especially when you consider that I haven't really cared for the series for many, many years. I have until October 17th to change my mind, which is when Superstars will launch across all major platforms.
Sonic can spin and drop dash, and you'll need to utilize these moves to stay on top of enemies that are a little more aggressive than those that I remember from 8 and 16-bit Sonic, with some giving limited chase if you rush past them. As for the lay of the land, the stages were filled with loop-the-loops, half pipes, spring boards - you know, Sonic stuff.
It was only a limited sampling, but Superstars seems to grasp what makes Sonic good. It isn't really about speed, it's more about momentum. The best games allow you to proceed with little more input than pressing forward, while knowing when and how to interrupt that forward momentum with precision platforming, as well as how to transition between the two. There were a couple of instances here where I sprinted headlong into enemies or spikes where, without knowledge of the level, I would've struggled to avoid unwelcome contact. But, for the most part, momentum, and the speed that enables it, is well handled here.
Collectibles and new powers come thick and fast. I was carrying north of 200 rings in each stage, and there are also warp portals littered across the levels, which transport you to mini stages full of yet more rings. Gold ring portals take you to bonus areas, which is where you'll find the Chaos Emeralds. Here gameplay transitions to more of a 3D-style, where you must swing, dash and free-fall between floating orbs to reach the prize in the centre. It flowed nicely, and was a decent change of pace, but it did seem very limited in scope and extremely easy. I'm not really sure how you would fail to complete them.
The Chaos Emeralds endow you with Emerald Powers, which are temporary abilities that can be accessed during the regular stages. I had one power that let me travel up waterfalls, and another which uncovered hidden routes and secrets. I was given an on-screen indication when to use them, but I'm not sure if this was just for the demo. Others, which I didn't sample, included the ability to dash through the air, and one that let you create multiple Sonic clones. They seemed more optional than mandatory, utilized to open up the levels further, rather than a requirement to complete them.
I left the demo fairly impressed. There was nothing groundbreaking here, but it was certainly entertaining and it scratched an itch for something fun and colourful. I even went as far as to place a pre-order for the full game, though that was largely motivated by the offer of a free t-shirt at the SEGA booth, if you could prove a purchase. It's a good t-shirt. A week later, and I still haven't cancelled my order, which speaks to the quality of the demo, especially when you consider that I haven't really cared for the series for many, many years. I have until October 17th to change my mind, which is when Superstars will launch across all major platforms.
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