Game Designer Explains: Why Sonic Mania Succeeded, where Superstars Failed

Sonic Mania and Sonic Superstars are often compared to one another because they were made as a retro throwback to Sonic's origins as a really good speed-based platformer. But why then is Sonic Mania held up in such high regard, and Sonic Superstars seen as a simply failed imitator. Find out in this video as I discuss the 2 games, and explain their subtle differences from the lens of a game design, showing why one is seen as superior to the other.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
1:30 - Music
6:37 - Level Design
12:54 - Bosses
15:46 - Conclusion
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Sonic Mania footage: • SONIC MANIA Full Gamep...

[@thatrandomredengine9430]

People who think Mania is worse because it has less original zones have no idea how quality works 😂

[@shellder_gaming]

Quality over originality.

[@hype5456]

I don't think it's a strength or weakness

[@baylordiamond8819]

Or maybe they have a different opinion lol

[@alphetti4348]

It’s literally the same as the people who say that 4 is better than mania They always go on about quantity and never quality

[@shellder_gaming]

@@alphetti4348 4 has 8 levels

[@Butwhythough881]

The best way to describe Superstars is that it feels like a lost 3DS game. Had it released on the handheld in like 2016, I don’t think it would be getting dogged on as much, even when it has a $60 price tag and is an overall below average experience. And it wasn’t like they needed Headcannon or Evening Star to develop it. Mania was the perfect blueprint to make a brilliant successor that was more than just Mania with new levels and 4-player co-op. It feels like they knew that people were gonna buy it because of Mania’s success and cranked it out to try and rival Mario Wonder.

[@Plexi.T]

Which is funny, because I hear people keep comparing it to Mario Wonder, even though that game wasn't rushed in the slightest.

[@Butwhythough881]

@@Plexi.TAt least Mario Wonder knew what it wanted to be from start to finish didn’t come off as just “New Super Mario Bros but with a new coat of paint and level shifting gimmick” The only real praise/defense I’ve seen people make for Superstars is its ambition rather than its execution of those ambitions. Which if that’s all people wanted out of Superstars, a Mania like experience with original levels, then I’m glad they’re expectations were met. However, the comparison between Mania’s execution of its concepts compared to Superstars’ is night and day and I can go back to Mania first before Superstars. Sorry this reply was long btw.

[@Plexi.T]

@Butwhythough881 It's OK, I'm completely fine with long responses. I also want to stress that I don't think Superstars is a bad video game, it's just WAY too expensive, and doesn't live up to my (and many other peoples) expectations of what a "3-D" classic Sonic game should look and feel like.

[@Butwhythough881]

@@Plexi.T I understand that. I don’t think Superstars is terrible either. It falls into the same category as Sonic 4 Episode 2. It’s fine enough for what it does do, but I wouldn’t put it any higher than being a substandard experience for me. If it had the same price tag as Mania and better execution of its ambitions, mainly the new levels and bosses, i’d consider it to be a better experience for me.

[@brandonwilliams6119]

Oh for sure Superstars feels like it was meant to be on 3DS, the screen feels so zoomed in and you barely react to enemies while you’re speeding through levels. And this is coming from someone who likes the Advance and Rush games. Wish those games could remade with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

[@jaretco6423]

It also doesn't help that Superstar came out 3 days before Super Mario Bros. Wonder. That game also has issues with bosses for different reason and yet, the game as an whole is still an heck of alot better than Superstar. Goes to show that once again Sonic is trying to outweigh Mario for doing different things to beat it's rival and he still fails.

[@Plexi.T]

Yeah, Sonic is at his best when he tries to be different and stand out from the crowd. I still consider the story book games some of Sonic's best characterization.

[@hype5456]

Yeah not really, like I think most of y'all forget that he's still a popular IP, the game sold 2 million units it took mania 1 year to reach 1 mil

[@papermarioparty08]

@@hype5456 Sonic got 2 movies between Mania and Superstars, so obviously Superstars is gonna sell more.

[@sandman8920]

I really don’t enjoy wonder.

[@CameronRoberts-jh9mr]

@@sandman8920 Wonder top 3 2D mario game

[@carolineneh2791]

The Shocking Thing is that Mania sold around one million copies while superstars sold around 4.3 million copies

[@Plexi.T]

That's f*king insane. I'm sad that that's the case lol.

