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Sonic Superstars' approach of using 3D graphics for a 2D platforming experience may seem familiar to fans who remember the Classic Sonic gameplay in Sonic Generations and Sonic Forces, but Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka has assured the press that the studio's past 2.5D work was not much of an inspiration for this latest adventure. When asked by German website NTower if Sonic Generations was a foundation for Sonic Superstars to build from, Iizuka was keen to stress the differences. "For Sonic Generations, the 3D world and 3D gameplay [for Modern Sonic] were created first. What we did in [that] game was to lock the camera so that we can show the players the sideview of this 3D adventure. So the game focuses on Modern Sonic gameplay with a classic element on the sideview. Sonic Generations: Not Sonic Superstars. "When you look at the controls, you will see that it feels more like a Modern Sonic game, than having the feel of the classics... The [Sonic Superstars] team really wanted to make sure that this classic Sonic gameplay remained intact... so that people who love the classic feel can be assured that they will find that in this new entry," the executive added. "Moving forward, when we do more classic Sonic games, we want to keep this classic feel alive. That is the funamental difference to the sideview in Sonic Generations." Given that Iizuka has spoken openly and positively about Sonic Team's work with Evening Star in the past (the developer behind Sonic Mania) - including stories of early design discussions with the indie studio about what would end up becoming Sonic Superstars - it's clear to see that the 2017 fan favourite is providing more of the inspiration behind any Classic Sonic game mechanics and production going forward. Sonic Superstars: Not Sonic Generations. It's not just in the visual department in which Superstars differs from Generations, but also its stage design - which is reportedly being fielded by none other than Iizuka-san himself. Hopefully this may reassure fans who are curious about how the physics and visual of Sonic Superstars will fare under the hands of Sonic Team and Arzest. Sonic News Tips Credit: ShinyGems Original Post Content: View full story

