History VideoGame / SonicSuperstars

** [[DashAttack Bullet]] (Red) allows the player to perform an air dash in any direction, serving as a very useful DoubleJump for everyone.
** [[ElementalShapeshifter Water]] (Cyan) turns the player into water, allowing them to explore underwater areas freely as well as climb waterfalls and granting protection from crushing hazards.

** [[TimeMaster Slow]] (Yellow) slows down all hazards on the screen.

* BreakingOldTrends:
** [[spoiler:Black Dragon marks the first time where Dr. Eggman doesn't serve as the TrueFinalBoss in the classic series, as well being the first supernatural entity chronologically that he actively seeks out. However, Eggman does ''not'' find or get to control it at all for the entirety of the game's plot, where it just appears completely out of left field and has no connection to him at all, acting on its own accord.]]
** Amy is playable for the first time in a new Classic-style ''Sonic'' platformer, [[spoiler:and Trip is introduced as one of the few new female classic characters you can also play as]].
** This is the first 2D Sonic game to not have VideoGameLives, not counting the Classic Sonic stages in ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' or the anniversary mode in ''Sonic Origins''.

* BookEnds: The game starts off and end in Bridge Island Zone, [[spoiler:where the final fight against Black Dragon also takes place.]]

* GottaKillThemAll: Each act has a golden Badnik somewhere that is worth a medal. They're replaced by normal ones on revisits once destroyed, and finding them all is worth an achievement.

* HeelFaceTurn: Trip isn't exactly evil to begin with, but this trope still in play nonetheless. [[spoiler:After being pushed around too much by Fang, and with the help of Amy's kindhearted assistance earlier, Trip has had enough of the jerboa bossing her around and sides with the heroes mid-way into the story.]]

* HeelFaceTurn: Trip isn't exactly evil to begin with, but this trope nonetheless still in play. [[spoiler:After being pushed around too much by Fang, and with the help of Amy's kindhearted assistance earlier, Trip has had enough of the jerboa bossing her around and sides with the heroes mid-way into the story.]]

** [[LimitBreak Extra]] (White) enables a unique move for each character. Sonic gets the Homing Attack, Tails can shoot a tornado with his two-tails, Knuckles performs a punch that can shoot projectiles, Amy is allowed to toss hammers like she could while in Hyper mode in ''Sonic Origins'', [[spoiler:and Trip is capable of shooting fireballs]].

** Golden Capital Zone Act 1 is a casino level that comes after the earliest point where the player possibly has collected all seven Chaos Emeralds, making it a breeze to gather hundreds of rings and demolish the stage as Super Sonic. [[spoiler:Immediately afterward, Fang steals all of the Chaos Emeralds, turning Act 2 into a brutal NoGearLevel where the casino theme is downplayed in favor of the first act's secondary motif: a LethalLavaLand.]]

* VictoryFakeout: After you seemingly beat the [[spoiler:Cyber Station Zone]] boss and open the Egg Capsule, a bunch of robots are released instead of animals, and you have to fight them as part of the boss' second phase. Some people may be tipped off by [[spoiler:[[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity how there is a ring monitor right before the Egg Capsule (even though you obviously wouldn't need one if it really was the end of the level)]]]].

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:After being pushed around too much by Fang, and with the help of Amy's kindhearted assistance earlier, Trip has had enough of the jerboa bossing her around and sides with the heroes mid-way into the story.]]

* ChekhovsGag: Eggman in both the animated prologue short and opening cutscene of the game has a [[StylisticSuck crudely-drawn picture]] of what looks to be a dragon, which he drew after finding a strange mural on the Northstar Islands. [[spoiler:This drawing depicts the TrueFinalBoss, the Black Dragon, which makes its appearance in the Last Story mode. The same scribble appears on a wall in Trip's story mode during the second act of Egg Fortress Zone and after the Black Dragon has been sealed away in the purple gem, where the drawing flutters to the ground while the heroes celebrate their victory.]]

* LimitedAnimation: The ''Toys/{{LEGO}}'' skins have unique animations which are more rigid and janky to match a real Minifig's limited range of motion.
* ManiacMonkeys: The mini-boss in the Press Factory Zone is a primate of a Badnik, swinging on the pipes of said factory.

** Not including ''Sonic Origins Plus'' and the ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'' Final Horizon update that were released in 2023, the announcement trailer reveals shows that this is the first main series game since ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' that Amy Rose is playable from the start, and is her Classic self's debut as a playable character in a main series installment.

* CallForward: The Mosasaurus, Horned Moss-quito, Clown, Monkey, Golden Piggy Bank, and Pterodactyl Badnik sub-bosses have menacing cyan eyes, which Eggman's Badniks themselves such as Buzz Bombers and Crabmeats will have in [[VideoGame/SonicColors due]] [[VideoGame/SonicGenerations time]].

