Sonic Colors was originally released in 2010 for the DS and Wii as Nintendo exclusives. With Sonic Colors: Ultimate, the game is returning to Nintendo platforms while also finally hitting other consoles as well. In this era of the franchise, Sonic Colors was considered to be one of the better entries.
This can still be backed by reviews given at the time. While modern reviews of this remaster are also good, Sonic Colors: Ultimate has a few issues as well. Was this port rushed out the door too quickly? Sometimes it’s okay to go slow, Sonic. Whatever happened during development, things could get fixed in patches. Let’s run through what Sonic Colors: Ultimate does and doesn’t do right.
10 Best: Remastered Visuals
Most of Sonic Colors: Ultimate looks great in the heat of gameplay. The frame rate can dip a little bit but other than that the conversion seems tight. The original version looked great on the Wii too since there was such an abundance of colors.
The 2010 game was in SD, though, so seeing these colors in HD for the first time makes for a whole new experience. It’s not mind-blowing by remaster standards but Sonic Colors is still pretty.
9 Worst: Cutscenes
An aspect of Sonic Colors that did not get remastered is the cutscenes. Ultimate contains the original clips from the Wii version, which would not be too bad if they run properly. They have a tendency to pause altogether or to skip through frames. This seems to be an issue across all console platforms.
Thankfully, cutscenes can be skipped with a button thus alleviating the headache. However, it’s still a bummer that fans can’t watch these cutscenes without any issues.
8 Best: Mixing 2D With 3D
The Sonic the Hedgehog series has been mixing 2D levels with 3D levels for a long time now. Nevertheless, it’s still great to see this fusion come together well because there are plenty of games in Sonic’s past that mess up this crossover effect.
It’s also nice to have a level select. This applies to individual levels as well as worlds that unlock after the first area is beaten. Basing Sonic Colors on a theme park was a good choice.
7 Worst: Level Design
While a lot of praise should be heaved onto the level selection and fusion of 2D and 3D, the stages themselves aren’t the best. It’s hard to tell the difference between one stage and another in a single world.
These worlds feel more like one ongoing stage that has been split apart, and if seen this way then the level design looks better. That said, this feels like an excuse for an otherwise forgettable set of levels. One might be hard-pressed to remember a single stage.
6 Best: That Sonic Sense Of Speed
One thing the Sonic series has always done better than most other platformers is creating a sense of inertia. When players really get into a grove, it turns the games into trance-like experiences.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate is proof of this and achieves this state more often than most modern entries in the franchise. Levels are also bite-sized and offer tons of alternate paths, giving players many reasons to return.
5 Worst: Platforming
If there’s one thing the Mario series is king at, it is platforming. Running is the Sonic series’ strength so whenever players have to stop and hop around, it drags the experience down. It can feel a bit clunky in Sonic Colors like the Blue Blur is somehow being weighed down.
Running and platforming feel great if one can get into the rhythm of it and time their jumps right. So, it’s not all bad, even if the game could use a few tweaks in order to create a tighter experience.
4 Best: Sonic Customization
This may not be a huge plus for every fan, but some may enjoy customizing Sonic. There are collectibles in Sonic Colors: Ultimate that can be spent in the rewards menu. These rewards include new shoes, gloves, effects, and icons for Sonic to equip.
The icons are one of the cooler customization options in the game because they reference classic franchises Sega has seemingly forgotten about like Skies of Arcadia.
3 Worst: Theater Mode
In this same menu, there is also a way to watch the cutscenes in the game. This is always a nice option to see in games, along with photo modes, but Sonic Colors: Ultimate’s implementation of it is strange.
Cutscenes cannot be blown up normally and must be watched in a small boxed window. Sega might have done this in order to prevent streamers from recording the cutscenes without subtitles and placing them on YouTube or something. That’s as good a guess as any for Sonic Colors.
2 Best: Wisp Powers
Wisps are one of the core mechanics Sonic Colors is based around. These colorful little aliens are being abducted by Dr. Robotnik because he knows of their great power. Each world can see Sonic unlocking a new buddy to then use in the field. They aren’t permanent powers that Sonic can use on the fly.
They’re much like Mario’s power-ups if Nintendo’s mascot had to first unlock them before they become randomized. The drill Wisp is one of the cooler options in the game and helps increase the speed of Sonic’s power.
1 Worst: Too Easy
Sonic Colors lacks any sort of real challenge. That can be a plus in the eyes of more casual or younger gamers, and it is great to have difficulty level options that cover all types of players. However, there is nothing like that presented at the beginning of the game, meaning that those wishing for a harder challenge will not find it here.
Enemies, for example, just wait to be attacked. They’re more like platforms rather than anything dangerous that can harm Sonic. It should be mentioned that bosses do offer some engaging gameplay but overall Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a bit too easy.
