Sonic Colo(u)rs Impressions, Help, and Discussion Topic

[JezMM]

I can back up the loop physics in Colours as being a major improvement actually. There have been several loops I've managed to backtrack through by jumping over the zippers or jumping back half way up before I hit the next one when passing through initially.

The only automation that drives me really crazy is sections where you get blocked from backtracking by a mere invisible wall.

One of the worst examples is the one Starlight Carnival act with the green laser shooting ball things. Try backtracking from the checkpoint halfway through to get the red ring you may have missed there. 8I

(It is a hard red ring to miss admittedly, but this is the only example I can remember - it has also happened to me on other levels with puzzles I've accidentally rushed past and missed the opportunity to return to).

Edited November 15, 2010 by JezMM

[Glenn]

Wrote an extensive review for the Nintendo DS version... hope it isn't too controversial!

***

SONIC COLOURS

Nintendo DS – 2010

Upon granting the exclusivity of the Blue Blur’s only major offering of the year to the Nintendo Wii, a handheld version seemed a shoe-in. Sure enough, Sonic Colours has also arrived on the dual screens of the Nintendo DS, to albeit a much smaller fanfare. That’s an easy one to answer: put simply, Sonic the Hedgehog has nothing to prove on the smaller console. Portable Sonic games have uniformly scored well, with both critics and fans alike. For years, the Advance and Rush series’ have seemed the only outings where SEGA’s much-maligned mascot has avoided controversy.

No surprise, then, when screenshots started to appear of Sonic Colours on Nintendo DS and it looked unremarkably identical to the previous two DS-exclusive titles, Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure. There is certainly method in SEGA’s madness... or apparent laziness. The fast-paced engine (thanks to the hardworking folks at Dimps) definitely works and provides a nicely nostalgic, yet refreshingly updated, two-dimensional world for Sonic to throw himself around. And just like a child who’s eaten too many Haribo, he does just that, bouncing off walls and boosting through badniks for several minutes before a results screen tells you it looked nice but, alas, only worth a D-Rank. Rinse, repeat until the rank improves, and you’ve basically summed up everything great about modern, portable Sonic. While others worry about the perils of the third dimension, the GameBoy Advance and Nintendo DS have quietly continued to provide games and experiences closer to the original SEGA MegaDrive adventures than anything else available.

Which is nice of them, isn’t it? Hence why Sonic Colours is sticking to the tried and tested this holiday season. Instead of fixing something that clearly isn’t broken, Sonic Team and Dimps have gently tweaked the Rush engine and placed it lovingly alongside the new storyline that it shares with the Wii version. They even use some of the same cutscenes, squeezing near-HD pre-rendered graphics into the little cartridge (with what can only be witchcraft) and providing a quality experience from start to finish. Most of the dialogue in the game is text-based, however, but by this stage, we’re used to it and absolutely have no problem. Especially when you read some of it and realise it’d be quite hard to convey with a convincing tone. With great respect to the spikeball and his storylines, it simply wouldn’t be Sonic without a healthy dose of cheese.

That cheese is welcomed back in other areas, not least of which is the iconic music that has blasted from speakers since 1991. Sonic’s music always has the unique ability to be undeniably cheesy, wonderfully evocative and even more infectious than a used hypodermic needle, all at the same time. It all matches the insanity of the places visited, and helped by the outlandish plot (in which Dr. Eggman opens an orbiting theme park and once again seems totally oblivious to the fact that Sonic will inevitably destroy it) some of these places are even more incredible than ever. A particular stand-out zone is called Sweet Mountain and is... well, a mountain of sweets. Divided into acts, some fall flat as usual: an attempt to evoke a spookier atmosphere in one of the later zones just feels like playing through a budget version of Jurassic Park in a cave.

Okay, so what about the gameplay? Fans will be pleased to hear that it remains, in the most basic of forms, unchanged. Speed is still the main driving force. The fiddly trick system from Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure is dead and buried, mercifully. The crucial homing attack is given more weight with a much-needed target reticule and a return to the simple “double jump” control input. Most wonderfully, Sonic is given a stomp move that’ll send him crashing to the ground in an instant. Useful for breaking open badniks and hitting those all-important springs, it stands out as the most welcome of the smaller gameplay tweaks and improvements. Sonic Colours is definitely the smoothest and most playable of the engine incarnations available to Nintendo DS owners. In the right zone, with the right music and the right path, things have a magical way of coming together. Even the Grinch, in his most grinchy of moods, would smile if he got this for Christmas.

