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

It's not doomposting because even if they're not literally everywhere, three out of three stages we've seen so far are confirmed to have them. If you want "core classic Sonic gameplay" to be the standard, then the fact of the matter is that classic Sonic games don't do that. Each of these stages are remarkable, unique and even fan favorites within the games they're in because they're the speedy, ground-gameplay based zones, and boosters are a very conscious part of that. They're the only stages that do that, which sets them apart from other stages and explore Sonic's speed differently from, say, Collision Chaos or Mushroom Hill.

It does make me worried they won't explore Sonic's traditional mechanics and gameplay in other ways, instead relying only on the new gimmicks, which notably aren't movement-based, to provide breadth to the gameplay and a distinct feeling for each stage.

(In fact, to be fair, Carnival Night has them too. Some other stage could have them too, but I can't remember any. So there's that, for better or worse.)

EDIT: Again it's important to consider it's not that the gimmick is evil incarnate. They're very useful for communicating starts and ends of sections to the player, and make a speedy, ground-gameplay based stage more readable. Like even the fans in Star Light did that. But they are very conducive to one particular style of Sonic stage, and if there's something beautiful about classic Sonic levels is that they are very varied in how they use Sonic's speed and movement. It's important to have them too, and let them shine, even it means there are levels we'll love to hate.

 

Put'em up punk

 

I think sometimes we forget what the classic Sonic games actually did. It's like we have this perfect vision of what a successor should do with the series, but that vision isn't based on what the classics actually were at all times, it's based on what we think a true follow-up should do.

If this were a true successor that actually follows in the footsteps of the classics, don't expect Mania levels, expect the end of the game to devolve into mostly flat blocky platforming with slow tedious sections. Expect the game to slowly do away with most of the hills, big slopes, and loops in favor of less pinball-style gameplay and more flat platforming. Expect a boss in a small, completely flat arena that just makes you wait for it to jump into a pit of sand. Expect gimmicks like running around in the dark and taking damage from ghosts until you find a light switch. Expect some levels to have speed boosters - with a different coat of paint - that still send you flying through a 10-second+ sequence of running up a wall and going through loops and not having any reason to press anything except right. Expect a lot of slow and uninvolved boss fights. Expect puzzles revolving around switches and labyrinthine stages that bring you to a dead halt numerous times with no way to actually keep the pace going.

That absolutely IS doomposting because again - there are not dashpads everywhere. Repeatedly saying "but we saw them in these 3 scenarios!" and then just reciting the same scenarios we've all talked about doesn't change anything. I've been looking at each new stage trying to see all these Sonic 4 dashpads all over the place that automate the gameplay, but I'm not seeing them.

 

I don't know what you're on about because this is exactly what I'm saying. Except I would never call them slow and tedious. I like them the way they are. So I should really be the one saying "hey, actually classic Sonic was often a lot more of a conventional platformer than y'all are making it out to be". I can expect exactly one, maybe two levels with dashpads. I don't expect the last levels to make it any easier for me to keep the pace going. They are the last levels. They are Eggman's base. This guy hates me, why would he make it easier for me to move around? I appreciate the challenge.

I like it when the game tries to stop me, but I keep going anyway and use Sonic's speed to get out of ever-tougher situations. That's what the games were. Superstars doesn't seem to be aiming for that, about I don't think it needs to anyway. Just don't say it's the same thing those games did, because they didn't, and you're saying so yourself.

 

I never said it's the "same thing the classics did", I pointed to a specific dashpad that reminds me of a near-identical setup in FBZ1 and said TO BE FAIR, that reminds me of that setup. It's a launcher that sends you flying up a vertical wall and then you watch Sonic do a long speed section where all you have to do is hold right.

The idea that that is met with "well this isn't exactly the same as the classics because those dashpads look different" is absolutely absurd. And I mean that. This is the product of a fanbase that starts sweating the moment we see a green grass tile or a dashpad and does NOT care about the context they are used in and does not care to have any critical discussion on whether or not that is a good design choice. The fact isn't that "one or two levels have dashpads" in the classics, afaik only ONE stage has dashpads. We are talking about gimmicks that do the EXACT same thing that people say they hate, give you free speed.

The level design is clearly not 1-to-1 here and nobody is claiming it is, but there is definitely an issue of people not being able to recognize when a gimmick gives the player the same reward for the same amount of work and the same amount of intuition.

 

Now I'm having a real hard time figuring out what you're on about. Dashpads take many different forms across the games and all of them give you free speed anytime you touch them in Star Light*, Chemical Plant, Stardust Speedway, Hidrocity, Carnival Night and Flying Battery. You're saying all these pads we're seeing in Superstars are okay because a) they are scarce b) we've seen something similar in the original games. I'm saying I don't like that all three stages we've seen feature this same kind of gimmick when the classic game only featured something like that in one stage each -- maybe two in Sonic 3's case.

*sorta, kinda, in a way

I'm really not seeing your point anymore. Like what context are you talking about?

 

I'm disengaging here because "I don't see what you're on about" and "like what context are you talking about?" is just pure bad faith, I've addressed your initial point head-on numerous times and I respond directly to what you say, and you just act confused and act as if I'm crazy or out of my mind. This is not at all representative of the kind of discussion that I look forward to seeing on this forum, it's just circular and unconstructive. "Classic thing good, new thing bad!"... I'll pass.

Disengaging.

 

No, I'm genuinely lost. Which is why I'm asking. You talking about how all dashpads look different has absolutely nothing to do with what I'm talking about. You even went so far as reinforcing my own point a few posts ago and, somehow, we seem to be talking about entirely different things. If you want to disengage, fine. But you seem to be getting mad at a point you made up.

 

Just noticed. It looks like there's another boss in Speed Jungle... is there a third act???

 

Going to have to hope there's a booster removal mod, don't want automated 0 to 100 that often.

 

I wish the in-game models -- and especially Sonic's model out of the 4 -- were actual recreations of this key art. Right now we have 3 styles: Key art, animated intro and in-game models. Of which I think the in-game models are the inferior take, especially Sonic which looks at bit too chibi, and could take a cue or 2 from this artwork.

 

Thanks for sharing! Interesting to note the mask positioning issue on Sonic's foot isn't present in the full version.

 

Boxart:

Also, we're apparently getting a Lego Eggman for pre-order.

 

Source?

 

https://twitter.com/TailsChannel/status/1671912498772033539

 

Lego teased something for tomorrow's Sonic Central. I wonder if the other characters are also going to have Lego skins of themselves.

 

The only other character skin we've seen mention of is Amy's red dress. Is Eggman playable?

 

LEGO Skins better animate at 12fps or I'm going to riot.

 

The eShop page for Sonic Superstars lists online support for up to 8 players. This would refer to the online battle mode mentioned in the e-mails.