Sonic Pico Park review finds the game lacks speed

Shacknews published its review of Sonic Pico Park on November 5, 2026.

Tecopark developed Sonic Pico Park in collaboration with Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic Pico Park launches on Thursday, November 12, 2026, for $9.99 USD. It comes to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch 1 & 2. The game is rated E.

The game is co-op only. Local play requires at least two players and allows up to four. Online matches allow up to eight players across platforms. Puzzles change based on how many players are active.

A single character death forces the puzzle to restart. Stages are short in scale and feature one or two primary platforming gimmicks or obstacles. Every set of stages opens at the start, and each set uses a unique gimmick. Veterans will recognize many gimmicks, though some draw from Sonic the Hedgehog.

The review found that Sonic Pico Park lacks a true sense of speed, and none of the characters really move fast. The review says moving quickly is usually bad because the puzzles require patience and tight timing windows. Sonic’s spin dash breaks through walls but moves him through classic loop-de-loops far below his normal speed. Classic horizontal springs launch characters instantly, and using one often led to death.

Flying characters like Tails can hover over obstacles and carry friends across danger. Some puzzles require Knuckles because his unique gliding ability solves certain challenges. Rings offer extra hits and sit where one character must cross a hazard so everyone else can use a safe path.

Stages use buttons, traps, and moving platforms. Each puzzle is short and lasts only a few minutes. Sonic Pico Park’s competitive Battle multiplayer mode tasks players with collecting rings while avoiding obstacles. Matches move faster and are more fun with four players in the room or seven online.

A separate competitive mode, built around collecting the most orbs from old school Sonic games, lacks fun with two or three players. Shacknews based its review on a PlayStation key provided by the publisher. The outlet’s staff does not use generative artificial intelligence in their content and prohibits use of its content for AI training.

IGN published a preview of Sonic Pico Park on June 29, 2026, after playing it at Summer Game Fest. The preview describes it as a co-op puzzle-platformer that builds cooperation between strangers. Tecopark director Shunsuke Miyake, a former Sega employee, asked producer Shintaro Shimazu to grow Pico Park into a series. Shimazu presented a Sonic collaboration idea to Sega, and Sega called it a great idea.

Takashi Iizuka of Sonic Team doubted the collaboration would suit Sonic, yet he saw value in fans playing together in one room, especially since no game featured four players in that style. He pointed to past work with independent developers and the Sonic IP, including Sonic Mania.

According to Iizuka, Sonic rests on three internal pillars: racing, 2D platforming action, and modern 3D action. Iizuka asked for distinct character abilities, like Tails flying and Knuckles gliding, to shift how Pico Park plays. Tecopark put those abilities into the levels and puzzle design. “We can’t talk about anything that’s not announced yet, but Sonic Pico Park will be out this year.”

Iizuka said.

Shimazu plans to send new builds to Iizuka for playtesting and feedback, aiming to blend a strong Pico Park game with a strong Sonic game. IGN writer Michael Higham played through all eight demo levels in a 20-minute session with three strangers. The stages shift based on player count, lowering some ledges and changing paths whether two or eight people play. The format of each level stays the same, but it changes based on the number of players.

Polygon published a hands-on preview of Sonic Pico Park on June 7, 2026, after playing eight levels with four players at Summer Game Fest. The outlet said two to eight players can play, cooperating to clear progressively harder platforming trials. The preview described it as more or less Pico Park with Sonic characters and the same lo-fi visuals. Springs launch characters forward, assist with momentum challenges, or cause chaos by sending the whole group into a pit.

Rings allow a character to take one laser hit, which makes possible puzzles where one player grabs a ring, enters danger to press a button, and extends a bridge. Spin dashing helps cross rows of falling platforms or smash walls, while Tails can fly with teammates holding on. One level required the squad to hop over a spring while tied together. The squad clung to Tails as he carried them across a chasm.

Polygon said it would have been nice to see more Sonic theming in the art direction because Tecopark sticks with minimalistic backgrounds rather than stages like Green Hill Zone. Nonetheless, Polygon said it is another solid Pico Park entry, with Sonic as a welcome addition.

Sonic Pico Park spins off the multiplayer Pico Park series, which Tecopark developed with Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog. The original Pico Park found popularity in Asian territories but had not caught on in the Americas and EMEA before the Sonic collaboration.

On June 29, 2026, no release date or window existed for Sonic Pico Park, but Shacknews had confirmed a November 12 launch by November 5, 2026.