Sonic Superstars is attempting to recapture that classic Sonic feeling, though it will be bringing a few new elements to the franchise. A villain named Trip is preparing to make her debut, and though she’s decked out in spiky armor, she won’t be your typical Sonic enemy. In an interview with Game Informer, Sonic Team creative officer Takashi Iizuka discussed a bit more about Trip’s origins and role in Sonic Superstars.
Trip and her trouble
Not much is known about Trip yet, though the official site for Sonic Superstars reveals that she has been enlisted by Fang and Dr. Eggman to protect them as they venture through the Northstar Islands. She has a striped, furry tail, and she is completely covered in metal armor that has prevented us from seeing her face.
In the interview with GI, Iizuka revealed that Trip was created by him and Naoto Ohshima, the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Eggman. In order to have a truly new story, they felt that a new character would be necessary. When designing her, they bounced around a few ideas, including an armored lizard and the ouroboros. Some of the ideas made it into the final design, as the “base of her character is a sungazer lizard” – literally an “armored lizard” in Japanese.
Trip’s personality and backstory will also be an important part of her character. Instead of a one-dimensional character, they were aiming to create something that would “stand out and be a character that people can kind of relate to and empathize with and enjoy as a character in the world.” Unlike your average Sonic villain that is presented as a formidable foe, Trip—at least initially—is quite clumsy and she even “falls on her face in the very first scene that you see her in.”
Of course, Trip won’t be there alone. Dr. Eggman and Fang will also be present, presenting a nice blend of both old and new. Though he is also an iconic villain, Iizuka confirmed that Shadow won’t be making an appearance.
The platformer is expected to launch on PC, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox in late 2023.
