[review] Sonic Colors
Disclaimer: I am a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog as a whole. For the record, I also love Silent Hill as a whole. I'm... eclectic, okay? :(
Upfront Confessions
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was my favorite 2D Sonic game. I enjoyed Sonic Adventure more than Sonic Adventure 2, I hated and never finished Sonic Heroes, and I haven't played a Sonic game since, because I've heard nothing but terrible things! Until Sonic Colors.
Sonic Colors
For: Wii (also the DS, but it's a very different game)
Overall: 9/10
Okay, I -- loved this game. Straight up loved it. It's bright, it's colorful, it's imaginative, and for whatever reasons it's also the first Sonic game in yeeears that I feel like fits into the Archie Comics universe extremely well. I mean, we don't have any of the additional Archie characters hanging around or anything, but we don't have any of the additional Sega characters (Amy Rose, for example) either. There's also quite a bit of humor, with puns on both sides and a Sonic extremely reminiscent of the old school Jaleel White rendition of the character -- and, more specifically, the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
Not my favorite cartoon, either. Promise. But a little bit of its punny humor and lightheartedness is a welcome change from the ultra-serious Sonic of recent years. Sonic Colors feels more like a kids' game, and I think as a kid I would have thought Sonic was pretty cool in it, but it's laidback enough that I can look at it now and snicker a little bit. "Aww, what a derp."
Eggman has gotten a similar makeover: no one is even slightly trying to pretend that this guy is a force to be reckoned with or anyone we should really take seriously. I mean, he's a giant round egg-man, after all. And his dialogue is kind of wonderful. I especially enjoyed the vaguely Portal-esque intercom announcements that came on during various points of the game, and was always sad when background music drowned them out.
(Mind: I did really like the SAT AM Robotnik who was a force to be reckoned with, but this is nice too.)
Gameplay: 10/10
This is what I want from Sonic games: speed. Unbridled, crazy speed. It's what always set Sonic apart from Mario: while Mario was usually about precise platforming, Sonic was about a hectic rush from the beginning of the level to the end.
Skilled players who know the level should be able to get through it quickly but profitably, beating lots of enemies and collecting lots of rings and navigating through hidden pathways, but all players should be able to pick up the controller and run through the level successfully on their first or second try, with the exception of occasional especially difficult patches. This isn't to say that I think Sonic levels are easier than Mario levels, but that they should facilitate the speed of the titular character.
Because of this, platforming sections in Sonic will always be the weak points of the level for me -- and underwater levels that actively force you to slow down, like the first game's Labyrinth Zone, will always be my least favorite*. And, oh yes, Sonic Colors adds an asterisk to that statement.
So, I look for speed in Sonic levels. I look for the ability to rush from beginning to end, barely surviving and having a wild fun time. Sonic Colors delivered on this in spades, incorporating "grinding" rails, zip lines, colorful aerial "rush" rings, and playing with perspective; during some segments, Sonic runs forward essentially on his own, with you only having to zip left, right, and jump. These segments come as overhead views, directly-behind views, and directly-in front views.
Sonic has learned a few new moves this time around, too, mostly with the help of the Wisps that are the game's "colors". Blue Wisps let Sonic become a laser that will bounce off walls and zip forward through enemies; Orange Wisps turn Sonic into a rocket that launches straight up; Green Wisps make for a tiny Sonic hover craft that floats gently in the direction of your choosing; Yellow Wisps turn Sonic into a drill that can power through the earth; Pink Wisps let Sonic become a spiked ball that can attach to ceilings and destroy bricks; and the Purple or "Nega" Wisp turns Sonic into a frenzied nightmarish creature that eats through everything in his path, swelling in size. The addition to this is the "Boost" function, which requires a certain amount of "power" but which propels Sonic forward in dashes. This dash has a slight ring-magnet affect.
In addition to the descriptions above, Wisp forms also have secondary functions -- the Blue Wisp lets Sonic use what look like lightning rods to teleport from one part of a level to another, the Yellow Wisp can be used in underwater levels to travel through pipes, and the Green Wisp can perform a proper Light Ring Dash. Are there more secondary functions...? Well, I wouldn't be surprised, but I wouldn't even know about these if not for YouTube videos. ;)
Which is another thing: the levels have a fair bit of replayability, even if you're not looking to improve your rank; on most levels I went through, I could see at least one other path that I haven't tried to take yet. These are big levels, with the exception of a few very short ones, and they reward your exploration.
