New Developer Interview featuring Takashi Iizuka and Naoto Ohshima for Sonic Superstars

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Today is Sonic the Hedgehog’s 32nd Birthday. To celebrate the blue blur, Sega hosted a Sonic Central event to showcase “upcoming projects, partnerships, and events happening in 2023.” The biggest announcement wasn’t a trailer for Sonic Prime Season 2 or new LEGO Sonic sets but more of Sonic Superstars, the newest game for the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
Sonic Central did a developer interview with Takashi Iizuka and Naoto Ohshima, veteran game developers who have independently worked on previous Sonic the Hedgehog games. The duo explained new information on Sonic Superstars such as the challenges of working on a 2D Sonic game with 3D graphics, four-player multiplayer, and more. Sonic Central also unveiled LEGO Sonic character skins in Sonic Superstars as a collaboration.

What To Expect from Sonic Superstars

Amy, Knuckles, Tails, and Sonic in Sonic Superstars

Sonic Superstars was announced a few weeks ago during Summer Game Fest. It left many fans excited and satisfied to those who have played it. For Sonic Central, the fans got a chance to hear from two Sonic veteran developers on what’s happening with Sonic Superstars. Takashi Iizuka is the Creative Officer for Sonic Superstars, previously working on Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 as director. Naoto Oshima is the Development Producer & Character Designer for Sonic Superstars, previously working on Sonic CD as director. In this four minute interview, they discuss the development of Sonic Superstars and what to expect.

Sonic running in Sonic Superstars

One of the first questions is about the challenges Iizuka and Oshima faced developing Sonic Superstars. Iizuka explained “the goal was to reproduce the feeling of that pixel art. That touch and feel of classic Sonic.” Oshima said “it was quite challenging to express 2D gameplay in a 3D world that inherently has depth. This process was challenging and enjoyable.”

The following question was about the return of Fang the Sniper, a classic Sonic character that hasn’t made a full game appearance since 1996 in Sonic the Fighters. Fang has made cameos in games like Sonic Generations but has not been an integral part of a Sonic the Hedgehog game in over 25 years. Iizuka describes Fang as “a bounty hunter who will do anything for money.” In Sonic Superstars, he is working for Dr. Eggman to foil Sonic’s plans.

Fang and mysterious character in Sonic Superstars

Related: SEGA’s Sonic Origins Plus Launches Today – More Classic Sonic the Hedgehog Has Arrived!

The last big question asked to Iizuka and Oshima is about the four-player local multiplayer. Iizuka explained they’ve tried it before “but it was difficult to integrate [multiplayer] with Sonic’s gameplay.” They nearly abandoned the idea entirely but Oshima was passionate about bringing multiplayer to Sonic Superstars. Their joint determination made Sonic the Hedgehog four-player multiplayer become a reality in this game.

Sonic and friends running in Sonic Superstars multiplayer

Sonic Superstars is scheduled to launch later this year in the Fall at $59.99/£59.99. It will be available on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store). What aspect are you excited for the most in Sonic Superstars? The new zones? Fang’s return? Four player multiplayer? Let us know in the comments!