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

I wouldn't say they're promoting it as "a co-op game", they're just promoting the fact that it has extensive co-op/multiplayer. Most of the marketing has been about the fact that this is a brand new classic Sonic game. I'd also wager that the main campaign probably presents logistical issues or hiccups that the much-simpler battle modes don't. The battle modes are 1 minute long rounds in relatively short levels, as opposed to classic Sonic levels which can take up to 8 minutes.

There also are some obstacles "designed for multiplayer", in the sense that they function with multiple players at once. The big loop at the end of Bridge Island Zone Act 2 and the hanging ring dispenser thing are good examples.

 

True, online multiplayer isn't some grand dream anymore, but
1: Sonic games do benefit from having high fidelity framerate more than other platformers like Mario 3D world.
2: I don't know about Arzest, but I have no faith that Sonic Team could program a well-working online co-op game. So maybe this is just Iizuka's excuse, but I doubt it would have worked well anyway.
3: Mario 3D world was developed by Nintendo for just Nintendo hardware. We've seen time and again that that approach (at least in Nintendo's case) always yields better performance due to optimization than a 3rd party making a multiplatform game.

 

Bro...

 

I mean, we'll see how the online battle mode holds up. I have no idea if online will be playable or not, it's moreso just the fact that they don't even try co-op because of very confusing and not entirely sensible reasons. I honestly don't know how Arzest is with online, I guess we'll find out though. If it's not their strong suit, then I definitely understand, after all they are the sole developer.

 

Honestly maybe they looked into it and decided it wasn't feasible withing the their time and budgetary constraints. That is totally possible and in that case Iizuka wouldn't be lying if he gave a technical reason for it. Superstars won't have the budget of Mario, and it probably doesn't have the budget of the last Sonic game. In that case defeating lag or other technical problems may not be possible.

 

I straight up do not care LMAO, if this game was extremely hamstrung by being designed around co-op, I wouldn't be wanting to get it. Single player games are what I'm here for with regards to Sonic titles.

 

Very much disagree. Some of the best Sonic games are the ones with (good) 2-player. Probably spent more time playing S2 and SA2B than the rest of the series combined because of their good multiplayer. It's crazy to me that Sonic Team have put such a low emphasis on it historically.

 

I'm also in the boat of preferring that single player gets the priority, reducing resources lost to a focus on multiplayer.

In fact last night I realised I don't even watch the Battle Mode videos. I thought I had been watching them, then I noticed I just wasn't. I just do not care for it. While I understand and accept that people have interest in it, I also can't visualise that interest at all. I'm here for the levels and the explores. They could delete the entire Battle Mode and give me 1 more zone and I'd be chuffed. But it's an important bullet point for them, I know.

Campaign multiplayer would be nice if it worked well, and I'll be playing that with a friend however cumbersome it may be, but again I am happy that the stages were designed for 1 player, then multiplayer was fit to that after the fact and not the other way around.

 

I'm kind of also in the "Why does anyone care about the Co-op Mode?" camp.

Maybe I'll get to play this game with friends once if I beg them? But then, if it's any good, I'll be playing it all by myself until the end of time, just like Sonic 1, CD, 2, 3&K, and Mania.

I do like a good racing mode through the standard levels, though. Something like Sonic 2, SA2, or Mania. I doubt that takes too much additional Dev time and is always a great bonus.

 

There have only ever been like 2-3 people that have ever brought up complaints about the multiplayer design in this 156 page thread and it's only been brought up like 2 times. I'm one of them.
The hell are you guys acting like you're the minority?

 

I'll enjoy the chaotic local multiplayer they're going for, but if it was possible, I'd definitely like the game to have online co-op. It's certainly not an extremely tall order, and I'd have liked bosses that need coordinated action to be easier. Like one player activating a weak spot and another one actually hitting the boss from the other side -- doable in single player if you're skilled and fast enough, but much easier in two.

Also, the purported reason not to have it is weird. Yeah, every online game can have lag, and it can hinder any game. Big whoop. If it's not a priority for the project so you could allocate resources elsewhere, just say so.

 

I'd be interested in the co-op if they include the option to use the tether from Chaotix. That would lead to some total bullshit, the wonderful kind.

 

That would be a sick battle mode idea.

 

Antheraea wasn't talking about multiplayer in general, they were talking about co-op. Adventure 2 Battle's multiplayer is strictly competitive; and while Sonic 2 gets kudos for being the first to introduce the concept alongside Tails (and the subsequent nostalgia that's attached to it), I wouldn't say it is much of a meaningful collaborative experience. It is at least harmless (outside of stuff like Special Stages and stealing air bubbles) in that it's a free bonus on top of the single-player experience.

Going back to Superstars' co-op; by this point it's clear the main game isn't meaningfully designed around the feature; and the developers, for whatever reason, didn't want to dedicate a smaller game mode that would be built around it (like they did for competitive multiplayer with Battle Mode). Which IMO actually would be fine if they weren't calling any attention to it it as A Big New Gameplay Feature. You didn't see Mania making a fuss for bringing back the co-op in its promotional materials; and I imagine Superstars' co-op is largely similar to how it is there beyond a few minute QoL additions.

So that just leaves me wondering why they even bothered with it in the first place. I feel like co-op could had been cut early on in production and the game would be no worse for wear.

A boss rush mode that supported co-op would be actually kinda amazing. Like, a game mode that's structurally Cuphead, but it's Sonic and company teaming up to demolish bosses as fast as possible? Sign me up.

 

I don’t see myself ever using online co-op. Maybe if I had friends who enjoyed Sonic? It’s just not the kind of game that benefits from teaming up with randos. I guess playing with my brother would be kind of fun, but he’s not really a big Sonic fan.

But idk. Maybe there are kids out there just getting into Sonic who’d want that. I can definitely see the couch co-op being a hit on playdates and sleepovers or whatever for kids though. Even though the majority of us would probably be more hindered by a partner than helped, I see why they added it. I’m looking forward to finally getting to play a Sonic game with my wife.

 

You guys play Sonic games for the multi-player?

 

I think Iizuka-san missed the mark with his comment. Levels are probably too long to make an enjoyable online experience out of them. Also, get to a level your partner isn't good at, and chances are that he or she just leaves the game. Even I tend to not finish my playthroughs when I'm not in the right mood.

 

I'd be saying the same, but just like in Sonic 2, Sonic 3K, and Sonic Mania, one of us is just going to get off-screened all the time.

This is how I'd usually think of it, but I have several friends who aren't Sonic fans (or aren't fans of the 2D games) who've gone out of their way to say this looks fun and they'd be down to play it with me. No prodding from me required.

Unfortunately, they live very far away, so that's not happening. And that's a bummer. I mean, we'll try Steam's "remote play" feature, but the problem of getting off-screened will remain.

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Also, for everyone saying "I have no friends who I would play this online with": look around? You wouldn't have to play with randos. Partying up with other people from Retro could have been fun. Oh well.