The Sonic fandom can be separated into two categories; the classic era, and the modern era. The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise had its humble beginnings all the way back in 1991, with incredible success thanks to its fast-paced 2D side-scrolling platforming gameplay. While other gaming icons were entering the 3D era of gaming, it wasn’t until the end of 1998 that the blue blur finally got a proper full 3D platform game with Sonic Adventure on the SEGA Dreamcast, sparking the beginning of the modern era.

Many fans prefer the classic games, while others favour the modern titles, and of course many love both just the same. No matter which era they lean towards, Sonic fans remain fiercely loyal to the franchise. Since the modern era began, SEGA never forgot its roots and has released various games that honour the classic era, including their newest title, Sonic Superstars, now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4|5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

The dastardly Dr. Eggman is at it once again, this time with the help of Fang the Hunter and Trip the Sungazer. His new evil plan is to capture the large animals at North Star Islands in order to build a powerful army of Mecha Corps. It is up to Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose to put a stop to this new evil trio, rescue the animals, and save North Star Islands.

Fans of the classic Sonic games will feel right at home in this latest outing of Sonic and his pals. The gameplay feels just like it did back on the SEGA Mega Drive games, and the same fast-paced platforming, ring collecting, spin dashing, spring bouncing, Badnik smashing, and Eggman cracking goodness is back. Each of the four playable characters has their own unique abilities too, such as Sonic’s drop dash, Tails’ flying and carrying others, Knuckles’ gliding and climbing, and Amy Rose’s Piko Piko Hammer.

A whole range of new abilities are available via the seven Chaos Emeralds. After successfully completing a bonus stage, players will earn an emerald and gain its power. The blue emerald creates clones that fly across the screen, taking out the enemies. Red emeralds shoot the player in any direction in the air, and the cyan emerald allows players to traverse in water with ease.

Green emeralds grow vines that can reach higher places, purple emeralds reveal hidden platforms and items, while yellow emeralds slow down the action, and white emeralds allow an extra move depending on the character. These new abilities will come in handy throughout the game, but they’re also completely optional for anyone wanting to stick to the characters’ own moves.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 introduced Tails in 1992, allowing a second player to control the two-tailed fox and help out player 1 for some couch co-op fun. Sonic Superstars takes things even further, allowing up to 4 players simultaneously, adding to the fun and mayhem on screen. It works very similarly to the 2D side-scrolling Mario Games that can have up to 4 players, especially the very recent Super Mario Bros. Wonder. One player will be given priority, so anywhere they go, the other players will be automatically transported to them if they fall behind, which really helps with the fast-paced gameplay.

Playing a traditional Sonic the Hedgehog game together has never been so fun. It may take some time to get used to playing with friends and keeping up with each other, but it’s worth it, and it’s incredibly rewarding when running alongside each other while eliminating Badniks, achieving bonuses, and taking on boss battles as a team. Tails can even carry other characters, just like he first did in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and this can really help in reaching certain platforms and finding secrets that may have been missed.

All of the stages are brand new, each with a unique theme and gorgeously bright and colourful visuals, and they all have that true Sonic the Hedgehog feel. They have everything that Sonic fans have come to expect with loops, springs, spikes, and moving platforms, as well as a ton of new features waiting to be discovered. Various bonus levels can be found throughout the game, with some taking inspiration from the classic games and expanding upon them, plus some fresh new ones too, and depending on the bonus level, players can attempt to get the Chaos Emeralds, tokens, or extra rings. They’re very easy to learn on the spot, but won’t be long before they get increasingly difficult.

The Badniks are also back with many familiar faces and plenty of new ones for Sonic and Co. to smash and rescue the innocent victims inside. Most of them can be taken down by jumping on them, while others require a different approach. The variety of boss battles will keep players thinking quickly on their feet, all making use of the speed-based gameplay.

The main villains include Fang the Hunter, Trip the Sungazer, and everyone’s favourite, Dr. Eggman, who to this day has still not given up on his dastardly deeds. Fang the Hunter, also known as Fang the Sniper or Nack the Weasel, finally makes a return from the classic games, much to the delight of longtime fans. Trip the Sungazer is a brand new character to the franchise and lives up to her namesake, with her clumsy yet adorable mannerisms, and together, they pose an even greater threat to Team Sonic.

Full animated cutscenes can be enjoyed from the beginning and at certain points of the game. It’s the same cartoony animation style seen in Sonic Origins and it does a great job telling the story, even if none of the characters speak. It’s fun to see that a story can still be told without a single word spoken, and actions often speak louder than words.

The game’s soundtrack was composed by Jun Senoue from the band Crush 40, famous for many of Sonic’s most popular tracks. Jun even brought in other well-known Sonic composers, including Takahiro Kai, Tee Lopes, Hidenori Shoji, and Rintaro Soma. The tracks heard throughout the game may not be as memorable as other Sonic games, but they all have that authentic Sonic and SEGA feel to them, perfectly complimenting their respective stages.

Other modes include Time Attack for players to get the fastest time possible, and you can even compare it to other players around the world. There’s also Battle Mode, the newest feature of the series, and it’s an online mode that allows players to create their own Badnik using body parts earned randomly in the main game, or parts purchased with tokens, also collected in the main game. Players can recreate their own Metal Sonic, Metal Knuckles, or something original, and take them online to battle with other players for an 8-player match to collect the most stars, battle each other, and race to the finish line.

As fun as Battle Mode could be, it unfortunately doesn’t seem to be very popular. Trying to find human opponents online can be really challenging, and if not enough players join in, the remaining spots will be filled in with bots, all using the same generic design. The potential is definitely there, and it’s clear a lot of thought was put into this, but sadly, the player numbers are just too low. It could eventually become more popular in the future, but only time will tell.

SEGA really has put a lot of focus on the multiplayer aspects of their latest Sonic title, and while playing with up to three friends is loads of fun, there is no online multiplayer co-op to let you play with your friends over the net. Even if the decision not to include it was due to lag affecting the teamwork, fans would still prefer to have it than not at all. Other similar games have managed to make it work, so this is a real missed opportunity.

The legendary hedgehog may have had a long string of bad games in past years but has since found his footing with newfound success in recent games and other media. The current ongoing Sonic Symphony World Tour has been selling out shows worldwide, proving the fanbase is as strong and dedicated as ever. Even with its faults, the Blue Blur’s latest outing is another radical game to add to the collection whether you prefer modern or classic. Sonic Superstars keeps the momentum going with no signs of slowing down. “Gotta go fast!”

Written by: Sammy Hanson