![]() ![]() To put it bluntly, if you're not a fan of 2D Sonic, Superstars won't be for you. Mainly because it was very easy and the perspective shift seemed a bit shonky, as it totally threw my depth perception off-kilter. I can't speak for all these levels, as they could mix it up, but the one I played saw me swinging off rings to chase an emerald in the distance. Basically, if you hop through a giant ring mid-level, the camera will flip to a 3D space and see you hunt down an emerald. One final addition to the classic formula lies in short mini-games to collect Chaos Emeralds, and I'm pretty sure this is how I unlocked the water ability too (although, honestly, I'm not 100% certain). Both seemed like neat tricks to approach levels from new angles. Another let me turn into a hog entirely composed of water, which enabled me to, Splatoon-style, slide up waterfalls to get to higher spots more easily. While I only had the chance to try out a couple, one saw me summon a bunch of ghostly Sonics who would crash through stone blocks for me, opening up new pathways. Other new tricks have been added in the form of Emerald Powers, special abilities that help you navigate levels in new ways and remain the same across every character. Time was limited, so I had to go with the blue boy, right? Anyway, what really impressed me were Sonic's animations as he whizzed about, all faithful to the finger waggle and giving the platforming some extra sauce. In the demo I only had a chance to play in said Hill Of Green as Sonic, although there were three other characters - Tails, Knuckles, and Amy - to choose from. Levels like the Green Hill Zone look impressive, with a new vibrancy to colours that really makes those palm trees and robotic wasps pop. At the same time, the game is still utilizing nostalgia in some rather interesting ways.One of Sonic Superstars' new additions to the old-school Sonic formula is a facelift faithful to the hog's legacy. By bringing the classic formula into a new art style, Sonic Superstars shows that the series doesn't have to be tied so hard to what came before. Likewise, hewing so much to the past cements the idea that Sonic only worked on the Sega Genesis, despite how much the Sonic franchise has grown in the past two decades. The result is that "unnecessary" pixilated graphics are seen as gimmicks, and throwback Sonic titles definitely shouldn't be lumped into that equation. Modern gaming has ironically been inundated with all manner of "retro" indie games that have somewhat overused pixel graphics in an attempt to ape the visuals of classic titles. While that may be true, Sonic's newest blast from the past doesn't have to be stuck in the 1990s. This could be a mistake, as the reason for Sonic Mania's success was how much it replicated the olden days. It's simply the 3D games turned sideways, as it visually looks more like them than the older titles. Eschewing the 16-bit pixels of the old school games, it's instead a 2.5D adventure with a bright, colorful and modern aesthetic. Unlike the aforementioned Sonic Mania, Sonic Superstars isn't entirely cut from the same cloth as the series' maiden voyages on the Sega Genesis. ![]()
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