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

[Buntar0]

According to the internet the reward for all red rings in the DS version is infinite boost. Sounds to me like they wanted to put Super Sonic in the levels but didn't have the time or priorities to program it before release time. Aw, poo.

Yeah, doesn't sound too thrilling. At least this does not work in time attack and versus mode.

And something completeley unrelated:

Challenge mode (Wii version) is a great addition and the most fun I've had with the game. I don't care too much about the score I get, but playing all stages in one sitting with not cutscene skipping or menu navigation is great and feels like playing an old school game. Every Sonic game from now on should have this. This could have been so great in Secret Rings, Black Knight and Unleashed (filler stages removed of course)

[-Mark-]

Can you save and quit in challenge mode at all?

Oh, and I posted it in a status update earlier, but

Edited November 20, 2010 by Mahzes

[Aries]

Man its the second time you play Sonic Colors that you figure out that this game has a puzzle flavor in some areas, an excuse to use the wisps in problem solving. Akward but i works i guess, I still don't want them to go heavy on it, just platforming akin to the genesis days is all i want, but it seems they cant make those physics work anymore, maybe Naka was the key to the good gameplay of times old.

Also like I guessed, the 2player mode is actually the "special stages" in this game.

Edited November 20, 2010 by Aries

[Buntar0]

Can you save and quit in challenge mode at all?

Edited November 20, 2010 by Buntar0

[speedfreak]

I didn't like the sonic sim levels where you had to quick step. The score blocked the holes in the path.

Oh, and I've got Super Sonic. He's fun if you want to blast through a level and I'm really happy he's finally playable in a 3D Sonic. Honestly though not being able to use the wisps at all and the lack of a double jump gimp him pretty bad. Still pretty awesome though. I only need to S rank 8 more levels too. Some of them seem impossible. :/

Edited November 20, 2010 by speedfreak

[DistantJ]

LOL Crash Bandicoot. Its hard to remember a time he was actually relevant.

Have you played the games? My girlfriend and I had a great time with Crash of the Titans, and its level design beats the crap out of some of the 'oops I dropped a bunch of little rectangles on the design document, well that saved us having to actually design platform layouts!' Sonic Colours levels.

And I like how you post two games that are primarily on the 2d plane of existence as "3d platformers" with KEY and Donkey Kong Country Returns

Typo.

And I don't know why you mentioned a bunch of 2d platformers, since nobody brought that up.

Because all the platforming in Colours is in 2D. If you're going to be pedantic about what counts as platforming and what doesn't, you might as well do so about what counts as 3D as well, and I don't remember any platforming in 3D in it.

Edited November 20, 2010 by DistantJ

[Aquaslash]

I don't like that Super Sonic doesn't have a challenge mode with him. I really wanted to do a run through of all the stages like that. Oh well, I'm doing it manually.

[Gamer18]

I don't like that Super Sonic doesn't have a challenge mode with him. I really wanted to do a run through of all the stages like that. Oh well, I'm doing it manually.

Yea, I was a little surprised by that and the fact that you couldn't play as him while fighting the final boss.

[Blue Blood]

Now that I've finally had a chance to play it, it's downright awesome on Wii. Anything about the game, you name it, I love it. I don't know where to start with the good points, it's just amazing.

Except two things:

1, the Unleashed Wii homing attack. Can't lock-on to things unless they're on screen and the range is horribly long (limitless in 2D). Nu-uh. Bad bad bad. Unleashed 360 style please.

2, the boost. It's so unnecessary in this game. Worked great in Unleashed, and is used REALLY well in Colours DS. But this time... it just doesn't need to be there and doesn't work with the gameplay at all (the 3D sections suffer from somewhat lame design because of it). The game really would benefit from the spindash and rolling.

Also, Aquarium Park is one of the best Sonic stages ever. I don't care if he can now swim-ish (just so long as he can't in a game with Knuckles and Tails), it's a fantastic stage. Brilliant layouts, excellent music and stunning visuals.

Edited November 20, 2010 by Blue Blood

[Voyant]

Now that my Hype mind is gone I can start talking about things in colors I dislike.

1. The handling has improved, but the excitement from playing the 3D areas are not there like it was in UnleashedHD. Drift is kinda slow and sluggish mostly shown at Sweet Mountain Act 2.

I liked being able to boost with drifting as well because it made that section go by quicker for those who could control it and it should be an option. Also I don't like the Quick Step and Drifting controls to not be in my arsenal at all times, it makes the game seem even more separated from its 3D/2D moments. If there is 1 thing Unleashed did right is flow (even though it was linear in some levels). Colors might be a better game overall, but Unleashed has superior flow then Colors since it can feel "blocky' at times in game.

