Sonic Unleashed vs. Sonic Colors Extra Round - Final Thoughts

[KHCast]

The unleashed enemies I believe have the potential to be just as fun and interesting and unique as the colors enemies.(generations gives us a taste of that) but as if now I'm gonna say colors. They are just more goofy and lively, which I love seeing in sonic games.

[Chaos Warp]

Colors for me. They aren't just for boost fodder, they have better variety and usage then their Unleashed counterparts. I do believe Unleashed wins in the design department though: I really like the Unleashed Egg Fighter/other Eggman robots designs, and the Gaia designs were pretty good too. But Color's enemies still win overall. 

[Burnt Ash]

Soniman, you've chosen the one topic that I am pretty much at a loss for deciding one or the other. Enemies. And then you've gone and split it into various subcategories, which I still find hard to choose between! (Waits expectantly for a gameplay topic)

 

I think it goes without saying that both Colors and Unleashed's enemies are pretty whimsical, and are generally filled with life both in action and design; in that regard, it's a tie. I dunno, if I wanted to I could say Unleashed, but I honestly can't decide between the two types of enemies; they're both great.

 

Enemy variety. Colors wins here, without a doubt. It lacks originality of course (unlike Unleashed), but at the same time it manages to be incredibly diverse, which is a plus for Colors. 

 

Enemy use; I prefer Unleashed, and I think it's due to the nighttime stages, really. Both Colors and Unleashed Day have virtually no unique use of enemies (although Unleashed does have the occasional chasing enemies in stages like Rooftop Run), and it's kind of disappointing really. The night time stages allowed me (for good or bad) to interact with the enemies, and I think in that regard, it used them better. 

 

So in summary:

 

Design - Tie

Variety - Colors

Use- Unleashed

 

Overall - Tie

[Celestia]

I actually really like the Egg Fighters. I just see them as really elite Egg Pawns (except way better than those big armored guys in Heroes, ugh), they really do seem like they'd fit well together side-by-side. So when it comes to comparing those two, those two particular enemies are equal to me.

 

Other than that though, I definitely prefer the enemies in Colours. The updated Crabmeats and Motobugs were a pleasant surprise, and I loved the themed Egg Pawns.

 

In future games, I hope to see the Aero-Cannons again, at least they can attack unlike the (non-electric) Spinners.

 

Kind of off-topic but, I really want to see Orbinauts in the Modern games. They're probably my favourite enemy, and we haven't seen 'em since, what, the Adventure games? :<

[Tani Coyote]

Hmm. Tough. While I love the more serious robots, Colors definitely wins out just due to the variety and charm. Eggman's character is one of a childish man who's quite capable of being a threat. His robots looking ridiculous fits his comically evil personality. You don't take them seriously until it's too late...

[Nix]

I'm gonna have to go with...

 

Sonic Colors (shock and awe)!

 

Ok, so Sonic Colors doesn't offer much in terms of "new" but they really didn't need too.  The Egg Pawns were pretty good fodder to plow through in Sonic Heroes, but Sonic Heroes had a giant mess of them and their appeal sort of dies off when you kill the same face off by the hundreds.  Sonic Unleashed suffers from what Sonic Heroes suffers from.  The face they have is nice, but it's too goddamn much of the same face.  Granted, Sonic Unleashed did have some fun little robots, like the fan things, and the airborne ones, but with a game that's so deep in creating some sense of culture and shit for each individual area, it's odd seeing how the enemies don't do much or wear anything to help that idea along.  After awhile everything starts blending together, and the Night stages don't fare any better with this.

 

Sonic Colors then asked itself, "how do you fix that?"

 

 

Hats.  Glorious glorious hats.  

 

It's not much, but a hat can tell you a lot about a character.  A chef wears a chef hat, a construction worker wears a hard hat.  A badass samurai robot wears a badass samurai robot hat!  There's a different flavor for each area, and they taste damn good.  Sonic Colors also gets points for bringing back old badniks without bastardizing them like they did in Sonic 4.  Sonic Colors gets even more points for having an infinitely superior Interceptor in comparison to Unleashed.

