The first zone for example, Bridge Island Zone, is similar to other first level zones from past 2D Sonic games, but takes place on a beach instead of a grassy plain. While the game won't have Green Hill or Chemical Plant Zone, there are some stages that feature similar themes and aesthetics that call back to some of these, just with a different take. In a preview piece from Game Informer, Sonic Team creative head Takashi Iizuka explained that since Sonic Superstars is on a brand-new island, they planned on having all-new stages right out of the gate. RELATED: Sonic Superstars Reveals Full List of Chaos Emerald Powers Shortly after Sonic Superstars was revealed, Sega stated that all the Zones found in this game will be brand-new and original, with the first six Zone names and their themes now revealed. There was some heated discourse regarding the reuse of the Sonic franchise's famous Green Hill Zone, where fans disliked the reliance on it as a means of nostalgia, especially when it kept appearing in the aforementioned games that many wished for Sega to come up with something new instead of relying on the familiar level.

One of the big complaints of recent Sonic games, including Sonic Forces, Sonic Frontiers, and even Sonic Mania, was the reuse of familiar level aesthetic and designs.