2. In the old games blocky levels and flowed levels were completely separated while in Colors they combine it inside of the game and can come off as a bit jarring.

Colors also comes off as more of a 2D game with 3D sections than an actually 3D game. Next installment definitely needs more balance and should be 50/50 without braking in game flow. Meaning 1 Act should have blokish level design while the other act is more of a speed fest with platforming like Emerald Hill Zone or Chemical Plant in Sonic 2.

Doing this will please both sides of the unleashed formula fan base "Because it gives them acts to choose from and replay again later". Similar to unleashed DLC content and how some levels operated.

It should play more like this, but with all the good aspects in colors platforming, alternate paths and better controls, but to be honest I think the reason the excitement of the Unleashed cannot be replicated in Colors is simply because of the WII just being a weaker system and it can't generate the "sensation" you get in Unleashed HD.

Any way here my examples in the Unleashed system.

This video shows the platforming capabilities in unleashed is there, but harder to do do to Sonic's Slippery controls...which I think ST at the time understood so they based more stages...or the main stages on just Sonic doing more running than platforming. This vid also shows how platforming can still be exciting and "thrilling" while still giving the sense of actual platforming without the "boost boost boost" concept.

This level with a bit more variety and not going just "up", with a tad toned down difficulty, alternate paths, with control aspect of colors, and your cooking with fire baby.

This Vid all 2D and while its pretty straight forward shows again how to keep the platforming abilities without sacrificing thrill. of course if this was designed like colors with more "flow" than blockish platforming section/ Rush Like gameplay it be vastly superior to this. There nothing wrong with blockish platforming (its in the classics)...nor is there anything typically wrong with colors premise. I just trying to find a medium were both sides can be happy.

I play Colors for different reason than I do unleashed...but I will say that if I ever want to get my blood boiling I'll play Sonic unleashed/2. The reason why Colors doesn't top Sonic 2 for me is because Sonic 2 was able to maintain my excitement the entire time while still delivering platforming. Colors doesn't deliver this excitement, but has better platforming. Even the boost in colors feels more like a an "effect" than an actual game mechanic at times. While in unleashed you KNOW boost is working at all times to improve your speed.

I very interested to see an HD version of Colors since this will prove whether the WII just lacks the ability to provide that excitement.

Its all a toss up really, but there no doubt that as a overall game Colors is superior...because all the good stuff from UnleasgedHD is just like 30% while the rest of the bad stuff actually take up most of the game. If i wanted to show off Sonic to some friends without showing the abomination that's in UnleasgedHD I pick it over colors though, but recommend a Sonic game to a friend? I pick Colors.

Edited November 21, 2010 by Voyant

[speedfreak]

Okay I need a hand with something guys. I only need one more S rank, the boss of Asteroid Coaster. I've beaten him without getting hit (so I had a nice amount of rings) and I did use the rocket wisp on him twice but I can only ever seem to get an A. I also quick step a bunch for the extra points and I beat him at around 2 minutes. Is there something I'm missing? Can anyone give me any tips for beating this guy with an S rank? My OCD won't let me move on to Donkey Kong Country Returns tomorrow if I don't get that last S rank.

Edited November 21, 2010 by speedfreak

[Spooky Mulder]

I beat the story mode today so I guess now I can definitely say I think it's a great game but theres many missed opportunities. The levels are fun and unique for each zone but the platforms are all traditional blocky platforms, yet some of those platforms could have easily been replaced by more unique platforms, for example, Sweet Mountain could have used donuts. It's just a thought, but the game really could have used more variety when it came to platforms since they're basically everywhere.

[JezMM]

^ Agreed.

Oh, on the homing attack issue, I have to say, I do hate - REALLY hate that you can't target off-screen enemies. It means taking out a bunch of enemies all together is very cumbersome (and I like to coz I'm OCD).

But it becomes a real annoyance in the ONE mandatory kill-all-enemies-to-pass room in Aquatic Park. I have nothing against such rooms, especially when they're as non-offensive as just having one in the entire game, but SO often I'll ping off one, start moving towards the camera because I know one is there, and because Sonic refuses to target it I just drop down and land ON it, hurting myself.

...Also yeah, get rid of the thin-layer-of-acid-that-hurts-Sonic-on-every-enemy-even-if-they-aren't-attacking. I loved that in Unleashed.

[Phos]

I just got around to doing Act 1 of starlight carnival and I have to wonder if the level designers thought about what they were doing even once while making that level. It's almost a parody of everything wrong with new Sonic games all rolled up into one level. It starts with a long automated section followed by requiring you to attack one of several objects that are indescribable apart from their appearance (The heck are those things, Ajim's black boards?), and do so quickly or else you die. The hell were they doing?

