Summary
Games should be fun. I know that seems a debatable opinion in gaming these days, but to me, you could have the most advanced graphics, a star-studded cast, and a budget bursting through the roof, but if it’s not an enjoyable experience, I’m not interested.
That’s why I’m not sure how it took me so long to appreciateSonic.
RELATED:New Sonic Superstars Trailer Reveals Release Date
I recently had a chance to go hands-on with the Blue Blur’s latest offering at Sega’s Summer Showcase in New York. To my surprise, the short demo I had a chance to play blew me away. Sonic Superstars is a fun, nostalgic, and confident new adventure from the platforming mascot which helped steal the show whether I was playing on my lonesome or jumping into multiplayer with one of the PR reps helping me through the demo. It’s an unassuming little delight I can see fans finding a lot to love about.
First up was an introductory level, whichwasn’tGreen Hill Zone – a huge departure for Sonic, it seems. Regardless of the change in iconic locale, the second I dropped into a high-speed roll from the starting platform and began sailing across the screen in a bright, yellow flash, I was grinning from ear to ear. Yes, I was playing as Tails. Sue me.
As any of the brighter Sonic titles ought to be, Sonic Superstars is a vibrant explosion of color, and bubbly music that incorporates the chime of rings almost seamlessly into its the tunes, and top speeds that continue to excite. Even in the earliest area where challenges were limited and rings were almost limitless, I was positively beaming.
That’s not to say that I was immediately great, though – I wasn’t. Things got a lot easier when I was introduced to some of the special abilities included in Sonic Superstars, new inclusions that seek to transform how you interact with the world around you. The characters have eight abilities total, with Tail’s water ability proving the most beneficial to me as I kept falling into random bodies of water while moving at ludicrous speed.
In this opening level, water seemed the most helpful, with Tails able to jump into towering waterfalls in the background behind the iconic green checkerboard platforms to swim to higher areas in the level. You could hop out whenever you wanted, offering access to almost the entire level from a single point on the map.
As I raced through, delighted by swirling loops and steep hills, anytime I got a little lost, I’d swim up the waterfall and fly around the level, but I know that ability is limited to Tails. All characters can access their own power-ups, and I’m excited to see how Sonic, Knuckles, and Amy all use their abilities in conjunction, especially in co-op play with friends by my side.
I wish I’d gotten to play as someone else to experiment with how that might work, but I reached the end of the first level before I knew it and was onto a showdown with Dr. Robotnik. The mustachioed menace appeared before Tails in a ludicrous ship shaped like his own head, and it was up to me to use my power-ups to take him down.
Eggman’s ship collapsed in several different sections, each bringing about a new phase of attacks, and it took me a couple tries to work out the pattern. It definitely didn’t help that I struggled with the end of the level leading to the fight and entered with a cool nine rings to my name. But I persevered, even if I had to restart the battle a few times.
Finally, I did it. Through a combination of my fire ability, Tail’s power of flight, and pure determination, Robotnik’s ship crashed in a crumpled heap beside me. Am Iproudthat it took me four separate tries to defeat the very first boss? No, not at all, but I’m nothing if not persistent.
As someone who’s watched from the sidelines as the Sonic series ventured into 3D titles that weren’t always a hit (looking at you, Sonic Boom), I’m delighted to see everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog getting back to his roots with a game like this unafraid to try new things.
Sonic Superstars has a sheen of polish that promises players both veteran and new a radiant return to the classic, and with four controllable characters, you’re sure to find something new in each playthrough. I grew up as a Nintendo fangirl, sure, but Sonic Superstars might just have made me a believer.