[@Ganonmustdie2]

@@Plexi.T I guess that's the power of advertising. I imagine Mania was mostly advertised through the Sonic Twitter account which is somewhat niche, whereas Superstars was advertised more broadly because Mania was successful so I doubt numbers tell the whole story. I wouldn't lose hope though, Paper Mario Sticker Star was a huge downgrade from previous paper mario games, and still sold a ton because fans didn't realize it was a downgrade until after they bought it. But the sequel, Paper Mario Color Splash, sold abysmally because even on the Wii U which was mostly owned by diehard Nintendo fans, they weren't going to fall for the same thing twice. I think way too many people bought Superstars because everyone hyped up Mania, and then some people got frustrated they wasted $60 and are trying to cope hard lol

[@Plexi.T]

@@Ganonmustdie2 you're right. Sonic Mania should have collabed with IHOP if it wanted more sales 💀

[@Ganonmustdie2]

@@Plexi.T Sonic Superstars collabed with IHOP?!

[@Plexi.T]

😶. Look up Bickurbox12, he made a video about it.

[@gonzalot.605]

I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Sonic Mania, but I can already see which one will age better. Sonic Mania is a game that can be enjoyed from beginning to end, while Sonic Superstars can hardly be enjoyed for more than two stages without interruptions.

[@Plexi.T]

Yeah, in mania, the stage gimmicks and bosses feel so natural, while super stars feels really forced and intrusive.

[@nintony2994]

The game is just very inconsistent with itself overall

[@lupinthenerd439]

​@@Plexi.Tnah, i disagree: superstars levels can flow just as much as other 2d sonic games. Pinball carnivall and frozen base are good examples

[@esmooth919]

​@@lupinthenerd439 i disagree. Those interruptions OP is talking about are those god-damned boss fights! I hate them so much!

[@jaydenc367]

@@esmooth919 I thought they meant the levels themselves.

[@choboy46]

the catapillar boss aside, i'd argue that in Mania, even all of the bosses that make you wait to hit the boss easily makes up for it by still making playing the game entertaining during that window of time.

[@shellder_gaming]

Hydrocity act 1 was fun

[@shellder_gaming]

So was chemical act 2

[@Amir66754]

Studiopolis act 1 is a prime example of this fr

[@tdenzel101]

@@shellder_gaming Hydrocity act 1 and 2 stage song is 🔥🔥🔥

[@Redpoppy80]

You also have more control over the pace of boss combat. If you are passive then your fights take longer. Most of SuperStars bosses are effective auto scrollers.

[@ShadwSonic]

The thing about Fang's theme is that, while it doesn't sound "bad" to me, what it _does_ sound like is... confused. Were I to hear it without that context, I would not be able to tell what it's supposed to be for, and the _last_ thing I'd guess is "bounty hunter boss music". Considering my view of what makes music significant in the first place? That's an even _worse_ failure than sounding bad.

[@goatsoup]

what confuses me as a game composer is the length of some of the tracks. the game scenario has bosses that are actually quite long while the game music for those boss encounters is designed to sound very simple, short and repetitive.. like, i say this with no exaggeration, you can get into a 10 minute fight with fang and his song is a 30 second loop. i just think that's not.. good. his theme from triple trouble (the *8-BIT* game he originated from) is longer than his theme in superstars. like what the heck?

[@ZacharyDietze]

Now try to compare it to his themes in Triple Trouble 16-Bit and SRB2. …Yeah, *not even close.*

[@SumThingFawful]

Sonic Superstar brings that sonic 4 vibe to the function nobody asked for.

[@Vengefult9]

Tbf ep 2 was way better than ep 1 but it was basically a sequal to ep 1 so people hate it lol

[@mechajay3358]

Personally, Maina has more replay value than Superstars, people like to harp on Mania for not having more original zones (which was because Sega wanted them, not the devs) but those zones are much much better quality-wise than Superstars. That's not to say Superstars itself is a terrible game.

[@shawnjohnson5890]

I don’t like Superstars because of it’s bosses they take WAY to long to beat and the final bosses of each story are unreasonably difficult having 2-3 phases all taking at least 7 hits to beat before the next phase and it takes so long to hit between attacks they also have instant kill attacks they drag on too long.

[@Plexi.T]

Yeah, I can tell that the game devs were thinking longer makes harder, when designing the bosses for this game.