Then he would encounter a Wisp and end up putting an axe in Santa’s neck. For the most important of the new abilities come in the form of temporary power-ups. Represented by alien Wisps, captured by Dr. Eggman (who else?) and freed by Sonic, they are definitely hit-and-miss, with an emphasis on miss. Some work wonders, like the Rocket Wisp which transforms you into a blistering warhead of fire. Others are okay, like the Void Wisp which just eats everything in sight. Then there are the annoyingly uncontrollable (the Drill Wisp, enemy of speed and the ultimate in gimmicky gameplay), the pretty-but-pointless (the Laser Wisp, perhaps the most obvious and therefore the most annoying) and the downright awful (the Burst Wisp... just avoid it). It wouldn’t be so bad if some of the acts weren’t designed specifically around Wisp usage. You’re forced into using them and, while you will get better at some of the more awkward variety, they just show up far too often for a gimmick that adds so little. Especially since there was nothing wrong with the game before they started turning up every five minutes.

Wisps do redeem themselves in the boss battles. Once again the only time in the unfolding quest that Sonic’s environment gains an extra dimension, the later of these life-sapping, attack-pattern-repeating behemoths need specific Wisps to be defeated and most, if not all, work well. Actually, that’s not strictly true, as the Special Stage is also crafted in three dimensions. The crazy parallel universe in which the Chaos Emeralds are seized, Sonic Colours blends the halfpipe concept with the blue, yellow and red spheres of the eternally popular Sonic 3 & Knuckles and gives one an opportunity to whack out one’s stylus and give the touch screen a poke (leave it... please, this is a kid’s game). Excellent as always, the only downside is that collecting all seven of the Emeralds fails to equate to an in-game playable incarnation of Super Sonic. Instead, since the Nintendo DS has no horrible history to rewrite, there’s an extra boss battle against a generic “monster of the week” character. Ultimately this is forgivable, but it hardly provides fan service.

Again, given the success of Sonic’s portability in his modern lifetime, his wide cast of friends are on hand to dish out bonus side missions. You’ll have seen the system before, badly implemented in Sonic Rush Adventure with random objectives randomly appearing in random places. Sonic Colours gets away with them by using familiar faces (Knuckles, Team Chaotix, Silver and a bunch of other overly-cute anthropomorphic animals) to introduce them. Not only that, but they’re kept to a limited number and none are overly impossible to clear. That said, clearing them is one thing... but getting that vital S-Rank and unlocking all the artwork and soundtrack music? Yeah. You wanted arthritis, didn’t you? Oh, good. Carry on then. Best of luck.

Those with a social leaning can head towards the Sonic Simulator and indulge in a fast-paced race through a specially designed version of the main acts. Ever the helpful hedgehog, Sonic is downloadable to a friend’s Nintendo DS without the need for a second cartridge. This feature is always nice to see, but always a shame when you consider the games with the most limited multiplayer modes use it, and Sonic Colours is no exception. Granted, there are some fun and fiendish items to attack your opponent with, but ultimately they get both old and annoying. If you race one race, you’ve raced them all, and adding a time trial leaderboard on the Nintendo Wi-Fi settings is a predictable option. Chances are that you’ll only end up playing against another diehard Sonic fan, and they’ll end up beating you. Tears before bed, curses thrown at the attack items and broken Nintendo DS consoles will litter the carpets and train seats of the world.

Which is perhaps a nice point to end on, actually, as many of the little touches and improvements in Sonic Colours will only be noticed by diehard fans of the series, too. For a novice coming fresh to the franchise, there’s a slick and entertaining platform game to enjoy here, no question. What matters about Sonic Colours, however, is what the eager followers of the SEGA religion will notice. Nice additions, like the stomp, may underwhelm newcomers but delight those who’ve been waiting for it since 1991. Wisps will consistently irritate all, unfortunately, and so what remains is what was to be expected.

This is the sixth sidescrolling Sonic game on a portable Nintendo console. If it wasn’t a glossy and skilled incarnation of many tried-and-tested techniques, it would be lunacy incarnate. And to be brutally honest, if it didn’t feature a decidedly Marmite new gimmick, it wouldn’t be Sonic the Hedgehog, either.

Final Score

EIGHT OUT OF TEN

Yes, just as the screenshots suggested, you knew exactly what you would be getting. Sonic on the Nintendo DS is as polished and as portable as ever, with a well-tuned engine and a catchy soundtrack. Fans and new faces alike will enjoy the good bits and lament the bad bits, but your ultimate opinion will rest entirely on how much love you have for the Blue Blur... and how many of your nostalgic joy buttons he manages to press while speeding past.

