Is Sonic Superstars Any Good? Well...

[@hanzumautist4945]

It’s kinda baffling how after over 30 years Sega finally decided to give each individual Chaos Emerald it’s own unique power-up. Really gives more incentive to collect them other than just getting to play as Super Sonic.

[@bluecorp8557]

I prefer it that way tho. You’re rewarded when the job is done and it’s the best reward you can get in the game.

[@shearman360]

And the levels arent designed around them at all besides the waterfalls

[@TheReZisTLust]

It's not really baffling that individual emeralds, which grant teleportation dont imbue different powers since when you collect them, you become a pseudogod

[@KeroKaminaX]

i think part of the reason is they didn't want to draw the obvious Infinity Stone paralells that they had for the emeralds to begin with

[@nettocasket]

Well if you wanna be technical they tried it in sonic 06 with the gem shoes gimmick but we don’t talk about sonic 06 lol

[@DesignDoc]

Superstars is the most "Yeah, it's good." game I've played in a bit lol. Having fun. Not the grandest follow up to Mania but it does the job and aside from the general sound design and inconsistent OST, I've been having a good time with it.

[@platnumbreaker]

​@@dreamsdeep1076"opinion invalid" 😂

[@platnumbreaker]

@@dreamsdeep1076 Buddy your forcing your opinion on other people and saying why their wrong. I'm not trying to change your opinion I'm making fun of how defensive your responses are Everytime some says something you don't like. "Opinion invalid"

[@platnumbreaker]

@@dreamsdeep1076 a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. ( Google definition of Opinion) Also air isn't wet and has no possiblity to be wet. An opinion isn't an fact Statement invalid

[@GrammerPancreas]

The thing is that 'it's alright' when competing with my wallet money alongside several legitimately great games releasing the same year isn't good enough, *especially* for the same price as them. Which is a shame because Mania could absolutely stand up to the likes of Super Mario Wonder. I'm very much looking forward to Penny's Big Breakaway, though.

[@PARR-E]

I always thought Classic Sonic looked a little weird in Generations, but Superstars is the first time I think Classic Sonic looks genuinely really good in 3D.

[@TheReZisTLust]

His colors actually look good too

[@Youarewhatyoueatsonic]

Totally agree, this is the best he’s ever looked in 3d imo

[@Supersonicspyro]

He looked good in sonic R

[@Substantial-hf1rm]

Regardless of how good or not it is, 60 dollars for what is clearly a budget 2d platformer that's only a few hours long is insane.

[@asksalottle220]

Budget? Go make a game clownass.

[@adam711s]

You summed up my thoughts on it. Hopefully it gets some good discounts on it because I can’t justify paying 60.

[@mechashadow]

Metroid Prime did this right. Heck even Generations 3DS added many hours of replayability with less levels with its cool collectibles for racing online, which Superstars tried to follow but in the wrong way, Medals were the right idea but Robot parts were the wrong goal.

[@Stew91]

Same with Mario Wonder. Companies are just greedy.

[@anonanonymous9670]

You could get 3 copies of Sonic Mania for the same price as a copy of Sonic Superstars

[@ArtUndertheArch]

I'm so on the fence with this game - it's just that price tag I'm struggle with

[@ToniCiprianiX007]

Recommend getting the new Mario game instead

[@RJH755]

Friend of mine got in yesterday (I'm in NZ) and sounds like he's already at the final level

[@sho9886]

It's a good game, but not worth the 60$ if you are concerned with your purchases. I beat the game with all emeralds, and an extra story similar to Knuckles' playthrough of Sonic 3&k, and had a lot of fun. I think it holds up pretty well against the classics/Mania. The game could use some bug fix patches, some patches to control issues, and if you're on PC the mods could fix a lot of other issues too, so just wait for a price drop! By the time you get the game for around 40$~ it might also come with improvements!

[@ThaBababoey]

​@@skibot9974nintendo games being locked behind nintendo exclusivity is a hidden crime against humanity

[@MacenW]

​@@ToniCiprianiX007got them both baby

[@mr.avocado8582]

Finally, a proper Sonic Superstars review that actually criticize the actual game itself

[@mr.smart75]

This

[@Stew91]

True, but with a title like, "Is the game good, well....", I expected much harsher.

[@Rage-td9wv]

So it's only proper if it is criticized? Are you a hater? Are you angry? This just proves this reviewer is a loser and not a Sonic fan.

[@comicking428]

​@@Stew91Can't get those viewers without click bait titles he's relied on a couple of times.

[@kirbymania5533]

@@comicking428 It's certainly clickbait but not in the bad way. First there's clickbait like this where the creator tosses a hook into the title and thumbnail to reel in viewers. Then there's clickbait where the creator puts false things in the title and thumbnail to TRICK viewers into clicking.

[@b612gonzalo]

9:08 another good thing about the special stages is that you can actually use the bombs to your advantage. You can homing attack one and just release the jump button before hitting it. It is a great way to make some straight forward movements that the blue and yellow spheres won´t allow to.

[@randompog8493]

Regarding those it can be hard to tell which one you'll grab and it feels like the speed boosters are the way to catch the goals because I've been inches away from them many times without any prompt to catch them, at least with the medal stages Also it's nothing like spiderman remastered in terms of fluidity it can feel super off

[@b612gonzalo]

@@randompog8493 i don’t think that it’s trying to be Spider-Man, I felt like it was going for a more castlevania iv-esque type of balancing. I managed to grab like three emeralds without the speed boosters, but it does feel a bit off sometimes when there is a lot on screen to grab to.

[@tjz3158]

Critics the past three years: “This is the right step for Sonic” Me: HOW MANY STEPS DOES IT TAKE TO STOP GETTING JUST BARELY GOOD GAMES!?

