1. Sonic Colors Gameplay Part 1
2. Sonic Colors Full Game
3. Sonic Colors Movie
4. Sonic Colors Gameplay Youtube
5. Sonic Colors Free Game
6. Sonic Colors Gameplay Trailer

Sonic Colors is rated 4.3 out of 5 by 207. Rated 5 out of 5 by Keona from Sonic the hedgehog So this game is cool gotta get use to holding the wii controller differently but other than that it’s a pretty good game. This sonic game is great the wisps offer a new perspective and the special stages are fun also red star rings are fun to collect as they this sonic game is great the wisps offer a new perspective and the special stages are fun also red star rings are fun to collect as they unlock special items. (timestamps below) Sonic Colours is one of the best 3D Sonic games and I thought it deserved a b. This is a playthrough of Sonic Colours for the Nintendo Wii.

Sonic Forces^[a] is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. Produced in commemoration of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise's twenty-fifth anniversary, it was released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in November 2017. The story sees Sonic the Hedgehog joining a resistance force to stop Doctor Eggman. It features three gameplay modes: 'Classic', side-scrolling gameplay similar to the original Sega GenesisSonic games; 'Modern', 3D gameplay similar to Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors; and a mode featuring the 'Avatar', the player's custom character.

The game was primarily developed by staff who had worked on Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, using an updated version of the Hedgehog Engine, used in Sonic Unleashed and Generations. Development began after the release of Sonic Lost World in 2013. The game was intended to have a darker tone compared to previous entries in the franchise, and the character creation system was inspired by Sonic fan art the developers had come across over the years. It was announced at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con under the working title of Project Sonic 2017.

Upon release, Sonic Forces received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its presentation, character creation system, and Modern Sonic gameplay. However, the level design was criticized, as were technical problems and the gameplay of Classic Sonic. Many critics felt that the game lacked ambition, and called it a disappointment in the wake of the positively received Sonic Mania, released earlier that year.

• 3Development and release

Gameplay[edit]

Sonic Forces is an action-adventureplatform game similar in gameplay and style to prior Sonic the Hedgehog games. The player's goal is to defeat Doctor Eggman and his robot army. The game features three playable characters: two variants of Sonic the Hedgehog ('Classic' and 'Modern'), and the 'Avatar' (the player's custom character).^[1] Each has unique abilities and attributes: Classic Sonic is restricted to side-scrolling gameplay reminiscent of the Sega GenesisSonic games and can perform a spin dash on the ground and a drop dash in mid-air to gain speed.^[2] Modern Sonic's gameplay follows a similar style to Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors: he can double jump, perform a homing attack on enemies, springs, and grappling hooks, and a speed boost by collecting White Wisps.^[3] The Avatar is created from a base of seven animal types, which each possess a unique ability; they also wield a grappling hook and can equip weapons known as Wispons, including flamethrowers, whips, and hammers. Depending on the Wispon, Avatars can use temporary abilities by collecting a corresponding Wisp type.^[4][5] Certain parts see players controlling both Modern Sonic and the Avatar, switching between them as necessary, similar to Sonic Heroes.^[6]

The game is split into several themed levels, some of which are based on locations from past games, such as Green Hill Zone.^[7] Players must complete each level while fighting waves of enemies, and (with the exception of Classic Sonic) seamlessly shift from side-scrolling to third-person perspectives.^[8] Stages are filled with features such as spring boards, rails, and boost pads, and obstacles such as spikes, bottomless pits, and robots. Scattered around levels are golden rings, which serve as a form of health: rings protect players from damage caused by robots or other hazards, though they lose their rings upon being hit; being hit with no rings kills the player. The game does not use a traditional life system, instead deducting from the player's score depending on the number of deaths.^[9] Players are given a grade dependent on their performance; an 'S' rank is the best and a 'C' is the worst.^[10] Certain levels feature a boss, which must be defeated in order to proceed.^[3] Bonus levels can be unlocked by collecting Red Rings hidden in most stages and players may occasionally receive SOS Missions, tasking them with replaying levels with a specific objective.^[11]

Plot[edit]

Doctor Eggman attacks a city, and Sonic sets out to stop him. However, upon arriving, he is attacked by Infinite, a mercenary transformed by the power of the Phantom Ruby from Sonic Mania. Infinite defeats Sonic, and he is taken prisoner aboard the Death Egg. Without Sonic, the land is left without a defender, and Eggman, with the help of his robots, Infinite, Shadow the Hedgehog, Chaos, Zavok, and Metal Sonic, manages to conquer the world within six months. Knuckles the Echidna forms a resistance force with Tails, the Chaotix, Amy Rose, Silver the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat and a survivor of Eggman's attack whom they nickname the Rookie. Knuckles discovers Sonic's whereabouts, and the Rookie steals a space shuttle, breaks into the Death Egg, and rescues Sonic. Back in the city, Tails is attacked by Chaos, but is saved by Classic Sonic (also from Sonic Mania). The two set out to spy on Eggman, learning of the Phantom Ruby and that Eggman has a plan to completely destroy the Resistance which will take effect in three days.

