Its not the franchise that's what you thought. What I believe what's actually trash is the mishandled management of it lately. Management, not the franchise itself. I don't mean those that did good on key games. I mean the upper management that I've took notice.

Sonic is not limited to children alone. There are those have been with Sonic since the beginning were children, too, so don't downpour their spirits along with other children's.

Sonic Mania's been one of the best games that came out in a long time because it utilized the Retro Engine to continue the actual goodness the past games left since Sonic 3 itself. I mean both halves, you know. What Sonic Mania got right, in terms of structure, formula, and cosmetics & such, surely was far more well-deserved for it to be one of the best 2D Sonic games yet.

We just have to remember that even though there were few original new Zones with a rather good story, it was made and meant to be an anniversary commemoration of the franchise. Just because it had very few original Zones doesn't mean we have to bash that game down for it. It's an anniversary game, for crying out loud. That's what that game's purpose is.

Many people have been expecting or wanting a "Sonic Mania 2" just because the game's great or whatever, and I don't mind the praise, but, I feel continuing the anniversary aesthetic in a game like that just wouldn't work. Even there are key reasons why continuing the anniversary theme won't do well in a new 2D Sonic game like that.

To have an actual new 2D Sonic game that continues the structure from Sonic 3 and onward, along with continuing on using Retro Engine to keep up what Mania picked up and got right, it'd need a new story that truly follows from Encore Mode's events, such as Dr. Robotnik's escape from a self-destabilizing pocket void created by the haywire Phantom Ruby, all-new original Zones to go with it, and stellar improvements to ensure more new 2D Sonic games continue on from that long-standing, albeit not often used lately, method. There's no need to continue on the anniversary aesthetic. Just the actual 2D aesthetic that made Sonic great.

Sonic Superstars, on the other hand, has not done very well in trying to nail down what Mania truly got right. I mean, I kinda knew that would happen upon first sight. That game tries to go for the 3D/2.5D aesthetic in what was presumed to be the next best Sonic entry, but, in truth, its far from it. I mean, its not an actual proper follow-up from Mania's story.

For such, it uses Unity as the engine, no big surprise, and the soundtrack, from what people said, is surely lackluster in energy and coherency across the game. Despite another attempt to nail the physics done right in Mania, Superstars just doesn't really nail it down. Even the high bounce jump height from jumping on a Badnik or Item Box is not accurate.

The video from NicoCW's post proves that point - https://twitter.com/NicoCVV/status/1716951241539108946

The post thread that follows it is there. Just use a more safer, less system resource taxing workaround to it without making an account.

While the levels are indeed original, as what people needed, the overall execution of 'em just didn't feel right. The levels, from what people have seen, are quite overabundant in the 4-player co-op mechanic the game overly encourages. I mean, 4 player co-op's not bad in a game. Its the overall execution and handling is what matters. If handled right, it can be a very good game. Mishandled improperly, well... you know, the opposite.

The character-exclusive Acts aren't a bad change, but Freedom Planet has already beaten that game to the punch with character exclusive stages of their own in their campaigns without compromising its Sonic-based, albeit modified, structure, formula, and their abilities, too.

The Chaos Emerald powers are not bad, because that subject's not been touched on, other than using them to achieve the good ending. The problem in Superstars, the levels were designed to make them a bit too reliant, hindering the basic flow of a great 2D Sonic game. Their design makes them more of a huge hindrances than a big help in navigating them. The execution of the Chaos Emeralds' powers & the levels' flow should've been better. And the powers' names should've been better, too.

The bosses, I can say, are not very well-executed. From people have experienced, they're far more like slogs in trying to take them down, even though the Emerald Powers are there to try to alleviate that. Hardly people take enjoyment, and just stop trying to overcome them failure upon failure. Even the final bosses are worse slogs than the previous. Don't take my word for it. Ask those that have been through it.

The so-called "positive reviews" are more likely paid offs just to try to sugarcoat what the game got wrong a lot, in many aspects. Even more prematurely, an accolades video is already up just to try to rub in too much people's faces that didn't enjoy the game, but those in the minority of trying to praise Superstars, they're no match for those in the climbing majority that say otherwise.

Even the game's sales are not very well. Only by slightly over 4,000 in JP, compared to others that have done better, such as Sea of Stars' 250,000 on first week. Post from the game's first week sales is here - https://twitter.com/seaofstarsgame/status/1699175546930766092

It is an RPG game, yes, but it does far well, even using the ever-proven pixel art aesthetic. Of course, Mania did sell good. Its just that the other people that have been a bit too focused on other games to even try to help with the game's sales, digitally and physically should've been there. It is not a bad seller as others think or misconceived.

People even refunded Superstars shortly and skipped on buying it because they don't want to continue on with the slogginess the game's bosses gives & so on. Doesn't matter if it gets discounts. They just don't want to keep going for it, & rather play and/or buy Mania and other great pixel art games more than Superstars.

There are also a lot more bits Superstars gets wrong besides what I've laid out, such as cosmetics, game mechanics & such, but I don't want to carry on.

In short, Superstars is a mere several steps backwards in a 2D Sonic game. Sega really needs to overhaul their management and better re-evaluate and change their franchise & IP decisions to better their customers. Otherwise, far more rougher, rockier roads are ahead for them... if more vanity and hubris doesn't keep them from doing bad decisions, though.

I might've veered off-topic about Sonic's canon inconsistencies in this, but I had to state some thoughts about this.