Calling all superstars – it’s time to jump into a brand-new Sonic gaming experience!

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.

Harness the Emerald Powers to take on Dr. Eggman in dynamic new ways and stop him from converting the island’s animals into Badniks before it’s too late! 

SEGA announced today that Dr. Eggman will shave his distinctive mustache for the first time in his 30+ year history. The reason for this is the new partnership between Movember, a leading charity promoting men's health, and Sonic Superstars. Dr. Eggman, one of the most iconic villains in video game history and the recurring antagonist in the Sonic The Hedgehog series of games, will sport the new look throughout November.

To raise awareness of men's health, SEGA also commissioned a study that found that a third (34%) of 16-24 year old men took part in Movember campaigns. Almost a fifth (18%) were inspired to grow a mustache by their favorite character. With 20% of the vote, Freddie Mercury was voted the person with the most famous mustache in pop culture. Dr. Eggman himself, with 12% of the vote, overtook other bear icons such as wrestler Hulk Hogan (9%), singer Prince (8%) and "Anchorman" Ron Burgundy (7%).

 

The study found that two in five (39%) of Gen Z currently find mustaches fashionable. 35% of all 16 to 24-year-old men currently have such a beard and 62% said they have tried to grow one.

This fashion change is also noticeable in dating. Nearly a quarter (23%) of the Gen Z age group believe men with mustaches are more attractive, and 20% would be more likely to consider men with upper lip hair for a date. In fact, 8% would only date men with mustaches, while 14% admit that it would be a turn-off for them if it were found out that their date couldn't grow such a beard. 11% of 16- to 24-year-old men admit that their relationship encouraged them to grow a mustache; 18% tried but were let down by their beard growth.

27% of men aged 16 to 24 surveyed believe that having a mustache makes them look more mature, 21% feel more confident with the beard and 10% admit that the beard has made them look like a whole new person. 22% like their mustache because it provides a good conversation icebreaker, and 48% say they get compliments on their beard at least once a week.

Daniel Lazarides, EMEA Vice President of Central Marketing at SEGA, said: “We have long admired the important work Movember is doing to support men's health and are proud to further raise awareness of this issue by hosting one of the shave off the most famous mustaches in pop culture history. Sonic Superstars was inspired by the classic 2D side-scrollers of the 90s. So this was the perfect opportunity, Dr. Showing Eggman in a way fans have never seen him before - without his mustache for the first time in over 30 years. Fans can see Dr. Help Eggman with the campaign by growing a mustache yourself this November and raising funds in the process.”

Anne-Cecile Berthier, UK & EU Country Director at Movember, said: “When we heard that SEGA and Sonic Superstars wanted to support Movember by supporting Dr. When Eggman shaved his iconic beard for the first time, we knew straight away that it would be a real eye-catcher. Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most famous game series in the world and we are Dr. Really grateful to Eggman for temporarily pausing his world conquest plans to raise awareness about men's health. We hope our partnership with SEGA will inspire more people to get involved and support our fundraising campaign this Movember.”

Key Features:

• 2D Sonic Platforming Evolved
  • 2D classic Sonic platforming has been reimagined for current-generation platforms with new zones, music, gameplay, and modern UHD visuals only possible with 3D graphics. Sonic’s movements, physics, and controls feel familiar and appeal to recent and legacy fans alike. 
• Your Favorite Playable Characters
  • Play as fan favorites – Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose – to take on Dr. Eggman, old nemesis Fang and their nefarious schemes. Sonic designer Naoto Ohshima is also back with a new character that Sonic, and his friends will have to face.
• Seven Emerald Powers
  • Use the power of the seven Chaos Emeralds to unlock various new abilities like creating clones of yourself, climbing waterfalls, powering up, and more!
• Co-Op Multiplayer Gameplay 
  • Sonic Superstars offers local 4-player co-op, so fans can play solo or cooperatively with friends through the entire campaign!

Sonic Superstars is coming digitally and physically to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC on October 17, 2023 at $59.99 USD.