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

Amy is really disappointing. Again. I really don't understand, they got it right 20 years ago. I especially liked how she was incapable of rolling at all. When the stage forced her to she'd just be tucked and it even had a special sound effect. Maybe they don't want her to be difficult to use? But that was the fun part.

 

Very good footage, really makes me excited for the game. I like the verticality of the stage, means there will be lots of alternate paths to take. Music kinda grates, but it's placeholder so whatever.

 

This is a game with local co-op. If Amy played like Advance 1, she'd always get left behind or straight up not be able to do much except break certain boss fights in half. It's a necessary decision for this game specifically.

 

I get full on Advance 1 would be a bit too complex but surely something a bit more creative. Double Jump is like THE most generic ability to give a platforming character and Amy has LOAD of unique hammer abilities throughout the series, even discounting lack of rolling.

Even the Mania mod which maintained the roll as well, had a more unique moveset which called back to her Advance style in places by being more strategic and slower.

 

Not a huge fan of this level design. It's like Stardust Speedway Past, only worse. Quarter pipes that lead to ceiling running always make me grunt, and there's quite a bit of that here. The focus on ground gameplay seemingly isn't even that much explored for fast choices, except in the case of those badniks that chase you (I love them!)

There are clearly many paths, but I have no idea why you should pursue any of them. You don't get to see what you're missing, nor are you ever threatened enough to have to consider changing lanes.

So everything that other footage has, this right here hasn't.

 

I wouldn't call the Knuckles thing an issue, as I believe it was a level design parameter for assuring pathing variation in certain cases. He gets his own way in Angel Island Zone through the boulders and has his path cut off due to height prior as well if I remember correctly. But yes, there is a point in that his premier title on the Sonic 3 end is obstructed with his jump acting as a mechanism of deviation in a small number of cases, providing content by making his jump worse than Tails' and Sonic's. For the most part, everyone's better than Sonic functionally, but I think it's the fun of their toolsets that makes them fun to goof around with, and such constraints involving Knux aren't something I remember coming up after that point.

It's a bit early to say they might not do some interesting things with this upcoming game to have Amy shine as a newcomer, but I think Sonic will never be an advantageous pick relative to the alternatives in any notable way.

 

The new guy at the end.

 

Meh, I love Drop Dash, it's a good counter to Tails and Knuckles' abilities that isn't designed particularly for much exploration but totally maintains the player's momentum. There's a reason they keep backporting it to the classic games and that's to make Sonic's moveset more fun and advantagous, ie. no longer the dud.

 

IGN interview with Iizuka: https://www.ign.com/articles/sonic-superstars-developers-interview
Positive Impression from person who played the demo:
https://twitter.com/stevembowling/status/1667268204543246336?s=46&t=S0_YkQ8TRA2Bk54XvKgWfw

 

I'm always a bit surprised to learn that people actually liked Amy's playstyle in Advance. Maybe she's good for oldheads who've mastered 2D Sonic gameplay and want a new challenge but I always thought she was just cumbersome. I think it's easy to imagine a scenario where a younger player picks up the game and chooses to play as Amy, only to get frustrated because they don't know that this character works totally differently from the rest.

If you really want that sort of thing I think it would work best as an optional challenge mode or something like that

 

Yeah, he does have that. Not something I've kept in mind considering its origin, but it's a part of his moveset here in the new game. That's good. I didn't mind him being definitively worse, frankly, as I considered it more a matter of his popularity carrying him as a player preference, but the drop dash does give Sonic something to work with. Though I will say it isn't as versatile as flying, climbing, or gliding!

 

Fair enough but again they could have called it down the middle. Why a freaking double jump?

Keep in mind however flying, climbing and gliding is also slow as hell, so there is technically a tradeoff, and in fast paced areas they become less and less of a perk (hence Tails and Knuckles being no more useful than Sonic in Advance 2 for the large part). Drop Dash is that case becomes bigger and bigger a trump card depending on the circumstance.

And really I prefer every character having a perk, some strategic draw to them. Sure some can be easier or harder to pull off, but if you master them they are a unique and satisfying experience.

 

I'll make it worse for you, E-122-Psi: If they reintroduce the Thunder Shield, her double jump will be redundant unless it gives her a triple xD

 

Oh they are bringing Splats back, nice. I wonder what other references are going to put in the game.

 

Sigh. It's just a shame really. I mean you can stand by what you said about Tails and Knuckles but they aren't DULL.

Looks like I'm a Sonic main for this one.

 

yea i'm with psi here wanting amy to have an easy moveset is fine and all but an insta shield double jump is pretty dull since that's all stuff you could do in sonic 3 lol

 

It's okay. Perhaps you'll enjoy playing as Amy when you get the chance to try the game. Maybe you'll even wanna main Knux, Tails, or the potential 5th character!

You say that, but remember that it's only Amy that gets the prestigious and illustrious ability to hit with stick.

 

I like Amy but she seems to be practically a cosmetic here.

Not a big let down for Superstars in particular, but again makes Origins Plus feel like even more of a rip off. £10 for a Sonic sprite edit with his Blast moveset.

 

I kinda like how lately the things that just barely didn’t make it into the old games are being dragged back into the canon at large


Stuff like this and Sonic 2’s hidden palace (which I know happened a while ago now but it’s outright promotion as part of Origins makes it feel like its here to stay as part of that game from now on)