Sonic Colors (Wii) - Review by Chris

Introduction

Riding high off of the critical success garnered by both Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 and Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing, Sega return once more to give Sonic one final outing this year, exclusively on Nintendo's consoles, in the form of a 3D platformer that hopes to forego the issues that have plagued previous attempts to move Sonic into the dimension. Taking not-so-subtle cues from Nintendo's recent Mario Galaxy titles, Sonic Colours heads for the stars in hoping to keep the good track record from this year going. Have Sega finally hit the nail on the head with this rendition or is it another example of why Sonic should stay 2D?

Gameplay

Dr. Eggman is once again making a nuisance of himself and having created a massive interstellar amusement park, he is trying to siphon off an alien life force from various planets to power his attempts for domination of the universe. Hearing about the possibly dastardly deeds taking place, Sonic and Tails sneak aboard a shuttle and hitch a ride to the amusement park to put a stop to whatever it is Dr. Eggman is up to. As the game progresses, the story goes on to reveal that the very life force Eggman is using to power his deed is actually a group of alien beings known as Wisps, who harness incredible power, and it is these that Sonic set out to save through blisteringly fast gameplay and the trademark cringe inducing cutscenes with bad dialogue which attempts to provide some semblance of humour to the gone-there-done-that story.

Essentially being thrown into the action almost as soon as the first cutscene has been finished, Sonic Colours continues the ground work laid before it by Sonic's last 3D outing on the Wii, Unleashed, and thankfully sticks primarily to the 2D gameplay which made the franchise so endearing to begin with, although the game does mix in a sprinkling of 3D sections. Through each of the game's 6 themed locations, with the likes of a tropical resort, an aquatic park and a rollercoaster around asteroids making the basis for each of the worlds you'll be playing through, you'll speed through a total of 7 levels in each location, with 2 full length stages and there rest comprising of smaller, more technical ones and a boss battle. As mentioned, each of these stages is primarily made up of 2D sections with you running on solid ground, speeding along on grind rails or jumping your way across platforms, with the same being done for the 3D sections. It's incredibly fluid in motion from section to section and shows the developers have now really got the know-how for creating a smooth Sonic experience. Unfortunately, the float-y jumping mechanics from previous Sonic games persist and so certain platforming segments which require you to manoeuvre between very small platforms can be more trickier than they should be.

It's essentially the same formula for progress we've seen in every Sonic game before now but the sense of speed, something which has been missing in previous games, is definitely there, thanks largely to the Boost ability being included this time around instead of the spin dash, and the level design, multiple pathways, hidden sets of medals and rankings make it feel much more than your standard Sonic affair. Even with this, though, the developers have added in a new gameplay mechanic and although some people will read that as a case for caution, given some of the blunders they've made in the past with their additions to the gameplay, this time around it's worked out extremely well.

Taking cues from Nintendo's own Super Mario Galaxy titles, Colours grants you the ability to collect 8 different wisps, each of which have a special power-up you can make use of. Your standard wisp fills up your boost meter but it's the others which perhaps add the most variety we've seen in a Sonic game in a long time. From some power-ups which are recognisable from other games, such as Drill and Hover, to more abstract ones, such as Cube and Spike, the power-ups really take the game to an entirely different level and really are a joy to use. Most of the game's levels have optional facilities in place to make use of these wisp powers but you can clear levels without even using them once. However, it's the levels which require you to make use of the powers which really do captivate more as it adds a puzzle-like element to the proceedings as you try to work out when is best to use your power and where you need to head to keep successfully moving forward. It's a rather small inclusion for the franchise but one which could have larger ramifications in the long run and they're certainly aspects which would be welcomed again in future Sonic games.

A run through all of the game's levels and bosses won't last particularly long, with just over 6 hours being the time it takes to clear the game on a basic level. But as mentioned, littered throughout each of the levels are a set of 5 medals which need to be collected, some of which can only be snatched once you've unlocked specific wisp powers, and each successful completion of a level rewards you with a rank depending on your score, time and rings total. Both of these add substantial replayability to the game as you try to hunt down those medals, some of which are really tricky to find, and to shave off another grade on your overall ranking for the level. Through in specialised 2 player co-op levels and the runtime of the game extends greatly and you won't be able to prevent yourself from coming back for one more go.

