Sonic Superstars Made Me Feel Nothing

[@Unfunnyjestr]

I’m a simple man, when I see a lemon upload I must watch

[@williamwade2674]

exactly

[@dittoplayz3183]

facts 🔥

[@Hyp3rSonic]

Based

[@Izhen_UwU]

They should have taken inspiration from klonoa to make the cutscenes, it just makes sense to have dynamic character expressions and dynamic camera shots in a 2.5D Platformer

[@Thedragonlover95]

Yeah that I can see, plus WAH HOO

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

Having those kinds of in-game cutscenes is important for a story driven narrative with little to no dialogue in a 2.5D platformer. Klonoa was able to get it right on the PS1. There's no reason why a modern game like Sonic Superstars couldn't!

[@kdsm6424]

nah triple a publishers are too afraid to experiment with aesthetics beyond le retro pixel art and sloppy 3d assets with tons of reuse cuz who knew making 3d models and environments is hard actually

[@nikolepsysyndrome7538]

I did enjoy Superstars, but something I noticed that I don't think anybody else has brought up is how shameless the Zone themes are. In Mania for example, them bringing back the old Zones as they were and actually managing to breathe new life into them by mixing in things from the other Zones, evolving their ideas like what you mentioned in Oil Ocean with the Flame Shield, or just improving them, felt like it was made with so much love and genuine affection for these locations and the playstyle. Now with Superstars you have Zones like Lagoon City, or Sand Sanctuary, or Press Factory. I remember playing the game for the first time and thinking "Oh so it's discount Hydro City." or "Oh, so it's not Sky Sanctuary because they changed one word for the new theme." It felt to me like they were edging how close they could get to copy the original Zone without BEING the original Zone because they knew we didn't want returning levels. I even remember in Lagoon City 1 just unenthusiastically expecting the Hydro City motif knowing it was gonna come up in the music, and what do ya know it did. See what I mean? Mania fully acknowledging it was double dipping in these old ideas is more forgiving than Superstars trying to slap a sign over one word of the name to basically be like "Oh see it's Press FACTORY, instead of Press Garden. Don't think about Mania and how much better it was!" It just came off as obnoxious at times really.

[@jaretco6423]

It's not just that the newer zones in Superstar are the less diet counterpart to old zones we're familiar with. It's just wasn't that intriguing as it could've been. They add so much gimmicks to each zones that were pretty uninspiring and they don't have the balanced between speed & platforming and no alternatives pathway. It's mostly stop & go, touch or push that, rense & repeat and they can be very obnoxious to get by.

[@alphetti4348]

@@nikolepsysyndrome7538 it’s so clear that they wanted to do something new-ish with the game, but they also really want to be so much like their predecessors Like the music, and cutscenes for example The game just never tried to go all out with its ideas and presentation It just went half way with them. it’s not bad, but, I wished it went about its themes and ideas more creatively.

[@callieflowers]

Press Factory and Press Garden do not feel alike in the slightest but I totally get the Lagoon City and Hydrocity comparison

[@AmeBleu_ov1]

For the story of this game, you need to read the idw fang the sniper anniversary comic to understand part of it, such great story telling

[@candybird]

No to diss the comics or anything but I shouldn't have to read a seperate, and different form of media to understand the story of any game I'm playing

[@AmeBleu_ov1]

@@candybird true, especially if they aren’t gonna explain the story well in game

[@megamillion5852]

Cute pfp.

[@SKOT_3]

Idk why sega or Sonic team thinks telling the fucking story outside of the game is s good idea. At the very LEAST the extra material should be included in the actual game too.

[@bobjeezorham7658]

Takes me back to the days of being required to read the manual to understand a game's story, except worse because you don't have to buy a separate comic

[@xscythe67]

Something to note is that Sonic Advance 3 did the co op thing almost perfectly.

[@Roty24-f6s]

True

[@yzunimelonn]

even if i'm not a fan of Advance 3, i have to agree that getting 2 gba and 2 copies of the game just to play an actually good CO-OP 2D multiplayer sonic was worth even in early 2000's

[@LolipooChimichanga]

The zone selection and asthetic is so basic and safe that Sonic Mania's few original zones are so much memorable and unique than any of the zones in Sonic Superstars from what I've seen imo.

[@eggshelf]

It's just a jumble of other zone themes. The art is also terrible, so plain and flat. Do not see the appeal with this game. For full price as well, yikes.

[@SonicTheCutehog]

For the final boss of the main story, even though it looks like running out of time will kill you, it doesn't.

[@_lemon52]

It did for me in the first phase, once u get to second phase where it enters the foreground it was fine

[@PauClaireIsUnderratedAF]

​@@_lemon52It didn't for me

[@orangeslash1667]

@@_lemon52 I recommend Freedom Planet as a successor to 2d Sonic.

[@jaretco6423]

It's still an piece of a trash boss though. No matter how better you get, it is still badly design.

[@rollingstart_90s]

When it comes to game content, quality and sales, Superstars gets often compared to Mania, which is completely understandable and valid thing to do. However, there seems to be a strange, skewed narrative floating around, that when it comes to sales figures, Superstars has been a catastrophic flop for Sega, which is not true at all! Back in 2017, Sonic Mania sold around 1 million copies, while Sonic Superstars has sold over 4.3 million copies world wide, in less than a year.

[@justice8718]

Sonic fans are just being biased dweebs that flanderize their classic games or games that are almost like them, to not see any of the good /great qualities of Superstars or the weakness of those other titles. They don’t care if Amy isn’t taking after her Sonic Advance moveset (because they don’t play those games ever) or how Trip objectively has a far more well-thought out and creative moveset than whatever was going on with Mighty and Ray, or how lame a lot of the bosses in Sonic 1-Mania are in comparison to most of the bosses in Superstars.

[@NeoNickz]

​@@justice8718trip is literally just amy and knuckles are you trolling?

[@gamelordabd]

@@justice8718 Trip's moveset is literally just the Pink Spike wisp Color Power from Sonic Colors repurposed and nerfed (you can't spindash on walls), it's not very unique or creative at all, lmao.