Sonic made a big splash at Gamescom 2023, with SEGA's consumer booth featuring a treasure trove of blue blur goodies. From a restored 1990s UK statue to a massive LEGO Eggman Robot, there was a lot to get excited about. Of course, the upcoming Sonic Superstars was also on show, both with a Summer Game Fest demo for the public and a special look at the game's multiplayer mode behind closed doors. While we have already covered the public demo's contents from our platters back in June, I can add my own personal experience as to how it all plays and feels. In general, the game really does offer the same kind of inertia and physics that we are accustomed to in the 16-bit Sonic games (and re-introduced to perfection with Sonic Mania). Given the Mania development team's involvement in the initial pitch phase of what would eventually become Superstars, it's nice that - even though Christian Whitehead and Evening Star are not actually involved - the game feels like Arzest has taken the gameplay template from Mania and ran with it. Bridge Island Zone promises a great time as a new 'Green Hill' style opening level, and for the most part it pulls it off! Curves and loop-de-loops aplenty, easy introductions to new concepts such as the Water Chaos Emerald power up, and a few imaginative tributes to scenarios you might recall from Sonic Adventure and others. The game plays with depth quite a bit as well, with Sonic and friends spinning and dashing from foreground to background and back again. The only thing that dulled things to a degree were the floating dash loops that shot you automatically from place to place - a novel gimmick on first play, and forgivable as a first Zone object, but did have a slight twinge of the game wanting to play the stage for me at certain points. Speed Jungle was much more of a hi-octane stage, with various elements feeling very reminiscent of Chemical Plant Zone. Loads of opportunities to blast ahead at pace, with Sonic and pals automatically grinding on vines once they reach a certain running speed. These vines will curve up and down and you can choose to timely jump to switch lanes, just like the tubes at the start of Sonic 2's second level. But there will be speed traps in the form of cleverly-designed Badniks - frogs that will stick you with their tongues, and rocket-powered enemies that chase you while dashing along the vines. I was able to find time to play as all four characters and each one was a treat to play - and watch. The animations on these classic heroes are simply adorable, and really illustrate a level of love and care made to each model. Seeing Sonic go from open-mouthed confusion to determined frown as he starts running is exactly the kind of attention to detail I imagined for these characters when I was a kid playing the 16-bit prequels. Amy Rose in particular is a great character to play, and would be a good choice for new players. She has a similar moveset to her last appearance in Sonic Origins Plus, only there are some significant tweaks. Jumping will have Amy spin with her Piko Piko Hammer, and this can protect her from certain obstacles and destroy spiked enemies when in this state - but after the mid-point of her jump she will revert to a standard jump spin, making her vulnerable (but still able to bop regular enemies like Sonic and co). She also has a Hammer Attack that works like Sonic's Drop Dash, but unlike Origins Plus Amy doesn't automatically rush forward when she lands, meaning you can choose to have her mash her hammer in a standing position or while running along, depending on how you're moving the character when you land. Behind closed doors, I was able to experience two new stages that haven't been played before Gamescom - Pinball Carnival and Cyber Station. The former is your typical bouncing Sonic stage du jour, with bumpers, flippers and roulettes dotted throughout. It kind of reminded me of a cross between Carnival Night Zone from Sonic 3 and Sonic Advance's Casino Paradise. It was certainly a lot of fun. Cyber Station was the more interesting stage though, allowing Sonic Team and Arzest to really get creative with the gameplay. Offering almost Techno Base vibes (only a little less dramatic), this vibrant Zone has Sonic and pals run around a wireframe-decorated world with special areas that transforms the gang into strange voxel-based creatures and objects. Each transformation presented a different way of traversing the level - turning into a squid (or is it a jellyfish?) to float around the map, for example, or becoming a little pixelly mouse that can ride on electric power lines to jet from one platform to the next. You can even turn into a rocket, which sees you having to fight through obstacles and hit dash pads to reach a horizontal goal. Two new Chaos Emerald powers were available to me during this demo build as well - a purple ability allows you to see invisible platforms and objects in the stage, giving you a chance to temporarily explore new areas, while a red 'fireball' skill turns you into a flaming rock of destruction that can be angled and shot in any direction you please. All of this would have been great to experience alone, but at Gamescom I was given the opportunity to play both of these new stages in the game's multiplayer co-op mode. Sonic Superstars allows for up for four players to run manically around together, but here I was only able to find one friend to play two-player. Now, multiplayer modes in Sonic games have been extremely hit and miss - especially co-op modes, where you find that your Sonic will often outrun your sibling's Tails, making play pretty boring for at least one of you. Superstars tries to fix this by taking the 'New Super Mario Bros Wii' route and designing the game so that it tries to track all players at once on the same screen. When a player inevitably gets left behind, they can press a button to teleport straight to where the player of focus is, in order to catch up. In my playthrough, this 'rescue' feature was used very often by both my game partner and myself. We both found it quite fun (and funny) that we kept losing each other, but I suspect that SEGA will want to spend more time on the game's player-tracking algorithm to make sure there is a consistency in which player it ultimately tracks and why. It was sometimes difficult to understand why one of us was being picked as the focus character when the other ran too far forward or up/down. But to be honest, I don't think this will be a mode that hardcore Sonic players will be bothered by too much. I can see this co-op mode being extremely fun and engaging for short, light-hearted gaming sessions with casual friends and family, so I don't think anyone else will be frustrated by the change of pace such a mode will introduce. One thing I will say though, is that to help account for the tracking of multiple players, the screen is actually zoomed out a little in the co-op mode compared to the single-player. And that may be my only gripe with playing Superstars solo at this point - maybe draw that camera back a little bit so I can see more of the environment around me, Sonic Team. Besides that though, Sonic Superstars is shaping up to be a very special 2D platformer indeed. It seems to have the spirit of Mania's in terms of gameplay philosophy, and the heart and soul of the personality-steeped 16-bit classics. We'll have to wait until launch to see if the whole package makes the grade, but so far I like what I'm seeing. Here are some more of the latest screenshots from the game, courtesy of SEGA PR: View full story

To the shock of nobody, the latest upcoming Sonic game will be at Gamescom! Perhaps we'll get an official release date?