[@TheDayd111returns]

It's the old heads that are in charge of Sonic these days. If they get the developers that worked on Mania to do this game. There wouldn't be such a problem.

[@gengargamer5657]

They are good

[@rainpooper7088]

This game fills me with sorrow for the death of handheld consoles. Less than a decade ago, something like this could have been on the 3DS for around 30 bucks and it would have been fine. But no, every charming little spinoff game has to be 60 bucks these days and I find myself passing on more and more of them.

[@tytanwhite2576]

Sonic Mania was only 30

[@novideogames]

@@tytanwhite2576 20. 30 for plus, 25 for mania+dlc

[@thenonexistinghero]

@@tytanwhite2576 No, it wasn't. It was $20.

[@flyforce16]

@@thenonexistinghero It was $10 right?

[@kirbymania5533]

Well at least Mario Wonder is looking to be a true AAA game.

[@demetriusnp49]

You see…this game for a platformer is alright at the core, a fun time for just to romp through casually. But the fact that it’s 60 definitely soured other’s opinions, including my own.

[@Carter-k7j]

Yeah,60 is a bit too much for a game like this. Hopefully for the next game,they address this.

[@TB12method]

J got it for free, so of course he would say it’s a good game even though he said sonic mania didn’t merit a second play through

[@ChaossX77]

​@@TB12methodPlus it was sponsored by Sega and he didn't say they didn't see it beforehand or it didn't affect his review.

[@Saxton_Hoovy]

​@TB12method I mean Mania doesn't.

[@Soniman001]

You control the games you buy with your money. This isn’t Nintendo and Sonic isn’t Mario, these games WILL go on sale and lower in price fairly quickly

[@PMZaphod]

I'm really glad sega sponsored this, your channel has grown so much

[@bixmcgoo5355]

imagine what kind of bootlicking you have to do on the regular to be really glad a game publisher pays for an "unbiased" review. this guy getting paid by sega to talk about how great their game is just means he's another to unsubscribe from because his corpo-shill mouth only spews shit now

[@cloudshines812]

I like how Sonic Superstars actually feels like a proper Sonic The Hedgehog 5, with clean and pretty visuals, great animation, damn fun multiplayer, and some neat references that I’m glad aren’t just long forgotten in Sonic lore. Despite some of its shortcomings (especially its price tag), I’m quite happy both Mario and Sonic had new 2D outings that are extremely fun and well made :)

[@MegaManNeo]

Well, we still have to wait until Friday for Mario but let's be real here, they will deliver as usual.

[@ScumSookar]

"Wait till Friday", he says. Lol. Lmao even.

[@lpfan4491]

​@@ScumSookar*insert One Piece-great pirate age-meme*

[@MegaManNeo]

@@ScumSookar You think I am unaware of the leaked ROM? Or lacking a hacked Switch? I have plenty to play - including Sonic Superstars now - so to wait another two days won't hurt.

[@Chillipeffer]

5? what's the fourth game?

[@KhalDrogo493]

Because of Denuvo and mandatory Epic account this game arrived dead for me. Sega needs to understand the PC community hates Epic&Denuvo.

[@internetguy7319]

literally most online games use epic online services because unlike steam's solution which only works for PC, EOS works for crossplay you can literally just ignore it and still play the game

[@KhalDrogo493]

@@internetguy7319 Huge majority of online games doesn't require epic account so stop making irrelevant exuses. At the end of the day, the Sonic brand and SEGA took the L because of this.

[@legendplayz709]

idk whether its just me but that fang bossfight (golden capital) had no right to be as fustrating as it was.

[@renansantos6533]

Is it hard? Frontiers level of difficult? 😅

[@legendplayz709]

just annoying hard@@renansantos6533

[@the1whoplayz]

@@renansantos6533 Not necessarily. The problem is moreso with the wait time than it is actually fighting him

[@jam9852]

F that Fang Boss fight those stage hazards are so cheap.

[@willthevill5500]

Endgame superstars has a crazy difficulty spike. That's actually the worst about this game. Fang plus the final boss are a pain in the butt. Especially so if you hadn't managed to collect all chaos Emeralds by the time you reach the final boss. I went in at 4 chaos emeralds, got frustrated and went back to collect all of them in order to make it easier lol.

[@megamob5834]

I’ll definitely be waiting for a sale on this one. Looks good, but that price point is just silly. Thanks for a fair and balanced review

[@fortheloveofgodlaugh2981]

The 60$ price is totally not ok for this game. I can't even begin to count the amazing indie 2D platformers as well as previous Sonic games that are a better use of your money than this.

[@MacenW]

I should've bought Celeste

[@elfrangofrito]

I have a question: There's one big thing that I immediately noticed when seeing trailers and footage for this game, and that's the camera being too zoomed in. To me it seems like not being able to see what's ahead of you would be a common problem in Sonic Superstars. How did the camera feel to you? Also I LOVE Fantasy Zone and really want it to come back

[@winterv.4715]

Camera feels very good for me. It also zooms out depending on whether you’re playing with another person, although there were a few instances where I was going a bit too fast and I ran into an obstacle (tho tbf, that’s an issue with every classic sonic game and it wasn’t nearly as big of an issue as it was in sonic cd)

[@DanGamingFan2406]

One of the best Sonic games I've ever played. Varied, vibrant worlds, smooth controls, and the character designs are great. And I love that they brought Fang the Sniper back.

[@watershipup7101]

Agreed

[@waterbullstudios9195]

I'm glad he's back.

[@lyrixFH]

He said that he's played. Not what you played@@jaretco6423

[@YassouraGhezal]

I think it's a hot take . But I like it more than mania . It has more depth since it's 3d instead of pixels . Not saying pixelart is bad but it's easier to make and doesn't give depth like 3d . It's also a whole fleshed out game unlike mania wich was more than half of reused stages wich have act 1 a mixture between the original levels 2 act level design. Has more mechanics and things to do ( not including mania plus ) and so on . I'm not saying mania is bad . In fact it's almost a masterpiece . But I didn't enjoy it as much as only watching videos of superstars. And it attracts me so much

[@mehiloll]

@@YassouraGhezalI gotta agree with ya, I love Superstars a bit more than Mania, atleast in my personal opinion.

