Sonic Colours Review topic

[Eth]

Even I find it quite silly about their opinion on saying Sonic Adventure > Sonic Colours, but hey, its their opinion and I won't let it ruin my enjoyment once I get the game.

But wow, both versions seem to be doing quite well by reviewers, definately a good thing to hear for a modern Sonic game!

[speedduelist]

Thank you so much shadzter.

the lack of the purple wisp mention in screen shot or their description makes me think that they thought they were playing the final build but they are playing the Latest preview build ...

[Detective Shadzter]

Thank you so much shadzter.

the lack of the purple wisp mention in screen shot or their description makes me think that they thought they were playing the final build but they are playing the Latest preview build ...

You're welcome

They'll have played the final build for the review. They probably haven't put the purple Wisp there because it was under an embargo until the 21st and this review will have been written a couple of weeks ago, then printed a week or so ago. SEGA probably didn't have a date to give ONM regarding when they were planning on unveiling that Wisp, so they'll have had to keep quiet about it. Shame, because the Wisp ended up being revealed before the magazine hit shelves.

[Doctor MK]

On a side note, I must say it's nice to see pretty much every review so far praising the game's writing and voice acting.

MadWorld writers + Roger Craig Smith and co = EPIC COMBO!

Edited October 28, 2010 by Doctor MK

[Kazu Matsumoto]

ONM just arrived, and with it a reveiw of Sonic Colours (Wii and DS) and Sonic 4.

I'll list the scores, positive and negatives then the summarising comments.

Sonic Colours (Wii)

86%

+ No Werehog/Talking swords

+It's great to look at

+Wisps mainly a good thing

+Classic Controller support

-Multiplayer is rubbish

"Won't top the classics of Sonic Adventure, but it's one of Sonic's best 3D outings in a decade"

ONM liked the Drill wisp most it seems as well as praising the game of being a collection af well made Unleashed style day stages, though they did say that not all of the levels stood out like some of Unleashed's areas like Spagonia.

Sonic Colours (DS)

85%

+Wisps totally optional

+Expansive level design

+Frighteningly fast

+Will silence your complaints

-Changes of pace can jar

"If not a return to form for Sonic on DS, then it maintains the series' high handheld form."

They praised the game for adding the wisps non-intrusively but critisised the slow paced bosses compared to the blisteringly fast stages.

Sonic 4: Episode one

88%

+Return to former glories

+Fast, fun and frenetic

+Gorgeous graphics

+Casino street zone is fab

-Level design can stall

"A beautiful nostalgia trip that also stands on its own blurry blue legs. Utterly heart-warming"

ONM praised the game on bringing Sonic back to his roots and well made level design. They also really enjoyed Casino Street zone. They're only negative was that occasionaly there will be one show-stopping puzzle that will have you stumped.

Well what do you think? I personally am very glad that Sonic is back on form with these great reviews! I don't have a scanner unfortunantly but I assure you these are all 100% from the magazine itself! Enjoy!

[Blue Blood]

Thanks for the info and sorry to be a party pooper, but we have topics for these reviews over in the 'upcoming games' section. Full scans of the reviews have been provided as well.

[Badnik Zero]

Thanks for going through everything you had to do to your computer Shadzter, it sounds like a hassle.

As for the review. It's a good score, but they didn't explain very well why they didn't like the multiplayer or other features. I feel like I'll enjoy some of the slower levels, so I'll bump that score to a personal 90. I'll believe this doesn't live up to Sonic Adventure though. That was a major game in more than one way, in a special DC-era style.

[speedduelist]

You're welcome

They'll have played the final build for the review. They probably haven't put the purple Wisp there because it was under an embargo until the 21st and this review will have been written a couple of weeks ago, then printed a week or so ago. SEGA probably didn't have a date to give ONM regarding when they were planning on unveiling that Wisp, so they'll have had to keep quiet about it. Shame, because the Wisp ended up being revealed before the magazine hit shelves.

Edited October 28, 2010 by speedduelist

[Diz]

Thanks for the info and sorry to be a party pooper, but we have topics for these reviews over in the 'upcoming games' section. Full scans of the reviews have been provided as well.