Edited March 10, 2013 by Nix

[Tails spin]

I love dodging Motobugs so guess where my vote goes.

[Shane]

Colours by far.

 

I'll take the design and gameplay variety Badniks provide over the generic robots and... purple things(?) of Unleashed any day.

 

Oh, and I love the level-themed Egg Pawns!

Edited March 10, 2013 by XD375

[KHCast]

But....Egg fighters are cool.D:

[Shrek]

I actually prefer the Badniks of Unleashed to Colors. The Egg Fighters combined the imposing and serious nature of the Sonic 06 robots with the more interesting designs and comical nature of the Heroes Egg Fighters, it's really the best of both worlds since they can be either intimidating or whimsical depending on how they are utilized, with the Dark Gaia creatures following the same path. This is something I feel that few other enemies in the series have accomplished, either being strictly serious or strictly whimsical with no middle ground. And like the rest of Unleashed, the enemy designs are very creative and you can tell lots of time went into each individual character.

 

That being said, the enemy designs of Colors weren't bad by any stretch, and they suited the tone of the game very well and worked perfectly with the Amusement Park environment. But if we're talking about all-around designs, Unleashed gets my vote.

[Emmett L. Brown]

Although my vote goes to Sonic Colors, I gotta give Unleashed credit for one major improvement in the enemy gameplay of the Sonic series: Removing those pain-in-the-ass health bars once and for all. I understand the logic of introducing health bars in Sonic Heroes to complement the Power formation, but keeping the bars in every subsequent game was a big mistake and I'm very happy to see it laid to rest at last...unless you're playing the Werehog, but you can't do a God of War clone without health bars so it gets a free pass.

 

The strength of the enemy usage in Sonic Colors is not only having them complement Sonic's characteristic fast-paced platforming but also using them to complement the Wisp power-ups. They encourage you to use your abilities and power-ups cleverly to pull off really cool combos and get that hilarious bowling pin sound effect as proof of your achievement. I also really liked having the Eggpawns fit the theme of each world. Love those hats!

 

The main problem with the enemies in Unleashed is that they were generic in design and boring in how you dealt with them. The daytime enemies never evolve past Use Homing Attack Chain Now! and Use Boost Now! whereas the nighttime enemies become the same fight over and over as soon as the player finds an attack they can spam. It's hard to balance a God of War clone so the player doesn't become complacent, and Unleashed fails at it.

 

EDIT:

 

Incidentally, I think you should update the topic title whenever a new topic starts. Something like "Unleashed vs. Colors #3: Enemies" I know the text limit is a bother.

Edited March 10, 2013 by Emmett L. Brown

[Dr. Homem]

I really like both the Egg Pawns and the Egg Fighters. The two have a nice humanoid, vaguely cute, stubby and Robotnik-based basic design, which makes for a good generic enemy that can be altered with all sorts of accessories.

 

That being said, the Egg Fighters are definitely underexplored, which is a shame. In Colors (and Heroes) the Egg Pawns have all sorts of costumes, which made each variation have more character. Same goes for all their antics in both cutscenes and gameplay: they sleep on the job, they get confused easily, they have really short attention spans... Meanwhile, the Egg Fighters (despite having a funny sense of intelligence to them) did not vary at all except for their shields.

 

The point here is, I don't have a preference between them, but I'd love to see the Egg Fighters being used in the same varied ways as the Egg Pawns have. An example of how they can work like that is in the Eggmanland hub, which includes them having their own speech and personality. I can certainly see both badnik types together in a future game.

[Spin Attaxx]

I loved how the Egg Fighters looked menacing (for a long time I didn't know they had heads) and yet would comically jump in the air like a Hanna-Barbera cartoon upon seeing Sonic, then run towards him with arms outstretched. And that cutscene in Mazuri where they try to act imposing, yet come across as looking like they're saying "OOGA BOOGA" to the natives... priceless and charming.

