


It’s hard to do better than almost perfect, so my feeling has been that if Sonic were ever to return to 2D outside of a direct Mania follow-up, its developers would have to go for something that looks and feels a bit different. In 2018, Sonic Mania perfected the classic 2D Sonic formula with its excellent level design, silky-smooth controls, and boatloads of callbacks and fan service that only served to enhance the experience. If Sega can deliver on all of its promises with Sonic Superstars, this could be the greatest advancement of the 2D Sonic formula in a long time. And after going hands-on with Sonic Superstars at Summer Game Fest Play Days, I can say this evolution is promising.Īlthough I didn’t get to try co-op, I saw how the different playable characters could change the game experience, how Emerald Powers enabled Sega to go bigger and bolder with level design, and how this game’s boss fights are already some of the best in the series. Co-op, Emerald Powers, and a set of all-new levels are not just great back-of-the-box features for a game like this - they also make this a Sonic game that feels a bit different than all of the other 2D Sonic titles that have come before it. Sonic Superstars is the latest in a long line of 2D Sonic titles, and it’s doing what it needs to stand out. Stampede: Racing Royale turns Mario Kart into a 60-player battle royale Nintendo Direct June 2023: how to watch and what to expect Super Mario RPG is getting a full Switch remake, and it’s coming this year WarioWare: Move It! brings 200 new microgames to Switch this November I rated this summer’s biggest gaming showcases. Wonder launches on October 20 for Nintendo Switch. A Super Mario RPG remake is coming later in November, and a Princess Peach-focused game is currently in development. That’s just one of many Mario projects Nintendo has in the works right now. The trailer ends with a brand new item that looks like a mix of an apple and an elephant head that turns Mario into a large elephant himself. This will be a co-op game as well, with Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, and even Daisy shown as playable. We see the environments shift in strange ways after collecting them, such as pipes crawling like worms and background elements stretching and contracting with Mario in silhouette form. The Wonder Flowers are the main mechanic on display, and they will tend to be very unpredictable. This new entry has all the staples you’d expect from a modern 2D Mario entry, however, it will also have some interesting twists. Wonder will take a slightly different art direction than the New series 2D games had previously used.
