Sonic Superstars Review Round-Up

Sonic Superstars is available today on all major platforms, and many influencers and gaming publications have already shared their opinions on the game before the official release date, as it broke its street date. We will keep this post up-to-date with all the scores, from highest to lowest, along with a brief summary and a link to the original reviews as they come out. If you want to read/watch a specific publication’s review, let us know in the comments if we missed it, or stay tuned for an update! Stay tuned for our own review in the upcoming days!

Cinelinx 5/5: Whether you’ve played Sonic the Hedgehog since the beginning or you’re new to the series, Sonic Superstars is a must-have this fall. It’s a breath of fresh air for the series and hopefully a sign of many good things to come.
Gaming Age A-:There are many hours of play in Sonic Superstars and whether you play mostly single-player like me, or co-op, there is fun for every Sonic fan and I feel the fans will be happy with this one. Even with Super Mario Bros. Wonder around the corner it’s going to be a great gaming holiday season for platformer fans. Sonic Superstars comes highly recommended.
IGN Spain 9/10.0: Sonic Superstars returns to 2D in a brand new adventure set in an all-new world with mind-blowing effects and 4-player local and online multiplayer.
Gaming Trend 90/100: Sonic Superstars represents some of the best 2D platforming has to offer. It has constant surprises while still offering a ton of room for mastery. The game is a delight from start to finish and beyond.
The Games Machine 9/10.0: Those who expected major innovations in Sonic Superstars should not have expected major innovations in Sonic Superstars. Sonic always remains Sonic, precisely because he is Sonic. New heights have been reached in this particular type of level design, which alternates sections in which the hedgehog splashes like a pinball ball, apparently without any possibility of control on our part, to almost pixel-perfect movements in which excellent timing is also required. Bosses, as always, require careful analysis of movement patterns. Everything else is a pleasant side dish, but at the base there is always the old but superlative gameplay of Sonic.
Hobby Consolas 89/100: Very good play of a Sonic Team that has managed to offer the sensations that veteran fans wanted, but with incentives and modern features. It shines almost as brightly as a Chaos Emerald.
Digital Chums 8.8 / 10.0: Sonic Superstars has shaped up to be a Sonic game that is reminiscent of the Genesis days yet futureproofed for newer players to enjoy. It’s in no way a perfect Sonic game, but it’s a fantastic reinvigoration of some of the best facets of the Sonic series thus far.
LevelUp 8.5/10.0: SONIC SUPERSTARS surpassed my expectations as I thought it would simply be a fun co-op iteration of the classics. However, its adorable game world, variety of gameplay, assortment of clever challenges, and hidden goodies to find really makes it go above and beyond.
GamesRadar+ 4/5: Sonic Superstars is like a modern version of the Genesis classics, with all the good and bad that entails. The four-player, same-screen co-op functionality works surprisingly well, and the new Emerald powers keep things fresh. While it isn’t as good as Sonic Mania, Superstars is a fresh twist on classic Sonic action.
The Sonic Stadium 4/5: While it doesn’t quite hit the highs of Sonic Mania, Sonic Superstars is a worthy successor in almost every way. It plays faithfully to the classic games, the new stages are wonderfully designed, the challenge is well-balanced outside of some of the bosses, and the presentation is simply perfect – this is the best that Sonic has looked in decades. It could stand to be around $10-15 cheaper, but there is a surprising amount of content here beyond the replay value of the main stages, and is well worth your time to explore.
ShackNews 8/10: If Sonic Superstars is the future of the franchise, then it’s bright enough that the blue hedgehog will have to wear shades.
Everyeye.it 8/10.0: Sonic Superstars is exactly what longtime fans have been wanting from a modern iteration of the series.
TechRaptor 8/10.0: Sonic Superstars elevates 2D Sonic beyond nostalgia after a definitive greatest hits entry. With loads to unlock, satisfying levels of challenge, and a great selection of new Zones, Sonic Superstars has everything you could want from a new 2D Sonic.
CGMagazine 8/10.0: Sonic Superstars successfully brings classic Sonic into the 3D era while stumbling slightly in its inclusion of a tacked-on multiplayer experience.
PSX Brasil 80/100: Sonic Superstars is a good hedgehog game that manages to capture the essence of the Mega Drive originals. Fun can be found in both single and multiplayer. However, the price of the package is slightly above the amount of content that is offered.
Worth Playing 8/10.0: Sonic Superstars is a fun and thoroughly by-the-numbers Sonic title, which is all it is really trying to be. It is the definition of an average Sonic game, it’s competent, and it’s often enjoyable. I had a good amount of fun with it, and it’s a perfectly solid platformer. It doesn’t reach the highs of Sonic Mania, which was always going to be a tough act to follow. If you like the 2D Sonic offerings, you’ll have a good time with Sonic Superstars, even if it isn’t likely to become a new favorite.