[@NoahNCopeland]

This video is called "Game Designer Explains" so I was expecting you to talk more about game design. Most of it is about aesthetic and concepts. The music commentary is also lacking knowledge about the subject (i.e. what soundchips are) For me, the title really lead me to except something else. If it had been "my thoughts on superstars" I think I would have more prepared for this kind of video. Your video is perfectly fine! Just know that a title like that can lead to a certain expectation different from the actual content. Have good day and keep at it! 🙂

[@orlandonababan2526]

yo its noah copeland

[@brownberryking]

sonic superstar has that sonic 4 kinda vibe

[@jaydenc367]

Nah it is not THAT bad

[@brownberryking]

@@jaydenc367 idk it just reminds me of it

[@jaydenc367]

@@brownberryking Ok then

[@RM2011ish]

The best thing I can say about Superstars is that it's an improved version of Sonic 4. Which ain't sayin much.

[@eternalrewind2190]

Definitely not that bad . At least super stars has classic physics

[@hitbyatank]

I said ina different comment section that Sonic Superstars feels like an upscaled/remaster Wii game and they jumped me. I still stand by my word 💯

[@waff69]

sonic superstars failed for stupid reasons honestly its not even because people are tired of classic sonic gameplay

[@Plexi.T]

Yeah, I agree. It's not terrible, but it's definitely not worth the $60, lol.

[@waff69]

@@Plexi.T def not worth 60 i got it for 49 with dlc

[@SamuelBnuuy]

​@@waff69I got the premium edition half its price

[@Chillipeffer]

it's not classic burnout, it's bad game burnout

[@waff69]

@@Chillipeffer for me its a classic burnout the game is fine but i have a hard time finding it interesting

[@eyadhani21]

Sonic mania was the first sonic game i played since sonic mega collection so i was excited when i saw another classic game coming but now im just back to mania

[@Mingodough]

The genesis sound isn’t even bad, it’s just that whoever is in charge of using it, doesn’t know how to use it

[@flibbityjibbity]

It's all Jun senoue

[@TheCatWatches]

Christian Whitehead seemed to want to make more original stages for Mania, but Sega mandated his team bring back classic stages, and that he include the Phantom Ruby to tie into Sonic Forces. So he did his best to put a new spindash on each of those stages and wrote a better story than Forces involving the Phantom Ruby and the origin of the Hard-Boiled Heavies. Side note: The Hard-Boiled Heavies are some of the most well-thought out and cool designed baddies since Mephiles, Chaos, Metal Sonic and even Shadow. Infinite, The Generic Deadly Six, and The Amorphous Purple Asteroid from Frontiers got nothing on The Heavy King. Whitehead did an interesting interview on the Heavies and how their names and personas were manifested by the Phantom Ruby. The animal in Heavy King’s Egg Robo saw itself as a king, hence the name, personality and appearance. Brilliant!

[@EWOODJ]

It ain’t that deep.

[@mcihay246]

@@EWOODJ ... but it's not shallow? At least you acknowledge that. Implying that it's not "that deep" implies that it's deep but not in a way where it's not too deep.

[@anotheryoutubeaccount5259]

*lol* lame

[@mcihay246]

Wow. A bot, with a bot name above. Something worthless to seriously acknowledge.

[@TheCatWatches]

@@mcihay246 you call it like you see it, and I appreciate that. Way too many bot accounts these days

[@widerekxxanimations6842]

Superstars definetly lacks a proper direction, or rather what it wants to be exactly, wich definetly hurt the game in the long run

[@Ninjaisaac34]

The game looked great in the trailers but I was really disappointed when I played it

[@Plexi.T]

Exactly my point lmao. At least make it look as good as Sonic Generations, why is that game still one of the best Sonic game unironically 😅

[@harryenchiladas8826]

I still don't understand why people have problems with press factory, I mean, the background and the platforms have a counter to indicate when the floor will make you jump, you just have to catch the rhythm. I don't mind the instant death in act two because they give you a generous amount of time to push a button

[@GenesisBrick]

Top 10 reason why mania is so much better than superstar: numero 1: better boss theme. Thank for watching. (edit: mania's soundtrack is enough to beat superstars so ye)

[@Plexi.T]

👌

[@tatsukimasu]

Why "numero" in spanish lol

[@GenesisBrick]

@@tatsukimasu sorry if I get spanish wrong ha ha 😂

[@Vengefult9]

Drop dash

[@GenesisBrick]

@@Vengefult9 I mean if you only tell ONE single good point from mania those superstars fans will oof in the speed of light ha ha. (i hate how sh*t superstar's bosses is compare to mania).