To be completely honest, this is the NEW Sonic game you've been looking for. While there are 2D segments, the game is still largely in 3D, and it would work just fine if it were mostly or completely in 3D. This is where Sonic should be.
Controls: 9.5/10
The controls are tight. Sonic does just what you want him to do. The "Homing Attack" works better in this game than it has in any game, and oh god after the loosey goosey controls of Sonic Adventure and Sonic Heroes, this game is like a godsend. I haven't played it with a classic controller or sideways, either; I played it with nunchuck in hand, using the joystick to control Sonic. The motion control part, where I had to shake the wiimote to use Wisps, sometimes took more than one try to get right, but it wasn't debilitating. (And, for the record, I don't have Motion Plus.)
There's not much else to say about the controls -- but, if you ask me, that's a good thing: fundamentally, controls are a barrier between you and the gaming experience, and, the less you notice them, the better they are doing their job. Controls that melt away without commentary let you become more immersed in the game. You only really notice controls when something is going wrong.
Visuals: 7/10
The design is gorgeous, the levels are beautiful and bright. The game only really suffers for being on the Wii; some of the cut scenes are a little bit pixelated, and I really wish I could see the game in HD.
Sound: 7/10
A quick word about language options: I switched to the Japanese language option right away, but when I turned it off again (the "subtitles" are the English script, as always in Sonic games so far, and the highly-localized script is distractingly different from the Japanese), the English dub was pretty decent. Tails probably had a better voice than he's had even in past cartoons, and since Tails is usually the part of the English dub that makes me want to tear my hair out, this solved most of my problems right away.
The sound effects are good and Sonic-y; the new "target" alert that pops up when you get close to something that can be Homing Attacked isn't too annoying even when you hear it 10 times in rapid succession; and the level music is pretty good. I have an -- odd criticism of the opening theme and closing theme, which is that they sound very much like what's become the traditional Sonic ballad... as performed by Superchunk of "10,000 Fireflies" fame. It's not good or bad, just something I noticed and was slightly startled by.
But we did knock three points off up there, so what are they for? The inexplicable decision to use the exact same musical diddy for every single level on a given world. (In the original games, we'd call these Acts within a Zone, but they now behave much more like Mario levels in a world.)
Why is this a bad thing, you might ask? That's how the original Sonic did it. That's mostly how Sonic 2 did it. Sonic Adventure did it that way, too. So, what's the problem?
Well, first of all, the little remixes in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles make those among my favorite OSTs to just listen to -- but second of all, when the games above did this, it wasn't much of a problem. Sonic and Sonic 2 had three- and two-Act Zones with each Act designed to be completable in 29 seconds. Meanwhile, Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles both feature two-act Zones with each Act designed to be completable in 59 seconds. The designers were more concerned with how repetitive the music was in this case than with previous games, and they were again less concerned in Sonic Adventure and its ilk, where "Zones" were all one-Act and would only be revisited by other characters; presumably hours, days, or even weeks later.
These decisions make sense, right? Of course they do. But the decision to opt for only one musical track per world is a bit more crushing in Sonic Colors, where each world has seven levels. And not all short levels, either. Let me stress: I liked each individual track, but by the end of the world I was invariably sick of it, and I really can't imagine what the justification was here. Is it supposed to be okay because you can skip between worlds? I can easily do a level of Tropical Resort and then hop over to Asteroid Coaster? Nice try, but that's probably a bad idea. There's a very definite difficulty difference between the worlds that will give you whiplash.
Buy: Here!
*And here's the asterisk you were waiting for: Sonic Colors has a water level. In fact, Aquarium Park is a full-on water world. Seven water levels. But this world, and these levels, are not the low point of Sonic Colors! They're actually perfectly good levels in their own rights. The key? I think it's partially that you can use the Yellow Wisps to "drill" through the water at impressive speeds and with relatively precise control, but mostly because he underwater element never feels like a punishment. You are very rarely "trapped" underwater, and I never drowned once. Sonic can also "swim" to some degree now by pressing the jump button rapidly. I also really enjoyed what being underwater did to the background music on these levels.