[Tiller]

I have a hunch that backtracking/invisible wall issue is probably a loading failsafe. The next chunk of the game is loaded for Sonic to run through so the designers stick a wall there to prevent you from going back into what has been dumped from memory. Games use tricks like sliding rock walls, falling, locking doors, and debris to block backtracking all the time. The reason why it just can't reload that old part of the level probably has to do with loading gimmicks and tricks that prevent performance and polish issues from happening. Example: Why in Sonic Unleashed did the whale segment and stomp switch take place next to a giant wall? If you look closely the to the scenery behind Sonic, you'll notice its disappearing. The pace slows down for a second to keep Sonic in one place while the game loads the next section for you to explore. Earlier areas don't have the same luxury of some sort of pace offset to allow that chuck to reload back and forth.

That's my best guess anyway.

Edited November 15, 2010 by Tiller

[JezMM]

I have a hunch that backtracking/invisible wall issue is probably a loading failsafe. The next chunk of the game is loaded for Sonic to run through so the designers stick a wall there to prevent you from going back into what has been dumped from memory. Games use tricks like sliding rock walls, falling, locking doors, and debris to block backtracking all the time. The reason why it just can't reload that old part of the level probably has to do with loading gimmicks and tricks that prevent performance and polish issues from happening. Example: Why in Sonic Unleashed did the whale segment and stomp switch take place next to a giant wall? If you look closely the to the scenery behind Sonic, you'll notice its disappearing. The pace slows down for a second to keep Sonic in one place while the game loads the next section for you to explore. Earlier areas don't have the same luxury of some sort of pace offset to allow that chuck to reload back and forth.

That's my best guess anyway.

Yeah, I'm all but sure that is the reason. Just wish it'd be more overtly done. I'm fine with an inexplicable closing door, as long as it's there to block me.

The way you can't go off the level and explore the areas where the lil shops are in Tropical Resort annoys me in the same way. 8( Even just a little fence would be enough, just something other than utter invisible wall.

[BlazingTales]

Wrote an extensive review for the Nintendo DS version... hope it isn't too controversial!

***

SONIC COLOURS

Nintendo DS – 2010

*REVIEW*

That's actually one of the best written reviews I've read for the DS edition of the title. Well done!

[Doctor MK]

Typed in "Sonic Colours" on Google Images, found this, too good not to post:

Sums up my impressions of the game in a nutshell

[Gabz Girl]

I got

Super Sonic

, finally. Let's see what he's like...

........................

PPPPFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT!!!

That's...all I have to say. @W@

Edited November 16, 2010 by Gabz Girl

[Glenn]

That's actually one of the best written reviews I've read for the DS edition of the title. Well done!

Thank you!

Since the Nintendo DS version of Sonic Colours is the only one of the bajillion new games I can actually own, I thought I'd give it some love!

[Kuzu]

Well the game was in Gamestop today, but I couldn't pick it up. I have to wait at least two weeks.

[Core]

Yeah, I've mentioned before that I wasn't really having fun with this game. Unlike you though, I've never been particularly excited for it before the release, so I don't feel disappointed. But yes, I find the Wii version rather uninteresting. (I haven't completed the DS version yet, but so far I'm having a bit more fun with it, for some reason.)

[Shade Vortex]

I finally have played the Wii version.

I fucking hate Starlight Carnival. It's mostly fucking automated filler. Which is too bad, because graphically IT LOOKS AMAZING and had SO MUCH POTENTIAL. I imagined something like Egg Fleet but actually in space, mixed with Final Fortress. But what'd I get? An extended version of the sequence from Sonic 4 where you homing attack onto the cards three times and then do automated loops. Only replace loops with go through straightaways, and replace homing attack with shittons of quickstep.

What the fuck, Sonic Team? And the boss was fucking horrible. I hadn't even realized the boost was better used for the sidescolling part and that the cyan wisp was there at all until twelve minutes into the fight.

But other than that, I've REALLY enjoyed the game thus far. I think Sweet Mountain has been my fave area thus far, excluding its boss. I like how shameless a Mario reference that fight was. Replace those balls with bullet bills, slow Sonic down and remove the homing attack, and you pretty much have the fucking airship. That part was actually good though, the actual fight against the captain is annoying because the capsules in the air prevent you from homing attacking the pirate robot.

Though I must admit, I haven't really figured out how to drift very well, and I don't think I'll get all the red rings until after I get all the wisps and beat the game. And after getting A-Ranks at best, I doubt I'll get good enough to get all S ranks.

Also, in sweet mountain I encountered a hilarious glitch where I was falling against a wall. Until I stopped holding right, the only thing holding me up in the air was the wall. My brother made fun of it, saying that Sonic's nose was keeping him in the air, since it was planted in the wall.

I still haven't beat the game. I want to savor the rest.