[@justice8718]

@@gamelordabd If it could spindash, she would be too crazy.

[@Stroutta-oh7mj]

I would love to see where you got these sales figures from please. 4 million within a year is insane.

[@weebsquit347]

Still can't believe Sega tried to release this game very close to Mario Wonder and Spiderman 2. A problem i have with this game is that stuff just happens just because. I'm not asking for story or anything. I just want things to make sense. Mania gave you little sneak peeks on what to expect in the next stage. In Superstars, you suddenly play through a stage that's rewinding in time, which is cool, but it just kinda happens out of nowhere. And there are several pointless stage elements like those loopty loops you're forced to run around in 5 times, that just feels like they're dangling keys in your face.

[@Ell40]

Hey there Lemon! This is the first video from you that I'm watching, and I'm impressed! It's engaging from start to finish and your writing along with the way you speak communicates your ideas in an enjoyable and easy to follow way. I also like how you don't seem to be forcing any kind of cool or funny voice/personality, it sounds very genuine. And I say that as someone who usually acts like a kid with short attention spam and drops a video the instant I think I won't enjoy it as much as my comfort stuff (Caddicarus). So congrats!

[@_lemon52]

Thanks man appreciate it. Glad to have you on board👍🏻

[@Duskool]

So, this is a pretty small point, but it does speak to how low effort this game feels and it's the badnik designs. Specifically, what type of badniks are in each level. Say what you will about Mania, but the badnik integration into the level themes was spot on, with each zone having it's own set of unique enemies that fit in some way, shape or form into the level's theme and aesthetic. Now look at Superstars, and take a shot every time you see that stupid pink spike ball enemy, and you'll die by the 2nd zone's last act (I know some zones have unique baddies, but it's honestly nothing compared to the variety Mania had)

[@Terminal_Apotos]

SEGA thinking Sonic Supermid was worth $60 is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. It’s the same Classic Sonic game yet again, failure to evolve either the Gameplay or Story.

[@_lemon52]

Deffo didn’t feel like a full price triple a game to me. More like a digital only download title for like $25

[@JakeThehedgehog-m1x]

Definitely don't worth the full price but to be fair though...it did tried some new things and ideas like the emerald powers they are... something new and the previous classic games never had that Soo that's somewhat innovative

[@Terminal_Apotos]

@@JakeThehedgehog-m1x The Power up Shields existed and a lot of the Emerald Powers are contextual aka not useful in normal gameplay.

[@ivoneo2806]

I disagree but alright, cool pfp

[@Terminal_Apotos]

@@ivoneo2806Thank you.

[@vengeflyking2722]

I think that the emerald powers should have been like the upgrades from some 3D games, giving you either a passive or new move depending on the emerald. Like Lightspeed Dash, losing only half of your rings from certain sources, or summoning the elemental shields. Something like that.

[@joshuatrevino4508]

This literally was the only game in history I’ve ever felt scammed . Like it’s that bad

[@Hyp3rSonic]

@@joshuatrevino4508 respectable. For me, however, I love Superstars

[@Jason-..-]

Game is very solid. Sorry bud

[@daneryscolon9636]

he... he uploaded.... he FINALLY UPLOADED!!!

[@_lemon52]

tee hee

[@doubleG2]

Sonic: ​Lemon **eats** ughaaaaaaa

[@omegazfusion5647]

I knew I wasn’t tripping about the background. It was really triggering me a bit. So much blur and nothing going on. No detail. Nothing in comparison to generations. It’s such a downgrade on an artistic level. It kills the immersion. This game was definitely made cheaply. I’m glad someone mentioned this.

[@pinstripecool34]

Yea it reminds me alot of the new super mario bros games.

[@NaOkii]

I had the unfortunate chance to play the entire coop experience for a stream, only in duo, but I can tell you, it gets so much worse. First, only the player that the game "currently" considers the main player can use some of the stage gimmicks. Meaning, if in Speed Jungle, you're in the dark cave, only one player can see, while the other one keeps trying to jump into the circle to at least understand what is going on. Same with Golden Capital, if the wrong player tries to activate the stage flip they'll just run off. Additionally, you literally cannot play the entire game in coop. The character specific stages literally kick your partner, which is odd, cause it's absolutely possible to just give the second player I dont know....a darker Knuckles and call it a day. And yeah, due to them blocking out the option that two people can play the same character you literally cannot properly finish Superstars. So at the end of the day the coop gives one the worse version, kicks you out at time and STILL doesnt let you experience the full game. The amount of bugs was also insane. Like we died multiple times during the final boss just because the ground kept glitching out and literally disappearing.

[@_lemon52]

Damn that sounds horrific

[@shun2232]

Personally if this game didn't have the Fang boss I would give it a solid 8, I genuinely enjoyed it, but the Fang boss fight was quite frankly the closest I've ever been to actually punching a hole in my fucking monitor, and I've played really challenging games in my life time

[@DracoHandsome]

you're so lucky you didn't face the true final boss then

[@silveramyknux241]

I think a majority of Superstars has great level design that is fun to master and speedrun.

[@_lemon52]

Fairs man glad you find enjoyment in it, didnt do much for me Personally

[@ivoneo2806]

Cool video,the game was peak imo

[@_lemon52]

glad u enjoyed it man

[@ivoneo2806]

@@_lemon52why thx, your cool

[@mechajay3358]

The boss fights were definitely one of the worst aspects of Superstars and probably one of the worst in the series. It's what keeps me from going back to this game as often.

[@autosaver]

I think it’s worth mentioning Sonic 4 was just a rebranded mobile title for Sonic. The backlash was so bad they had to make new stages for the console versions to remove the mobile based gimmicks.