* PiggyBank: The first boss you’ll face in the Golden Capital Zone is a giant golden robotic pig, which sucks up some rings you collected.

It was released on October 17, 2023 for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/PlayStation5, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS, and PC via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} and UsefulNotes/EpicGamesStore.

** The Digital Deluxe package also contains skins for Sonic's earliest design, along with a customizable parts for The Prototype in Battle Mode, based on Mecha Sonic 2.0 from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2''.

* EasyLevelsHardBosses: The general take is the levels themselves are pretty standard difficulty wise by classic Sonic gameplay standards. The ''bosses'', however, are markedly a step up from previous Sonic titles both classic ''and'' modern, to the point that the FinalBoss of the main campaign, [[spoiler:the FinalBoss of Trip's campaign, and the TrueFinalBoss are considered some of ''the'' most difficult fights in the ''[[SerialEscalation entire franchise]]''.]]

* EveryTenThousandPoints: Due to the removal of extra lives collecting 100 rings now awards another Sonic Medal.
* EvolvingTitleScreen: The initial title screen features Sonic, Amy and Knuckles on the front row, and Tails standing behind Amy. Every so often, Tails glances at the empty spot to his left. [[spoiler:After unlocking Trip, she will sheepishly raise her head from behind Knuckles, look around nervously and then hide again]].

** In ''Trio of Trouble'', Eggman encounters a giant mural that depicts with seven people that look like Trip, whose colors match the seven Chaos Emeralds. Not only that, there appears to be a large dragon-like being drawn as well, with a dark gem in the center of the mural. [[spoiler:All of these elements are connected to ''Superstars''[='=] TrueFinalBoss, the Black Dragon. In the game's Last Story mode, the Black Dragon is set free after completing Trip's Story mode and collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds. After a battle between the dragon and Super Sonic, Trip seals the beast back into the Black Onyx that was present on the game's stage select screen]].
** Amy's personal stage in Lagoon City is mandatory, unlike Sonic's in Speed Jungle, suggesting it is plot important. [[spoiler:During the stage Amy, helps Trip after her latest trap malfunction strands her in the labyrinth. Later in the game, Trip pulls a HeelFaceTurn because of her kindness.]]

* GameplayAndStorySegregation: At the end of Golden Capital Act Knuckles, he will find [[spoiler:a chest containing the Chaos Emeralds the player didn't find.]] At the beginning of Act 2, [[spoiler:Fang steals the Emeralds from Knuckles, turning the act into a NoGearLevel.]] Finally, at the end of the Act, [[spoiler:the heroes gain all of the Emeralds back.]] The segregation in this case is that [[spoiler:the extra Emeralds do not get added to your count, and you still have to get them in the Special Stages to use the Emerald Powers.]] Also, even if you don't play Knuckles' optional act, [[spoiler:he'll appear in the start of Act 2 with the extra Emeralds regardless.]]

* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: [[spoiler:The true final boss, which is a giant indigo dragon. A mural in the promotional short ''Trio of Trouble'' briefly hints at its existence, but then it just shows up at the end of the game unprompted after completing Trip's story. It gets sealed by Trip after being beaten back by Super Sonic, and is never brought up again after the final battle.]]

** Golden Capital Zone is a combination of AncientGrome, LethalLavaLand, and a PinballZone (which is odd, as there is also a normal pinball level (Pinball Carnival Zone) earlier in the game.)
** Frozen Base Zone is a combination of SlippySlideyIceWorld and EternalEngine, rather similar to [[VideoGame/SonicLostWorld Frozen Factory Zone.]]

* HumongousMecha: The first main boss of Bridge Island Zone has Eggman pilot a variant of the Death Egg Robot, a la ''Sonic Mania''. [[spoiler:An even BIGGER mecha returns as the game's normal final boss, and Fang gets his own to serve as Trip's final boss in her story]].

* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: Keeping an eye on the background will be important, as events play out that can affect your gameplay. This includes massive mechs coming out of the background to attack, Fang's vehicle zooming about and characters that you aren't playing making their own way through the zone.

** In the post boss cutscene for Speed Jungle Zone, Fang ends up caught on the rope-and-spikes trap from ''WebAnimation/SonicManiaAdventures''.

** The Red Emerald's ability (Bullet) is awfully reminiscent of the Red Wisp's (Burst) abilities from the DS version of ''VideoGame/SonicColors'', the 3DS versions of ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' and ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'', and as a Wispon in ''VideoGame/SonicForces''. They even have the similar method of both being fire-based, both revolving around dashing through the air semi-indefinitely, and both having a certain time limit to do so.