[SilentDoom]

Ok so basically, here's a little rant I did on the ONM forum about this review and I thought I'd bring it here (the review made me rage XD )

*Copied and pasted from the ONM forum*

Ok so after reading that review by Chris, I'd like to highlight some of the things that I think were wrong in the review:

1) He said that there are "60+ levels" and "7 or 8 levels in each zone" when it's already been confirmed that there are 44 (even in Dreadknux's review build there are 44)

2) He complained about how Sonic was slow in some sections, yet he shouldn't be. I agree with this in a sense. However, it's evident that if the speed slows down it's due to the fact that Sonic needs to tackle some sort of precise PLATFORMING section and not because of some gimmick. This platforming was one of the factors that made Sonic so awesome back in the classics.

Look at Marble Hill Zone in Sonic 1 for example. Is that level fast. No. It's actually extremely slow paced throughout the entire level. The entire emphasis is on careful platforming. Yet the level is still great fun to play.

Wii Unleashed has almost no careful platforming whatsoever. You'll get the occasional homing attack chain every once in a while but that's about it. Nothing that requires time or thought.

3) He also said that the levels "lack the character of the real world locations in Unleashed". Personally, I disagree completely. In Unleashed the only level that I felt had any character whatsoever was Chun Nan. That was my favourite level in the game. However, in Colours I have loved the design of every level. The levels are all 1000 times brighter and more vibrant than the levels in the Wii version of Unleashed and they just look so much more interesting.

Here's a comparison:

Wii Unleashed Chu-Nan Day Stage:

Colours Planet Wisp Act 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm8TyLWlHbw

Also, there are way more of these full length levels in Colours than in Unleashed. In Unleashed there were only 8 day levels (excluding all those 1 minute extra levels) whereas in Colours there are at least 14 possibly more.

4) He also said that "the multipalyer isn't great and is worse than NSMBWii multiplayer". Firstly, he didn't at all specify WHY the multiplayer was bad. He just said it was bad without specifying what was wrong with it, simply calling it "a mess". Secondly, the comparison with NSMBWii was pointless and it almsot just proves a bias that they have. Personally, I think that the NSMBWii multiplayer is a bit of a mess too. When you have 4 people of different skill levels all playing at once the screen is literally at war with itself.

5) He spoke very little of the Wisps at all. He really just said "they're not game breaking". NGamer said that the Wisps really add an extra dimension to the gameplay, and allow for greater exploration (another key factor to the great Sonic games like the classics). All Chris stated was the purpose of each of the Wisps and saying that "the drill is great, the laser is not etc". He definately should have gone to more depth here.

Now I respect Chris' opinion of the game, but this review is just a mess. It's quite poorly written to be honest. There's loads of hypocricy throughout and to be hoenst it was as though Chris didn't really understand the formula for Sonic greatness. The NGamer review was way better written even even though the two games got the same score.

On a side note, WHY THE HELL DID THIS GAME SCORE LESS THAN SONIC 4!? Sonic 4 derserves 75-80% imo. It's a fun but flawed experience that's too short and not great value for money. It also plays NOTHING like the Mega Drive titles it claimed that it would harper back to.

I think that Sonic Colours deserves more around 92% to be honest. It's really how a 3D Sonic game should be done.

Edited October 28, 2010 by SiLeNtDo0m

[Marcello]

Dreadknux didn't have the final build, if I remember correctly. So there may be more levels..

Comparing Colors' multiplayer with NSMBW's is silly, though. NSMBW was a game built around multiplayer while Colors is a game built around singleplayer.

I also didn't like their complaint about going slow. I want to go slow sometimes. And I think the levels have more character than those of Unleashed. Or that they say Sonic hasn't been cool in the last few years, even though he was great in Black Knight.

All in all, I think the review wasn't very good.

Edited October 28, 2010 by MarcelloF

[Detective Shadzter]

1) He said that there are "60+ levels" and "7 or 8 levels in each zone" when it's already been confirmed that there are 44 (even in Dreadknux's review build there are 44)

[Scar]

That wasn't a review build Dreadknux was showing us videos from and talking about. It was a near final preview build that still had levels locked away, such as Rocky Coaster.

*ninja'd*

[Agent York]

I still think there's seven worlds as Nintendo Power mentioned in their review there were about 40 stages in the story, then another 20 or so stages in the Sonic Simulator and boss acts.

