Since Sega launched the primary Sonic the Hedgehog sport in 1991, the lovable blue speedster remained a everlasting fixture in popular culture. Although it has loads of nostalgic worth, Sonic Staff won’t be returning to 2017’s Sonic Mania. In a current interview with Sport Informer, Sega defined why that is the case.

What occurred to Sonic Mania 2?

Sonic Mania was successful that bought over one million copies in its first yr of launch. This might need indicated a sequel may occur, however that hasn’t panned out. Within the interview, Sonic Staff’s Takashi Iizuka revealed that the plan was initially to make a brand new Sonic sport within the traditional type following Sonic Mania.

“There was a interval after the event of Sonic Mania after we labored with them to contemplate ideas for the following era of Basic Sonic,” Iizuka advised GI. “It’s too unhealthy that it didn’t grow to be a completed sport. Nonetheless, I’m happy that the following era of Basic Sonic that we talked about with them has been achieved with Superstars.”

The upcoming Sonic Superstars shall be utilizing 3D belongings. The workforce felt that the 2D pixel artwork type attracts a sure “core” viewers. Whereas most of those gamers could also be lifelong Sonic followers, builders additionally wished the upcoming sport to attraction to a wider viewers of latest gamers. Therefore, as Iizuka explains, they “wanted to make use of the 3D belongings to essentially give it that present look”.

Sonic Staff amiably minimize ties with developer Christian Whitehead who labored on Sonic Mania. Whitehead went on to kind Night Star, a studio engaged on its debut Penny’s Huge Breakaway. However Superstars does look to be utilizing some items of Sonic Mania‘s legacy for the upcoming side-scroller.

May have extra to say on this when it is applicable, however the Mania physics had been certainly absolutely translated to fashionable 3D

— Christian Whitehead (@CFWhitehead) June 14, 2023

Chatting with Sport Informer, Whitehead backs up the account. He says Night Star’s aim was to maneuver “past” 2D pixel artwork

“Night Star did work with Sega to discover potential instructions Basic Sonic may go after the success of Sonic Mania,” Whitehead advised GI. “Sonic Mania 2 was by no means in improvement, although, as a result of we really agreed early on that we must always attempt to make one thing contemporary, like hand-drawn 2D or 2.5D.”

Although the upcoming side-scroller Sonic Superstars gained’t appear like the traditional Sonic video games, builders are nonetheless devoted to creating it really feel like them. As Iizuka explains, the “sport was created from zero – from completely nothing – however we had been nonetheless taking a look at all these 4 traditional video games and creating physics which can be going to match and really feel like what the traditional sequence must be”.

Sonic Superstars is slated to launch in late 2023 on PC, Change, PlayStation, and Xbox.