[@JeskidoYT]

If this game hits $40 or even $30 one month from now, mark my words, this would be SEGA's top selling game since sonic frontiers. You can uphold me to my word

[@mohabalserafe3795]

The game has just been released we don't know how much it's gonna sell

[@Maubari]

@@mohabalserafe3795 Not much, inititally, because of Spider Man and Mario. However, I agree with Jeskido here that it will sell really well once black friday hits and the game gets a massive discount. I know I am waiting for a big sale haha.

[@immortallix]

ok

[@aquaponieee]

no, definitely not

[@caucasoidape8838]

I think a lot of the classic Sonic fans abandoned Sonic after so many years of neglect.

[@gamefreakDX]

Basically my thoughts too. Though I'm not as kind to the bosses. Stages themselves are fine, but I was not having fun with the bosses, particularly the ones from Gold Capital onwards.

[@CornelioLazarus-sg4gx]

From what came of this game, Arzest works best as a co-developer. Hey! Pikmin had its moments, liked some of the creature deigns. The team's previos projwct at artoon with Yoshi's island ds also was fun even if really flawed, also limed the enemies you fought. So the future of Arzest will find success with finding a partner that will guide them in the right direction.

[@julianzarco6403]

You will also find success if you learn to write proper English

[@HyperfixationWizard]

Look, I'm not saying Sonic Superstars isn't worth it. *I'm just saying it doesn't feel $60-to-$80 good...* Like, 2023 is an incredible year for gaming, and it's not even that "a 2D game can't be worth $60." Look at Super Mario Bros. Wonder, hell, even Wario Ware Move It!; games that are $60 and $50 respectively, both with the production value to justify those price tags, and you can see the difference easily. Fuck, even Metroid Dread, a game that came out two years ago, feels worth $60 I should know, I paid that price on launch. It hurts even more knowing Sega gave Sonic Team a bigger budget after the success of Frontiers, and *this* is what they made as their killer app for the year with that budget.

[@carb0xyde887]

They said that they would give bigger budgets to future Sonic games earlier this year, in response to Sonic frontiers's surprise success, which sega themselves didn't expect. Superstars was in production way before that and shared development time with frontiers, so It is obvious that superstars would not be included in that new plan, that and It is very clearly a side game.

[@MariusUrucu]

For 60 dollars, you could get Freedom Planet 2 and Spark The Electric Jester 3 and have spare change too... Any chance you'll talk about these games? I have a feeling you might enjoy them.

[@MariusUrucu]

@@dreamsdeep1076 I didn't say Superstars wasn't replayable... it is, but so are the games I mentioned above, while being cheaper and better games to boot

[@hazelcrisp]

@@MariusUrucu The whole philosophy of 2d Sonic was about replaying the game over and over until you master it.

[@MariusUrucu]

@@hazelcrisp So are Freedom Planet 1 and 2 and the Spark games...

[@AYTM1200]

​@@dadashiroman, it's just his opinion. This is coming from someone who really liked the game.

[@Jackattack359]

Wow! Being sponsored by SEGA themselves must be a dream come true for you. Well done!!!👏👏👏👏

[@sethgob5591]

He wasn't sponsored, he recieved a review code like dozens of other critics. If he was sponsored he'd be on a script, here he gets to do a review just saying what he thinks. Still, getting a review code is a big milestone for a guy like him.

[@Markie_SC]

@@sethgob5591 He literally said he was sponsored right in the beginning of the video

[@mechashadow]

He literally said it was sponsored in his sleep

[@sethgob5591]

Ok yeah a lot of people have been saying he said he was sponsored but sponsored usually means doing an ad, and this isn't an ad, he just got a review code like any other reviewer, if this was an ad he would have a script and just say his thoughts, he just misworded it.

[@mechashadow]

@@sethgob5591 I think you need to look up the meaning of being sponsored, does'nt have to be an ad..even coverage will do since it's paid publicity to get it out early.

[@dwaynegotgameso2607]

Godamn man im Proud of you. You were able to get SEGA to sponsor you, big respect man.

[@gertytk5528]

It baffles me why they didn't make online multiplayer for Mania or this game. The very few times when I would've cared about online multiplayer in a game.

[@Dimentio21]

Yeah it could have added some extra replayability and it could have been quite fun if done right. Mario Wonder looks like it'll have a cool online, so I wish this game had an online too even though I usually don't care about multiplayer modes.

[@platnumbreaker]

​@@dreamsdeep1076peak fanboy answer

[@platnumbreaker]

@@dreamsdeep1076 feelings "invalid"

[@Onaterdem]

@@dreamsdeep1076 $60 party game doesn't have online multiplayer, hard pass. Nothing can redeem the game in my eyes, if they made such a crucial, fatal mistake.

[@nekonomicon2983]

​@Onaterdem but what if they couldn't online multilayer, right?

[@contrivedresident5917]

At $60 it’s definitely overpriced, but as Sonic fans I think it’s uplifting to see the franchise as a whole bouncing back after a long period of mediocrity-another solid title like this goes a long way to restoring trust in SEGA as to the level of quality they’ll be able to keep up for the series. Not saying this streak will necessarily continue for years, but it’s great to see Sonic back again, that he feels back again, anyway. Thanks for the review, J! Pretty unbiased and informative!

[@sethgob5591]

Your reviews consistently read my damn mind. Great review here.