Sonic Frontiers looks to be the most ambitious entry in the game series yet - and not just in the gameplay department. While Sonic's latest adventure does aim to reinvent the tried-and-tested format with its free-roaming 'open zone' concept, SEGA is also keen to use the game as a stepping stone to connect the multiple entertainment universes of Sonic the Hedgehog together in a unified way. And it all starts with Sonic Frontiers' story, itself a collaboration between Sonic Team and IDW Sonic comic writer Ian Flynn. We were given an opportunity to sit down with Takashi Iizuka, head of Sonic Team, for a brief five minutes, to discuss the implications of Flynn's involvement with the game and what it could mean for other Sonic universes. We also asked about those darn cute Koco as well, don't worry. Sonic Stadium: Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with the Sonic community at Gamescom, Iizuka-san. I wanted to ask you about some of the things Sonic Team has revealed over the last week — first of all, the Kocos. They're very cute! What's their role in Sonic Frontiers, and do you see them as limited to the Starfall Islands? Or are they a bit like Wisps, where they may return in future Sonic titles? Takashi Iizuka: The Koco are kind of a mysterious creature that exist all on the Starfall Islands and... well, they play into the story quite a bit so I'm afraid I can't really talk about what they are too much [laughs]. We definitely don’t want to spoil the mystery. Sonic Stadium: That's understandable. I'll just totally throw away my follow up question then [laughs]! But just for argument's sake..! You know, the fanbase has taken one look at the Koco and the first thing they've collectively said is, 'hey, they kind of look like the new Chao'. And as you know, a lot of fans are always asking about Chao in future Sonic games... so! I was going to ask; are Koco really the new Chao? Takashi Iizuka: [Laughs] Well, the Chao and Koco are of course separate beings, really… in Sonic Frontiers you're going to find a lot of these Koco all around the different islands. And as you're picking them up, there's going to be ways you can power up Sonic's abilities [depending on how many you collect]. So I guess if we were to really compare them... it’s not like Chao, which are creatures you grow and nurture and play around with. The Koco's unique feature is that they are tied to your actual progression and the fun things you can do on the islands. Sonic Stadium: So there's been a lot of excitement about Ian Flynn's involvement in crafting the story beats with Sonic Team for Sonic Frontiers. What does it mean for the direction of the Sonic game series, to have people involved with the licensed comic book series contribute to the stories of mainline games? Takashi Iizuka: We've had lots of different writers involved with the Sonic series for the longest time, but in this day and age it's really interesting as we now have Sonic in games, Sonic in comic books, Sonic in movies... we have lots of different Sonics all throughout the different entertainment mediums for fans to see. And one of the things I really wanted to do is solidify everything, get it all a little tighter in terms of a unified Sonic experience. So what I wanted to do [with Sonic Frontiers] was make sure that, while the past comic books were its own separate thing, by having Ian Flynn - who's doing the IDW comics - also work with us on the game... it's kind of bringing the comics and the games a little bit closer together, in this unified Sonic experience. It's really all about that unification, to me, and making sure we're putting a very unified version of Sonic out there. Sonic Stadium: That's very interesting! Then... should we expect to see more crossovers or collaborations between the games, comics - maybe even the movies - in the future? Or do you see each of those things as very much different universes in your mind, despite collaborations like in Sonic Frontiers? Takashi Iizuka: Well I think that... even with the [Sonic] Netflix TV show that's going to be on air soon and the [IDW] comic series... it's always best having one universe [to connect them]. For the movies though, it's a little too hard to reasonably incorporate this realistic-looking Sonic, with real human being friends and real planet Earth... all of those things are a bit difficult to put into the games [laughs]! But if we're talking about the comics, the Netflix series and the games? Moving forward, the idea of trying to get all of them into the same universe - or even if it's not exactly the same universe, at least having them feel like they're part of a connected universe - is something that's very important to us. Sonic Stadium: Talking about the new trailer you guys showed this past week at Gamescom… there was the reveal of some new biomes, like a desert landscape and a tropical island. All of the open zones that we’ve seen so far seem more realistic in visual design than you'd expect to see in traditional Sonic games. Is that an intentional design choice? And do you see the Cyberspace stages as a way of perhaps being a little more expressive, with some more unrealistic stages environments like you’d see in say, Green Hill Zone? Takashi Iizuka: The Starfall Islands is this mysterious new location that neither Sonic or Eggman have ever been to, so the team really wanted to go and build a mysterious new environment for them to explore, and introduce players to this new kind of world. When we talk about Cyberspace, these are environments that are created from Sonic’s memories, which have been put together in this digital format. So, these stages are all places Sonic has been to before, that he does have some memory of - but it’s being constructed in this, I guess you could say, 'unreal' way... through this digital recreation of his memories. That's really the difference between the real world and the Cyberspace as you see it in Sonic Frontiers. Sonic Stadium: One last question before I go - I recently watched the livestream for SEGA Japan’s Mega Drive Mini II console, and one of the announcements was that M2 had fully completed a game called ‘Devi & Pii’… Takashi Iizuka: Oh, Devi and Pii [laughs]! Sonic Stadium: I understand that - correct me if I’m wrong - this was a game that you designed? And I don’t think it ever got released. How does it make you feel that this game is finally completed and is able to be played by fans? Takashi Iizuka: When I first heard that they were going to put the game in, I was like, “Wait, you can't... are you kidding me? Do you guys even have the game data!?" This is going back 30 years ago! So I didn’t even believe it was real at first, I thought they were pulling a prank on me! But the team said, ‘No, we actually do still have the data at SEGA, and we are going to have it put into the final product’. So… it’s kind of a mixed feeling, because obviously I’m very pleased that this game I created is finally going to see the light of day. But at the same time, it’s something I did when I first joined SEGA over 30 years ago. Sonic Stadium: Before even Sonic 3! Takashi Iizuka: [Laughs] Before even Sonic 3! And you know, it never saw the light of day back then, so you gotta wonder... But now it’s going to actually be played by consumers! How are they going to feel and react about this game I created 30 years ago..? So, it's kind of this mixed bag of emotions for me - I'm really happy, but also a little curious and maybe a bit worried about how people are going to take to it! Sonic Stadium: I guess you didn’t have much in the way of input with this completed version? M2 just put it all together based on untouched 30 year old data? Takashi Iizuka: Yeah, I haven’t done anything to it, they just took the old data and now it’s playable. You know... that game was only created by two people, including myself! Sonic Stadium: Really? Wow! Takashi Iizuka: Yeah! I was the game designer, and also the graphic designer! The other person did all the programming. Sonic Stadium: Well, I'm sure the fans will really love Devi & Pii when they finally get their hands on a Mega Drive Mini II. Thank you for talking to us about your memories and for giving us some more insight into Sonic Frontiers, Iizuka-san. We really appreciate your time! Takashi Iizuka: Thank you! Our preview of Sonic Frontiers from the Gamescom 2022 show will be published on Sonic Stadium soon. View full story