[@carolineneh2791]

I haven't Mania played that much but I agree it's I played Superstars and notice it's glaring issues 1. It's Bosses: Mania handled them really them really well quick , easy and simple to understand while superstars it's bosses take really long , have too many patterns , long invinciblity frames especially the ones later on in the game to point where they take long than actual stage itself Classic sonic bosses are supposed to be simple , quick , and easy to understand not have long repetitive patterns Superstars bosses don't fit for a Classic Sonic game The Music: Mania had an amazing soundtrack some of them are Sonic CD JP Quality especially in the Act 2s such Metallic Madness Act 2 Studiopolis Act 1&2 , Green Hill , Press Garden I could go on and on but you get the idea while Superstars has an inconsistent soundtrack Some of them are really good such as Lagoon City Act 1 , 2 and Act Amy Lagoon City Act 2 is literally a Modern day Sonic CD Stage Some of sound like Baby Toys or Sonic 4 music such as Fang Boss Fight in Sonic and Some speak for themselves such as Press Factory Act 1 overall the Soundtrack is a mixed bag Gameplay: Mania took everything that made The Classic Sonic games so special and reinvent them in a Modern way it's gimmicks felt natural and part of level itself it's physics are one to one with the other classics but in a smooth 60fps It's special and bonus stages are really fun every character feels fun to play as while superstars some parts of what made the classics special but also took some unfun elements as well it's gimmicks don't feel natural and part of the level itself but feels forced it's special and bonus stages are alright it's special stages are boring in my opinion not as fun as mania' s but still good smooth physics but not as smooth as mania every character feels fun to play but sonic's drop dashing feels nerfed and knuckles gliding and exploration felt fun in mania since you have to explore for the giant rings and elemental shields while in superstars exploration feels pointless you don't get any elemental shields rather than a basic shield and a magnet shield and it's giant rings you collect one per level in mania you can collect five emeralds in one level while in superstars you collect one per level Overall Presention: I and many people prefer mania over superstars but that doesn't mean it's bad but superstars is not worth the full price Mania is worth 60$ if you ask me Mania is smooth from being to end while superstars had some rocks on it's way Side Note 1 : My only grip with Mania is that it reuses old zones from previous Sonic games Side Note 2 : That comment took very long to type

[@carolineneh2791]

What do you think of my opinion any points of mine that were over exaggerated or all were facts

[@gltchyyboy7787]

⁠@@carolineneh2791I’m pretty sure I agree with basically everything you said. The weirdest part of superstar’s music is that tee lopes made most of the good tracks, and Jun Senoue made all the “bad” tracks (“bad” since some people enjoy some of those songs). I’m just kinda confused on why they didn’t just have Tee Lopes do all the music since they do such a good job. Also, some of the emerald powers are fun to use and work well, but a vast majority of them I just kinda ignored. The stage design kinda felt like it was from sonic cd if that makes any sense, and while that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I was hoping for something better (also I hate golden capital act 2 with a passion). Multiplayer mode is also kinda broken and jank, but I honestly kinda expected that.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

Sonic Mania started as a passion project primarily produced by known members of the Sonic ROM hacking community. Superstars is a corporate product.

[@Artistjames2330]

i played sonic superstars but i quit because of the bosses i would rather play origins or mania cause at least the bosses are better

[@Plexi.T]

Yeah, those things go on for like 30 minutes a pop lmao 🤣

[@gltchyyboy7787]

I’m guessing the reason the bosses in Superstars have such a long stall time is because of the multiplayer aspect, but I wish they just gave bosses more health instead of longer stalling

[@user-jk4tt7nv3w]

i would rather play a sonic game that have zones from older games that are fun from start to finish without any bad one and a soundtrack that is pure gold than a game with original zones but barely one of them is above average and the quality rise and drop from time to time and a soundtrack that i can count how many good tracks there are on one hand.

[@Butwhythough881]

Mania’s levels - Reuses old levels but still maintains their fun factor and keeps/tweak/expands the original level designs. All while including 4 incredible original zones that are creative and unique. Superstars levels - Carnival, Factory, Desert, Robot fortress, Jungle, Water Palace. No uniqueness or stylistic flare. All corporate friendly, with one or two exceptions. In short, sometimes less is more.

[@jaydenc367]

@@Butwhythough881 I disagree, the water palace robot fortress, desert, etc have stylistic flare and uniqueness. I don`t see how it`s "corporate friendly".

