If you’d have told us that two of gaming’s most iconic rivals, Mario and Sonic, would be going head-to-head with two brand-new platformers in the space of a week, we’d have said you were probably off your rocker. What’s more, if you’d have said that Sega’s latest entry, Sonic Superstars, would turn out to provide one of the strongest Sonic campaigns ever created, well quite frankly, we’d be pinching ourselves to double-check that we weren’t dreaming.

Yet here we are, folks. Sonic Superstars is here and it’s an absolute belter. It successfully blends the classic 2D gameplay formula from Sonic’s retro outings (with a big help from Sonic Mania’s physics system) with a modernised visual aesthetic, all the while introducing a handful of brand-new elements that, while not groundbreaking in their execution, are fun little extras that feel destined to evolve in future entries. For a while, it felt like Sonic Team was treading water with its side-on Sonic entries, but developer Arzest has delivered a game that gives Sega’s mascot a kick in the right 2D direction.

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Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)

Much like Sonic’s earlier platformers, Superstars is very light on story, but the game brings back the ever-persistent Dr. Eggman along with fan favourite Fang the Hunter (of Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble fame). On top of that, we’ve also got a brand new character in the form of Trip, the franchise’s first new addition from original character designer Naoto Ohshima since the '90s. While Trip initially lands with a bit of a thump, her role within the game becomes significantly more important as you progress until she proves herself to be an excellent asset that will no doubt remain a permanent fixture in the Sonic universe.

In terms of its gameplay, Superstars is incredibly familiar at first, with the opening stage, Bridge Island, feeling very much like Green Hill Zone. Even then, however, there are hints toward something more innovative and creative, with automatic loops that boost you across all directions of the stage, allowing you to go off the beaten path and explore secret areas. It feels like Arzest has taken a few cues from the wonderful Sonic Mania with this one, providing something that feels both comfortingly familiar and fresh at the same time.

As you progress, the levels just get better and better, with highlights including Golden Capital, which quite literally turns gravity on its head when you go around a loop, and Cyber Station, a beautiful digital utopia that transforms your enemies, and indeed your own character, into 3D pixelated versions of themselves. We’d go so far as to say that Cyber Station may be one of our favourite Sonic zones of all time. The layout, the visuals, the music… It’s all wonderful stuff.

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Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)

Of course, if you haven't gathered by now, you can play as one of four characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. All boast unique, familiar abilities that feel suited to their characters: Sonic can use his drop dash ability; Tails can fly into the air for a short period; Knuckles can glide and climb walls; and Amy can double-jump and bop enemies on the head with her hammer. It's worth experimenting with all four to find the character you feel most comfortable with, and it's nice to have that variety there for multiplayer sessions, too. Veterans, of course, will already have their favourite.

While the overall structure of Superstars isn’t necessarily revolutionary, the game does introduce a new twist in the form of Emerald Powers. These are gained by collecting the Chaos Emeralds in very much the same way that you would in previous games: entering a minigame via each zone and grabbing the Emerald before the time runs out. This time, though, each Chaos Emerald grants you a specific power that can be used once per checkpoint. Examples of this include the ability to produce multiple clones of your character to wipe out groups of enemies, swimming up waterfalls in the form of, well, a blob of liquid, and zapping through the air to gain access to hard-to-reach areas.

We’ll be honest, during our first playthrough of Superstars, we almost completely forgot that the Emerald Powers were a thing, but this is a testament to the game’s balance and structure. You don’t have to use them at all if you don’t want to, but they’re there if you need assistance during a particularly tricky boss fight or want to go off exploring a hidden area. Think of it like the Double Gear system in Mega Man 11; it’s there if you need it, but the game is equally enjoyable without. Limiting their use to just once per checkpoint is also a huge positive, as it forces you to consider when might be the most optimal time to break them out.

The entirety of the Story Mode can also be played with up to three friends via local co-op. Setting this up is as easy as an extra player joining your session, choosing their character, and diving headfirst into the action, but the execution of the actual gameplay is a bit off. If you remember back in the day when Tails would get left behind every five seconds in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, you'll have a good idea of what to expect here. If the players aren't closely aligned in terms of skill level, it can be very easy to lose one another, since the camera only focuses on one character. Even if you do happen to be reasonably competent, the various branching paths in each zone simply make it nearly impossible to remain on-screen for acceptable lengths of time. Why Arzest didn't opt for split-screen here is frankly baffling.

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Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)

That said, if you're dead set on experiencing Sonic Superstars solo, then you're in for a great ride. Crucially, this is a modern-looking 2D Sonic game that finally, finally feels as good to play as the classic Genesis/Mega Drive titles. Well-received entries like Sonic Generations have certainly come close in the past, but Arzest has nailed it.

In addition to the main story mode, you’ve also got Battle Mode and Time Attack Mode. The latter is perfectly serviceable and does exactly what it says on the tin, challenging you to beat certain times in each campaign zone. The former, meanwhile, is focused on online and local multiplayer, pitting you against human or CPU opponents to compete in a series of challenges. These include collecting coins (yes coins, not rings), racing through a specific zone, and zapping one another to gain points.

During our time with Battle Mode so far, we consistently came away feeling a touch underwhelmed. It’s fun to an extent, but when compared to the immensely enjoyable and polished campaign, it just feels a bit shallow. The minigames feel half-baked with the absolute minimal amount of care put into the objectives, and we simply can't imagine anyone wanting to sink considerable amounts of time into this mode.

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Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)

Something we did appreciate, however, was how extensively you can customise your online avatar. By default, you have a bog standard robot character, but by collecting special coins during the campaign, you can purchase a whole bunch of cosmetic items and custom colours. These not only include unique assets but also items based on classic characters like Metal Sonic. Our only gripe with this is that some items cost an awful lot of coins, so it’s going to take some significant grinding in the campaign until you’re able to afford what you want.

In terms of the overall presentation and performance on the Switch, we must admit to feeling a tad anxious at how much focus Sega had been putting on the PS5 version before the game's launch. Thankfully, however, our fears have been proved unfounded, as Sonic Superstars both looks and runs wonderfully on Nintendo's platform (possibly boosted by its day-one patch).

Sure, as expected, the resolution isn't as sharp as on other platforms, and the lighting effects aren't quite as flashy in some instances, but crucially, Superstars knows what Sonic games should look like, and it nails the overall aesthetic and art style. Sega recently stated its intention to "move beyond" the series' pixel art visuals, which certainly didn't sit well with us at first, but if Superstars proves to be a foundation from which to build, then we can expect some truly stunning Sonics in the future.

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Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)

Performance-wise, you're looking at a rock-solid 60fps throughout with barely any noticeable dips. It even holds up well during multiplayer sessions which, given the addition of up to three main characters on the screen at once, could potentially have proven quite taxing on Nintendo's humble console. Online sessions can be a bit hit-and-miss during Battle Mode, however, and we did find that a couple of matches would end up crashing, but thankfully, this was mercifully rare.

Conclusion

We had a few issues with Sonic Superstars — the local co-op could have greatly benefited from split-screen support, and the online Battle Mode feels incredibly shallow and tacked on — but this is the first original 2D Sonic game that feels truly authentic to the Genesis titles without aping the classic pixel-art style, and for a lot of longtime fans, that's frankly an absolute miracle. Zipping through the 12 zones in the excellent campaign made us feel like kids again, but it will also prove a great entry point for new players looking to see what all the fuss is about. Developer Arzest's reputation has taken a beating in recent years, but this is a triumphant effort from the studio and a great return for '2D' Sonic.

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