To the surprise of probably nobody, SEGA has been announced as attending the upcoming Gamescom convention taking place in Germany next month. Which is potentially great news for Europeans hoping to get some hands-on time with Sonic Superstars! Of course, SEGA's lineup at the Cologne-based games expo has yet to be confirmed, but with the new 2D Classic Sonic adventure hitting store shelves in the Fall, it would make sense for this game to make the cut. No doubt some of SEGA's other new and upcoming titles will be on show as well, including Creative Assembly's loot shooter Hyenas (which also happens to feature Sonic... sort of). SEGA has been a longtime partner of Gamescom, and last year we got to see some gameplay demos of Sonic Frontiers (and we had an exclusive chat with Takashi Iizuka about the game then too). The Sonic Stadium is also going to be at Gamescom this year, so we'll hope to bring you all the latest info and details from the show floor! Via Twitter View full story

An image taken from this year's Gamescom event in Germany appears to confirm that Big the Cat will feature in Sonic Frontiers. A tweet from 'Bibouboul' today shows two show-goers watching an in-game scene with the massive mouser alongside Sonic, who appears to have a fishing rod in hand. While there is no official confirmation as to Big's role in the game, it does tease elements of the fishing game that is purported to be returning to the series. Stay tuned for more on Frontiers as it comes! View full story

After announcing a world premiere new look of the game at Opening Night Live next week, you would expect Sonic Frontiers to make some kind of formal appearance on the show floor at Gamescom 2022. Well, luckily for anyone who's attending, those expectations were right. SEGA has sent a press release confirming a playable demo as well as a meet and greet with Takashi Iizuka. The publisher confirmed that Gamescom will play host to a "world first public outing" of the upcoming Sonic adventure, with a playable demo available to attendees at the SEGA booth. For anyone who's making the trip to Germany for the show, you'll be able to find that booth in Hall 9. "Show-goers will be able to experience the wonders of Starfall Island in Sonic's new open-zone platforming adventure," reads the press release from SEGA. Sonic Frontiers will also be present at TikTok's Gamescom booth as well, oddly enough, so there's that to look forward to as well. That booth will be in Hall 7 - and it will be there that Sonic series head Takashi Iizuka will make an appearance for a public meet and greet as well. That will take place on Friday 26 August, so make sure to pen that in your diary. Gamescom will be taking place from Thursday 25th - Sunday 28th August at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, with an industry day taking place on Wednesday 24th August and a special Opening Night Live showcase on the evening of Tuesday 23rd. You can book tickets here. View full story

Geoff Keighley has announced that Sonic Frontiers will be receiving a world premiere neww look during Gamescom Opening Night Live!, which will run on August 23 at 7PM BST/2PM EST/11AM PST. Little else is currently known about this, though it will presumably show off some never-before-seen stuff from the game. We'll keep you posted of any new developments! View full story