Sonic Colors review (Nintendo Wii)
By Luke Baker
Tk-421, Secret Agent Man , Whatever the hell you want to call me
Okay. I have come to the conclusion that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is utter crap. I tried hard to convince myself otherwise due to my great love for the blue furry guy. Sonic Colors, on the other hand, is everything Sonic 4 should have been and more.
To be honest, I expected this game to suck blue hedgehog balls. I basically only wanted the hat that came with preordered versions of the game to make my head look like Sonic’s. When I actually started playing the game I said, “Jumping jigga-shits Marty, this isn’t all that bad!”
Sonic Colors borrows a lot of ideas from previous platformers, but it really works in the Hedgehog’s favor. For example, in each stage you have the option to collect five red rings — ala Mario style. The music at times even sounds exactly like Super Mario Galaxy. Despite seeming like a rip-off at times, this is the best blend of Sonic gameplay to come in a long time, mixing some of the best 3D elements that we were used to in Sonic Adventure with old school side scrolling mechanics we all grew up to love.
Unlike Sonic 4, it’s not so easy to plow through some of these levels. Here’s a fair warning, Sonic Colors at times is a difficult bastard. Lucky for me, I love a challenge. Yes, there will be moments that you fall to your death, but it seems much more reminiscent to that of the good old challenges of the NES Mega Man series.
The controls in Sonic Colors are also worlds better than Sonic 4. I.e. When you jump, you won’t come to a dead halt when you let go of the stick — something which often plagued Sonic 4. Everybody should be happy to know that Sonic Colors supports multiple control options on the Wii. Players have a choice to hold the controller sideways, to use the classic controller or gamecube controller, in addition to the possibility of using the nunchuck / wiimote combination. Surprisingly, I found the nunchuck and wiimote to be the best choice for this game.
In addition to satisfyingly challenging gameplay that is reminiscent of a blend of Sonic 1-3 and Mega Man, there is an interesting feature of snagging what are known as “Wisps.” Wisps essentially are creatures that give you new and innovative powers temporarily. Sonic can utilize the wisps to turn into a rocket, a laser and even a drill, just to name a few. They don’t feel like a cheap add-on gimmick like the stupid ability to turn into a were-hog in Sonic Unleashed. I honestly never tried that game for fear of having explosive diarrhea from frustration and utter disappointment. The Wisps in Sonic Colors certainly add a lot of replay value due to the fact that once you unlock one from one of their “planets” (cough, cough Mario Galaxy) you can go back to levels you’ve previously played and open up new routes that are only accessible with certain power-ups.
Photo from roomgadget.com
I suppose I should mention what I wasn’t too crazy about. There were some parts of the game where I wasn’t totally satisfied with the music. Later in the game there are much more tolerable tracks, but there were times early on in the game that I really did not care for them.
Also, the story really might be painful for some to watch. Thankfully, cutscenes can be skipped. I don’t know it has something to do with saving jellyfish creatures from Robotn* … er um … Dr. Eggman. I still never understood that change. Anyways, true Sonic fans are really here for the gameplay, not so much the story I would assume.
Sonic Colors packs a whole blue jizz load of new innovative ideas mixed in with ones that ring true to the classic Sonic games. Sprinkles of elements stolen from other successful titles in gaming history are apparent, but it really works. This isn’t just a rehash. This feels wonderfully original and fun.
The result is extremely satisfying if you are up to the challenge and can get over the music in the first few levels. This is the best 3D sonic game to come in awhile. Sega finally got it right. It isn’t perfect, but it’s an absolute breath of fresh air from the shitstorm that Sonic 4 was. Find this game and play it now.
Rating: 8.5/10
