Sonic Superstars
From Sonic Retro
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| System(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Steam, Epic Games Store | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher: Sega | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developer: Arzest[1], Sonic Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Supporting companies: Telecom Animation Film (animated cutscenes) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Licensor: The Lego Group (Lego skins) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre: Action | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of players: 1-4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sonic Superstars (ソニックスーパースターズ) is a classic-themed 2D action video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Announced at Summer Games Fest 2023, the game was released on all major platforms on October 17, 2023.
Developed by Arzest with assistance from Sonic Team, it is the first time Naoto Ohshima, co-creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, has been involved with the development of a Sonic game since Sonic Adventure in 1998.
Contents
Story
Dr. Eggman's latest scheme for world domination has led him to the Northstar Islands, an uncharted archipelago known for its giant animals, which he intends to convert into massive Badniks to help him find the Chaos Emeralds. This time, he has enlisted the help of bounty hunter Fang the Hunter to aid him with his schemes, and the two have forced Trip the Sungazer, a clumsy native of the islands, to assist them with their goals. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy soon arrive on the Northstar Islands and must unite to thwart Eggman's schemes and restore peace to the islands.
Gameplay
The game is based on the original Sega Mega Drive games, except it is depicted in a 2.5D art style similar to Sonic Generations and Sonic Forces while also incorporating the momentum-based physics seen in Retro Engine-developed games such as Sonic Mania. Players can play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy and traverse through levels either in single player or simultaneous multiplayer.
The game is structured across eleven Zones, which can be played progressively similar to classic games or accessed via a "World Map" hub similar to White Space from Sonic Generations. Each of the Zones in the game feature a varying number of Acts - most have at least two regular Acts to play through, though three Zones only feature one Act. Some of the Zones that feature two Acts also feature a third Act that is exclusive to a specific character and designed around that character's unique abilities; for example, Speed Jungle Zone features an "Act Sonic" that is exclusively played by Sonic. Some Zones also feature stages known as "Act Fruit", which are short auto-scrolling mini-game stages where the objective is to collect as many Rings as possible and achieve a high score. These Acts are completely optional and require Fruit collected from other Acts to play. Zones also feature "Warp Games", which are short sections that are filled with Rings and will warp players to different parts of the stages.
Also new to the game is the introduction of Emerald Powers, special abilties that can be performed when certain Chaos Emeralds have been collected from the game's Special Stages accessed via Giant Rings located in multiple locations. The Emerald Powers have a variety of different effects, such as spawning clones to attack enemies or to allow players to reach different routes, though these abilities are entirely optional and all Zones can be completed without them. Super transformations remain available for all characters when all seven Chaos Emeralds have been collected.
Unlike previous 2D entries, Sonic Superstars does not feature a lives system - dying simply sends the player back to the beginning of the Act or the last Star Post reached, allowing them to try again as many times as needed. Instead of extra lives, players can collect Medals either for every 100 Rings held at one time, winning them in Special and Bonus Stages, defeating the golden enemy hidden in almost every Act, or by finding them in sporadic locations throughout the Acts. Collected Medals can then be spent on robot parts at the in-game shop for use in Battle Mode.
In a multiplayer co-op game, up to four players play on the same screen together. The camera will attempt to track all players, however will mainly follow the player that is making forward progress toward the end of the level, and any players that get left behind will disappear, but can warp to the leading player at the press of a button, so co-operation is necessary if a player wishes to explore a level. All players have their own Ring tallies, which are tracked independently on the HUD. When a player dies, there will be a cooldown timer before they can respawn, so players can keep coming back and avoid returning to the last Checkpoint so long as one player survives. However, respawning after death is disabled during boss battles so players cannot take advantage of respawns to easily defeat bosses. Character-exclusive Acts cannot be played in co-op and will temporarily switch gameplay to single-player when played.
Characters
All of the playable characters are capable of performing the Spin Attack and Spin Dash, and each have their own unique abilities as listed below.