Controls

Four control options are available for playing but of the four, the Wii-mote only option is the one you're least likely to opt for simply because of the actions the game asks you to perform and the button placement on the Wii-mote. Thankfully, the Nunchuk, Classic Controller and Gamecube controller options all alleviate the issues and work extremely well, with the only difference being that the wisp powers are activated by a button press in comparison to a shake of the Wii-mote in the Nunchuk option. In the 2D sections, everything works as it should do but it's when the game moves into the 3D sections that the controls don't quite come together. Movement of Sonic in these sections is incredibly loose, especially if you're following a line of rings which isn't straight, and while you'll never fall off of platforms or fall prey to unknown pitfalls in these sections because of it (there's a hazard prompter which pops up on screen to help out with this), it just makes the game a bit frustrating as you don't have the level of control you'd want, even in comparison to prior 3D Sonic games.

Graphics

Making use of an upgraded version of the engine used for Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colours is a very nice looking game. It's vibrant and colourful in all areas, with some fantastic and imaginative level design, centred on a variety of themes including an area made entirely of confectionary and another which sees you running in and out of large space ships, and effects to really make the game come to life. It's certainly the best the hedgehog has looked on the Wii in any of his games and just the amount of work which has gone into creating each of the areas shows that the developers are now squarely behind Sonic and trying their best to make him live up to his legacy. Even as the game draws to a close, it still manages to look impressive, with one particular high point being the first act in the Starlight Carnival zone which has your speeding around both the inside and outside of space ships with some incredibly flashy lighting effects.

Sonic, Tails and Dr. Eggman haven't seen any changes to their character models, and why would they when they've been stock for over a decade now and they continue to look as good as ever. Sonic's wisp transformations look strange and at times simplistic but they manage to do their job in conveying the power-ups Sonic has at his disposable. The badniks come in a handful of new designs, along with some returning badniks which are sure to make you feel nostalgic. Some added variety to the bosses would have been nice as the basic assets are used on more than one occasion. The developers have clearly done some extra work on the engine as at times, there are a considerable number of enemies on screen at one time, not counting rings and other objects littering the place. Unfortunately, while they get credit for their ambition, the frame rate does take a hit now and again when things get hectic on screen. These moments are few and far between and don't really put too much of a dampener on the proceedings.

Sound

The heavily rock based soundtrack of prior Sonic titles has taken a step back and while there is still plenty of rock on hand, it's of a more accessible variety that bops around and is sure to appeal to younger gamers. The game's title track is your typical cheesy rock track but it has a certain charm to it, although if you've disliked any of the previous titles tracks for these games you'll definitely not take to this one. In game, the music is generally good, even if areas only appear to have 2 or 3 main tracks for all 7 acts, but there aren't any real standout pieces that you'll want to hear over and over again. That's not to say the music doesn't work, it just feels a bit more accessible this time around.

The game's script will undoubtedly leave your cringing at times with some truly awful dialogue, although there are definitely some points which are sure to bring a smile to your face, but the actual voice work which has gone into the game is extremely well done, and the new voices for Sonic and Tails show that'll they'll fit nicely with the franchise as it continues to move forward.

Final comments

After years of struggling to put together a competent 3D Sonic title, Sega have finally managed to get Sonic back on track and produce the blue hedgehog's best 3D game in over a decade. It looks great and plays great, even with the small number of issues it harbours. Taking this as a starting point for future games, with a bit more focus and polish, Sonic could truly be destined to be back amongst the gaming greats and hopefully he'll get that chance. But as it is, while the game hasn't quite managed to hit the same note as the earlier 2D Sonic games, Sonic Colours is by far the best Sonic game in a long time and definitely one of this holiday season's must own Wii titles.

Pro: Fantastically fast and enjoyable gameplay, presentation is superb, wisp powers are an excellent inclusion
Con: Float-y platforming sections can frustrate, controls aren't as tight as they should be in the 3D sections
Final score: 8.8

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