Sonic Superstars

Sonic Superstars returns to the series' traditional 2D approach in the style of Sonic 3 & Knuckles - running left to right, collecting rings and emeralds, with level design skillfully combining speed with hidden branches and alternate paths. The new feature is Emerald Powers, special abilities unlocked by the Chaos Emeralds - the character can, for instance, split in two, turn into a snake, or gain brief invincibility. The roster of playable characters also gained the fox Trip, with her own movement style based on wall-climbing.

The game also offers up to four-player co-op play through the campaign simultaneously, and a competitive Battle Mode, where players face off in short arena minigames unlocked as they progress through the story. Special emerald-collecting stages take place in 3D and require a different kind of skill than the main 2D levels. Visually, the game combines 3D-rendered environments with purely two-dimensional character movement, a return to the approach fans know from earlier entries, just in a more modern coat, and the game's music was contributed in part by Tee Lopes, known for his fan-acclaimed remixes of older Sonic soundtracks.

On Switch, four-player co-op is especially accessible - just split the Joy-Cons between players, and four people can play on a single console with no extra equipment, while other platforms require four separate controllers. The classic 2D platformer is also perfectly suited to portable play, and the console runs stably at 60 frames per second even in handheld mode. Content-wise, the version is identical to other platforms - no extra levels or characters compared to PS5, Xbox, or PC.

Why play: Sonic Superstars on Switch is an ideal choice for players who want a classic fast 2D platformer with friends on a single screen without hunting down four controllers, while also being able to take the whole group along on the go.