Sonic Superstars facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sonic Superstars |
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| Developer(s) |
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| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) | Shunsuke Kawaraduka |
| Producer(s) |
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| Designer(s) |
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| Programmer(s) | Shinji Iseki |
| Artist(s) | Daisuke Kojima |
| Writer(s) | Takashi Iizuka |
| Composer(s) | Jun Senoue |
| Series | Sonic the Hedgehog |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release date(s) | October 17, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Sonic Superstars is an exciting platform game that came out in 2023. It was made by Arzest and Sonic Team, and Sega published it. The game feels a lot like the classic Sonic the Hedgehog games from the 1990s.
In Sonic Superstars, you can play as one of four cool characters. These are Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, and Amy Rose. You go through different levels, moving from left to right, to stop the bad guys. Your main goal is to defeat Doctor Eggman and Fang the Hunter.
This game also brings in new special abilities called power-ups. You get these by collecting the seven powerful Chaos Emeralds. Plus, for the first time, you can play with up to four friends at once! This makes the game even more fun to share.
The head of Sonic Team, Takashi Iizuka, wanted to update the classic Sonic style. He wanted it to be a separate adventure from the 3D Sonic games. He teamed up with Arzest, a studio started by Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima. This was a big deal because it was Ohshima's first time working on a Sonic game since Sonic Adventure in 1998. They started making Superstars in 2021. Arzest worked hard to make the game feel like the old Genesis games. They also added new game mechanics, like the Chaos Emerald powers, to make players want to find all seven.
Contents
How to Play Sonic Superstars
Sonic Superstars is a side-scrolling platform game. It plays much like the original Sonic the Hedgehog games from the 1990s. You move your character through many levels found in different zones. The game looks like it's 3D, but you mostly move left and right.
Your mission is to stop Doctor Eggman. He has teamed up with Fang the Hunter and a new character named Trip the Sungazer. They want to capture the giant animals of the North Star Islands. Eggman plans to use these animals to build a huge army.
Meet the Characters
You can pick from four main characters at the start. Each character has their own special moves:
- Sonic the Hedgehog can roll into a super-fast dash after jumping.
- Miles "Tails" Prower can fly using his two tails.
- Knuckles the Echidna can glide through the air and climb up walls.
- Amy Rose can hit enemies with her hammer and jump a second time in the air.
After you finish the main story, you unlock a new character named Trip. She can double jump like Amy and climb walls like Knuckles.
Exploring the North Star Islands
The game takes place on the North Star Islands. There are 12 different zones, and these zones have a total of 26 levels, also called "acts." Some zones have one, two, or three acts.
Each level has things like springs to bounce on and vertical loops to spin through. You also collect rings, which act as your health. If you get hit by an enemy, you lose your rings. There are also shield power-ups to protect you.
Some zones have unique features. For example, one jungle zone has vines you can grind on. Another futuristic zone turns you into a voxel creature. Some levels are only for certain characters. Every act ends with a boss you must defeat.
Between levels, you explore a 2D map. Here, you can pick which zone to play next. You can also change or customize your character. The main story takes about four hours to finish with one character. If you play with every character, it takes about 15 hours. Unlike older 2D Sonic games, Superstars does not have lives. This means you will never get a game over. If you finish the main game, you unlock a harder challenge. In this mode, only Trip is playable.
Special Stages and Power-Ups
Superstars has two kinds of special stages.
- The first kind is found by jumping into giant rings hidden in each act. In these stages, you swing from bubbles in a 3D area. Your goal is to get one of the seven Chaos Emeralds. Each emerald gives you a new power-up. For example, you might be able to swim up waterfalls or make copies of your character. The seventh emerald gives you a special power just for your character. If you collect all seven emeralds, your character can turn into their super form. This makes them super fast and invincible, but it uses up your rings. You can switch between your powers at any time using a special wheel. To unlock the final boss, you must complete both the main story and Trip's story with all the Chaos Emeralds.
- The second special stage is found by passing checkpoints. Here, you go through a spinning maze, like in the first Sonic the Hedgehog game from 1991. You collect medals in these mazes.
Playing with Friends
The main story supports local multiplayer for up to four players. Friends can join or leave the game at any time. This is a first for the Sonic series!