[@Hakim_Balls]

nigga the video just came out

[@flare90]

It’s so tough, Superstars and Mario wonder are a few days apart. Mario is a bit cheaper, and I can’t justify buying both the same week. Dunno which to get. I love the control of Sonic in general but feel like I’ll love what wonder is doing to shake up the Mario series - I dunno if there is much this game has shown to shake up the Sonic formula, though I could be wrong.

[@gundambassexe31]

I love this game. Issues aside , Sega has redeemed themselves in my book . Godspeed my speedsters 🦔🦔💙💙💙

[@KylarTyphlosion]

The worst part of this to me is the stupid epic games sign in being forced down your throat. Even on the steam version if you dont log into to epic games it pesters you each time you launch the game. And to top it all off if you want to play online for battle mode you need an epic acount

[@hazelcrisp]

Its like how Fall Guys on console needs and epic account. The crossplay is run through Epic online.

[@lssjgaming1599]

Bruh why is that in the game!? Thats so dumb

[@FunnyParadox]

​@@lssjgaming1599It was meant as an Epic Games Store exclusive until the last moment (the first trailers only had mentions of EGS)

[@marcar9marcar972]

If it’s that big an issue just don’t buy the game

[@CobaltFoxPlays]

I'm waiting if there's a Black Friday sale, because Frontiers did last year. But $90CAD for a 2-4 hour game (for each character)... thats too much

[@hazelcrisp]

@@dreamsdeep1076 Sonic games have always been notoriously short from the start. It was more about Being mid at the start but as you replay the game you improve and become a speedrunning master.

[@omegabrain230]

I’ve already completed it after about 5 hours and even though I loved every second of it I was expecting a little bit more even if there is post game content for £55 it’s worth about £40

[@ZeldaFan-vr9jy]

£35 is a maybe due to crappy mega drive music lol

[@bixmcgoo5355]

yeah funny how trusting reviews by people who are paid by the publisher leads to buying disappointing games, isn't it?

[@copingflower1909]

I think after gathering the reviews for this game I can safely just say to anyone wanting to pick this up to simply wait for a sale, this game is clearly not worth 60 dollars and while it is not bad its best to just wait for a price cut of 30 or 40, I'm not undercutting this review either btw he played the game I'm just going off of the overall consensus

[@Onaterdem]

No offense but a review should NEVER EVER be sponsored by the publisher. Never.

[@darkscoutergamer6168]

Depends but I can see it yeah 💙

[@AYTM1200]

He was very impartial though, he pointed out a lot of common issues.

[@Onaterdem]

​@@skibot9974"Thanks to SEGA for sponsoring this video!" (Description)

[@Hasblock]

People are too money hungry. The two don't go hand in hand

[@BrownieEXE]

Yes, lets only sponsor people who wont say anything negative about the game. That would be trustworthy, right?......Right?

[@biggunz29xx]

Mario Wonder and Spider 2 were my top picks this month. Ill wait for a price drop for superstars.

[@autosaver]

It’s a game that will drop down to $25 in 3 weeks for Black Friday, just like Sonic Frontiers. People complained back then about the price drop, don’t make the same mistake twice.

[@noahpauley]

That Fang boss fight is what made me give up last night but I overall really love the game even with the weird difficulty spikes

[@MegaManNeo]

Did I do something wrong? I am playing as Sonic on my first run and didn't fight Fang. Instead, I got the Amy stage.

[@justdex721]

​@@MegaManNeoThey mean the Fang boss fight in Golden Capital. The 8th zone

[@MegaManNeo]

@@justdex721 Oooh~ well, then that is one that I still have to see 👀 It's late here so I stopped but I am sure I can get there by tomorrow.

[@dentren48]

@@MegaManNeo are you a fellow mega man enjoyer are species are starving

[@gengargamer5657]

@@justdex721 There's also the brutal Fang fight at the end of the second story

[@soli-ethd]

I will discard every thought you have on this because you allowed your review to be sponsored by the company making the product you're reviewing. You're not going to give your honest opinion on a sponsored video like this. It's an abject conflict of interest.

[@Newhouse56]

Yes, it’s very good as a single player experience. Not $60 good though

[@asksalottle220]

Really? It was 60$ good when it was 20 years ago and much less of a game.... whatever you wanna tell yourself.

[@hwanniggles187]

​@@asksalottle220that's a stupid argument. 2D only games should not cost the same as something big like God of War, or Spider-Man

[@sonic_solo_fiction]

​@@hwanniggles187spiderman is 80$

[@Metheos91]

Hollow Knight cost like 35$, cheaper and yet a longer game than a sonic game

[@mechashadow]

​@@hwanniggles187So it's because of people like you, they're making them 70 bucks now huh? *sigh*

[@purpopsikle7500]

I mean it’s alright I guess Kinda feels like a Sonic 4 Episode 3 if I’m being completely honest, but I’m enjoying it a little bit so far. Edit: I wrote this before going to sleep while I was only 4 zones in. I’ve changed my mind. I’m having lots of fun with this game, and some of the songs are heavy hitters such as Lagoon City Act 2, which is very Sonic CD.

[@asksalottle220]

You shouldn't say that unless the controls feel similar which is probably the worst insult you could give it because the controls were "sonic 4"s worst aspect in a sea of bad design choices.

[@purpopsikle7500]

@@asksalottle220In my opinion, the controls actually DID feel like an in-between of Mania & Sonic 4’s physics. No joke, maybe it was just me. It felt oddly floaty and startup is a bit slower than usual. Not to say it’s bad though.

[@jaretco6423]

Yeah. Pretty much sums up the game as an whole. It's ok. Not as good as it could've been. But it wasn't bad either. Just alright.

[@purpopsikle7500]

@@dreamsdeep1076 Whether or not a game’s physics feel good is subjective. Again, I don’t have any major issues with Superstars’ physics.

[@mechajay3358]

This is a fair and balanced review. It makes it easy of you want to get the game or not.