** The Eggmobile you ride in Frozen Base Act 2 changes based on your character, and all of them are modeled after an Eggman vehicle from the character's game of origin: Sonic gets the classic ''Sonic 1'' Eggmobile, Knuckles pilots the more detailed ''Sonic 3'' Eggmobile, Tails flies in ''Sonic 2'' Eggmobile (and also closely designed after [[VideoGame/FantasyZone Opa-Opa]]), and Amy's Eggmobile appears to be based on the boss from Dubious Depths, the scrapped level from ''CD''. [[spoiler:Trip, being the newcomer, instead rides a miniature version of Angel Island Zone Act 2's boss.]]

* {{Nerf}}: The Electric Shield has been replaced with the magnet powerup, which while it draws in rings to the player, no longer protects them like a shield does and doesn't give Sonic a DoubleJump.
* NoGearLevel: At the beginning of Golden Capital Act 2, [[spoiler:Fang does a sneak attack on Knuckles and steals the Chaos Emeralds, forcing the heroes to do the entire stage without any Emerald Powers.]]
* OurFounder: Pinball Carnival Zone is set around a giant statue of Eggman similar to the one in Stardust Speedway Zone back in ''Sonic CD'' and ''Mania''. Press Factory Act 1 then features a gigantic piston in the background loosely made in Eggman's likeness. And later, Cyber Station doesn't have an actual Eggman statue but it keeps the {{egopolis}} theme going with a giant hologram of his sigil spinning in the background.

* PiggyBank: The first boss you’ll face in the Golden Capital Zone is a giant golden robotic pig, that sucks up some rings you collected.

** [[DoppelgangerAttack Avatar]] (Blue) sends a crowd of clones of your character running across the screen to deal damage to Badniks and bosses as well picking any rings in their path.

** [[ElementalShapeshifter Water]] (Cyan) turns the player into water, allowing them to explore underwater areas freely as well climb waterfalls and granting protection to crushing hazards.

** Completing the main story for the first time [[spoiler:will unlock Trip to play as for both main and her own story mode, which is harder to beat and has Fang and a good number of rogue Eggrobos causing trouble this time.]]
** As the boss of Cyber Station Zone [[spoiler:is the prototype you create in Battle Mode, you are in effect, Eggman making his latest creation to fight Sonic and co. with, which makes it the first time players do something with Classic Eggman in a main series game.]]

* SecretFinalCampaign: ''Superstars'' brings this tradition back from past games, with the game starting with one story mode. Upon beating it for the first time, [[spoiler:Trip [[PromotedToPlayable becomes a playable character]] and unlocks her own Story Mode campaign, [[ADayInTheLimelight Trip's Story]], which consists of [[ArrangeMode some remixed levels of the main campaign]] and a new FinalBoss]]. Once the player has beaten that (along with collected all seven Chaos Emeralds in the main campaign), [[spoiler:this unlocks Last Story, consisting of a TrueFinalBoss fight against the Black Dragon as Super Sonic]].

** One of the transformation gimmicks in Cyber Station Zone has Sonic and his friends turn into voxel-styled squids and swim through the air in a way that looks very similar to the ghosts from ''VideoGame/PacMan''. The fact that Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy's colors schemes match Inky, Clyde, Blinky and Pinky respectively makes the reference clearer.

** The boss of Speed Jungle Zone's Act 2 is ''very'' clearly an homage to [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1 the Omnidroid,]] down to the color scheme. Fittingly, as Mr. Incredible figured out in his first and final fights with the Omnidroid, the only thing that can harm the act 2 boss is itself - and it's even one of the ''claws'' that it hits itself with when Sonic directs it properly half the time (otherwise Sonic needs to hit its missiles back at it, which may also be a reference considering how the Omnidroid was finished off in ''The Incredibles'' by using one of its discarded claws as a missile).

* SnakesAreSinister: In the ''Trio of Trouble'' short, a [[TheGreatSerpent giant snake]] tries to eat Fang and looks incredibly enraged by their presence. In the game it's actually [[SubvertedTrope subverted]], as this same snake serves as a level element in Sand Sanctuary Zone and you actually see it at the end of the level; however, it doesn't serve as the level boss and simply leaves shortly afterward. The implication is that it went after Fang ''specifically'' because it's a guardian creature, and Eggman and co. were messing around in the ruins it was protecting.

** The "end" of the boss fight in Cyber Station features a suspiciously placed ring box in front of the animal capsule. The ring box is a subtle giveaway that [[spoiler:you are not done with the boss, as when you jump on the animal capsule, a bunch of [[VictoryFakeout prototype robots fly out]], which kickstarts the boss fight's second phase.]]