[@giovanniguarino4177]

The game is so much fun to control in the brief moments for the level design isn't awful and it sucks because I keep wanting to go back to it before realizing it's shit

[@sonicmeerkat]

my god just looking at the footage i genuinly am flabergasted at how frequently the players get respawned, a simple upwards spring shouldn't despawn every other player. my biggest criticism of classic sonic is the close up camera to begin with, it was justifiable when hardware limitations were concerned, but even in mania which has a stage where you move in the background, it was honestly so much better due to actually seeing where you'd land from a running speed jump. so having an even more zoomed in camera in a multiplayer game is just criminal. if sega for whatever reason attempts to make a coop classic game again it should strictly be online coop with individual screens, keep the end of act mini bosses from sonic 3 to lock the lead players in place while the others catch up so the leading player can still play the game and can finish the stage if the others are too far behind, while giving the other players a chance to still fully play the stage and join in mid boss fight to keep an illusion of coop. hell could make it more competitive by allowing you to attack eachother to add some chaos.

[@onesywashere]

When talking about the Co-op section, it wouldve been nice to bring up the Advance series as those had a true co-op mode with no setbacks. As you needed two systems with each a copy, the limitations were lifted because your screen only focused on yourself. For example, in Advance 3, you and a friend can play through the entire game in co-op with no drawbacks AND experience the character synergy you wouldve gotten regardless in single player. Its a shame that many wont experience a perfect sonic co-op mode today like in the Advance series.

[@ineophobe]

this is sonic 4 episode 3

[@aymenjbaili]

She didn't realize eggman and co were the bad guys she was force to work under them and didn't have the courage to speak against it's very important element in her story that represent her mental a anxiousness and lack of ability to speak to herself and face others and how kindness communal aid allow us to break from our outer shell reveal the truth Even her design is a play on this when the armor is removed it reveals the sun the truth about that we are hiding out of fear from ppl How ppl miss her story that bad or the story of superstars in general

[@SetoKaiba342]

I literally barely remember anything about this game.

[@greggdogg]

i haven't played superstars in a minute but from what I remember it felt a bit sluggish. actions all felt slightly delayed, jumping felt weirdly heavy but floaty at the same time

[@mr.thefrog5356]

I agree with the general charscterization of Superstars as a pretty boring, rote Sonic game. But, describing Pinball Carnival as a watered-down Carnival Night (while fair from aesthetic perspective) gives the latter too much credit from a level-design perspective. Carnival night is easily one of the weakest Sonic 3 levels in my opinion, and Act 2 has several sections that completely kill the pace. While arguably more forgettable, I'd easily prefer the superstars version simply because it's far less annoying to play through.

[@_lemon52]

I see what your saying tbh, i just found the levels very uninspired in this game but carnival knight is probably pretty a pretty weak level to compare it to.

[@joshuatrevino4508]

Nah bro no one is gonna remember pinball carnival . The flow was off imo ..I love the theme of act 2 tho but everything else is clunky and weird and forgettable compared to carnival night but I respect ur opinion

[@Hyp3rSonic]

​@@joshuatrevino4508I respect your opinion, but I really love pinball carnival. In fact, I definitely prefer it over the Sonic 3 level However, I respect your opinion, and I get why you think that. (Also, that sonic 3 zone kinda has a problem with crushing object, but tbf, almost? every 2D sonic game has that problem)

[@prismaticseal2553]

@@Hyp3rSonici do not in fact respect that opinion

[@Hyp3rSonic]

​​@@prismaticseal2553 what is the intent of this comment? 🤔 Anyways, that was just my opinion. You can have a different opinion. All I ask for you is to be not be rude about it Also, wdym by "not respect"? You mean respectfully disagree? Because otherwise, it seems like you might start being rude to me... of course, if that did happen, then I did nothing(other than expressing my opinion) If that made sense

[@mrbluejay]

39:14 mrbluejay mentioned mrbluejay mentioned in all seriousness this video is class mate, i honesty really do think that superstars was just a cheap knock off mania that could never hold a candle to it. this video put those thoughts out in a perfect way and i mirror a lot of what you think, less so tho since i gave up after like the second world lol also yeah the online is wank

[@PLUV1]

penny mentioned. yo-yo qctivated

[@Frank-zb7zh]

Not to be an asshole, but I personally didn’t find the game compelling. Is like they have a really nice momentum based movement but the level design never takes full advantage of it. And that’s just the biggest issue. I feel like the game shares a lot of problems with both superstars and frontiers.

[@PLUV1]

@@Frank-zb7zh thats what sequels are for to make things better in area that are lacking.

[@DracoHandsome]

When I played this game in 2P (Switch) a glitch made it impossible to beat the giant Eggman. You don't regain control right away, and the game positions you too far to the left in 2P, so when he enters the second phase you are always instantly killed. When you play it 1P you start in the correct position and have no issues

[@HeroTheHedgehog999]

59:00 I do like Mario Wonder I do think it’s better than Sonic SuperStars… but do we really have to trash on one game to prove that another game is good? And I hate that people couldn’t praise Mario Wonder without shooting Sonic Superstars down.

[@_lemon52]

I choose to compare superstars against Mario wonder because they were both brand new 2d platformers releasing at exactly the same time as each other and for the exact same price. It just shows there are other options for 2d platformers.

[@HeroTheHedgehog999]

@@_lemon52 True even though when we do compare the two it’s pretty much the same arguments.

[@Redpoppy80]

It still boggles my mind that Sega dumped Whitehead from Superstars. His team CLEARLY know more about 2D Sonic then Sega's "Sonic Team" does.

[@PureWaterGuy]

People who say superstars had "classic" gameplay never played the original games. The handle is never correct.

[@Da_Homie_Don]

The Game wasn’t bad but honestly the entire time it felt Like Sonic 4 Episode 3

[@pigeon_man6965]

so it made you feel nothing for 1 hour

[@leonsquaresoftkennedy]

thank you for commenting this so i dont have to

[@_lemon52]

Yes

[@Incrediblysimplestudios]

In the next SAGE event someone needs to make this game in Mania style

[@jonathanhargraves2241]

This game is pretty rough, but it has its moments. What really got me in this video was when you were talking about the backgrounds. Looking at how flat the backgrounds in this game were with the little detail they've got, it made me think of Sonic 4: Episode 2. I looked at a playthrough for the game, and it was sad to see how a mobile game that released when I was seven years old had better backgrounds than Superstars; better music too, somehow.