[@Spit1990]

I think the greatest irony of Superstars' music is that the Genesis titles don't even have what Johnny VS describes as the console's signature "twang", but it goes out lf it's way to be as twangy as possible.

[@GarryLarryBarry]

And i don't think they did a particular good job at emulating that either, the Genesis chip had a grit to it, while Superstars sounds like they just loaded up 'fm synth 3' preset.

[@Spit1990]

@@GarryLarryBarry lmao! Not FM synth 3 preset! Producers in the house!

[@Genesisrabbit]

There was only one real reason to play Sonic Superstars and that's Amy Rose. the one thing that Mania abandoned.

[@BetterThanDoomWithAZ]

A local theater should do a production of "Waiting for Godot", except this version would be "Waiting for the Opportunity to Attack the Sonic Superstars Boss".

[@haiderraad468]

I don't have a problem with most of these issues , i just wish if it was cheaper

[@Plexi.T]

fair.

[@DryBonesandSilver]

Just happened to come across this video and i have to say, not only do I agree with most of your points but kudos to you for really illustrating your points well. I think one additional point that I would mention that Superstars really lacked was speed. The player has maybe 2 or 3 short opportunities across all of the levels to reach top speed for at least 5 seconds. While we definitely understand its a platforming game, I feel like Superstars really muddled that sense of speed that Mania and Generations got right.

[@ZadiesLIVE]

PlexiTier, I love your channel so much, I just had to subscribe!

[@CleroPata]

The sonic fandom is stupid :)

[@Plexi.T]

🤨

[@mariosaucedo6234]

As a sonic fan, I can agree

[@HimhanTheAnswer]

Awesome video and a great analysis on both games!

[@user-id3fc8qs7y]

2:48 That sounds like some beta version of Fang's theme, because it sounds so bland and repetitive as if there's no polish applied to not waste much time on idea and melody which could be boring later on...

[@abaddon1503]

Nah that’s an insult to betas cause even those sound 10x more interesting than that

[@yes.2780]

It sounds like a soundtrack from sonic 4.

[@Astro-9707]

​@@yes.2780 hey the sonic 4 metal sonic fight theme was pretty good

[@yes.2780]

@@Astro-9707 yup

[@BlueEyedVibeChecker]

Neither are overly bad, Mania does rely on nostalgia for all but three zones, but it's how it presents itself that makes it great. Like how Generations relied on nostalgia for all but the final boss, but changed things up to make them more fun, or Planet Wisp. Superstars is more original for the most part, but it doesn't particularly do anything that sets it apart from the rest of the series, or even other series. Superstars is still good where it counts, but the drawbacks are big enough to dampen the overall fun which brings it down a fair bit.

[@GottaGoFast91]

Yes! Someone is finally bringing this up!!! Thank you!!!

[@mau2172]

Your deconstruction of the "level design" felt a bit too shallow for a video whose title starts with "Game Designer Explains:". I feel like there is much, much more than just stage gimmicks when it comes to sonic level design. The fact that you didn't even mention the structuring and principles that have consistently appeared in 2D sonic level design way past the genesis games, and how they differ between mania and superstars gives the impression that you don't really have the best understanding of what makes a "sonic" level tick; the flow between speed and platforming, multi-tiered intertwining level design, passivity traps, interesting use of terrain curvature, rewarding use of physics based movement, these are things that are all present in both of these games, yet differ in very subtle ways that do end up setting them apart from each other. These are all very nuanced elements that feed into the fundamental idea of rewarding active and skillful play with speed and ultimately define what a 2D sonic game is. I suggest you go look these things up because i think there is a very interesting discussion to be had with how mania and superstars' levels *truly* differ from one another. Basically what I'm telling you is that you should watch all of Pariah695's early "Sonic was Always Good" videos because I've been pretty much parroting a bunch of things he's taught me about sonic LOL please watch his videos they are incredibly comprehensive

[@Plexi.T]

Yeah, I know I could have been a lot more detailed and specific with my analysis. I didn't want the video to be longer than what it already is, so I decided to sort of simplify the details. I plan on making a much more deep, and detailed level design video that I want to be at least 1 hour long, and that'll be on the Final Level of every Sonic game. Hopefully I'm able to do better with my analysis in that video.