[Detective Shadzter]

Don't worry, Cloverdox, you aren't alone. I wasn't as excited as everyone else for the Wii version before release, though I did hope it would excite me when I played it, but it didn't. It's definitely not a bad game and totally doesn't deserve the 4.5 given by Destructoid's Jim Sterling. I played the story mode from start to finish and while I enjoyed the story, I just didn't enjoy the actual game very much. It does a lot of things right, but the easy difficulty makes things too simple for veteran players. The only level I enjoyed was Asteroid Coaster, which is an awesome and creative stage and is the only one that gives any kind of challenge. The easy difficulty isn't a bad thing in general, because Iizuka and other SEGA staff said many times before that they were trying to make a game more accessible to casual and younger players, so if it brings in more fans to the series, then I'm all for it.

I tried the multiplayer today with my wife and her friend and we all found it very enjoyable. I do think it has its problems, because it's pretty hard to keep both players on the same screen half of the time whether you're competing or working together, which can be frustrating. We had fun though and a good laugh when each of us would mess up and make a mistake

[Carbo]

Anyways, I picked up the Wii version this morning, and played up to Starlight Carnival. I hate to say it, but I'm not having too much fun. At least, not as much as I hoped I would. I can't really put my finger on it, though. When I first played the game, I didn't get the same feeling I had when I first played the daytime Unleashed HD tutorial level, or even Sonic 4. I think this game is better than those other two games, but the thing is, when I first played those other games, I felt like I was a kid again. It was a great feeling. When I played Colors, I just felt... bored. I mean, it's not a bad game, I just... don't find it much fun. I'm gonna try to complete the game, so hopefully I'll start to like it more later on. I also hope other people out there are enjoying it more than me.

I could relate to that to some extent when I booted the game up for the first time, it definitely wasn't as fulfilling a moment as Unleashed HD because since it runs mostly on the same style and engine the "new factor" isn't as exhilarating. The fact that it simply throws you into the game with no introduction is also a unique choice, and the first levels dont really get way too special until you unlock your first Wisp power. I didn't get the feel of Sonic either for some time but that was due to me using the classic controller which doesn't fit well for me, but once I switched to the GC controller I was having a blast and the game felt so new, intuitive and engaging like never before. The turning point for me was when I finally got the drill power, that was when I could safely say it was an ace game.

Also, geez so much hate for Starlight Carnival and Asteroid Coaster. Those are my two favorite zones in the game, both are very platform heavy and utilize some of the most intuitive Wisp usage and puzzles. I can't see the boost-spamming/automated sections in Starlight Carnival at all, especially in Act 5 and 6 which are extremely Wisp prominent and multipath filled, moreso than Planet Wisp. Perhaps in Act 1 and the on-rails sections but really, its not THAT bad and not anymore worse than the other times they appear. It was undoubtedly my favorite zone to replay when going on Red Ring scavenging. Ironically, Sweet Mountain was my least favorite.

Though I must admit, I haven't really figured out how to drift very well, and I don't think I'll get all the red rings until after I get all the wisps and beat the game. And after getting A-Ranks at best, I doubt I'll get good enough to get all S ranks.

Getting all the Red Rings on your first playthrough is impossible since once you unlock new wisps, new paths become available now that you can utilize them in past stages which paves way for a good deal of replay value.

I actually find drifting alot easier in this game considering its mapped to the boost button and it has more of an effect. Drifting in Unleashed was almost useless and required crazy timing. Here I'm thankful its only in specific sections, its actually pretty fun.

Edited November 16, 2010 by Carbo

[Conando]

So I was wondering, is there a specific point where Chaos Emeralds show up in the Simulator stages? I assume there was due to people saying you needed all the red rings to get all the Emeralds.

[Carbo]

I finished the entire World 1 in the Sonic Simulator, it didnt notify me, but the Chaos Emerald thats above the World 1 stage select is now lit, so I guess thats what's required.

[Gabz Girl]

Okay, I don't get this. Kirby's Epic Yarn, or hell ANY other Kirby game is easy as hell. And those games are praised to high heavens, especially Epic Yarn.

Now here's an easy Sonic game (and tbh it's not really that easy at some points). And everyone thinks it's "too easy," so it's not great. What about Kirby?? D: Why does an easy Sonic not good game make?

[Conando]

Another good thing is that the Game doesn't throw Extra Lives at you like nothing...

Rings neither. 100 rings actually feels like an accomplishment now, somehow. Anyway, I've been having fun so far. It's not the hardest thing ever (halfway through Starlight Carnival), but it doesn't need that to be fun. It's an actual platformer, and that is freakin' awesome.