[@Mr-Cough]

I think sonic superstars is pretty good, I like all the levels they have pretty good gimmicks. The music is nice. Overall, it’s no Mario wonder but it is a fun game

[@jonathanwade3882]

i forgot mario wonder existed.. weird

[@leonroemann5309]

One thing that sadly did nkt get mentioned is that terrible chibi artstyle that lets my eyes bleed. It is very sad because mania had such an ectremly good artstyle. But then Sega saw Mario Wonders and thought that they also needed a simelar artstyle.

[@_lemon52]

Your 100% right I should’ve gone into that I really think the fisher price art style they went for held the game back visually

[@eggman3387]

Why did the Mighty No. 9 comparison hit the mark so well? Generations Classic sonic levels looking real good right now.

[@GameAW1]

Okay it needs to be said- too many people make some unrealistic comparisons with this game and Mario Wonder as though this game was trying to cash in on or compete with Mario Wonder (one of the multiplayer arguments here for example), and a couple of those are even here as well. Mario Wonder wasn't in any SEGA employee's mind when making this game. The reality is when they revealed Superstars and told us the release date, exactly zero people were hyped about Mario Wonder or even knew about it because Nintendo hadn't announced it yet. This means that SEGA as well would not have had any means to know about it. Nothing in this game was an attempt to compete with Mario Wonder, and least of all the release date. That one was just purely unfortunate timing. I can only imagine someone at SEGA shitting bricks when the game got announced and was confirmed to release so close to their own game. But they can't exactly delay the game either because they were already far too close to release. That being said, while I despise the boss fights in the game and agree with you on some points, I feel you're WAY too harsh on others, most notably the storytelling. You went with an assumption on Trip and for the entire thing stuck with that assumption. She wasn't an apprentice to Eggman and Fang; she was being coerced to work with them. Apart from the dragon, the story itself is as simple as can be- she got pushed too far and finally snapped especially thanks to knowing Sonic and co. can actually stop them. Still, gotta respect the vid as a whole even if I largely disagree with it. I find Superstars a fun game worth coming back to, just as long as you skip the bosses.

[@LuxuryChips]

true

[@metalandmagic1424]

It quite literally was competing with Mario Wonder It was a 2d platformer starring an iconic video game mascot releasing the first true wholly original new entry in the series in years, that costs 60 dollars, advertises 4 player multiplayer and online integration, and has a stylized 3d aesthetic, both releasing DAYS of each other. I get the whole unfair comparison argument, but acting like Sonic superstars wasn't competing with Wonder is braindead. The average person is NOT gonna have 120 dollars lying around to buy 2 full priced new games back to back DAYS of each other,

[@LuxuryChips]

@@metalandmagic1424 also true

[@GameAW1]

@@metalandmagic1424 My argument wasn't that it wasn't competing with Wonder at all though; it was that it wasn't trying to compete with Wonder because Sega didn't know at the time that Wonder even existed at all, meaning Wonder had exactly zero impact in anything in Superstars, for better or worse. Or can you prove exactly how Sega would have known about Wonder's existence to prepare a rival game that would only flounder in comparison to a juggernaut like Wonder? Because without that, it HAS to be accepted that like us, Sega had no way to know about Wonder when making it and thus it had no influence in Superstars' development.

[@Austinator0630]

Arzest is a successor company to Artoon which was founded by Ohshima in 1999. Naoto Ohshima is uncredited on all versions of Sonic Adventure since sadx due to a fallout between Yuji Naka.

[@sollato0293]

While I think Superstars is just decent, I think you’ve ruined your own experience by expecting the game to be Mania 2 even though it wasn’t even done by the same team and never hided the fact. I get that you were dissapointed about Mania 2 not being a thing, but it means you’re judging Superstars through an unfair viewpoint and even when you decided to revisit the game it sounds pretty clear that you didn’t really gave the game a chance and judge it for what it is.

[@_lemon52]

Going in I was fully fine with this not being a direct sequel to mania, while yes it’s disappointing things fell through I was willing to see everything superstars had to offer. I collected all chaos emeralds, played through all campaigns, tried the local multiplayer with my girlfriend, tried the online multiplayer with my friend and still just left feeling very disappointed with what I played. I only draw to mania as that is the most recent previous 2d classic game, going into superstars I still expected the game to at least match mania in terms of quality, but I found myself disappointed by all aspects really the gameplay, the graphics, story and theming

[@William5000000]

@@_lemon52 One of the main reasons why I consider "Sonic Superstars" a spin-off of the 16-bit "Sonic" games and "Sonic Mania (Plus)", rather than a mainline title (despite it chronologically taking place between "Sonic Mania (Plus)" and "Sonic Adventure"). When you really think about it, it's actually the same situation as "Metroid: Other M" where it ended up being extremely polarizing (trying to appeal to everyone, including both 2D and "Metroid Prime" fans) to the point that Nintendo officially demoted that game from mainline status to spin-off status of the 2D "Metroid" games (despite it chronologically taking place between "Super Metroid" and "Metroid Fusion"). I suscept Sega will demote "Sonic Superstars" from mainline status to spin-off status years later.

[@murderman8578]

More 2.5D sonic games will always be welcomed

[@Pretty_Rad]

I think in terms of Classic Sonic music, I think Jun Senoue should try experimenting with blending "mega drive" synth leads with his usual style. If you listen to his Splash Hill arrangement from Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, it sounds great (especially compared to the original), so I think an original song with that style in a more contemporary Classic Sonic game, instead of going balls to the wall and recreating the "classic Sonic" sound wholesale would be way cooler and more interesting.

[@MugApwool]

This is another one of those "I told you so" games for me, just like starfailed where you could just tell from the trailer it was mediocre/ straight up bad and yet each respective fanbase at the time would try and defend the truly indefensible on release for at least a few months. I remember just seeing the superstars announcement and thinking to myself where is the level design? So much of this just set piece after set piece where the game plays itself. You know you have a classic on your hands when it's still being played and discussed years after its release and I can see that with Mania but definitely not superstars.

[@soya_kitchens]

First video I've seen from you, and it's a really good video!

