After the success of Sonic Mania, Sonic Superstars is the latest 2D Sonic experience that aims to bring new things to the table while also feeling just like the classic games players have loved for decades. Playing as either Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, or even Superstars' Amy, fans can team up in couch co-op to defeat Dr. Eggman and his cohorts Fang the Hunter and Trip the Sungazer to save the Northstar Islands.

While there are many characters to choose from, eventually everyone who picks up Sonic Superstars will have to play as Sonic the Hedgehog himself. This means that it's a given that Sonic needs to feel nice to play against all of his friends, or else the protagonist of the series will be seen as an annoyance rather than a good mascot for Sega. Between the two most recent 2D releases, Sonic Origins and Sonic Superstars, players may wonder which version of Sonic feels the best to play comparatively.

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Sonic Origins' Unique Remaster Qualities

Sonic Origins and its Plus expansion are a rather interesting compilation of games as it collects remasters done by dedicated Sonic fans Christian Whitehead and Simon "Stealth" Thomley of Headcannon that were originally made for the mobile releases of Sonic 1 and 2. Whitehead's Sonic CD port was able to reach consoles, but after much fan demand, the highly-praised mobile remasters were finally brought to most major platforms last year.

Using the power of Whitehead's Retro Engine, Sonic Origins' ports may not be entirely perfect, but after a few patches, it serves as a great compilation of the first four mainline Sonic titles. Due to how these particular titles are the exact feeling and platforming that Sonic Superstars wants to emulate, it's important to note how quickly Sonic controls, and how fast fans can manage to go. In most of the games in Sonic Origins, Sonic needs a few seconds to pick up speed, with Sonic CD having the most weight before Sonic begins his sprint.

How Sonic Superstars Does the Blue Blur Justice

While it's understandable that fans may have their reservations about Superstars after Sonic 4 didn't measure up when it came to playing as it should, series loyalists have nothing to worry about as Sonic plays exactly how he should. Some players may feel like Sonic Superstars has a bit of weight to it, but any difference to how the hedgehog feels is strictly due to the difference in art style as physics-wise, he's as snappy, responsive, and roll-able as anyone would expect from a Classic Sonic game. Sonic 3 fans may lament the fact that the blue blur goes without his insta-shield, as Amy's hammer takes it as her own, but Sonic Mania's Drop Dash has been added, proving to still be very helpful.

If there are any flaws with playing as Sonic in Superstars, the closest thing to it is that the titular character may feel a little underwhelming compared to other characters such as Tails or Amy after fans get a taste of what playing as them is like. However, if players want the fast, precise platforming that the series is known for, playing as Sonic is a great way to get it without having flight or a hammer shield when jumping to fall back on.

For those who like all kinds of Sonic experiences, switching from Sonic Frontiers to Superstars will likely be a jarring change from the beginning as it is on its own, especially after playing with the final DLC update it recently had. While it's understandable that switching from 2D to 3D may be a bit rough on some players, just the lack of the double jump that's part of Sonic Frontiers' skill set may make fans feel spoiled when they need to work with Classic Sonic's singular jump. Once players adjust, though, the rest of Sonic Superstars should be smooth sailing.

Sonic Superstars is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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