Sonic Superstars modernizes a classic formula – hands-on gameplay report

blog.playstation.com:

Sonic is back and in a very familiar way. Sonic Superstars returns the speedy blue hedgehog to his 2D retro roots, complete with playable appearances from some of his best friends to defeat Doctor Eggman again (or Robotnik, if you’re feeling super nostalgic). But don’t let the classic exterior fool you. Superstars is here to show that an old hedgehog can still learn new tricks.

Like most classic Sonic titles, Sonic Superstars features more than just the headlining hedgehog as a playable character. This time around, there are four heroes to choose from, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles ‘Tails’ Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, and sporting her original Sonic CD outfit, Amy Rose.

In the retro Sonic spirit, each of these characters has their own abilities that make them perfect for different playstyles and types of playthroughs. Sonic has the speed, Tails has his high flying, Knuckles can glide horizontal distances and climb up structures, and Amy has her hammer, which can break walls and allows her to double jump with the widest damage radius of each character. These characters alone are reason enough to revisit the game more than once, but they aren’t the only thing that will keep you playing.

For the first time in the series, four players can venture through the world of Sonic at the same time. You and your squad can pick from the four selectable characters and work together to collect the Chaos Emeralds and save the innocent animals from the mechanical clutches of Eggman.

Sonic Superstars harkens back to the series’ 2D origins, but there is nothing but all-new zones here. That means new-level themes, new setpieces, and a lot of new eye candy while you roll around at the speed of sound. These include things like a foggy