[@_lemon52]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@AraleNorimaki-b1c]

Sonic Superstars is designed as a multiplayer game, they limited the speed so that you aren't out-running characters as much as you already do. They also increased Knuckles' jump height for the same reason, but they kept his glide landing lag, so he's guaranteed to fall behind any time he uses it. Edit: "Look at all the camera angles in Generations!" You can't do that in a multiplayer game without breaking the flow of the game. Players would be disoriented, and I even have that problem in Sky Sanctuary in Generations, because it's hard to figure out how you're getting onto other paths. There's one point where you literally just walk down a slope and suddenly you're angled in a new direction, and that doesn't make any sense. This is a problem that exists in Sonic 2's Chemical Plant and Sonic 3's Hydrocity too, where you sometimes go up/down or bypass slopes depending on where you are in the level.

[@_lemon52]

I think to be honest that classic sonic gameplay is not suited to 4 player co op at all, the gameplay is just too fast and snappy. I think the game would’ve benefited greatly from having a 2.5d perspective as it would’ve made the zones feel much less lifeless. I’ve never had a problem with the camera angle change personally and never really heard of anyone who has but if it’s something that disorients you fair enough. Even if we were to get rid of the perspective change from time to time the game still could’ve benefited greatly from a 3D perspective similar to DK tropical freeze. Although personally I do feel like generations felt like it was on the right track

[@mundodasbananas1080]

as a fellow yellow fruit, great video mate!! :3

[@hitbyatank]

I bought Sonic super starts for $20 bucks I still want a refund… and I LOVE LOVE Sonic. Every level feels like I’ve been playing for 30 minutes

[@cloptopolis]

Trying to find the good parts about this game was QUITE hard. Especially when it leaves no lasting marks, unlike every other 2D game in the series.

[@Frank-zb7zh]

I don’t understand how you can call yourself a fan when the games that get the most praise are the Classic 2d games and the advance and rush trilogy are also seen as quality games.

[@cloptopolis]

@Frank-zb7zh I'm quite a fan of the 2D games, actually! I just stuck at typing! My bad 😂.

[@Hyp3rSonic]

I personally think the game is good(Imo)

[@Spit1990]

Yo, I didn't know that Penny was developed by Christian and Co. Holy crap, it plays so well! I gotta buy it now.

[@particularstudios8119]

I recently bought this game and wish I didn’t, havnt even beat it yet just cause the finale boss fight is so tedious and dosn’t even interest me enough to finish it

[@SKOT_3]

I think you're really underselling Mania by pretending it's just "A game made by fans" these guys are professionals, fans too yes, but you make it sound like it was 4 guys making a game when Sonic Team was in fact also involved with it.

[@Anths_art]

I forgot this game even existed I'm not even gonna lie LMFAOOO

[@Ospyro3em]

I wanted to like this game, I really did. The whole time I was playing I felt underwhelmed, waiting for it to pick up a bit and when I finished, it was like "is that it?". The final Super Sonic boss was really not enjoyable, as well as feeling extremely tacked on out of nowhere- "Oh by the way, here's a huge dragon to fight"

[@golbat888]

19:31 oh yeah, I totally forgot about the spindash problem. Apparently your spindash is tied to your fps, so if you're playing above or below 60fps (I think), then your spindash is weaker.

[@kieranstark7213]

Only Super Mario Bros Wonder haters/post-2000s (and that mainly excludes other media than the games, which some are actually great like Sonic Mania) Sonic fanbrats would dislike this.

[@gamelordabd]

The guy straight up says he loves Super Mario Bros. Wonder and dislikes this game, lmao. There are 90s fans that don't like Superstars and there are post-2000s "fanbrats" that like it. Get off the copium.

[@victorkuruk238]

I know I said this years ago....... But thank you Sega for Sonic mania 😊❤

[@sonicmeerkat]

on the final boss rant, actually the time limit is purely cosmetic, i found this out from the timer running out from the bosses phases taking so damn long. it honestly left me so aggravated because i'd just watch the time tick down and the boss just stand there inbetween attacks, the fang final battle specifically was so horrible for this, i legitimately quit the game after livestreaming both stories because it just absolutely disrespected my time with its constant instakills. also the headslam was his final hit??? i'm actually pissed off i gotten there once, right as my patience was running out and died to it, i was too annoyed and impatient to ever see that attack again before the time i quit like 2 hours into attempts.

[@Ocranix]

8 months brodie. I've been waiting for 5 months for an upload lol

[@_lemon52]

sowy

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

Arzest has often messed up increasingly every time they're given another chance, which is far too often. Trusting them to do a third Yoshi's Island game after how they handled the second one, was a mistake that led to an even worse sequel with uglier graphics, an ear piercing soundtrack, and having every boss fight being some of the most pathetic in gaming history! And after the tragedy that was Balan Wonderworld, they pretty much deserved to go bankrupt so they couldn't continue to get hired to ruin more games. With that said, it's a wonder that Sonic Superstars didn't end up as bad as Sonic 4, but still doesn't hold a candle to Sonic Mania and many of the greats from the Sonic fan game community. It's a problem with fans can make better Sonic games than Sega, since Sega like many companies just don't care: whether it be to the consumers, the employees, putting genuine effort into making quality games or making money in a way that will keep them relevant for many years to come.

[@William5000000]

It's true that Artoon/Arzest had been making middling games (6/10 at their core) in general, which is ultimately up to personal preference. But critically speaking, excluding the absolute train wreck that was "Balan Wonderworld" (definitely NOT 6/10 at its core), "Sonic Superstars" is easily Arzest's weakest work by far (5.5/10 at its core). The truly baffling thing is that some of the same developers at Arzest made "Sonic CD" back in 1993. You'd think those same developers would make "Sonic Superstars" be on par with the 16-bit "Sonic" games and "Sonic Mania (Plus)". But no, they didn't have the same passion they did for "Sonic CD". It's truly a shame. In any case, "Sonic Superstars" is yet another (directionless) "Sonic" game (after the directionless "Sonic Forces") that misses the mark in basically every way. It's to the point where OG hardcore fans have finally had enough of Sega's nonsense. Sega and Sonic Team (and Arzest as of October 2023) are completely dead to OG hardcore fans; they're on their blacklist going forward.

