So, I may have bought presents for myself recently, then wrapped them (or helped my kids wrap them acting like I had no clue it was for me) and the pretended to be surprised on Christmas.
...
Yes, that is exactly what I did.
Here's a pic of the stuff including all of the Wotakoi manga (a Cyber Monday deal), The Last Ronin, and the newest Sonic game.
I think it's still on sale, I def recommend #SonicSuperstars. It won't last you as long as Frontiers unless you try to grind all the robot parts (no real point sadly) but the core game is solid.
It's a lot like a 3D (graphically) Sonic Mania and I suspect that's the intended cadence from now on, one 'Classic' (Superstars) style sonic and one "Modern" style (Frontiers)
Frontiers was great too, hope they don't abandon the ideas because of middling reviews, if Sonic devs even read those
Also I really appreciate how #SonicSuperstars manages to have plenty of instant death traps and generally not feel TOO much easier than old sonic (aside from no lives) but the fear of "oops you've fallen from the course at the lowest level (or sometimes not!), you're dead" is gone
That was always my least favorite part of sonic games, esp in 4:3 when it was pretty hard to predict some of those jumps
In both 3D sonic (esp SA1 and somewhat 2) and 2D sonic, falling off the level almost always felt like a BS death. Glad to have experienced much less of it in both Frontiers and Superstars
I think frontiers just like, controls better though, there's plenty of pits since it's mostly 3D "race course" style designs
SEGA released the second episode of Sonic Superstars Speed Strats, a series providing players with tips and tricks to get the most out of their adventure on the Northstar Islands!
SEGA Releases First “Sonic Superstars Speed Strats” Episode
In celebration of Sonic Superstars’ cross-platform release, SEGA is rolling out an all-new series of “Speed Strats” videos for the new 2D, high-speed action platforming adventure, providing players with tips and tricks to get the most out of their adventure on the Northstar Islands.
#SonicSuperstars is a fantastic follow-up to Sonic Mania and succeeds in its core gameplay, but bringing Denuvo and Epic Online Services in can make the experience a bit obnoxious on the #SteamDeck
Fortunately this isn't like that time I posted while watching #Sonic Prime so I shouldn't need to worry about overloading anyone's timelines.
First up is #BridgeIsland. While this occupies the same Green Hill style trope that places like Emerald Hill or Seaside Hill, we've been so overridden by Green Hill and Green Hill look-a-likes since 2010 that this feels like a breath of fresh air.
BTW: For those wondering why I said 2010 and not 2011 (the release year of Sonic Generations), I would like to remind you that Sonic 4 Episode 1 did tour through history before Sonic Generations did. You could easily rename Splash Hill, Casino Street, Lost Labyrinth, Mad Gear, and E.G.G. Station to Green Hill, Casino Night, Labyrinth, Metropolis, and Death Egg and nobody would have been the wiser.
Green Hill has since then become even more known as >>THE<< first Sonic stage than it was before. That and overall being stuck in revisiting the past was so prevalent that it overwhelmingly defined Sonic Frontiers, even though it introduced new elements of Gameplay and exploration.
Bridge Island is something I've been waiting for YEARS. In a lot of ways it retreads a lot of the same familiar ground of Green Hill and Green Hill like stages before it, but it manages to do it while having it's own sense of identity.
I enjoy the visual aesthetic and the constant ramps that dot it's layout that let you run vertically to higher levels in the stage.
It's also pretty fun to explore to.
That said, I'm not sure where I'd rank this on Green Hill style stages. I think that Emerald Hill is the best 2D stage that this theme has to offer. But I really enjoy the exploration that I can do in this.
#SpeedJungle is one I'm a bit divided on. This isn't the game that introduced rails to 2D Sonic but I do think it's one of my favorite implementations. The visuals are really quite lovely as it has the appearance of a factory that's been taken back by nature. I honestly really love stuff like this.
In the first act there is at least one bottomless pit that I've encountered but I'd hardly consider it unfair.
Act 2 on the other hand is not that enjoyable for me. Then again, I'm not fond of anything where a large portion of the screen is obscured as a means of adding difficulty. I think it can work, but I don't particularly like it in Sonic games.
Given Sonic's speed and the ease one might have with running into obstacles, I just think it's cheap.
In this one we get our first proper miniboss fight. Technically we got one in Bridge Island but it's more like the whale chase in Sonic Adventure than it is a miniboss fight.
#CyberStation is pretty fun... until you are transformed into something other than the character that you're playing as. Well, give or take the rocket. That was actually pretty fun.
The... Jellyfish? Is awkward to control and honestly kinda boring. At one point you get turned into a mouse where you have to navigate a puzzle while desperately avoiding enemies, otherwise you get knocked out of the puzzle and have to go all the way.
Visually this has a pretty fun look to it. It reminds of me of the digital levels from Shadow the Hedgehog. (A game, believe it or not, I ACTUALLY Liked and I wish people would stop judging me for feeling that way.)
It's about to get fully drowned out by Mario and Spider-Man, but I've now played about half of Sonic Superstars and it's full-on delightful. I'd rather play it than Mania, honestly.
If you're counting, that's three good to great Sonic games in a row. Is everybody at Sega alright? Blink twice if this is a Misery situation and you all need to get freed from a crazed fan with an Amy Rose mallet.