Sonic Superstars: A New 2D Sonic Game (Fall 2023)

There is something kind of hilarious about Superstars having eleven zones and four character acts...but because it also has three one-act zones, the actual number of stages is basically identical to Mania and 3.

 

Since we're doing tiers:

CD > (1 8-bit >) 3&K > 1 > Mania > 2 > Superstars. I probably like Advance about as much as Superstars, but I need to play it again because I remember hating some stages but don't really remember what they're like. As far as 2D Sonic goes, though, Superstars clears all the rest.

 

3K > Mania > CD > 1 > 2

Haven't played Superstars yet. Both Sonic 1 and 2 suffer from having too many slow-paced zones, making them a chore to replay. But at least S1 alternated between speedy and slow zones throughout its length. S2 on the other hand? After you beat Casino Night the game becomes a slog until the end.

CD was less speed-oriented, but it made up for it with the time travel mechanics and focus on exploration. S1 and S2 didn't have much justification for their slow zones, and didn't have any mechanics like time travel to add some degree of depth to them.

 

Yeah, when Hill Top Zone starts I want to yawn. That's partially due to the music, to be honest.

 

Sonic 2 has an extremely strong set of first levels (Emerald Hill through Casino Night), an iffy middle (Hill Top through Oil Ocean), Metropolis starts strong but just goes on way too long. I actually like Sky Chase, but the novelty definitely wears off after so many replays (which, I'm sure most everyone on this forum has played through Sonic 2 at least 50 times).

Fortunately I think the game manages to rally quite well in Wing Fortress and Death Egg, providing a memorable finale. A notion I learned in theatre is that if a play can only be two-thirds good, make sure it's the beginning and the end, as that will do the most to inform the audience's opinion. Sonic 2 I think meets that standard pretty well, though obviously you'd rather something be consistently good throughout if possible.

 

I'll throw my hat in the ring with the tier lists:
Mania = Sonic 2 > Sonic 1 > Sonic 3K > Sonic CD
Have yet to play Superstars, but going from the tier lists here, maybe I'm missing out. Sounds like it may be right up my alley. That being said, how are we looking for Steam Deck support?

 

It's not native but from a little look at ProtonDB it seems to work pretty well under proton if you can get it to work, the epic games online pop up causes problems on first boot but there's ways to get around that. Once in game everything is supposedly smooth despite the DRM.

 

The epic games popup is totally patched-out at this point, isn't it?

 

Definitely worth playing if you like classic Sonic games, which I assume you do considering you post here.

It's nothing that will blow you away, but it's good. The NSMB of Sonic, imo.

 

How's the modding scene for this game? Anything to deal with the bosses being slogs?

 

My only advice is to get good at using the Emerald Powers during boss fights.

I beat the final boss in the main story mode in 5 minutes compared to the hour it took me the first time by learning when and where to use the Emerald Powers to score extra hits.

 

Its definitely not "objectively bad" but the fact that I can just jump over some stuff and then beat most levels in 30 seconds just makes the games level design unsatisfying imo. The levels are too easy to master, whereas I still find cool shortcuts in say Sonic 2 or 3&K ever time I play them after having beat both several times at this point.

 

It's definitely a thing thanks to the fact that the game's made with Unity, but it's nowhere near as big nor intricate as the modding scene for games like Frontiers.

 

Thankfully that includes music mods to address the soundtrack's inconsistencies, which gives the PC version a significant edge over console versions in my view.

 

Sonic Mania>Sonic 3K>Sonic 1>Sonic CD>Sonic 2>>>>>>>>Sonic Superstars>>Sonic 4 Episode 2>Sonic 4 Episode 1

 

I'd go...

S: 3K > Mania
A: Superstars > 2
B: CD > 1
C: 4 (poor 4)

Both episodes of Sonic 4 are ranked together. Each one has enough pros and cons that it's hard to give one the edge over the other.

Games in the same ranking are close enough that I could probably persuade myself to swap them if I was in the right mood. Maybe I could think Mania is better than 3K, but they're clearly in a league of their own.

 

Superstars is on the low end of Classic games for me. About on par with Sonic 1 and CD, but better than Sonic 4, but that barely counts imo.

You want the true Classic experience, Sonic 2, 3 and Mania remain the definitive way.

 

Superstars probably has technically better level design than Sonic 1, but tbh I feel like I'm probably going to be more inclined to replay Sonic 1 than Superstars just because its general pacing is better, primarily due to the bosses not being slogs

 

I've re-played Sonic 1 so many times in my life. So no, thanks.

 

I'd probably go S3K > Mania > 2 > 1 > CD > Superstars, with a pretty tight band between the former three and the latter three.

Lmao at including Sonic 4 in this but it'd be dead last, of course.