[@bixmcgoo5355]

yeah man, it's so fair that sega *paid* him to have it. that's how reviews should work right?

[@cannonbyrd1755]

@@bixmcgoo5355or, hear me out, and I know this will fry your tiny brain, he actually LIKES the game 😮

[@Undacted3]

​@@bixmcgoo5355You say like he wasn't transparent about it. 😂

[@CC42_]

​@@Undacted3doesn't matter you simply cant take a sponsored review seriously. Damage is done

[@Victorcolongarcia]

Congratulations for the growth of your channel! You deserve it! Regarding this game.. I’ll wait for a price drop or second hand 🤟

[@TonyaSmith-sb2pi]

Its the banana mania of classic Sonic, which isn’t a bad thing but you can kinda tell how different from the classics it is

[@Scott...]

I enjoyed the game but it definitely has issues. The bosses can be really hard to read and they have so many phases to the point where I wished some of them had checkpoints. I highly recommend waiting for a sale.

[@dragonclaw4159]

Hey j's reviews, what's the main thing that interests you between all the different games that you play? There's a few games that I think you might like, but it's hard to nail down what you like since you have so many different interests.

[@Somekindamugaguy]

I'm personally mixed on this one...

[@Kailova07]

Yeah there’s no way I’m paying $60 for this. Nothing about the game really impresses me. Sega is absolutely wild with pushing these overpriced 2D Sonics at us recently. :/

[@AllBladesCut]

The number of special stages feels repetitive, but I am having fun with the game so far, it definitely isn’t worth the price though

[@nekonomicon2983]

It isn't the same number of special stages it's always been?

[@KenofLyoko4]

Pretty cool to see you get a SEGA sponsorship after all of your Sonic game retrospectives

[@davia.f.l5697]

My only issue with this game is the price, $60 is definitely too much for a game like this

[@Fabriciod_Crv]

personally, im getting real tired of Sega pushing classic sonic out the wazoo, i want to see something special for the dreamcast era, like a remake of SA1 and possibly SA2

[@Fabriciod_Crv]

@@dreamsdeep1076 i just want sega to show some love for dreamcast sonic for a change.

[@Fabriciod_Crv]

@@dreamsdeep1076 that's a fan project, i want official stuff from Sega

[@cerealexperimentsgrain]

it looks fun but i refuse to buy it for any more than $20

[@TheRibottoStudios]

Even if the game doesn't live up to expectations, Sonic is still in the middle of a Renaissance. The movies are fantastic, Sonic Frontiers is now tied with Sonic Unleashed as my favorite game, and Frontiers is just legit a good game. Sonic Prime is a pretty decent cartoon, and the comics are SO good. God it is GOOD to have you back Sonic.

[@chasemman]

My thoughts exactly. It’s been refreshing to have had a consistently positive experience with the franchise for the past few years.

[@Onaterdem]

I chuckle every time someone says this. "FINALLY, WE HAVE CONTENT THAT IS BETTER THAN 4/10, SONIC IS BACK, WOO!!!" Sonic Frontiers is the first good main series game in 11 years, and it is not groundbreaking in any way, just good, and it has too many flaws for a game that's been developed for 5 years on an already existing engine. After 11 years of mediocrity, we deserve more than "it's good I guess". I'm really glad you're enjoying the current content, but with your mindset, we'll never get better things, Sega sees that "7/10" is cherished by the community, and gives no more effort.

[@3godzilla3]

​​@@OnaterdemI don't even know how people are calling the Sonic movies good either. First one was just alright, but felt pretty juvenile in a few instances. The 2nd had the same problem, but was a bit better in terms of characterization and references. It's just..they're nowhere near the quality as say, the opening cutscene of Sonic Unleashed. Just sucks they couldn't have made a banger movie with that kind of animation and instead went the live action route.

[@chasemman]

Haha I get that too. I honestly can’t say I enjoyed Frontiers that much, aside from a few select moments (the complete lack of polish spoiled it for me). But with the release of the dlc, I saw some really interesting concepts introduced that I think, with a more focused development approach, could let Sega knock a sequel out of the park, and make a product legitimately worth an 8-9/10, rather than people praising it on the basis of “finally something not garbage”. I just look at the generally positive reception to stuff like Frontiers, the movies, Prime, and now recently Superstars and see that Sega actually has some direction now, rather than aimlessly running in circles like the past few decades. Makes me hopeful for the future, rather than just crossing my fingers that they eventually figure out what their intention with the series is.

[@tsu08761e]

​@@Onaterdem its so dumb, you cant criticize the recent games because fans have decided "sonic is in a renaissance". its similar to the modern pokemon games where the companies can cheep out because fans will not only buy the games, but defend them no matter the quality. sonic isnt good again, its just a bit less bad now (and even that is debatable)

[@NoName......]

Ngl i wished they kept the pixel art sytle from mania. Superstars just looks so cheap.

[@purpopsikle7500]

I completely agree. Pixel art is a timeless art style that will never get worse with age. Meanwhile, the switch version of superstars almost looks like a 3DS game.

[@sonic_solo_fiction]

​@@purpopsikle7500The problem is the switch

[@purpopsikle7500]

@@sonic_solo_fiction I know, that’s why I said the switch version. I got the game on PC, so it isn’t an issue for me lol.

[@anonanonymous9670]

@@purpopsikle7500 Because Arzest is the developers and they were behind the classics such as "Yoshi's New Island for the 3DS" and "Hey Pikmin! for the 3DS"

[@ZacTheFirst]

I don’t think it looks cheap but just mostly soulless. The dragon at the end of the game looks so boring and generic when it should be a badass final fight. Just reminds me of the recent Pac-Man World remake that looked “good” but sucked all the life and personality out of the game.