[@nicu227]

Tbh i hate how art-related stuff is so clicky even in big corp. You had talented people and threw under the bus just to get your best friend who isnt doing so good to do a mediucre game. I dont blame Iizuka he just does what he has learned from the big upper ups corporate game.

[@Fractorification]

I’m kinda shocked people are being generally nice in this comment section. When the game first came out, everyone was ready to drag you around if you didn’t like it claiming you were just nitpicking or something. I guess people just stopped caring once the honeymoon phase passed.

[@leonsquaresoftkennedy]

game was too difficult

[@stanzacosmi]

The worst part is when you said the bosses remain unchanged in trips story... they're harder and have more health. Not by much of course and some don't have more health at all so they can't even be consistent in that front.

[@Slightly_Sadistic]

I actually really like the game.

[@KnucklestheEcidna]

for the bosses they took inspiration from Rush. that's copy pasted. 1 hit then wait out animations until you can get the next hit in except for this game they purposefully limited you to just 1 hit per chance you get.

[@kitsugamer9916]

This game also made me feel the same way, after beating it I stopped playing it. I was so disappointed that I gave it a 1 out of 10 rating

[@MattisticStatistic]

I 100% believe that they don't know what they're doing anymore. Breath of the Wild did well? Slap sonic in there! Fans want SA3, Mania 2 or a Chao Garden game? Nah, have a game that plays itself. This IP is wasted, man.

[@William5000000]

"Sonic Superstars" was the last real chance of things getting better, since it chronologically takes place between "Sonic Mania (Plus)" and "Sonic Adventure". That too was wasted, cementing the fact that the golden years of the blue hedgehog, as well as Sega and Sonic Team, are way long in the past. 30 years of mishandling the IP after the 16-bit era, and Sega still didn't really learn anything. At this point, the sprite OG "Sonic" fan products are permanently the way to go; they match the quality of the 16-bit "Sonic" games and "Sonic Mania (Plus)". It's either go that route or move on from the franchise altogether. The OG hardcore fans that got screwed over with "Sonic Origins (Plus*)" (7/10 at its core; ver. 1.5.0/1.05 in physical form) and especially "Sonic Superstars" (5.5/10 at its core) aren't going to get true quality outside of the 'sprite OG' era (16-bit "Sonic" games and "Sonic Mania (Plus)") from Sega and Sonic Team for the foreseeable future, as the franchise is now *only* for the casual fans who care about the story and characters and will just take anything regardless of quality ("Sonic Frontiers", "Sonic Superstars", et cetera).

[@BlueEyedVibeChecker]

Breath of the Wild? What's that got to do with it? Are you one of those clowns who think Sonic Frontiers is like BoTW? I agree with your point, but BoTW is about as similar to Sonic Frontiers as DOOM is to Bubsy 3D. (They're both 3D, that's it) BoTW is just The Zelda Scrolls V: Skyrim, not Sonic Frontiers' inspiration or anything of the sort.

[@Milennin]

I wasn't even aware this game released, lol. Completely flew under my radar. Just looking at the gameplay, I can tell it looks off even if it looks better than previous attempts at replicating the classic 2D physics. IMO, not even Sonic Mania came close to a 100% here (probably in the 95% direction), but they came close enough that the slight differences there were didn't detract from it. Just by looking at this game, it falls into every "modern" 2D Sonic trap, like the boring, unappealing stage aesthetics. I know it's not impossible to create interesting 2D visuals, yet for some reason Sonic Team just can't get it right. Maybe it's the 2.5D effect they're going for, but the stages just look so cheap and bland, like they don't feel like actual worlds the characters exist in, but more just playgrounds consisting of basic shapes.

[@GregCubed]

Spot on about the aesthetics. In the classic games, the locations felt real - the platforming and level design were cohesively built into the environment. In SS, the levels look like a bunch of stock platform assets pasted on top of a flat background.

[@PlatformPanic8369]

This video really opened my eyes to why I didn't like superstars. Biggest waste of $60 in my life.

[@AquaVerve]

Fun for the levels telopez composed but the rest not really

[@JomasterTheSecond]

Me but with Mania tbh.

[@jonathanwade3882]

Mania is good but the amount of reused levels just didn't help. Dont get me wrong, it had good tracks and the aesthetics did help the game, but ui felt bored playing some of them and even the end stage that barely made sense to me. Its the only 2d sonic game i dont find myself replaying compared to the originals. SuperStars ill give a pass since it has multiplayer which has never been done in a mainline sonic game before

[@destroyerkitty9434]

The mere existence of Sonic Mania proves that Superstars isn’t a broken idea. Classic Sonic in the modern era works, you just need to carry the heart and spirit of Sonic into it, and Superstars came off like it was cash grab based on the increased popularity of the classic style. I’m passionate about this little guy, so it’s easy to tell when the developers were or weren’t passionate about it in return.

[@Neilface]

The game made me feel anger, because I waited for it to be cheap, and I pulled the trigger on £22... Only for it to drop to £15 on Amazon two days later! I forget what point I gave up... maybe that desert boss with the tiles, but I just felt like I was wasting my time... as it wasted my time. After knowing how the bosses are at the end of the game, I definitely made the right decision to abandon it.

[@MGSDude01]

Ah, Sonic Superfarts. Which totally isn’t worth 60 dollars by the way. Picked it up, put it down and never touched it again until Sonic’s birthday this year. And I never want to see classic Sonic brought back again. Bullshit level design and enemy placements, horseshit bosses, abysmal and borderline unplayable co-op, mid soundtrack. Never even beat the game after getting to the last part against Eggman; having to play it all again with Trip to get the true ending? Kiss my ass. Yeah no, Sega needs to let this iteration of Sonic die already.

