Sega’s president, Shuji Utsumi, didn’t hold back in describing Sonic Superstars as a “disappointment.” While the company has celebrated recent successes like Sonic X Shadow Generations—which Utsumi dubbed “awesome”—it seems Superstars didn’t quite hit the mark.

Speaking to Eurogamer, Utsumi reflected on the mixed results of Sega’s creative ventures.

“With Sonic Superstars it turned out to be a disappointment, in terms of the outcome compared to what we delivered. This time we have Sonic X Shadow Generations and the next Sonic movie, so we’re pushing things in the transmedia direction – movies and games working in harmony to make things bigger. But the core [of the experience] is the game. The game needs to be very good or else there is no transmedia effect.”

A key challenge for Sonic Superstars? It’s ill-timed release. Launching just three days before Super Mario Bros. Wonder, one of the year’s most highly-anticipated platformers, clearly hurt its chances. Sega had initially blamed the crowded release window for lacklustre sales, with Sega Sammy Holdings execs Makoto Takahashi and Nobuaki Yoshii explaining, “While Sonic Superstars was well-received by those who played it, sales didn’t meet forecasts due to competing titles in the same genre.”

Still, Sega is determined to keep the Sonic momentum going. “We’re progressing well with the strategic expansion of the Sonic IP,” Takahashi and Yoshii added, hinting at efforts to bolster long-term sales for the game.

For now, though, Sonic Superstars serves as a stark reminder: even a beloved mascot like Sonic can stumble when facing stiff competition.