[@3lipalm3r]

Ngl I thought mania had the last best type of sonic soundtrack. Before that it was 06, adventure 2, unleashed, and mega collection plus. Obviously not in that order but I find myself going back to those particular game soundtracks from time to time.

[@TheAlphazoneYT]

Sonic Superstars is a decent game. Mania, Sonic 2, and Sonic 3& Knuckles are better.

[@justicemagnum5242]

Personally I think this game is fantastic but like others have mentioned I don’t think it’s $60 fantastic especially when you can get frontiers for $60 and it overall has more content (especially with the updates) or if we look at another upcoming Sega game, you can get Like a Dragon: Gaiden for only $50 and that game is 100% going to be filled to the brim with more content than superstars.

[@stevenkennedy6870]

Yeah that’s the reason I’m passing on this really wanna play like a dragon gaiden especially when rumors say new game plus will be behind a paywall for yakuza like a dragon infinite wealth

[@ThatOneMDFan143]

60$ for a classic sonic game is a lot considering Mania was like 20$ or 25$

[@internetguy7319]

​@@dreamsdeep1076mania also had tons of characters and reasons to replay

[@cockshield]

@@internetguy7319 And was made with love by people who get Classic Sonic in a way the Superstars team didn't.

[@ElectrikStatik900]

Waiting until the price drops so I can buy this game. I personally don't think this somewhat short game is worth $60, but that's just me.

[@ElectrikStatik900]

​@@dreamsdeep1076 Well, newsflash: Sonic Generations was amazing, and it was a worthwhile and loving tribute to the Sonic franchise that clearly had effort and care put into it, while this game looks bland and is clearly trying to pander to rose-tinted glasses wearing boomers who grew up with the Genesis games. Please stop shilling for pathetic slop like Sonic Midstars, because that's why we get games like this. Because Sonic fans want to make every new Sonic game seem like the second coming of Christ so Sega doesn't get the wrong message and go in a completely different direction for the next game. People are allowed to criticize things. I love Sonic games like Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic Generations, and yet I can acknowledge that even the games I love aren't perfect, and neither is Sonic Superstars. So just admit that you hate seeing people dislike your rehashed overused Classic Sonic mediocrity and move on. No need to be so passive aggressive and bring up Generations, a completely unrelated game. Anyway, I don't know about you, but this game just doesn't look all that special to me. 4P co-op isn't a game changer, either, since many other games have already done it, imo. More power to you if you played and enjoyed it, though. I'll be looking forward to playing Mario Wonder, though.

[@hazelcrisp]

@@ElectrikStatik900 Wonder is literally NSMB with a few new powerups. Same exact gameplay, same garbage. And they are charging full price for 3 characters who play the same and have the exact same story. Lazy rehash of a game.

[@ElectrikStatik900]

​@@hazelcrisp So...I'm guessing you never saw the actual gameplay trailers and such? You haven't, huh? Because Wonder looks like a completely brand new and fresh experience to me, that actually tries new things and dares to be different, unlike Sonic Midstars or the NSMB games. C'mon, man. I know you can't be talking about Mario games rehashing things when Classic Sonic and his classic friends have been in every single Sonic game, including modern ones, for like the past decade. Now, if THAT isn't rehashing, then I don't know what is. But hey, you're probably not gonna read this, and I can tell you're trolling, knowing that you claimed there are only 3 playable characters in Wonder, even though I saw that there are plenty more than that, so I know this'll all go in one ear and out the other for Sonic fans like you. I hope you enjoy wasting $60 on Sonic 4 Episode 3, when you could be playing literally any other 2D Sonic game that's actually good, like the original trilogy, the Advance trilogy, the two Rush games, Colors DS, or Mania.

[@hazelcrisp]

@ElectrikStatik900 Wonder has 12 character skins. With only 3 Unique character abilities. Literally no difference between Mario or Luigi. Unlike Sonic which links together gameplay and character. Tails being the younger character but is able to stand by Sonic with his unique skills. So 3 characters is accurate. Why should I pick Luigi over Mario? I like Green over red I guess. Games have proven they can like story, character and gameplay and work together in tandem. Wonder has minimal graphical upgrades. Same platforming from the first game. Superstars has new level designs, stage gimmicks, one new playable character, character unique stages tailored to their ability and character, new powers you earn. Mania physics by Whitehead himself. Challenging bosses. Clearly you haven't played Frontiers either. With character development, unique lore, unbridled boss fights, fresh combat system. Returning characters which haven't been uniquely playable in over 10 years, actual challenging stages that require skill and mastery to speedrun.

[@hazelcrisp]

@lovable_madman 12 skins. Only three unique playstyles. They literally play the same. Why should I pick Luigi over Mario? I like green I guess? Superstars has 4.5. Sonic is faster and has drop dash, Tails can fly/swim, Knuckles glide/climb, Amy has her hammer and double jump.

[@runningwithscissors8612]

It’s not a bad game, but it absolutely had no excuse not to be amazing

[@internetguy7319]

​@@dreamsdeep1076that does matter for $60.

[@IndigoOverdrive]

It's a classic sonic game, they've never really been amazing.

[@CDRW24]

​@@IndigoOverdriveYes they have?

[@CrimsonCreationAGM]

@@IndigoOverdrive BRUH the Genesis games are literally the most popular games in the franchise not only that, prior to frontiers, lots of people argued the classics could never be topped by the newer games

[@GingerBeanie]

​@@IndigoOverdriveIs this satire

[@chillydilly_op]

I’m so glad tee lopes helped make music for this game

[@EAting_the_mEAl]

Great video but you forgot to mention how sonic got a rough transition to 3D

[@chunkykong01]

I know I don't comment often, but I've been a long time fan and wanted u to know that your vids are awesome, I apsolutly adore you're 2003 ninja turtles video and can't wait for that turtle movie review

[@Michael_Afton40]

Damn if Sega sponsored this video than that means J is the most reliable sonic critic ever

[@CapitalTeeth]

To me, Sonic Superstars is akin to New Super Mario Bros. It's safe, it's harmless, and it's not particularly amazing or terrible.