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Sonic the Hedgehog |
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| “The fastest thing alive! Sonic the Hedgehog runs at mach speeds and is quick to engage those that threaten his friends, his freedom, or the natural world around him. He loves to relax when he's not on an adventure but will jump at the chance to thwart any evil plot from Dr. Eggman.”[7]
Sonic's abilities in this game are the same as in Sonic Mania, in which he is capable of charging a Drop Dash in mid-jump. | |
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Miles "Tails" Prower |
| “Miles “Tails” Prower is an energetic fox, a genius mechanic, and the pilot of Sonic's plane, the “Tornado.” Once bullied for having an extra tail, he has since found strength in his uniqueness: by spinning his two tails together, he can propel himself forward and even fly short distances in the air! One of Sonic's closest friends, Tails is the best sidekick anyone could ask for.”[7]
Tails has the same abilities as his previous 2D appearances in that he can fly for a short while, and in co-op play can airlift other characters. | |
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Knuckles the Echidna |
| “Knuckles the Echidna is said to be the last of his kind and is bound by duty to protect the Master Emerald on Angel Island. He is known for his immense strength and can use his spiked fists to smash enemies, climb walls, and even destroy solid rock. Gliding is another of his abilities, allowing him to quickly traverse the varied environments of his island and the world beyond.”[7]
Knuckles has the same abilities as his previous 2D appearances in that he can glide through the air and climb walls, as well as break through certain walls by running into them. | |
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Amy Rose |
| “Still learning to use her own surprising strength, Amy is a pink hedgehog who wields the huge “Piko Piko Hammer.” She has a strong sense of justice and will always follow her heart to protect the weak, even though that often means putting herself in danger.”[7]
Amy's abilities are similar to those of her previous playable appearance in Sonic Origins Plus in which she can perform Hammer Attacks in mid-jump and when she lands, in addition to being able to Double Jump. | |
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Trip the Sungazer |
| “Not much is known yet about Trip, the mysterious girl first encountered by Fang on the Northstar Islands. While a bit clumsy, Trip is heavily armored and has been enlisted by Fang and Dr. Eggman to protect and guide them around the wonders of this uncharted region.”[7]
Trip can be unlocked as a playable character after completing Story Mode. On top of being able to Double Jump like Amy, she can also use Ring Rolling to climb walls and ceilings. |
Trip's Story
Trip's Story is an extra story that is unlocked after completing Story Mode. This mode is conceptually similar to Knuckles' story in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles and features Trip as the sole main character, and thus is only playable in single player. The Zones in Trip's Story feature altered level designs that are more difficult than those in Story Mode, featuring additional obstacles and hazards that are navigated using Trip's abilities, and sporadic Eggrobos appear in every Zone. Bosses also have more difficult attack patterns and take more hits to defeat, and a single Eggrobo also pilots Eggman's boss machines in much the same way as in Knuckles' story in Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
Character-exclusive Acts are also featured in this mode and are all part of the main progression, though are designated as "Act 2", whereas the regular second Acts from Story Mode are designated as "Act 3". The "Act Fruit" stages are also playable, and remain optional.
Time Attack
Sonic Superstars also features a Time Attack mode, which uses the same rules and mechanics as seen in Sonic Mania, removing bosses and Star Posts and featuring unique goalposts separate from the main campaign (both used for starting and ending the level), as well as allowing players to immediately restart the level during playthroughs by pressing and holding a certain button. Once Acts are completed, the game saves and records the player's time, in which they can either compare them to a personal list of best time logs, upload their record to an online leaderboard, or challenge them. When challenging a previous time record, it will be shown as a ghost during gameplay.
Battle mode
In Dr. Eggman's secret Metal Fighter Lab, the player can customize and create their very own Metal Fighter or play as Metal Sonic, Metal Tails, Metal Knuckles, and Metal Amy. Purchasing the Digital Deluxe version of the game also gives the player parts to create Mecha Sonic Mk. I.[8] The gold medals collected in the main campaign can be used to unlock new parts for Metal Fighters. The Metal Fighters share the same moves as Sonic the Hedgehog, including the Spin Dash and Drop Dash.[9]
Battle mode lets the player use these Metal Fighters to clash against other players in either online or offline matches. In online matches, the player can either create/join a Game Room, or join a public lobby with up to eight players. Either way, players entering Battle mode will be thrown into three rounds of random missions. In all of these missions, players gather the most points by completing the missions' objectives, and the player with the highest score after all three rounds wins. The stages that appear in Battle Mode are all based on the Zones that appear in the main game, in addition to a stage based on Green Hill Zone, and are randomly selected.
There is also a player info section on the Battle mode menu where players can check their rank and totals of how many times they've have jumped, broken Item Boxes, and meters they've ran.