[@William5000000]

Bad news for those wanting '(Neo) Classic Sonic' to fade into obscurity: '(Neo) Classic Sonic' returns in "Sonic X Shadow Generations". Who knows when that will finally be a thing of the past...? Casual fans seem to love '(Neo) Classic Sonic', no matter what. The words 'classic' and 'Classic Sonic' have lost all meaning outside of the true golden era within the extremely messy fan base. Therefore, true (former) OG "Sonic" fans have to be extra specific from now on. 'Sprite OG Sonic' makes the most sense, as it easily refers to the 'sprite OG' era (16-bit "Sonic" games and "Sonic Mania (Plus)", as well as sprite OG "Sonic" fan products). Chronologically speaking, outside of the 'sprite OG' era, it would be '(Neo) Classic Sonic' in the directionless "Sonic Superstars", *which would greatly benefit from a fan mod to vastly improve the experience* (as well as "Sonic (X Shadow) Generations" and the directionless "Sonic Forces"). Knowledgeable fans from certain eras should not have to refer to certain things just to be extra specific. It is really all on Sega for how things turned out in the long term after the 16-bit era. If anything, they are one of the most disappointing companies of all time. And I say this as someone who has been around since the early 1990s.

[@Strikefence]

Low key, I just think Sonic Team and/or Sega is allergic to making good Sonic games. Whenever they get too close to making one someone sneezes all over their computer and corrupts the data. No other explanation makes sense.

[@bluudevil4483]

Hey lemond, praying that your getting trough life challenges. Please take the time you need to sort things out. life do be lifen but we'll always be here supporting. great job with this review and I agree with every statement you made about this is game, tbh I'm threw with franchise. I've accepted Sonic isn't for me anymore but indie games like freedom planet, spark the electric jester, and rolling rascal have given me everything i love, value and play a sonic game for. Sonic in my perception is no longer a respected gaming icon he's just a corporate children's mascot, all style and no substance. I respect your opinion on 3D sonic but personally I don't like most of the 3D games at all, Adventure 1&2 have their merits but overall I'm not a fan of the many different play styles those games brings to the table and the boost games ain't my cup of tea. sorry you had an unpleasant time with superstars but genuinely appreciate the thorough review, Also if you don't mind me asking, what's the outro music?

[@_lemon52]

Thanks for the kind words pal. I can see how the adventure games just don’t do it for some people tbf, there a mismatch of a lot of different gameplay styles. The music in the outro is electric toothbrush from the jet set radio soundtrack

[@bluudevil4483]

@@_lemon52 thanks you man🙏

[@retrogamer9362]

It's ok, I know sonic superstars one worst sonic games not just a sonic game but a classic sonic game and that just sad, and we all expect to be as good as sonic mania and that what shock people most that this game failed to be a good classic sonic game

[@deathegg9474]

They really dropped the ball not getting evening star to make another mania like game again. Mania was really close to prefect if it had original levels and maybe Amy playable

[@KingCharlesssII]

The legend is back

[@Koko-cy4ff]

Hard disagree on the Super Sonic final boss. The fight is arguably worse than the Fang Mech. I spent hours on it in absolute frustration. There is no rhyme or reason to it, you are simply hoping enough randomly spawning rings come your way and that your friends who also randomly spawn in show up enough. The only reason I got through it was because I got the extremely rare Amy spawn that gives you a huge load of rings. There is also no incentive to avoid the attacks other than the insta kill ones, as they do nothing to you, unless you are trying to aim for one of your friends' ring drops. Also to hell will the very end of the boss suddenly switching to an entirely new gameplay style. You are on your last legs and on your last stroke of luck with the ring spawns and then they decide to throw a curveball at you? And if you mess that up, you are basically done for as it takes 30-40 seconds at minimum for him to do his final attack again.

[@KacperjarV2]

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YESSSSSS....... ITS BEAUTIFUL

[@kingstonbryant2009]

I despise the fact that sega made this 60.00 bucks when it has lackluster content and isn't even that long of a game. Cause I thing if your going to make a game that price it better be a great game.

[@dittoplayz3183]

took you long enough :)

[@nightlydata2181]

1st I wanna mention that the story is made clear IN THE GAME & the dragon is alluded to in the 1st cutscene we C all 3 Antags interact(Eggman literally draws a shitty pic of the dragon he's tryin to find but like many ancient beins it awakens & doesn't do wut he wants). I personally view the story as my 2nd fav behind CD(in the classics) & really like trip & her character Arc of findin true friends, not bein pushed around to appease ppl she wants to be friends wit, & LITERALLY comin out of her shell(there's more to it but that's the easiest part to get). This ain't any more "confusin" than the other classics cus not only is it the EXACT same style of storytellin it's made MORE CLEAR in the animated cutscenes. Did u not get the stories in the others cus it doesn't make sense to not SOMEWUT catch on to wut's goin on & I mean without the pre-released animation(tho it'd def be better if these were in the games, idk Y ST don't bother). I'm not sayin this game doesn't have some problems like the inconsistent score, or the way co-op/multi play is handled. But all those don't get in the way of wut is now my 3rd fav classic sonic game(tho if advance 1 were added it'd go to 4th instead lol). The "horrible weight issue" I agree on but that's existed since S3&K & Mania. This game jus copied them too closely cus they're the fan faves. It might also be a psychological thing in the 3D. The speed is the same but that feel is somehow lessened & idk Y. Again maybe psychological & or maybe they re-added a speed cap for some reason. Mania & 3&K R "WAY WORSE" in level design when u really compare so I don't agree but u make some points here & there I get. Chaos emeralds R wisps but "not as good". Them & the addition of trip & classic Amy R most def Y the item shields aren't in the game(U even lose the shield move sonic had in 3&K). The bosses aren't even "poorly" designed it's jus they can be frustratin only when u DON'T know how to handle them. The co-op & chaos emerald abilities R def Y they take so long tho. Most classic sonic bosses R actually technically "worse" designed than these & even sayin "they're actually sonic bosses at least" isn't true for most of em & how swiftly u take em out is the only thing u could point to at most in most cases. I'd jus make em take less hits & the bulk of the issue is solved if they're guna have this design. At the very least u don't have to deal wit em more than once cus after u beat the game u can jus do Time Attack & they're removed from the levels entirely. So they're at least less of an issue comin back to the game. The comparison u made in graphics is overplayed but u make a point it could've looked nicer at least. Multi-play again isn't "great" but it doesn't get in the way of the main thing so it can be ignored if u don't care. It's cool u have a customizable robot that even pops up as 1 of the bosses in the main game but it's def way too grindy to focus on customization even if the point is replayability. It comes off like a chore instead. It has some issues but the core of the game is handled "WAY BETTER" than most of the other classics & I love this game a lot. I feel like a superstars plus would fix 90% of the side issues & it'd immediately prob be closer to 2nd fav tbh. Evolution would be nice but they'd rather keep it for "modern" so maybe we can entice em to do a modern 2D like advance or rush. Seems to me wonder jus looks nicer but is still the same & I've seen full playthroughs & wasn't enticed at all

