Sonic Superstars is the next Sonic the Hedgehog game in development. Taking fans back to the 2D side-scrolling days, reminiscent of 2017’s Sonic Mania and the Sega Genesis games, Sonic Superstars features new zones, four-player multiplayer, and the return of Fang the Sniper. It’s been over a month since any developer news for Sonic Superstars released, previously with an interview featuring Takashi Iizuka & Naoto Ohshima on Sonic’s 32nd birthday. Last week, they revealed the opening animation for Sonic Superstars. Today, Game Informer has exclusive coverage of Sonic Superstars, a first look at all the Emerald Powers in Sonic Superstars.
The Emerald Powers are a unique feature of Sonic Superstars. Never done before in a Sonic the Hedgehog game, the Emerald Powers are tied to the Chaos Emeralds. Similarly to Sonic 3 & Knuckles, the players will have to jump into a giant gold ring to enter the special stage. When inside, the player will be swinging on floating bubbles to reach the Chaos Emerald. Some bubbles will propel the player forward while others will stop all momentum. Fans already got a glimpse of these special stages in the announcement trailer.
When acquiring the Chaos Emerald, instead of waiting for all seven emeralds to turn into a Super version of the character, the player receives an Emerald Power for each emerald. They can be used at any point during the game utilizing the controller’s right stick and are tied to a cooldown. The order of when each emerald is unlocked is unknown but below are all seven Emerald Powers in Sonic Superstars.
Avatar (Blue Emerald)
Already seen in the announcement trailer, with a bunch of Sonic clones running at the Eggman Robot boss, Avatar works just like that. The character will have an army of clones run across the screen, defeating enemies in their path. Useful during boss fights but also normal levels to save yourself from dying.
Water (Cyan/Light Blue Emerald)
Another power shown in the announcement trailer, Sonic turning translucent blue, Water makes traveling in water easier in Sonic Superstars. Whether it’s full underwater sections or climbing up waterfalls, the Water Emerald Power will be useful in these situations.
Ivy (Green Emerald)
From wherever the player stands, a vine will grow to access higher areas. The main appeal of Ivy is in multiplayer, as Iizuka believes players can work together to use Ivy effectively. The vine matches the Green Emerald color, the Ivy Emerald Power should come in handy to those completionists of Sonic Superstars.
Related: New Developer Interview featuring Takashi Iizuka and Naoto Ohshima for Sonic Superstars
Bullet (Red Emerald)
As the name suggests, the character will launch like a bullet in a chosen direction. It can be used midair, making it useful in taking out enemies or boss fights. It can also be used to get through difficult platforming sections. Iizuka describes Bullet as “the most useful action” in Sonic Superstars.
Slow (Yellow Emerald)
Not subtle naming again but the Slow Emerald Power slows down everything on screen. As the player continues to move at normal speed, everything else around them is slowed. Iizuka describes using this Emerald Power when the timing of certain platforming obstacles or boss fight patterns are becoming difficult. He said:
“It really slows down the game to allow you to play at a pace that’s maybe more comfortable.”
Vision (Purple Emerald)
Iizuka’s personal favorite Emerald Power, Vision will reveal hidden platforms and rings that weren’t there before. Vision will play into the replay aspect for Sonic Superstars and completionists once again. There will be an auto indicator once the player enters an area where Vision can be used, so don’t worry about guessing where to use it.
Extra (White Emerald)
Unlike all the previous Emerald Powers, where they work the same among the four playable characters (Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Knuckles), Extra unlocks a unique Emerald Power for the character. Sonic gains the homing attack, reminiscent of Modern Sonic gameplay. Tails gains the tornado spin, creating a tornado that takes out enemies. Knuckles gains the ability to punch a wave at enemies, synonymous with his character trait. Lastly, Amy will be able to throw her hammer at enemies, as opposed to just swinging it like in the announcement trailer.
Related: Yuji Naka, Sonic Co-Creator Given Suspended Sentence for Dodgy Dealings
Super (All Seven Emeralds)
Like previous 2D Sonic games featuring the Chaos Emeralds, after collecting all seven, you have the ability to turn Super. However, unlike past games where double jumping after collecting 50 rings would turn the player Super Sonic, now the player can freely select when they want to turn Super. Every character has the same moveset as before but they are now faster and invincible as rings deplete over time.
Sonic Superstars is scheduled to launch later this year in the Fall for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store). What Emerald Power are you most excited to try in Sonic Superstars? Which of the four characters will you be playing on launch day? Let us know in the comments!
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