[@Beastmd]

People have played in those same classic zones, with the same gimmicks, and heard the same songs for 20 years now (though mania has some fire remixes). Having new zones, new songs, no lives, 3D visuals, not annoying special stages/ ring locations, having gold enemies to find, and being able to swap characters between acts goes a long way for some people (I’m people). I also can’t understand why people hate press factory so much. Just jump, I thought it was really fun playing around it. and momentum jumps with the bounces are fun. Only stages I really would say are wack is the final stage, though I don’t like pretty much any final stage in classic games, and golden capital act 2. Lava reef, oil ocean, metallic madness, Titan monarch , and press garden act 1 can all kick rocks. Almost all bosses from both games can kick rocks. metal sonic, mean bean, hydrocity, and the green guy can stay from mania. the water bosses, the piggy bank, and press factory 2 can stay from superstars. Everyone else is just straight annoying.

[@lpfan4491]

"New means good". The reason why people have played those same things for 20 to 30 years IS because they want to play it again and a Mania is plenty of a remix.

[@funnature8679]

the level design in both Mania and Generations suit sonic well.

[@animemanXLK]

completely agree on the superstars bosses. I wanna be to blaze in there as Super Sonic damage rush the boss to death in like 5 seconds then move on. And then on later on they give us fake victories on bosses that already took me several attempts to beat. I just completely lost interest about halfway Trip's run because I kept dying and just wasn't having fun anymore

[@kao7143]

i liked the game but i know ill just be harassed and told im wrong, which is a shame that its come to that in this day and age i liked most of the main story, bosses aside, its just trips story i hated but i find myself enjoying all of the regular versions of the main stages obviously i dont prefer it over mania, but i still had fun again though, ill be called stupid or something

[@Plexi.T]

It's completely ok to like the game lol. Like I said, it's not bad, just I think Mania is better.

[@sonicgamer178]

This video was great and explained things pretty well! I recently began studing game design and development at uni and decided to go back and replay some Sonic games to see what are the good and bad parts of each game. I kept on getting shocked at the inconsistent quality with Superstars when compared to Mania and even Generations. Even casually I really didn't like Superstars and only finished it cause I needed to as a Sonic fan (the last Sonic story boss took me over 2 hours cause I died and it took forever getting back to the end due to the wait time) and got so burnt out I only did the first act as Trip before uninstalling the game forever lol (although I enjoyed the level tbh, reminded me of playing as knuckles with his harder stages in Sonic & Knuckles). The graphics and terrain really distracted me in Superstars and I never got immersed in the levels because of it. This is an issue in all the mainline games since Forces, where the level designers don't manage to make the levels look as alive as say in Unleashed (HD version) - Generations (HD). They always have very blocky terrain and not much variety in the platforming layouts so it just looks a little unrealistic or "video gamey" for my liking. Also I think most of the "Genesis/Mega Drive" sounding levels in Superstars were placeholder tracks cause there are several unused songs in Superstars which are early versions of most of the good, non-Genesis sounding levels that have no Genesis synths. I assume most of the others are placeholders because they used placeholder Sonic 4 music during a playable demo and footage for Speed Jungle boss, just a few months before release (really had no idea why they even rushed the soundtrack of all things lol)

[@Plexi.T]

Thank you so much for this insightful comment. I'm glad that I was able to get so many people interested in the discussion of game design in Sonic, as I'm also a GD major at my university. It seems this video struct quite a chord with many people, and I'm quite happy that people were willing to hear my perspective 😁.

[@archae108]

Sonic Superstars should have been a successor to Rush Adventure/Colors DS/Generations 3DS

[@nathansos8480]

Especially rush adventure.

[@JadenFox9]

their a mod someone working on that showed what it would look like if Rush Sonic was in Superstars and I gotta say, it looks far more better than this, like it was made to be one but then they decided to drop Classic into it

[@archae108]

@@JadenFox9 Oh thank god

[@MrInitialMan]

Personally, I found the throwback zones quite a charming piece of nostalgia, and I didn't mind them at all. I was even impressed that in the Sonic Mania Plus, they brought back the pinball machines from Sonic Spinball (which I have on Cartridge, and have beat). And I have taken my sweet, sweet time on those things.

[@TheHobgoblyn]

Fang the Sniper's theme only has an issue that it is trying to mimic ancient ass Gamegear instrumentals. The melody itself is fine.

[@RYH141]

This fandom is great keep doing this is why your best fandom

[@Claudia-km9lo]

sonic fans try to like sonic games challenge: impossible

[@cnett486]

Superstars was decent enough, but better than Mania? Nah. All I'd love to have is a couple more characters without needing mods. Give me playable Amy and Metal Sonic. Great, now I feel compelled to play Mania.