[@polocatfan]

even though the game sucks at least trip is cute

[@user-vacgod2739]

Honestly, I think this is the LAMEST 2D Sonic game ever made.

[@jaretco6423]

Even more so than Sonic 4?

[@user-vacgod2739]

@@jaretco6423 Yes.

[@inktendo]

I honest to god believe that Sonic 4 is a better game than Sonic Superstars

[@SteveEmeraldClaw]

This was a very insightful video. I can agree to a bunch of these points as I have played Generations and Mania (as well as Sonic 4). This game missed the mark and the multiplayer is insanely bad, barely and DLC after the first few months, and the online scene is practically dead. I personally think the game takes a nosedive after Pinball Carnival. I don't mind Sky Temple as it's a huge one act level and I appreciate something new. Pinball Carnival has the Halloween aesthetic going on in Act 2 which makes it pop out form the rest. Lagoon City is more of a poor man's version of Water Palace from Sonic Rush. Those assets in the background in Lagoon City are actually just 2D images of walls, and I do think it's ass. Golden Capital is meh because it reuses the pinball gimmick from Pinball Carnival but now with extra rings. Aside from what I said, I do have three points to tell you though. 1.) In Sandopol- I mean, Sand Sanctuary, those blue moles can be bounced back at the boss when they spring up in the air. It's not defending the bosses by any means, but it does help tick down its health. 2.) The camera does zoom out in multiplayer, but sadly not enough, and a lot of people agrees that the multiplayer camera would've been way better in singleplayer because of how zoomed in the game is. 3.) The timer means absolutely nothing in Superstars, meaning you can go into the Egg Fortress final boss with 0'00'00 time. The timer just contributes to the Time Bonus.

[@_lemon52]

Thanks for the feedback. I see what you mean with the camera being slightly zoomed out when I look back at footage. As for the time limit with the final boss. For me if you run out of time in the first phase of the boss it killed me instantly, I only found the time limit did nothing after I got to the second phase where the boss enters the foreground.

[@azalax3266]

splitscreen would of easily worked for co-op (it worked for mania) but that would of took more effort for this $60 2d sonic game

[@FreshmenTV]

I enjoyed superstars 🤷🏿‍♂️ maybe feel like they wasted their money because a 2D game hasn’t been the same price of a 3D game in YEARS. If superstars was $40 I think it would’ve been received better

[@Tamikiry]

Im a huge sonic fan and i also wasnt hyped for this game i tried it however and yeah i felt nothing either

[@zy2239]

How can Sega be so incopentent when making Sonic games now a days !!! ??? Like, that is your effing Mario Bros… treat it with more respect 😂😂😂

[@BrenoXavier55]

They don't wanna put time and effort on it, SEGA is all about the money, they just want to do quick cash grabs

[@cakelayer]

This isn't SEGA you ineducated idiot, Arzest developed this and no, it's not worse than f*cking Rise of Lyric because it has a 3D Artstyle or because the Bosses have challenge or because the music is 0.1 percent off how it sounded in the mega drive games, now grow up you nostalgia blind fanboy

[@cakelayer]

Also, if you want a cash grab go see Sonic X Shadow Generations, oh wait, you won't complain about that because it panders to your nostalgia and Shadow finally fights like he always has 😢 Let's not progress the franchise in any way! It has to be exactly like the originals with the same rehashed stuff from back in the day or its immediately bad!

[@mossen98]

This game didn't even make me feel nothing. I played it and was so disappointed in it i refunded it. Thanks steam.

[@DaveMan1K]

I'm being dead serious when I say this. Sonic Superstars was one of the worst experiences I've ever had with a Sonic game: - The stages are long and arduous - The gimmicks are pace-breaking - The badnik and hazard placement is so cheap it gives Sonic 4 a run for its money - The camera is too zoomed in to see where you're going - The soundtrack is uneven - The glitches are infuriating - The bosses are the single worst in the entire franchise that can last as long as an single act (longer if you easily mess up and have to start over). You can tell it was made by the Balan Wonderworld team. Having slogged through Superstars for far longer than I should've had to, I can confidently say it is my least favourite game of the entire series. I'd rather play Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, at least that one isn't unfair.

[@cakelayer]

Nice childish ragebait you have there

[@DaveMan1K]

@@cakelayer Where's the ragebait? I'm sharing my experience.

[@Kelps.mp4]

- The stages are long and arduous No - The gimmicks are pace-breaking No - The badnik and hazard placement is so cheap it gives Sonic 4 a run for its money No - The camera is too zoomed in to see where you're going Slightly - The soundtrack is uneven Kind of - The glitches are infuriating Not infuriating, just annoying. - The bosses are the single worst in the entire franchise that can last as long as an single act (longer if you easily mess up and have to start over). Yeah

[@_lemon52]

I got to agree with you unfortunately. I expected superstars to be mediocre but I was surprised by just how much I disliked it. I deffo won’t be returning to it anytime soon. I fully get what you mean when you say you can tell it’s from the people that made Balan wonderland. Just fell short in quite a few areas. I think they were out of their depth a bit. Classic sonic is a far more complex game design than they probably expected

[@JadeJovian]

Oh hey, it's you. You said this same exact thing on Reddit, got downvoted to oblivion, and now you're copypasting the same comment here 😂