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

OK yeah fuck that's a really good point. I personally have fun just watching my friends play something I'm experienced with but yeah the waiting problem is there anyway. This might just be a personal preference thing.

I guess they could do the SRB2 thing of letting the winner/s mess around the level in god mode while they wait but it's not an elegant solution and would probably still bore kids.

Also Shacknews might've just been confusing it with that race mode. If that has most of the story levels like SA2B (AND IT SHOULD!!1) then I guess this is all fine. Wouldn't surprise me if they gimp the level count though, just like the classics!

 

It isn't really helping directly, but I just find the (completely hypothetical I must admit) idea of Little Sibling screaming STOP I WANT THAT MEDAL as both go through a loop very endearing. Like here:



And then Big Sibling has to show how Little Sibling is supposed to get to the top. Sure, that can happen in split screen too, but the fact that they would have to do it together makes sense to me here. I'm actually in favor of prioritizing Little Siblings even if it sacrifices Big Sibling's fun because the shared joy is the point. And if Little sibling gets stuck in a platforming challenge or another, and gets too frustrated to try again, Big Sibling can just pick them up by progressing a little, so Little Sibling's character resets. That's the best case scenario dynamics, I guess.

Much like you, I love watching people play games at which I'm good. But I also love the chaos, like @Sneekie. And I think not leaving anyone behind is a good principle to have in Sonic Superstars' case, specifically, for what it seems to want to bring to the table.

EDIT: Now of course this doesn't mean it's ideal. I suppose there isn't an ideal co-op for Sonic. But between split and single-screen, I think single screen makes the most sense for this game.

 

What about some kind of system that links the characters together to explain why it does this? Like it tethered them together as if it were some sort of rubber band. They can even use some kind of common game element to attach the band to…

Nah.

Seriously, there’s a reason Nintendo went this route with Mario. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than the alternative.

 

If the battle mode has the full main game levels, then that would be perfect (for me at least). Racing each other is more fun in a Sonic game.
I just want proper full sized levels and not mini stages.

 

Honestly a "chaotix" mode as a secret coop thing would be so cool.

 

The whole little siblings thing is far too complicated. We all know the tried and true way for big and little siblings to share the joy of gaming is for little sibling to have an unconnected controller, not like they realise the controller is disconnected anyway.

 

Yeah, that Eurogamer preview/impressions about the co-op confirms my fears that much like the old games, it's nothing beyond another layer to what's otherwise a single-player oriented platforming game, that's only marginally more accessible. I would agree about the co-op being ignorable if Sega wasn't pushing it so much in the marketing (and pushing it much more over the competitive battle mode).

People are also saying this co-op would had been better if they had online play; but I reckon that such implementation wouldn't be very meaningful, when the level structure and mechanics still aren't designed around a cooperative multiplayer campaign. Even if you had a co-op party of excellent players, keeping everyone together isn't a top priority for the game's design, so someone at some point is eventually going to end up being lost in the shuffle or left behind. If anything, I can easily see online making the experience much worse than local co-op, because you'd have to factor in the netcode/internet connections possibly not being up to snuff.

If it seems like I'm really harping on this point, it's because I think a co-op [MD] Sonic game [mode] could work really well and be very fun. But its weak implementation here (and its past implementation of being weak) is going to (continue to) sour the concept for many, which is an outcome I'm not fond of.

Personally, I'm kinda annoyed/bothered that they specifically went for the use of the Chaos Emeralds for such an approach, rather than making a new set of gem(s) that is particular/unique to the new island. Because I feel like with a new gem set, it would allow the designers a clean slate on how to incorporate them into the gameplay and the story. The Chaos Emeralds and their existing history IMO leaves much less room for interpretation and ideas (or at least, it feels that way; given how they've largely been the default Macguffin gems for most Sonic games by this point). Superstars already has the giant animals being abducted from the bosses, that could had been retrofitted for this purpose--like if you took the notion of rescuing Flickies in Sonic 3D, but made them much more intuitive to the gameplay (instead of them largely being used as progression gates/fetchquests).

 

Co-op looks fun imo! I feel like they could potentially solve a bit of the problem though by allowing the camera to zoom out a bit more. It could stand to zoom out like twice as much before recalling the second player, which gives them plenty of time to catch up and gives the first player plenty of buffer room to slow themselves down. Idk if this would impact performance though. It's just... if they have a dynamically zooming camera based on the distance between players, why does it stop at that specific zoom level? My one big gripe is still just that there's no online... I have no friends nearby who are interested in Sonic enough to enjoy something like this.


That autoscroller looks whack tbh. It looks fun in co-op, but I wonder if maybe they *will* have slightly different experiences between singleplayer and multiplayer, because there are points in that autoscroller where there's one singular balloon on screen and it looks like the intent is for the co-op players to see who can get it first. Alone, it looks like a waiting room for the actual level, unlike Sky Chase where usually there's plenty of enemies popping on screen and you can challenge yourself to get them all.


Also, the game looks nicer here for some reason. I doubt anything has changed, but seeing everything in motion with all 4 characters animating on screen is really nice. I love the little differences they worked into the running animations, Knuckle's and Amy's are probably my favorites right now.

 

I mean, to be fair, and I've been very critical of Superstars despite looking forward to it, I don't think the fact the multiplayer co-op will be bad is a big deal. NSMB and Mario 3D World were also advertised for their co-op and while their offerings will probably be more enjoyable, I find both borderline unplayable in coop.

 

After I posted that, I thought it'd actually be really cool as a 2v2 multiplayer option.

 

My personal desire for co-op was for it to be a score-attack challenge. everyone would start on one screen and as people went farther apart the camera would expand out until the screens split. Making high score the goal (along with decreasing time bonus amounts) would also mitigate the risk of a fast player finishing before the other players as they would be encouraged to not rush through the level to get points. This would be like Adventure 2 where speed is rewarded but is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to score. At the end of each act, all the players’ scores could be ranked, with the #1 player getting some kind of aesthetic reward (like how the #1 player gets a crown in Mario 3d world).

I don’t mind Sonic’s 2 little brother mode being included as an option but I do not think it is a strong foundation for a 4 player multiplayer mode (and it certainly is not strong enough to be the centerpiece of the game’s marketing)

Anyways battle mode looks cool and single player still looks awesome

 

IGN preview:

They prefer co-op over playing solo. They like the emerald powers. The cyber level (which is their standout level) is called "Cyber Station".

 

Amy got robbed

 

Amusing that IGN praises the Emerald Powers, highlighting in particular the power that GameXplain criticises most.

Amusing that IGN praises co-op, praising the ability to respawn freely, that GameXplain criticises also.

 

Anyone else picked up on Pinball Carnival Zone Act Pineapple? It would appear the pineapple items you collect in the levels can be used for bonus Acts.

Extremely exciting prospect.

 

The only power that's unimpressive right now is the water one since it kills the flow.

Batman Vision could be cool if you could use it to hop into different routes while still moving. I haven't seen any footage of it being activated without someone standing still. Don't know if that's a requirement or if it's just one of those demonstration videos.

 

From what we know about the controls, it seems to be a little hard to activate emerald powers on the move. But even if you do, the game tells you where you're supposed to use it anyway -- which I don't really like. I was hoping the power would be a tool for surprise and exploration that starts with the player, not the stage, but tough luck I guess.

 

Isn't it just analog stick and activation button? That's hardly a complicated manuever.