We'll have to see when it releases but I feel sure the number will be 42 (43 if there is a final-final zone) stages and 21 Sonic Simulator stages.

[speedfreak]

But it's still confirmed to have only 44 acts with maybe a few secret acts but not enough to make 60, isn't it?

6 worlds x 6 acts per world = 36 + 6 boss fights = 42 + whatever the two final boss/level things are = 44 total.

Edit: Oh right, Sonic Simulator levels would totally put the total up to around 60.

Edited October 28, 2010 by speedfreak

[SilentDoom]

That wasn't a review build Dreadknux was showing us videos from and talking about. It was a near final preview build that still had levels locked away, such as Rocky Coaster.

*ninja'd*

I know that. There are 6 zones (Tropical Resort, Sweet Mountain, Starlight Carnival, Planet Wisp, Aquatic Park and Asteroid Coaster) each with 6 acts each and a boss. That's 42. Add on 2 more acts for the final boss that is 44.

See here:

Edited October 28, 2010 by SiLeNtDo0m

[gato]

Look at Marble Hill Zone in Sonic 1 for example. Is that level fast. No. It's actually extremely slow paced throughout the entire level. The entire emphasis is on careful platforming. Yet the level is still great fun to play.

...

Look at Marble Hill Zone in Sonic 1

...

Marble Hill Zone

*will edit later with comments about the review*

EDIT: readed, I don't think it was as bad as some of you make it to be, the SA comparission is obviously referencing to the game itself and the one in the list is about the port.

Also, the multiplayer could be faulty, we haven't played the game yet so we can't comment about it.

The rest is a difference in opinions, he may like the real world locations, just as some fans like Crush 40 songs, and as some fans like classic Sonic desing...

Having said that, I disagree with the reviewer's opinion, I would take Colours levels over Unleashed's ones anyday.

Edited October 28, 2010 by gato

[TheGerkuman]

Why are people complaining about a review that gave the game 86%? Are we going to be so up our own backsides that we'll attack reviews just because they contain small inaccuracies now?

Edited October 28, 2010 by Gerkuman

[SilentDoom]

Why are people complaining about a review that gave the game 86%? Are we going to be so up our own backsides that we'll attack reviews just because they contain small inaccuracies now?

It's not the score that irritates me, it's the review. For example, NGamer gave the game 86% but I'm happy about that score, because they did a good review to go with it.

ONM's review was poor. The reviewer barely ever supported his points, he constantly made pointless comparisons with New Super Mario Bros Wii and there was a general lack of professionalism.

A professional reviewer should at least be able to review a game for what it is/is supposed to be and be able to back up their points with decent reasons.

[EXshad]

Why are people complaining about a review that gave the game 86%? Are we going to be so up our own backsides that we'll attack reviews just because they contain small inaccuracies now?

Meh... it's a great score, but like many said, a shoddily-writen review. But, the same could be said about the Nintendo Power reviews that indescriminately gave Sonic games since Shadow the Hedgehog 8 out of 10s.

I just hope the trend continues, and the game at least gets an overall Metacritic score of an 80 out of 100, at least for the console version. Based on the implemented gimmicks and how they melded Unleashed day gameplay with classic-inspired level motifs and exploration, maybe it'll send a clear message about what the fans want from Sonic Team.

.....FOR ONCE.

Edited October 28, 2010 by EXshad

[Badnik Zero]

Just as an article I think it's under par. I'm glad they enjoyed the game though, that's cool. If it were another review I'd feel the same way.

[jeremycarrier]

Game gets great score, people still complain.

You stay classy, Sonic fanbase.

[SilentDoom]

Game gets great score, people still complain.

You stay classy, Sonic fanbase.

[Jetronic]

Marble Hill Zone

Edited October 28, 2010 by Jetronic

[jeremycarrier]

My complaints have very little to do with the score. They have to do with the REVIEW.

The review was poorly written. The reviewer almost never supports his points and constantly makes pointless comparisons with NSMBWii.

I've said this 3 times already and you people still don't seem to get it.

And before you say that it wasn't aimed at me, it's clear that it was aimed at me since I'm the only one complaining