[JezMM]

I too didn't find it as wonderful as Unleashed to play.

I can't remember who but remember back when Unleashed came out, I once mentioned how the Tornado stage had SUCH a lovely atmosphere. Unleashed seemed to spill atmosphere out of the screen into my room. Someone else likened it to feeling like they were playing with toys as a kid again.

I didn't get that as much with Colours. It might just be the HD difference. Colours looks so much sharper, whereas Unleashed made everything look smooth and round, as if everything was made of plastic in a good way (not like Heroes way too shiny graphics).

Throwing us into the first level with no intro was a gutsy move, and I don't think they quite hit the mark. You know what would have worked? A little intro (in-game) of Sonic blasting through into the area, running through a little automated bit (as if you think it's a cut-scene), then after running down onto the first straightway, the zone title graphics appear on-screen "TROPICAL RESORT ACT 1" and you're given control, Sonic still running with nothing between what seemed to be an intro sequence and the first gameplay.

That way it would have felt more like "this time, you are playing the intro" rather than "this time there is no intro".

I also think it was a mistake to put two acts before the first cut-scene. When you hit Act 2 and there's still no story establishment, I was starting to be a little "what the hell" and was wondering if my game had glitched and skipped cut-scenes by accident.

[Gabz Girl]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was caught off guard by no proper opening cutscene before a stage. When I saw Tropical Resort Act 1 straight away flash across the screen I was like "Erm...what?"

Maybe they did that to make it more like the classic games, where it throws you right into the action after the title screen? I dunno.

[Carbo]

I thought it was a pretty okay addition, threw you right into the action and sort of works in the story it was attempting to tell.

I for some reason also expected the "HD argument" to come up sooner or later, I wanted to mention it myself but really it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Personally I cant even go back to Unleashed now without spotting glaring flaws and not enjoying it nearly as much as Colors, its just too inconsistent. If anything, Unleashed is Sega's best attempt at hiding poor design behind speed cause I wasn't bothered by it at all until Colors slapped me in the face and made me realize how a great Sonic game should look like.

Edited November 16, 2010 by Carbo

[JezMM]

I thought it was a pretty okay addition, threw you right into the action and sort of works in the story it was attempting to tell.

I for some reason also expected the "HD argument" to come up sooner or later, I wanted to mention it myself but really it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Personally I cant even go back to Unleashed now without spotting glaring flaws and not enjoying it nearly as much as Colors, its just too inconsistent. If anything, Unleashed is Sega's best attempt at hiding poor design behind speed cause I wasn't bothered by it at all until Colors slapped me in the face and made me realize how a great Sonic game should look like.

When you say design do you mean level or art? Because Unleashed is still by far the prettiest game to me (I won't argue on the level design because they're two different beasts with Colours' additional abilities).

[Carbo]

When you say design do you mean level or art? Because Unleashed is still by far the prettiest game to me (I won't argue on the level design because they're two different beasts with Colours' additional abilities).

Unleashed is by no doubt the prettier game here, Adabat and Holoska are still some of the prettiest worlds I've laid eye on. Although when I say design I more than often reffer to how the game is built up and what it generally works with, so I'm speaking in favor for the game design, not just level or art design.

Although I admit, that sentence I said there speaks more or less about the levels since speed was being talked about daytime stages.

Edited November 16, 2010 by Carbo

[ChikaBoing]

When I first played the game, I didn't get the same feeling I had when I first played the daytime Unleashed HD tutorial level, or even Sonic 4. I think this game is better than those other two games, but the thing is, when I first played those other games, I felt like I was a kid again. It was a great feeling.

I agree with you on that one. To me Colors is more like CD and 3&K, in terms of being a hardcore exploration parkour, like those games that aspect is still compelling.But it's not necesairly pure fun in the sense that is my Idea of a perfect Sonic game. I was still engrossed into to the game but not magically fulfilled per say.

[JezMM]

^ Yeah no prob. I just interpretted your sentence as suggesting that the game levels weren't that pretty and you just don't notice because of the speed.

(Though honestly, funny you should mention Adabat - it's one of the few exceptions, but slow down in the jungle areas before each beach and you'll see some horrendously overtly floating 2D cardboard cut-out bushes, lol.

[Aquaslash]

But other than that, I've REALLY enjoyed the game thus far. I think Sweet Mountain has been my fave area thus far, excluding its boss. I like how shameless a Mario reference that fight was. Replace those balls with bullet bills, slow Sonic down and remove the homing attack, and you pretty much have the fucking airship. That part was actually good though, the actual fight against the captain is annoying because the capsules in the air prevent you from homing attacking the pirate robot.