[@martinpiekarski1512]

Which is another way of saying its kinda bland.

[@guts9980]

this is the mega man 11 of the sonic franchise. i loved it just like mega man 11

[@mint_1919]

I wouldn't say I was ever a big fan of superstars when seeing teasers for it and such but I appreciate Sega actually doing this.

[@LockeTheCole]

Am I the only one who finds it odd to have a REVIEW sponsored by the maker of the game being reviewed. I'm not saying there WAS a conflict of interest here, but it definitely makes it LOOK like there is. I'm not saying you shouldn't ever accept a Sega sponsorship, but you really shouldn't have your REVIEW being sponsored by them.

[@lumiaihara]

The thing about Sonic Superstars is that SEGA has always made Sonic The Hedgehog a franchise that prefer quantity over quality, and this had changed over the years. And this game clearly doesn’t want to be something like Frontiers or even Mania, but we see a lot of qualities here. I thought the standard campaign was very good, fun and well-executed ideas, but Trip’s campaign really have a bad level design. At a certain moment i thought that i was playing Megaman X6. What saves it is the epic ending. Also, i love the idea of using old concept ideas. The standard final bosses really makes me think about R-9 from Christian Whitehead. I don’t like to put those things in numbers, but i think that game are a 7,5/10.

[@neotricksterzero143]

It seems ok but Black Friday is right around the corner and I don't think it's worth $60 IN MY OPINION. Probably will buy it when it goes on Sale though.

[@ActuallyTragic]

The fact that this game is full price, with less content than Mania, it plays and sounds worse, and is generally an inconsistent mess, pretty much killed my goodwill for this series that Frontiers generated. It's not even that Superstars is say, the worst game in the series - far from it because when it's good it's *really good,* just the sheer arrogance on Sega's end to sell us an overall mediocre/okay product for more money than the rest of the Classic series put together is something I personally don't want to put up with. This should've been half its asking price at most.

[@ActuallyTragic]

@@dreamsdeep1076 👍

[@cockshield]

It should've been called "Sonic F'k It That'll Do"

[@massimodalessandro108]

Honestly given how negative people have been about the game so far I would have expected you to be far harsher on it! Haven't tried it yet but I'd like to give it my own playthrough to see for myself rather than lean in too far one way or the other based on content creators' thoughts, but this was a great watch! Glad you got a that sponsor too!

[@beastgohan2384]

Even if it's $60, I'm having a blast with this game so far. I would actually put it in my top 5 favorite sonic games, behind Sonic 2, 3K, Mania, and Frontiers. Note that I haven't played every Sonic game, so don't hate because I don't have Generations on the list. I've only played the 3ds version, and not the console version, though I would love for a switch port to happen soon. Same with the adventure games, and Unleashed. I haven't played them yet.

[@sopebarrofficial3557]

Good to know this game is getting good reviews, especially since I’ve always wanted a multiplayer 2D Sonic game

[@sopebarrofficial3557]

@@ZontarDow What’s Denovu mean?

[@corbpeter1389]

This is an unfortunately painfully obvious paid review

[@Hasblock]

"Special thanks to sega for sponsoring this video" well, already right there you know what this youtuber's answer to "is Sonic superstars any good" will be

[@hunterdolatowski7995]

J’s good job getting a Sega sponsorship, some people hate, love, or feel both about this game but here what I think, this game was good but did have some issues, I am just happy to say it feels like the “meta era” is over, Sega is getting back on track hopefully the next game is as good and fun.

[@MattWarb]

Rayman Legends has shown us how amazing a 2D platformer can look, yet we get this.

[@AYTM1200]

So of something isn't as good as Rayman Legends it doesn't look good?, by this logic SMBW is also bad because it doesn't look anywhere as good as Rayman Legends.

[@dabobby9627]

Tbh sonic superstars isn’t worth 60 bucks plus the game is 3-4 hours long it should be worth like 35

[@Pufftarot]

I have never had less fun playing a Sonic game. I enjoyed the Master King trial on hard mode more than this game. I beat Superstars, but it costs $95 dollars here, and Mania costs $23. It's actually a joke.

[@NotoriousFox96]

This game’s sales are definitely going to be hurt by launching the same week as Mario Wonder. I for one can’t justify buying both, so Sonic is gonna have to wait for a bit, and I’ll probably pick it up on sale. Really glad to hear that it’s a fun time though! I look forward to (eventually) playing it.

[@devgainz3093]

Did god of war hurt frontiers sales?

[@Eclin]

@@devgainz3093probably not because not everyone has a PS5, and they are of different genre.

[@burritobison7700]

@@devgainz3093yes

[@TheDayd111returns]

@@devgainz3093 Frontiers was ranked number 4 of the year in Japan.

[@Bruh_ssb]

​@@devgainz3093god of war has nothing to do with Sonic, Mario does

[@mauro27279]

SPOILERS FOR SONIC SUPERSTARS, READ IF YOU WANT TO. Honestly, i think the game itself is pretty cool. Not the best since it just came out, but it did something right. The only complaint i have is the sonic 1 special stage being back (because it seriously sucks) and the price.

[@mandoloriansoju3841]

Sonic Mania is the best game in the entire series, 2D or 3D, and definitely deserves a direct sequel from the same team

[@cockshield]

The Mania team just "get" Classic Sonic in a way that the Superstars team never will sadly.

[@chillvibed]

Play sonic triple trouble 16bit.

[@cockshield]

@@chillvibed Wonderful game! TT 16 Bit has you at hello, and works so well with the muscle memory coded into your nervous system from years of playing Classic Sonic.