This entry was originally posted here, via Dreamwidth. Feel totally free to comment there using OpenID!
Upfront Confessions
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was my favorite 2D Sonic game. I enjoyed Sonic Adventure more than Sonic Adventure 2, I hated and never finished Sonic Heroes, and I haven't played a Sonic game since, because I've heard nothing but terrible things! Until Sonic Colors.
Sonic Colors
For: Wii (also the DS, but it's a very different game)
Overall: 9/10
Okay, I -- loved this game. Straight up loved it. It's bright, it's colorful, it's imaginative, and for whatever reasons it's also the first Sonic game in yeeears that I feel like fits into the Archie Comics universe extremely well. I mean, we don't have any of the additional Archie characters hanging around or anything, but we don't have any of the additional Sega characters (Amy Rose, for example) either. There's also quite a bit of humor, with puns on both sides and a Sonic extremely reminiscent of the old school Jaleel White rendition of the character -- and, more specifically, the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
Not my favorite cartoon, either. Promise. But a little bit of its punny humor and lightheartedness is a welcome change from the ultra-serious Sonic of recent years. Sonic Colors feels more like a kids' game, and I think as a kid I would have thought Sonic was pretty cool in it, but it's laidback enough that I can look at it now and snicker a little bit. "Aww, what a derp."
Eggman has gotten a similar makeover: no one is even slightly trying to pretend that this guy is a force to be reckoned with or anyone we should really take seriously. I mean, he's a giant round egg-man, after all. And his dialogue is kind of wonderful. I especially enjoyed the vaguely Portal-esque intercom announcements that came on during various points of the game, and was always sad when background music drowned them out.
(Mind: I did really like the SAT AM Robotnik who was a force to be reckoned with, but this is nice too.)
Gameplay: 10/10
This is what I want from Sonic games: speed. Unbridled, crazy speed. It's what always set Sonic apart from Mario: while Mario was usually about precise platforming, Sonic was about a hectic rush from the beginning of the level to the end.
Skilled players who know the level should be able to get through it quickly but profitably, beating lots of enemies and collecting lots of rings and navigating through hidden pathways, but all players should be able to pick up the controller and run through the level successfully on their first or second try, with the exception of occasional especially difficult patches. This isn't to say that I think Sonic levels are easier than Mario levels, but that they should facilitate the speed of the titular character.
Because of this, platforming sections in Sonic will always be the weak points of the level for me -- and underwater levels that actively force you to slow down, like the first game's Labyrinth Zone, will always be my least favorite*. And, oh yes, Sonic Colors adds an asterisk to that statement.
So, I look for speed in Sonic levels. I look for the ability to rush from beginning to end, barely surviving and having a wild fun time. Sonic Colors delivered on this in spades, incorporating "grinding" rails, zip lines, colorful aerial "rush" rings, and playing with perspective; during some segments, Sonic runs forward essentially on his own, with you only having to zip left, right, and jump. These segments come as overhead views, directly-behind views, and directly-in front views.
Sonic has learned a few new moves this time around, too, mostly with the help of the Wisps that are the game's "colors". Blue Wisps let Sonic become a laser that will bounce off walls and zip forward through enemies; Orange Wisps turn Sonic into a rocket that launches straight up; Green Wisps make for a tiny Sonic hover craft that floats gently in the direction of your choosing; Yellow Wisps turn Sonic into a drill that can power through the earth; Pink Wisps let Sonic become a spiked ball that can attach to ceilings and destroy bricks; and the Purple or "Nega" Wisp turns Sonic into a frenzied nightmarish creature that eats through everything in his path, swelling in size. The addition to this is the "Boost" function, which requires a certain amount of "power" but which propels Sonic forward in dashes. This dash has a slight ring-magnet affect.
In addition to the descriptions above, Wisp forms also have secondary functions -- the Blue Wisp lets Sonic use what look like lightning rods to teleport from one part of a level to another, the Yellow Wisp can be used in underwater levels to travel through pipes, and the Green Wisp can perform a proper Light Ring Dash. Are there more secondary functions...? Well, I wouldn't be surprised, but I wouldn't even know about these if not for YouTube videos. ;)
Which is another thing: the levels have a fair bit of replayability, even if you're not looking to improve your rank; on most levels I went through, I could see at least one other path that I haven't tried to take yet. These are big levels, with the exception of a few very short ones, and they reward your exploration.
