Sonic Superstars
Part of a series on Sonic the Hedgehog. [View Related Entries]
This submission is currently being researched & evaluated!
You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation.
About
Sonic Superstars is a 2023 video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise published by Sega. The game notably reverts to the side-scrolling style of the 1990s Sonic the Hedgehog games, generating significant excitement ahead of its release, particularly due to the return of retro mechanics and storytelling.
History
Sonic Superstars was developed by Arzest and Sonic Team and published by Sega. Development began after Sega executives were surprised at the popularity of Sonic Mania. While they wanted to capitalize on the success of the game, they did not want to go back into "retro" gaming, thus decided on the 2.5D artstyle for Sonic Superstars.[2] The game's first trailer was released on June 8th, 2023 (shown below, left), and a second was released on August 22nd (shown below, right). The game released on October 17th, 2023 for all major platforms.[1]
Reception
Sonic Superstars received generally favorable reviews upon release, with the PS5 version scoring a 76/100 on Metacritic[1] as of October 16th, 2023. GamesRadar[3] gave the game 4/5 stars, praising the mechanics that harkened back to the games when Sonic was on the Sega Genesis. On the more mixed side, VG247[4] appreciated that the game was a proper sequel in the line of 2D Sonic games, but felt the new elements were a "mixed bag."
Online Presence
The game generated significant excitement ahead of its release. On June 8th, the day the game was announced, a thread about the game in /r/SonicTheHedgehog[6] gained over 1,200 points in four months, as many commenters expressed excitement for the old-school style. Additionally, several fans were excited that Sonic Superstars, a 2D Sonic game, was released during the same year as Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a 2D Mario game. The concurrent releases of the titles led to some crossover fan art. For example, on June 21st, 2023, Twitter user @scrimblocrimbo[5] posted screenshots of Mario and Sonic appearing in each other's games, gaining over 2,000 retweets and 8,800 likes in four months (shown below).
Search Interest
External References
[1] Metacritic – Sonic Superstars
[2] Video Games Chronicle – HOW SONIC SUPERSTARS WAS BORN FROM A ZOOM DRINKING PARTY
[3] GamesRadar – A modern version of the Genesis classics
[4] VG247 – Sonic Superstars review a faithful (if deeply uneven) return
[5] Twitter – scrimblocrimbo
[6] Reddit – /r/SonicTheHedgehog