[Kuzu]

Are we really going rage over one part of a level, a part that only last 30 seconds, that 30 seconds is pretty much all of Unleashed, so why are we complaining.

[SuperStingray]

I just got around to doing Act 1 of starlight carnival and I have to wonder if the level designers thought about what they were doing even once while making that level. It's almost a parody of everything wrong with new Sonic games all rolled up into one level. It starts with a long automated section followed by requiring you to attack one of several objects that are indescribable apart from their appearance (The heck are those things, Ajim's black boards?), and do so quickly or else you die. The hell were they doing?

Edited November 21, 2010 by SuperStingray

[Phos]

Are we really going rage over one part of a level, a part that only last 30 seconds, that 30 seconds is pretty much all of Unleashed, so why are we complaining.

[JezMM]

There's only one instant death spot that drives me nuts, and that's on (I think) Act 2 of Asteroid Coaster.

You land on a moon with two zippers, one that sends you round the moon, and another that shoots you off it afterwards, completely automated but a fun little set-piece all the same.

Then it gives you a split second to react to the spring after launching off the moon.

I actually have to hammer A here from knowing it's coming to hit that spring, because if I let my mind wander I just go straight past it every time.

...And I had no problems with the reaction tests in Unleashed even on my first play, so that's saying something.

[Saint Nathan]

colors using way too many buttons

A for jump, B to boost, Z to slide/crouch/stomp.

That is a total of three buttons. The Classic controller would use an extra one to activate the Wisps, but that's still not using any large amounts of buttons at all.

What do you want, everything to use ONE button?

Edited November 21, 2010 by Galaxy Man

[Blue Blood]

About the platforming. It's fun and absolutely great to have platforming back, but it's so basic. It's like just floating platforms on the homing attack (though the underwater sections are somewhat different). Missed opportunities indeed.

[Phos]

A for jump, B to boost, Z to slide/crouch/stomp.

That is a total of three buttons. The Classic controller would use an extra one to activate the Wisps, but that's still not using any large amounts of buttons at all.

What do you want, everything to use ONE button?

[SilentDoom]

I somewhat agree with Phos. For the Classic Controller they should have used the Y button for something. I also think that next time they should not map the double jump to the same button as the homing attack.

[Saint Nathan]

Ah yes, not too many buttons, just poorly mapped. They're all over the place, and they left a face button unused, instead mapping it to a shoulder button. And you forgot about the button used for Wisps.

[speedduelist]

It should play more like this, but with all the good aspects in colors platforming, alternate paths and better controls, but to be honest I think the reason the excitement of the Unleashed cannot be replicated in Colors is simply because of the WII just being a weaker system and it can't generate the "sensation" you get in Unleashed HD.

its not the Wii's fault that Sonic colors doesn't play like Unleashed.

lets just say the developers wanted to Create a 3D/2.5D version of this level design 'speed is gained by playing well' :

instead of this 'boost until you reach a bottomless pit' level design :

Colors plays like the classics when speed is rewarded for playing well through platforming segments, and the part that makes you die is a bottomless pit that is under a platform, and Not unfair QTES.

Unleashed plays like sonic rush, when speed is every where with barley any platforming, and the game playing its self half the time, and QTES/Bottomless pits at the other half of the time, talk about fake difficulty.

Does any 1 Remember the reason of the werehog?

I asked one of the developers at TGS, you know I was like, come on everybody just wants Sonic running, like what's up with the werehog? And he was like, well, here's the deal... he runs at this miles per hour, kilometers per hour, and he laid out all of the statistics on how fast this hedgehog goes, and he was like In order to make a game where Sonic is running and everybody enjoys the whole thing we'd have to design this many miles of level, and it was some ungodly number. And he's like and that would be like maybe a three hour game and I was like wow, well that kinda stinks and he's like yeah, so we gotta do this other stuff." -- David Clayman, on the IGN Three Red Lights podcast, via Indoor Heroes

seems like in sonic colors, they decided to get red of the tons of automated segments of sonic rush and add more platforming and explorations, which the classics had.

Edited November 21, 2010 by speedduelist

[DistantJ]

Well, I think the reason Colours could be done without 'Werehogs' or whatever else is because it is on the Wii. Quicker and easier to design levels becuase they don't have to look any good. I say try developing the games in Wii style - flat textures etc. but keep the cartoony style so it doesn't look like crap... Maybe even cel shade it.

Starlight Carnival... For me the stupidest part were those strange Eggman panel things which sent you up off the top of the screen, then you'd inexplicably move left or right slightly, then have to control an off-screen Sonic, as if you were cheating in Mario 3... This made no sense to me at all. Then you'd go from that to a long-ass 3D bit which you have no control over. Sucks.