[@spsaofficalchannel]

It's still sad that fans made a better game than the studio headed by THE MAN THAT CREATED SONIC IN THE FIRST PLACE!

[@cosmicalize]

hey, whats the music that plays in the outro? 19:14

[@Plexi.T]

the special stage theme for Sonic Superstars

[@cosmicalize]

@@Plexi.T ty

[@alexandrpeterberg390]

As for Mania zones, we have 1 from Sonic 1, 2 from Sonic 2 and CD, 3 from Sonic 3&K, (Angel Island doesn't count), and 4 originals. I heard the reason why there are only 4 original zones in Mania is because of SEGA's mandates. So that is another knock against SEGA. Another knock against Superstars is there is no score. Sure you get some points from smashing the badnicks and from finishing the acts but there is no score in display which makes speedruning and ring hoarding pointless because there is no score. And sure there is no live system either but you could get the coins from every 50K points but it's not here. I heard that originally Christian Whitehead team was developing their own Sonic project but it was canceled and replaced by the Arzest dev team. A team that hasn't exactly proven to be amazing and with Superstars they have proven that they are not an amazing dev team. This could be a knock towards SEGA but I imagine that Takashi Iizuka had a hand in this. I mean he was part of Sonic Superstars development. Lastly, Team Evening Star (the Christian Whitehead team) did make Penny's Big Breakaway. Just letting you know.

[@entertainmentwizard2703]

Great Video!

[@801Hellfire]

What kind of games do you make?

[@TORXINYUEXAVIERSTUDENT]

Maybe if ppl weren’t expecting this game to be as good as mania when THEY ARENT EVEN IN THE SAME DIMENSION, AND THEY WERENT MADE BY THE SAME DEVS

[@felixvids7238]

i've never heard anyone so confidently be wrong about music lingo? hd soundchip? real sounding instruments? what?

[@nuttaloops]

also disagree on lagoon city act 2 being the best song

[@nuttaloops]

rintaros songs were the best

[@TailsSupremeYT]

I got a glitch in Sonic Mania chemical Plant were if you hit a Robotnik Box and then go in a pipe you'd be blasted into the air.

[@DuckAlertBeats]

I think we have to settle on either 'htting it out the park' or 'blowing it out the water', though I admire your mixing of the two:)

[@ArgentuTA164-2]

I spent a LOT of time on that Metal Fighter battle in _Superstars_ so I learned plenty of tricks. You can hit the Metal Fighter when it's charging at you.

[@Marcusmarcb0tI]

Fang has his Triple Trouble theme integrated into the new track.

[@codysvlogdays]

I just got superstars the other day and have been personally loving it. I never could get into sonic mania for some reason

[@shinbeet.5708]

Lovely video! Please what song did you use during the ending segment XD

[@Plexi.T]

The special stage theme for Sonic Superstars

[@shinbeet.5708]

@@Plexi.T thank you!

[@Plexi.T]

@@shinbeet.5708 np! 👍

[@Catohat52]

5:05 AHHHHH MY EARS OWWWW anyways good video you earned my sub

[@spritesensation]

I enjoy both Sonic Mania and Superstars, but I think Mania is still better.

[@shcgrunt]

Fantastic video, but is it me or at 14:32 Eggman's Mech look yellowish here in this video, when all other videos of it it's pure red?

[@xaviermakesart]

Sonic Mania just doesnt have the staying power of the other games because all it does past the initial playthrough is remind me of the originals I could be playing instead. Aside from that Superstars level design is fantastic. Its a wonderful game to Time Attack. Its also more feature rich than Mania and moves 2D Sonic forward. Not just clinging to the past, when we JUST had Sonic Generations. I love both games but I barely go back to Mania. Would rather play og Sonic 1 2 CD and 3

[@SonicEXEProductions]

4:09 Love how they put a wanted poster for fang in the background, maybe that’s where superstars got it’s revive fang thing cuz I’m sure they forgot about triple trouble

[@paulblankenship8344]

I'm only 20 seconds in but I want to say that although Superstars isn't as good as Mania, given that Mania is one of the best games I've ever played, I greatly enjoy it in its own right and don't think it's as bad as people say it is.

[@bandsivefilmedlive]

Great comparison

[@michaelwave9831]

You DO know that the classic forces tracks use a real SEGA Genesis right?????

[@inceptional]

Mania is a superior game in almost every meaningful way. The fact some people don't understand why is simply testament to why not everyone can do a job like this: Be a game designer, game artist, game musician, level designer, etc.