[@gengargamer5657]

Superstars is its direct sequel

[@gengargamer5657]

@@cockshield Why are you lying, they both cooked

[@roco1998]

I very much enjoyed this game but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement -Reduce 4 Player co-op to only 2 -introduce partner specific abilities certain characters can do with each other (Ex: Sonic Advance 3 & Sonic 4 Ep 2) -Have the game get a new art style to it, (Ex: Have the whole game be based off the cel-shaded skins) -Have a specific theme to it that stands out from it being just more of the same (Ex: Kirby Planets Robot technology theme) -new playable characters -New antagonist (feel like that’s the easiest one) -lastly, have the game bring an all-new gimmick that will be the main selling point of the game but that doesn’t ruin the classic sonic formula

[@TophDaGreat]

"Its gonna be a No for me dawg"-Randy Jackson

[@mr.tie-rex9577]

This is how a game like this should’ve had on the Sega Saturn.

[@mehiloll]

I love Superstars to death, but I HAVE to admit that $60 is steep. Should’ve been $25 ($35 for digital deluxe) at LEAST and $40 ($50 for digital deluxe) at MOST.

[@TheDayd111returns]

Agreed. At least $30. $40 is debatable. But yeah, I passed on buying it for $60. Its way too expensive for a 3D sidescroller. With not much replay value.

[@martinpiekarski1512]

Haven't played the game yet but it honestly looks quite good. Nonetheless, it sure does not look as impressive as Mania, which awestruck everyone with originality of ideas behind it and one more thing - simplicity. Beauty of many games lies in their simplicity and it is apparent in this case too. Superstars looks like another case in which the creators tried to make the gameplay more original and enjoyable, yet they went overboard with new mechanics to the point it feels like its too much. Players don't like having to learn and train too many things from scratch to progress through the gameplay. I guess that's the reason many of the modern Sonic games do not appeal to players as much as the older ones did.

[@Omar_ZX]

Boys we back

[@hellacia8151]

Unfortunately it's $60, and its content isn't worth the price. Add on top the PC release is a complete disaster, with a Denuvo implementation AND a forced installation of the Epic Games Launcher even if you bought it from Steam... WTF

[@MrChewie74]

honestly its more surprising that this game is good despite some serious flaws considering its made by arzest, the studio that hadn't made a single good game before superstars

[@martinpiekarski1512]

The guy behind the studio is the same one that designed Sonic (arguably one who created him). And one behind such a failure that Balan Wonderworld was.

[@gaymerherb]

Hearing someone at least 10 years younger than you express how nonplussed they were with Sonic Mania because they didn't actually grow up playing classic Sonic as it released is an unintentional new low.

[@jameskehoe1442]

Respect for giving proper criticism to the game after getting the sega sponsorship.

[@CC42_]

Would've been much more redpectful to his audience if he hadnt taken sponsorship money on a game he's officially reviewing. It sullies the entire review

[@garrettstaack5650]

I bought Mario wonder and superstars the same day. Still trying to figure out why there are so many biased reviewers. People bash superstars for the smallest thing. No one mentioned how the Boss fights in wonder are garbage but Sonic’s are legit old school type boss fights.

[@Dustfired]

From what ive seen this game seems more like the Sonic version of Super Mario Bros Wii or World. Basically all those 2.5d releases. It makes the game feel like one of those but with a different coat of paint.

[@hazelcrisp]

Wonder is literally NSMB with a few new powerups. Same exact gameplay, same garbage. And they are charging full price for 3 characters who play the same and have the exact same story. Lazy rehash of a game.

[@tsu08761e]

​@@hazelcrisp terrible bait 👎

[@hazelcrisp]

@onyoutubeuser8819 How. There's literally nothing better in Wonder. 3 unique playable characters, 12 skins, updated animation, few new power ups. There is literally nothing new or innovative. People see an elephant and that's all people need to be excited for. Nothing impressive to me.

[@JadenFox9]

one of the reasons why I can careless if SEGA makes Classic style games, Fans do better

[@randomgenius9655]

@@hazelcrisp You *CANNOT* tell me this crap isn't ragebait

[@marblegarden8456]

I'm sadly not enjoying this game... The level layouts are thrown together. The Sega font music sounds atrocious (don't even bother). The aesthetics are often bland, and backgrounds empty. The bosses are sluggish. The level tropes are improved, sure, but are ultimately just new spins on the same overused tropes. The pacing is off, and the level transitions leave much to be desired... Where I do see progress is the "culture" of Classic Sonic... the character designs are perfect, the Classic style Robotnik mechs are my preferred style aesthetically speaking, the badniks are varied and unique, the anime-style scenes are endearing... I would give this a 6/10, but then considering the absurd price I feel compelled to knock off another 1.5, so... 4.5/10 (fail). I desperately want to support Classic Sonic, but it's becoming too hard to justify throwing my time, energy and money into this black hole. This game is a hard pass and disappointing. It's especially bad in comparison to Mario Wonder.

[@DannyBenS94]

I plan on picking this game up later today (as of this comment) for the Switch. I did see the graphics are obviously downgraded from the PS5/XS versions, but given the type of game that it is, it doesn't look that downgraded. Looks more like how the PSP version of a game looks compared to the PS2 version. Basically saying "yes it's not as good, but it still looks fine". Good video.

[@NullRora]

I like the game overall but man the last few areas + bosses have such a difficulty spike that it's a little silly. I really wish there was a checkpoint for certain boss phases. I cannot stand spending 10 minutes on a fight to die to something silly and have to start all over again. Some of those boss fights are REALLY long. I don't have that kind of endurance anymore lol. The fights themselves are great but definitely too long without some sort of checkpoint or something. (Though that's really only an issue with some of the last few bosses.

[@sonic_boredom]

this game feels like it should've come out like, 7 years ago lol

[@tsu08761e]

looks like it did from the graphics