Sonic Superstars will seemingly release just three days before Super Mario Bros Wonder

It appears that Sonic Superstars will be released just three days before Super Mario Bros Wonder, pitting the legendary mascots head-to-head once again.

As reported by Sonic Stadium, a listing on US retailer Target’s website says the game’s release date will be October 17.

This was later given further weight when an October 17 release date was also spotted on the game’s listing on retailer GameStop.

If the date is accurate, it means Sonic and Mario will be going head-to-head, with Super Mario Bros Wonder releasing just three days later on October 20.

Target’s listing also notes that the game’s pre-order bonus will be a Lego Eggman in-game character skin, as well as an acrylic display stand and a reversible game cover.

Both games feature traditional side-scrolling 2D gameplay, and both include co-op play for up to four players (for the first time in Sonic’s case).

Sonic Superstars, which lets players control either Sonic, Tails, Knuckles or Amy Rose, is being developed by Arzest, the Japanese studio run by the mascot’s original creator Naoto Ohshima.

According to Sega’s description: “Sonic and his friends’ journey starts on the beautiful North Star Islands, a mystical place offering never-before-seen environments, as well as a mysterious story waiting to unfold.

“Enormous creatures, exhilarating adventures, and evil plans from Dr Eggman await Sonic and his friends, who can now obtain brand-new abilities known as the Emerald Powers when Chaos Emeralds are collected.”

Further reading

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Interview: How Sonic Superstars was born from a Zoom drinking party

Sonic creative officer Takashi Iizuka explains why the next sidescrolling game needed to leave 'retro' behind

Super Mario Bros Wonder, meanwhile, is the first entirely new 2D Mario adventure in 11 years, following New Super Mario Bros U in 2012.

The game’s main gimmick is the Wonder Flower. According to Nintendo: “When you touch a Wonder Flower in the game, the wonders of the world unlock – pipes could come alive, hordes of enemies may appear, characters might change their looks, for example – transforming the gameplay in unpredictable ways.”