[azoo]

Egg Fighters >>>> Egg Pawns. I dunno why exactly but I just don't like the Egg Pawns at all. I do like the other badniks from Colors/Generations though, those are great.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Egg Robos beat both, cant beat the classics

[Gregzilla]

I think I prefer Colors in terms of enemy design.  The robots in Unleashed always struck me as a bit bland, and the Gaia enemies were even less interesting.  

 

Colors loses points for the abundance of Egg Pawns, but I generally found more to like about the enemies here.  Updated Crabmeat, those things that look like Caterkillers, robot fish, Motobugs, all that made the enemies a bit more fun.  They invoked feelings of the classics, which Unleashed didn't do very much (which isn't a BAD thing, but I enjoyed the badnik throwbacks in Colors).  Colors' robots had more personality.  The robots in Unleashed don't do much for me.  They're just robots, nothin' special.  BOSSES, on the other hand....

[Tani Coyote]

The strength of the enemy usage in Sonic Colors is not only having them complement Sonic's characteristic fast-paced platforming but also using them to complement the Wisp power-ups. They encourage you to use your abilities and power-ups cleverly to pull off really cool combos and get that hilarious bowling pin sound effect as proof of your achievement. I also really liked having the Eggpawns fit the theme of each world. Love those hats!

 

The main problem with the enemies in Unleashed is that they were generic in design and boring in how you dealt with them. The daytime enemies never evolve past Use Homing Attack Chain Now! and Use Boost Now! whereas the nighttime enemies become the same fight over and over as soon as the player finds an attack they can spam. It's hard to balance a God of War clone so the player doesn't become complacent, and Unleashed fails at it.

 

Good points all around. The bowling pin sound really was priceless, and helped illustrate how lighthearted the game was... and heck, even gives us some slight insight on how Sonic feels it's all a game. Sounds like he's onto us.

 

The nighttime battles were definitely sluggish, and a massive drawback to the enemy quality of Unleashed. Don't forget the cheap Titan on the rooftop battle. If he hits you the resulting shockwave sends you to your death...

 

There really wasn't any innovation with Unleashed's robots. They were basically just there to mindlessly boost through over and over, rather than having any entertaining perks of their own.

[Burnt Ash]

There really wasn't any innovation with Unleashed's robots. They were basically just there to mindlessly boost through over and over, rather than having any entertaining perks of their own.

 

I'm probably not the best person to inquire about Colors, but aside from enemy design, what other interaction did Colors's Egg Pawns offer other than boost/homing attack targets? Unleashed Day had the same problem, the robots were simply there to boost through and make for homing attack chains, but is it really different in Colors? 

[SenEDDtor Missile]

There really wasn't any innovation with Unleashed's robots. They were basically just there to mindlessly boost through over and over, rather than having any entertaining perks of their own.

 

I get you love Colors, but this is a stupid point because BOTH Egg Pawn and Egg Fighter served the EXACT. SAME. FUNCTION. One was just more colorful and whimsical appearance wise. If you are going to apply a flaw to one side, make sure that your favored side gets the same application if it exists, otherwise you come off as biased.

[Kiah]

Round 3: Enemy Design/Variety/Use:

 

Sonic Colors wins for me this round with the enemies, mainly because of this guy right here:

 

 

The Motobug. It was a nice nostalgic surprise to see this guy, as we hadn't seen them in the main series since Sonic 1 when Sonic Colors came out. I like how speedy the Motobugs are in this game, even though they are easy to take out via the Quick Step. I also like how Sonic Colors brought back Buzzers, Crabmeats, and Choppers among others from the Classic games as well, all with a fresh new take on them, even coming in various sizes to provide additional twists.

 

I also love how the Egg Pawns were portrayed in Sonic Colors, as they made a return as well coming from Sonic Heroes originally. The Egg Pawns are personalized, matching the theme of the levels with relevant clothes, accessories and weapons for each theme:

 

 

Tropical Resort had Egg Pawns with Welcome signs serving as Greeters, which was fitting since Tropical Resort was the introduction to the game as well serving as the entrance to the amusement park. The Greeters are even wearing bowties.