Spaziogames 7.9/10.0: Sonic Superstars takes the blue hedgehog back to his retro 2D roots, once again: so, if you’re a super nostalgic gamer, it’s a good title, but don’t let the classic appearance fool you, ’cause the game is also fresh and modern.
PlayStation Universe 7.5/10.0: Sonic Superstars is clearly a game made with a lot of love and passion for the Sonic community as a whole. New additions to the formula help to really set this entry apart from its predecessors and blaze new ground for a hopefully promising future. Co-op play is included in a way that’s both intuitive and approachable for players who may have never encountered a Sonic game before, making Superstars a fantastic jumping on point. But in maintaining the core of classic Sonic gameplay, it also brings the common flaws of those very first games from years ago and stumbles in some key areas that will frustrate rather than engage with boss battles that slow the pace down to a crawl at times. While it may not reach the heights of previous Sonic games, this is a solid new entry for the series that fans will certainly enjoy, as well as their friends.
Press Start 7.5/10.0: While its value proposition is questionable, and its slew of modes are of varying quality, Sonic Superstars delivers a true sequel to the original games where Sonic the Hedgehog 4 failed to. The all-important physics are spot on, each Zone is a thrill to blast through, and inventive new ideas iterate on a tried and true formula.
IGN 7/10.0: Sonic Superstars has a mix of both interesting and ill-advised new ideas, making it an enjoyable Sonic game but not exactly a Super one.
Metro GameCentral 7/10: It’s no Sonic Mania, but this is still one of the better attempts to create a modern day 2D Sonic The Hedgehog, with impressive visuals but boring boss battles.
TheGamer 3.5/5: Sonic Superstars isn’t holding back the series after the positive reception to Frontiers. It’s more than enough to keep it trucking along. Sega is sensible to be cautious about shedding too much of Sonic’s retro identity, but it needs to realise that none of us have hung around this long for Knuckles’ terrible recovery speed, or the strange instances where a single hit reduces our ring count to zero. Sonic Superstars brings us so agonisingly close to the definitive 2D Sonic game, but for now, it’s a good foundation to build on.
God is a Geek 6.5/10.0: Sonic Superstars has some of that high speed Sonic platforming magic, but the tedious boss fights make it hard to fully recommend.
VG247 3/5: In its core mission, Sonic Superstars is successful. It recreates the foundation of 2D Sonic – some of the finest platformers ever made – well. Unfortunately, the new elements layered atop that are rather hit-or-miss. I personally don’t think this is anywhere near as good as Mania. But it’s good. In fact, it’s good enough that I expect fan debate about which game is superior to be fairly heated – which is a sure-fire sign that Sega is on the right track.
Push Square 6/10: We’re a bit at odds with ourselves on Sonic Superstars. Fundamentally it’s a really enjoyable side-scrolling Sonic title, but the two big ticket features – chaos emerald powers and co-op – are arguably the worst parts of it. While the emerald abilities have their uses, co-op just doesn’t mesh with this gameplay at all. We can absolutely recommend this as a solo experience, as there’s a lot to like about the fresh art style, largely great soundtrack, and multi-layered level design. Throw in a friend or two, though, and it quickly gets messy.
Daily Mirror 3/5: Sonic Superstars is a solid attempt at pushing 2D Sonic forward, but sadly its roster of new ideas has some issues. While the problems with the Emerald Powers can be avoided, it’ll take major changes to make the multiplayer worth playing. It doesn’t quite hit the highs of Sonic Mania, but it’s way ahead of Sonic The Hedgehog 4.
Digital Trends: Sonic Superstars nails the fundamentals of 2D Sonic design, but its new features don’t add much to the retro formula.
Kakuchopurei 60/100: Sonic Superstars retains the same 2D nostalgic joy thanks to its fun levels and challenges, though we advise playing the game solo if you actually want to finish it. You’ll still find a lot to love from the game’s levels, though they aren’t as strongly designed as the ones in Sonic Mania. Sonic Superstars does enough and a bit more with its charm, especially for completionists. Though I could do without Knuckles’ recovery frame when he sticks onto ledges, or Tails’ flying method being the way it is (sins of past games and adherence to tradition for ill), the overall game is a solid 2D jaunt for all ages. The co-op really needs work though and is nothing more than a party favour.
GamingBolt 5/10.0: Sonic Superstars started so well and with such potential but quickly fell off a cliff due to its irritating Zone design, forgettable soundtrack and odd aesthetic choices.

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