Sonic Superstars is like the Devil May Cry 2 of Classic Sonic games. The game is unforgivably dull and so poorly designed that it often overshadows the few highlights it does have. Only one or two levels stood out to me. The rest felt rather generic (props to the team for creating new zone locations instead of reusing old ones though). As for the design, this game likes to blindside you all the time. They'll hide enemies behind a wall with the sole purpose of screwing you over.

Nothing demonstrates the game's poor design more than the boss fights. These are easily some of the worst boss fights in the series. The amount of waiting around you must do (in a Sonic game mind you) is ridiculous. Also, some boss fights in the past allowed you to attack the boss multiple times given the chance. Not here though. That aspect is completely gone. If you have the chance to attack the boss again, it will not do any damage. Moreover, the attacks the bosses throw at you are quite frankly stupid. I'm fine with difficult boss fights, but these are borderline unfair in many regards.

I'll keep this section brief but the special stages are another thing that's poorly designed. It wouldn't be as bad if the lock-on system was good, but it's not. You could be right beside the Chaos Emerald and it will not pick it up. Instead, it'll lock on one of the blue orbs that is far away. Some work needs to be done with these special stages.

I've seen a lot of people complain about the game's soundtrack and yeah, it is rather disappointing for the Sonic series. Since many people have discussed this topic, I want to focus on another aspect I think is going unnoticed: the sound design. This game made me fully realize how good sound design usually is in Sonic games. Even the more lackluster titles have some nice sound effects. I can't say the same with Sonic Superstars. Yes, it has some of the iconic sounds fans have come to know, but then there are some questionable decisions with the sounds.

There are some positives to this game. Sonic and the gang feel great to play as. The physics feels like the classic games (mostly). I also enjoyed playing with the different characters and trying out their abilities. Trip was a nice addition to the cast though I didn't bother that much with her unlockable story after beating the game. I just played the first level and stopped when I realized it was going to be the same thing again, only with slight changes in the level design that fit her abilities.

The one thing I'm the most conflicted about is the new Emerald Powers. For the record, I think this is a great idea in concept. Exploring more powers of the Chaos Emeralds will always be a welcomed addition. However, the game doesn't properly utilize the new abilities. Not once did I ever feel like I needed to use these powers during the stages. I know this game has a lot of mixed opinions, but Sonic Colors handled its new powers well because I felt like I needed to use them in one way or another. I can't say the same about Sonic Superstars.

There was a lot of potential in this game and it didn't live up to it. Some good ideas aren't executed properly and the negatives outweigh the few positives that are present.

Game of the year contender right here!

The gameplay feels smooth and has enough complexity to feel satisfying rather than overwhelming. If you find this game hard, then let me tell you that everything lies in the dodge button. You will be punished a lot for not using dodge. It functions about the same as the 'Smoke Bomb' ability in Cuphead where you dash and get invincible as long as the dash lasts. This is key since there's a lot going on in the game and using it will make your experience much better.

As someone who's a sucker for great OSTs, I jammed a lot to these tracks. Not a bad apple in the entire fruit basket. Funky and experimental is just how I like them and that's what they are.

Beat-em'-ups are underrepresented in the mainstream sphere, so to see a generally well-known franchise like TMNT being a beat-em-up in a beautiful pixel-graphic art style makes me cry. This is as much of a game as it is an art piece. It's visually bold, flamboyant, and vibrant in design and animation alike. Go play this game now.

COWABUNGA!