To be completely honest, this is the NEW Sonic game you've been looking for. While there are 2D segments, the game is still largely in 3D, and it would work just fine if it were mostly or completely in 3D. This is where Sonic should be.
Controls: 9.5/10
The controls are tight. Sonic does just what you want him to do. The "Homing Attack" works better in this game than it has in any game, and oh god after the loosey goosey controls of Sonic Adventure and Sonic Heroes, this game is like a godsend. I haven't played it with a classic controller or sideways, either; I played it with nunchuck in hand, using the joystick to control Sonic. The motion control part, where I had to shake the wiimote to use Wisps, sometimes took more than one try to get right, but it wasn't debilitating. (And, for the record, I don't have Motion Plus.)
There's not much else to say about the controls -- but, if you ask me, that's a good thing: fundamentally, controls are a barrier between you and the gaming experience, and, the less you notice them, the better they are doing their job. Controls that melt away without commentary let you become more immersed in the game. You only really notice controls when something is going wrong.
Visuals: 7/10
The design is gorgeous, the levels are beautiful and bright. The game only really suffers for being on the Wii; some of the cut scenes are a little bit pixelated, and I really wish I could see the game in HD.
Sound: 7/10
A quick word about language options: I switched to the Japanese language option right away, but when I turned it off again (the "subtitles" are the English script, as always in Sonic games so far, and the highly-localized script is distractingly different from the Japanese), the English dub was pretty decent. Tails probably had a better voice than he's had even in past cartoons, and since Tails is usually the part of the English dub that makes me want to tear my hair out, this solved most of my problems right away.
The sound effects are good and Sonic-y; the new "target" alert that pops up when you get close to something that can be Homing Attacked isn't too annoying even when you hear it 10 times in rapid succession; and the level music is pretty good. I have an -- odd criticism of the opening theme and closing theme, which is that they sound very much like what's become the traditional Sonic ballad... as performed by Superchunk of "10,000 Fireflies" fame. It's not good or bad, just something I noticed and was slightly startled by.
But we did knock three points off up there, so what are they for? The inexplicable decision to use the exact same musical diddy for every single level on a given world. (In the original games, we'd call these Acts within a Zone, but they now behave much more like Mario levels in a world.)
Why is this a bad thing, you might ask? That's how the original Sonic did it. That's mostly how Sonic 2 did it. Sonic Adventure did it that way, too. So, what's the problem?
Well, first of all, the little remixes in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles make those among my favorite OSTs to just listen to -- but second of all, when the games above did this, it wasn't much of a problem. Sonic and Sonic 2 had three- and two-Act Zones with each Act designed to be completable in 29 seconds. Meanwhile, Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles both feature two-act Zones with each Act designed to be completable in 59 seconds. The designers were more concerned with how repetitive the music was in this case than with previous games, and they were again less concerned in Sonic Adventure and its ilk, where "Zones" were all one-Act and would only be revisited by other characters; presumably hours, days, or even weeks later.
These decisions make sense, right? Of course they do. But the decision to opt for only one musical track per world is a bit more crushing in Sonic Colors, where each world has seven levels. And not all short levels, either. Let me stress: I liked each individual track, but by the end of the world I was invariably sick of it, and I really can't imagine what the justification was here. Is it supposed to be okay because you can skip between worlds? I can easily do a level of Tropical Resort and then hop over to Asteroid Coaster? Nice try, but that's probably a bad idea. There's a very definite difficulty difference between the worlds that will give you whiplash.
Buy: Here!
*And here's the asterisk you were waiting for: Sonic Colors has a water level. In fact, Aquarium Park is a full-on water world. Seven water levels. But this world, and these levels, are not the low point of Sonic Colors! They're actually perfectly good levels in their own rights. The key? I think it's partially that you can use the Yellow Wisps to "drill" through the water at impressive speeds and with relatively precise control, but mostly because he underwater element never feels like a punishment. You are very rarely "trapped" underwater, and I never drowned once. Sonic can also "swim" to some degree now by pressing the jump button rapidly. I also really enjoyed what being underwater did to the background music on these levels.
This entry was originally posted here, via Dreamwidth. Feel totally free to comment there using OpenID!