 

 

Sweet Mountain had the Egg Pawns with adorable chef's hats and wisks, although the accessory of the wisk is being used as a weapon...

 

 

 

Aquarium Park has the Egg Pawns in Samurai gear, along with katanas as their weapons. Crabmeats are in the background as well!

 

           

Starlight Carnival has the Egg Pawns with parade gear while playing the trumpet. It's really hard to see with this screenshot as they are in the way in the background so refer to the image next to it to see what they look like.

 

 

Asteroid Coaster has the Egg Pawns with a helmet with a matching weapon of some sort as both the helmet and the weapon have the same kind of spikes on it.

 

 

Planet Wisp had the Egg Pawns with construction hats and pick axes amid the reconstruction that was undergoing due to Dr. Eggman.

 

Overall I just love the relevant, creative detail that the Egg Pawns have in each level, being very fitting with the overall Amusement Park theme along with the other badniks. Just another element of creativity that helped make Sonic Colors fun to look at and play with the return of the badniks from the Classic games, all with a modern twist to them. Sonic Unleashed's enemies just don't stand out to me like they do in Sonic Colors. To me they also seem to be rather bland (especially the Night/Nightmare enemies) and don't have much charm and character like the badniks do in Sonic Colors. So yes, Sonic Colors gets another vote from me.

[Tani Coyote]

I'm probably not the best person to inquire about Colors, but aside from enemy design, what other interaction did Colors's Egg Pawns offer other than boost/homing attack targets? Unleashed Day had the same problem, the robots were simply there to boost through and make for homing attack chains, but is it really different in Colors? 

 

 

I get you love Colors, but this is a stupid point because BOTH Egg Pawn and Egg Fighter served the EXACT. SAME. FUNCTION. One was just more colorful and whimsical appearance wise. If you are going to apply a flaw to one side, make sure that your favored side gets the same application if it exists, otherwise you come off as biased.

 

I do not have a bias towards Colors. I actually prefer Unleashed.

 

Now as for the overall question of these two posts: Well, as Emmett L. Brown pointed out, the enemies take advantage of the varied gameplay. Not only does their attire change, but fairly often the relevent Wisp Power is applied to them. Whether it's shooting through them all as a laser, eating them as all as a Nega Wisp, using the Cube to send them falling to their doom... there's just a more varied means to destroy them. It's not all homing attack or boost; there are several methods to dispatch them, constantly mixed so it doesn't get stale.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

I do not have a bias towards Colors. I actually prefer Unleashed.

 

Now as for the overall question of these two posts: Well, as Emmett L. Brown pointed out, the enemies take advantage of the varied gameplay. Not only does their attire change, but fairly often the relevent Wisp Power is applied to them. Whether it's shooting through them all as a laser, eating them as all as a Nega Wisp, using the Cube to send them falling to their doom... there's just a more varied means to destroy them. It's not all homing attack or boost; there are several methods to dispatch them, constantly mixed so it doesn't get stale.

 

Okay, sorry for jumping to conclusions, but even so, it still doesn't really change the fact that both basic enemies serve the exact same function: to poorly try to kill you while serving as your personal bowling pins. Yeah there might be more variety to how you do it, but it doesn't change the fact that they're both still cannon fodder that can be dispatched in the EXACT. SAME. FASHION.

Edited March 10, 2013 by 743-E.D. Missile

[Tani Coyote]

Okay, sorry for jumping to conclusions, but even so, it still doesn't really change the fact that both basic enemies serve the exact same function: to poorly try to kill you while serving as your personal bowling pins. Yeah there might be more variety to how you do it, but it doesn't change the fact that they're both still cannon fodder that can be dispatched in the EXACT. SAME. FASHION.

 

They are both cannon fodder, yes. But in Unleashed, you only really have a choice between a pistol or rifle. In Colors you have your pistol, rifle, rocket launcher, grenade, tactical nuke, anime-style overpowered sword, and then some!

