Sonic Mania’s
success in 2017 convinced Takashi Iizuka, the head of Sonic Team, that fans
wanted more “Classic Sonic” content. However, he wanted another angle to help
attract a wider audience rather than rehash Mania, a game created for
hardcore fans, with a direct sequel. However, the idea of another 2D Sonic
the Hedgehog game wouldn’t come to fruition until 2021, when Sonic Team
would collaborate with Arzest, a studio created by Sonic co-creator
Naoto Oshima. After about a year-and-a-half in development, the final product, Sonic
Superstars (Superstars), would release to mixed reception from
critics and fans.
Although the
idea of another “Classic Sonic” game intrigued me, since I loved Mania
in spite of its flaws, I didn’t play it on release for one reason or another
(including a previously-mentioned medical condition). However, the hype for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (the movie), put me in the right mood for more Sonic
content, which would include Frontiers and Superstars. Unfortunately,
for every interesting and novel thing that Superstars does in exploring the
potential of the 2D games, it does another that makes it an experience so
infuriating that I couldn’t bring myself to finish it.