Battle types
| Race | |
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| All players compete in a short level to reach the goal as quickly as possible. More points are awarded the better a player's finishing position. | |
| Zap Scrap | |
| Players compete to score points by shooting each other with bullets. Points are awarded for attacking opponents, and are deducted for getting hit. Item Boxes will power up the player's next bullet - the more Item Boxes collected before shooting, the more powerful the bullet will become. | |
| Star Snatcher | |
| Players compete to collect as many stars as they can within the time limit. A star will be lost if a player takes damage. | |
| Survival | |
| Players compete to survive for as long as possible against a barrage of cannonballs fired from the background. Platforms will collapse if they are hit by a cannonball or if a player stands on one for too long. If a player falls off the bottom of the stage, they will be eliminated. |
Achievements
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Main article: Sonic Superstars/Achievements |
History
Development
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Main article: Sonic Superstars/Development |
Versions
Version history
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Main article: Sonic Superstars/Changelog |
Localised names
| Language | Localised Name | English Translation |
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| English | Sonic Superstars | Sonic Superstars |
| English (US) | Sonic Superstars | Sonic Superstars |
| Japanese | ソニックスーパースターズ | Sonic Superstars |
| Korean | 소닉 슈퍼스타즈 | Sonic Superstars |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 索尼克 超级巨星 | |
| Chinese (Traditional; Taiwan) | 索尼克 超級巨星 | |
| Thai | โซนิค ซูเปอร์สตาร์ |
Downloadable content
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Main article: Sonic Superstars/Downloadable content |
Production credits
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Main article: sega:Sonic Superstars/Production credits |
Manuals
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Main article: Sonic Superstars/Manuals |
Promotional material
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Main article: Sonic Superstars/Promotional material |
Artwork
Key artwork
Key artwork with logo
Key artwork with logo (square)
Logo
Trip (unarmored)
Dr. Eggman
Amy's alternate costume
Google Ad Services Banner (Large)
Google Ad Services Banner (Small)
Holiday Sonic DLC
Shadow Costume
Box art
Physical scans
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Xbox One version
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Nintendo Switch version
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PC version
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External links
- Official website: JP/Asia, US/EU/AU
- Announcement trailer
- Sonic Superstars on Steam
- Sonic Superstars on Epic Games Store
- Sonic Superstars on PlayStation Store: JP, US, UK, FR, DE, ES, IT, AU, KR, TW
- Sonic Superstars on PlayStation Store (Digital Deluxe Edition): JP, US, UK, FR, DE, ES, IT, AU, KR, TW
- Sonic Superstars on Xbox.com: JP, US, UK, FR, DE, ES, IT, AU, KR, TW
- Sonic Superstars on Xbox.com (Digital Deluxe Edition): JP, US, UK, FR, DE, ES, IT, AU, KR, TW
- Nintendo catalogue pages: JP, US, UK, FR, DE, ES, IT, AU, KR
- Nintendo catalogue pages (Digital Deluxe Edition): JP, US
References
- ↑ @Radical_1991 on Twitter (archive.today)
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 @sonic_hedgehog on Twitter (Ghostarchive)
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Superstars-PlayStation-4/dp/B0C8ZW6391/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-06-27 19:06)
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Superstars-PlayStation-5/dp/B0C915HKTK/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-06-27 19:09)
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Superstars-Xbox-X/dp/B0C9164THC/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-06-27 19:11)
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Sonic-Superstars-Nintendo-Switch/dp/B0C91MLPNG/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-06-25 21:49)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 https://sonicsuperstars.com/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-06-23 15:56)
- ↑ https://youtu.be/1DrnSgXHviI?si=xjpycbadvgddxk9c (Ghostarchive)
- ↑ https://youtu.be/P93RArEEzRc?si=gAFzea2xjP0K78KZ (Ghostarchive)
| Sonic Superstars | |
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Main page Manuals |
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Sub-bosses:
Main bosses:
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| Sonic the Hedgehog games for the following systems | |
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2017 Sonic Mania | Sonic Forces 2018 Sonic Mania Plus | Sonic Forces & Sonic Mania Plus Double Pack 2019 Team Sonic Racing 2021 Sonic Colours: Ultimate 2022 Sonic Origins | Sonic Frontiers 2023 Sonic Origins Plus | Sonic Superstars 2024 Sonic X Shadow Generations |
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2021 Sonic Mania | Sonic Colours: Ultimate 2022 Sonic Origins 2023 Sonic Superstars | Sonic Frontiers 2024 Sonic X Shadow Generations |
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