 

The variety just makes it more fresh is all. Think how in Grand Theft Auto you've got dozens of ways to kill opponents and not just one or two.

[Vertekins]

Unleashed enemies and Colours enemies are filled with personality.

 

You get hit by a Crabmeat in Colours and it'll fall over backwards laughing it's ass off jubilant at having injured it's creator's arch enemy. if an Egg Flame manages to set Sonic on fire in Unleashed, it'll do little pirouettes joyfully. Chop Chop badnik's in Aquarium Park are not confined to just swimming in the waters, they jump over platforms on the surface of the water. Egg Missile's will spin their top halves joyfully when their missiles hit Sonic.

 

As mentioned before, Egg Pawns in Colours have quirky outfits and weapons that suit the area they are placed in. You even see them engaging in funny antics in the act select screens i.e In Sweet Mountain's Act Select, you occasionally see an Egg Pawn go over the chocolate waterfall. In Aquarium Park's, one can be seen holding onto a Jellyfish's tentacles as it swims upwards. In Starlight Carnival, one plays a trumpet in an energetic manner. In Tropical Resort, one is happily holding a 'WELCOME' sign. This makes them quirky, funny characters, an extension of Eggman's whimsy. His creations have to LOOK the part as well as ACT the part.

 

In Unleashed, each and every enemy's mannerisms is outlined in the bestiary inside Pickle's lab. Egg Fighters that have a spring shield and a chainsaw are stated to be elitist because they are of a select few robots that have the horsepower required to wield both which makes them smug. Nightmares and Deep Nightmares are described as stupid brutes who gang up together and attack out of a primitive drive to hurt anything they see. Dark Eel's seen in Shamar's Night acts are stated to be territorial and snarky, making them attack Sonic viciously when he invades their territory. Even Egg Fighters and Little Fighters will not get along despite the latter serving as the former's hands.

 

Both games have enemies that are teeming with personality and each require certain tactics used against them. If I was going to say which I prefer then Colours wins this round. The Egg Pawns and enemies correlate perfectly with the environments that they are in which echoes the premise of the settings. Their behaviour is entertaining and mean. It's really awesome how Eggman looked into his previous creations for inspiration and yet 'juiced' them up to make them more unique i.e Crabmeats fire homing missiles rather than energy projectiles out of it's claws each side, Sandworms are confined to their mechanical burrows but are dextrous and can fire projectiles, Jawz are bigger and have more complex movement.

 

And yes, it is incredibly funny how you get the stock sound effect of bowling pins falling over when you destroy a lot of Pawns in one fell swoop XD The only thing I can fault Colours for enemy-wise is samey bosses. The enemies are charming and well designed. Unleashed comes close but no cigar.

[SilentDoom]

Colours by far.

 

I'll take the design and gameplay variety Badniks provide over the generic robots and... purple things(?) of Unleashed any day.

 

Oh, and I love the level-themed Egg Pawns!

 

I'm sorry but Unleashed's enemy selection is hardly generic.  06 had the generic enemies, Unleashed had a plethora of different and vivid designs and just because they're slightly more realistic than Egg Pawns for instance doesn't mean that they're generic.  Infact Egg Fighters are essentially the same as Egg Pawns in general design elements except for being bigger and silver instead of orange.  In Unleashed each enemy did something quite different and them being "boost fodder" is less a testament to the enemies being poorly designed but more a testament to the boost (in Unleashed) being so obnoxiously overpowered.  There were a lot of quite interesting enemy types and designs in Unleashed.

 

Not to mention, Colours has literally no original enemy designs.  Literally none.  They're all either from the classic games, from Unleashed or are Egg Pawns in their different hats.  The only thing remotely close to an original design (excluding the bosses of course) is the Crab Interceptor, which really is exactly the same as the Unleashed Interceptor with a crab motif.  It functions exactly the same.

 

So yeah, Unleashed wins for me simply because it established some new enemies whereas Colours did not.  Although I'd agree that most of the Dark Gaia creatures were kinda lame.