Sonic Superstars Sales Have Been "Sluggish"

Sonic Superstars released last October, offering the first new 2D game starring the character in more than 5 years. While the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise tends to be one of the company's big "pillars," it seems Superstars hasn't been meeting Sega's expectations. In a Notice of Revision of Operating Results, the company revealed sales and income "lower than previously forecast." This happened in spite of Sega releasing three new games in the third quarter of this fiscal year, including Sonic Superstars. 

"In the Consumer area, although we released some new titles in Q3, including Sonic Superstars, Endless Dungeon, and Total War: Pharaoh, sales went sluggish during the holiday sales season," Sega Sammy writes. 

Why Has Sonic Superstars Struggled?

There are a number of possible reasons Sonic Superstars struggled out of the gate for Sega. One of the biggest can likely be attributed to timing; the game released in October, which was already a very busy month for the industry, with Superstars coming out just three days prior to Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Prior to launch, there was a lot of discussion about the proximity between these two games. Sonic games tend to perform very well on Nintendo Switch, but reviews for Super Mario Bros. Wonder were much stronger, and given the choice between the two 2D platformers, it seems audiences overwhelmingly chose Mario. 

Another possible reason for the struggle of Sonic Superstars is that it followed the success of Sonic Mania. The 2017 game is widely considered one of the best in the Sonic franchise, and many fans were disappointed that Sega abandoned its retro pixel art style. Sonic Team boss Takashi Iizuki made headlines last year when he told GamesRadar+ that Superstars used a 3D style because he doesn't believe that pixel art is "going to be a viable art style or presentation for our players" in the next "10-20 years." Telling fans that something they enjoyed is no longer seen as viable to Sega may have turned off some players. 

The Future of Sonic

While Sonic Superstars might not have performed up to Sega's expectations, 2024 is looking like it could be a very good year for the company's mascot. This fall will see the release of Sonic x Shadow Generations, an enhanced remaster of Sonic Generations. Like Sonic Mania, Sonic Generations is also widely considered one of the best Sonic games. This version adds new content centered around Shadow the Hedgehog, and that should be a major draw for players given the fact that the character will have a major role to play in Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog 3. 

The newest Sonic movie isn't set to release until December 20th, so fans still have a bit of a wait. However, the new Knuckles spin-off series will arrive on Paramount+ on April 26th. The series will bridge the gap between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 3, and will see several members of the movie cast returning (though mostly as guest stars). 

Are you disappointed to hear that Sonic Superstars has struggled? Did you check out the game last year? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Nintendo Life]