[@sebastiancendoya7854]

I am in the wrong for enjoying both? Like... by equal? 😞

[@ahmedhasan4966]

No, you are allowed to enjoy both.

[@GoofyRaider8000]

The only thing you said wrong here was that it was trying to be like Super Mario Bros, are we forgetting Superstars came out first you can’t copy the looks of a game when it came out first

[@ahmedhasan4966]

He's talking about New Super mario bros games not mario Wonder.

[@Blankult]

Leave it up to the sonic fandom to hate on a previously beloved game out of nowhere for no reason

[@shadowopsairman1583]

These 3D side scroll Son8c Games feel like a fast version of little big planet. 3D belongs in a 360° realm.

[@Londonlink]

I honestly think had they made the multiplayer split screen and different path ways like when you see characters in the background that would have been at least some saving grace also no online co-op of the main story was weird to me even if they added co-op only stages with drop in and out game play that didn't stop the flow.

[@SHADOWTH3H3DG3H0G3]

2:50 TRIPLE TROUBLE CALLBACK!!!

[@jaydenc367]

Hey wait going by the end of this video....do you in fact have any connections to the game known as Spark the electric jester by any chance? 👀

[@thatrandomredengine9430]

Sonic and the Fallen Star is both original and fun to play. PLEASE PLAY FALLEN STAR, it’s great! ❤

[@jacobwilson7109]

Before I start this video, all I'm gonna say is, I saw a ton of promotion for Mania before its release. I didn't even see a KZbin ad for Superstars until 2 weeks after. :/

[@angrygecko1388]

I actually liked superstars more then mainia but that's probably just me

[@LowQualitySpamtonDeltarune]

Not related, but can you change the brightness in Superstars or smth like that

[@Espurr.8]

I like both super star and mania equal there both definitely in my top 3 sonic 2D games

[@matthewharms2050]

Some of the Mania levels were too hard. Superstars has a more accessible difficulty level and helps you find the “flow” a little better.

[@TheJadeFist]

Mania had a few levels that kinda drag at least on the first few times you play through them, but that's about it. Super Stars found a way to annoy me in every level lol.

[@kalemerahenryharrithkimera8241]

Lights camera action!

[@retrogamer9362]

Finally someone understands why sonic mania is better than superstars and take no second thought why its better

[@brodyguy1]

Any pixelated classic 2d sonic game is better than the 3D ones

[@mindseyemusicreview]

I bought the ps5 disc from gamestop the day it came out (as a 35 year old man which i never do) and was pretty disappointed. Mario wonder has so much more charm, originally and knows what makes mario fun. Id rather replay mania for the 1000th time

[@TheJadeFist]

Also Titanic Monarch is from 3D Blast, kind of.

[@hinhinwong]

Superstars is good it did not failed

If Sonjc Superstars was a 3DS Followup to Sonjc Generations (rather than the god awful Sonic Boom games) I think it would’ve been much better recieved

[@jayfox4291]

I don’t have Super Stars. But it reminds me alot of Sonic 4. Acceptable, but not really memorable or great. Sonic 4 act 2 wasn’t bad, the dedicated co-op was great. Best co-op in the series.

[@oltenutu]

how the heck did you forget to include metallic madness act 1 and act 2 in there?!

[@chamchamtrigger]

I think Studiopolis Act 2 blows Act 1 out of the water, but both are quality tracks. I also preferred Press Garden Act 1 to Act 2. I think it goes to show how varied the tracks were, and how much each one aimed at particular tastes in music.

[@A-Very-Normal-Channel]

Im kinda disappointed that most people didn't like the classic sonic music from Sonic forces. The one you talked about, in my opinion, is actually a good piece of the ost. But i guess that just depends on your taste in music.

[@mommymilkers4682]

😐 It’s not like Mania had a choice like Superstars. After all Mania was marked as “returning to the past” since it was ment to be an anniversary game.

[@Merino33]

You know superstars is actually very fun most of the time in a world where this is the only sonic game it is one of the most fun games of the year. But there are just some mistake’s particularly the bosses that greatly hurt the quality

[@pokeohtcg]

Love em both

[@linkspokemon4114]

I liked superstars(except the boss fights) but I loved Mania!

[@mio3199]

now do sonic 3 & knuckles vs mania. Not lot people discussing that enough since both design in gameplay and levels are much more different than it looks.