Superstars also has a player versus player mode. You can play this locally or online with friends. It even supports cross-platform play, so you can play with friends on different game systems. In this mode, you create robots to compete in different challenges. These include races, battles, collecting items, and being the last one left. The medals you collect in the main game can be used to buy parts to customize your robots.
How Sonic Superstars Was Made
The Idea Behind the Game
The idea for Sonic Superstars came after the success of Sonic Mania in 2017. Sonic Mania was a 2D game that fans loved. Takashi Iizuka, the producer of the Sonic series, was surprised by how well Mania did. He saw it as proof that fans still loved the "classic" Sonic style.
Sonic Team and the creators of Mania talked about working together again. However, Iizuka didn't want to make a direct sequel to Mania. He felt that new players might think it was just a repeat. He also wanted a new 2D game to appeal to more people, not just hardcore fans.
Development for Superstars began in early 2021 and took about two and a half years. Arzest, a studio founded by Sonic co-creator Naoto Ohshima, did most of the work. Sonic Team helped them out. Shunsuke Kawaraduka directed the game. Iizuka felt Arzest was a great choice because they had experience making 2D games for Nintendo. Ohshima's return to the series felt like a family reunion.
Designing the Game
Iizuka wanted Superstars to be a true follow-up to the old Genesis games. He wanted to mix the familiar gameplay with modern high-definition graphics. The designers worked hard to make the gameplay feel just right. They first perfected the game's physics engine. Then, they designed the level design to fit perfectly.
Superstars was built from scratch using the Unity game engine. The developers even used the original games as a guide to make sure the physics were accurate. To check this, Arzest rebuilt old Sonic stages in the new engine. They then compared how the characters moved to the original games.
Iizuka said Superstars was inspired by the Genesis games: Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994). They chose 3D graphics because it allowed for new things. For example, characters could move between the front and back of the screen. This wasn't possible in the old Genesis games. The opening movie was made by Telecom Animation Film.
After getting the physics and levels right, the developers added new game mechanics. Iizuka wanted Superstars to feel "new, interesting, and innovative." They added the Chaos Emerald power-ups to encourage players to find all seven. These powers were optional so they wouldn't change the classic Sonic gameplay too much.
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Iizuka said Superstars was made for kids and parents, as well as long-time Sonic fans. Sonic Team always wanted to have four-player multiplayer in a Sonic game. Ohshima encouraged them to make it happen. They designed levels that worked for both one player and multiple players. They even played other co-op platformers, like the New Super Mario Bros. series, for ideas.
Characters and Story
Iizuka wrote the story for Superstars. Like the Genesis games, the story is told through characters talking between levels. There is no voice acting. The story of Superstars happens after Sonic Mania and before Sonic Adventure. This game has all new levels and a new setting.
The title, Sonic Superstars, shows that the game features the main "superstar" Sonic characters. These are Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were needed because they were in the old Genesis games. Amy was in Sonic CD (1993), but she was never playable in the Genesis games. So, making her playable was a treat for fans.
The developers also brought back a less common character, Fang. He was a bad guy from the old Game Gear Sonic games. Ohshima also created a brand new character named Trip. Her look is based on a sungazer lizard. Iizuka wanted Trip to add more to the story. He worked closely with Ohshima to create her character and look.
Music
Jun Senoue led the team that created the music for Superstars. Other musicians like Takahiro Kai, Tee Lopes, Hidenori Shoji, and Rintaro Soma also helped. The team wanted the music to sound like the pop style from the Genesis games.
Release
Sega first announced Sonic Superstars at Summer Game Fest on June 8, 2023. They also promoted it at Gamescom in August. The game was released on October 17, 2023. You can play it on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Players who signed up for a Sega newsletter could get a special code. This code unlocked Amy's modern outfit from Sonic Adventure. If you pre-ordered the game, you got a special cover, a display stand, and a Lego Sonic the Hedgehog-themed Eggman skin. There's also a free Lego Sonic skin available. The "Digital Deluxe" version of the game includes more Lego skins, the rabbit skin, a Metal Fighter skin for multiplayer, an artbook, the soundtrack, and menu wallpapers. Sega also released a short cartoon called Trio of Trouble on September 20 to promote the game.
Images for kids
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The official cover art for Sonic Superstars.