Meanwhile, Sonic encounters Shadow, who reveals that the Shadow following Eggman is a fake virtual reality copy created by Infinite, as are the other villains serving him. Tails infiltrates Eggman's computer network and finds the Phantom Ruby's weakness: it is directly powered by the Death Egg's core, and without a power source it is useless. While the Rookie stages a diversion, Sonic and Classic Sonic destroy the Death Egg. Believing they have the upper hand, the Resistance attacks Eggman's capital Metropolis. However, Eggman has a hidden backup power source under Metropolis, and he makes Infinite create a massive sun over the planet so that it will crash down and destroy the entire Resistance. Thinking fast, the Rookie uses a prototype Phantom Ruby they had recovered to dispel the virtual sun, saving everybody. Sonic and the Rookie then battle Infinite and defeat him. Eggman unveils yet another backup plan, moving the Phantom Ruby into one of his Death Egg Robots and fighting Sonic and his friends directly. Working together, Sonic, Classic Sonic, and the Rookie destroy Eggman's robot and defeat him. With the Phantom Ruby neutralized, all the copies serving Eggman's army vanish, Classic Sonic returns home, the Resistance disbands, and Sonic and his friends set out to rebuild the world while the Rookie leaves to find his own way.

Development and release[edit]

Development of Sonic Forces began shortly after Sonic Lost World was completed in 2013 under the codename Project Sonic 2017, and was developed alongside Sonic Mania.^[12] It was developed by Sonic Team; the majority of the staff had previously developed Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations (which followed a similar premise).^[13] The game was directed by Morio Kishimoto, who previously directed the Wii version of Sonic Colors and the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World. The game was produced in commemoration of the series' twenty-fifth anniversary, and the title was chosen to signify its themes of power, teamwork, and armies.^[12]

The game was intended to give a darker perspective to the world of Sonic, in contrast to the fantasy-based themes of previous entries,^[14] and expand upon the modern-style gameplay from Unleashed and Colors.^[15] To create this, the developers designed levels to seem desolate and more realistic.^[14] In programming the game, the development team used the Hedgehog Engine 2, an updated version of the game engine used in Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Generations.^[16] The gameplay was mostly modeled off Unleashed's, with elements from Colors and Generations.^[12] With the updated software, the first locations designed were the urban levels, which served as a reference for other stages. Sonic Team sought to make the levels unique and contrasting, and various level ideas were suggested during development; one example was a prison in Green Hill.^[14] At one point in development, the series' traditional ring-based health system was abandoned to balance the game's difficulty, and for designing the Classic levels, the team looked to Generations and Mania as a reference.^[15]

Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka explained that for years, he had seen many fan-made characters and wanted to give players the opportunity to play as their own. The team was given freedom to create the animal and customization mechanics. According to producer Shun Nakamura, the system was intended to modify existing characters rather than use the complex mechanics of series such as Fallout, so the characters would still feel like a part of the Sonic universe.^[17] While Sonic Forces began development years before Sonic Mania, the latter's production affected Forces; the games have a connected plot, and Mania was envisioned to excite fans for Forces.^[18]

Recurring series writers Ken Pontac and Warren Graff contributed to the English script.^[19][20] The soundtrack was primarily composed by series sound director Tomoya Ohtani, with additional music from Naofumi Hataya, Kenichi Tokoi, and Takahito Eguchi.^[6] The theme song, 'Fist Bump', was written by Ohtani and features lyrics written and performed by Doug Robb of the American rock band Hoobastank.^[21] Ohtani also wrote Infinite's theme, which was performed by Tyler Smyth and Andy Bane of the band DangerKids.^[22] Arrangements of tracks from Sonic CD, Sonic Adventure 2, and Shadow the Hedgehog were also used.^[6][23] A three-disc official soundtrack, Sonic Forces Original Soundtrack - A Hero Will Rise, was released in Japan by Sega's music label Wave Master on December 13, 2017.^[24]

Sonic Colors Gameplay Part 1

Sonic Forces was announced alongside Sonic Mania under its codename during a twenty-fifth series anniversary event held by Sega at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2016.^[25][26][27] The presence of both Classic and Modern Sonic in the initial teaser trailer led some journalists to believe it was a sequel to Sonic Generations,^[28] but Iizuka clarified that it was a separate game.^[29] The game was released worldwide on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in November 2017.^[30][31] Prior to the game's launch, Sega released a four-part prequel comic written and drawn by Ian Flynn and Adam Bryce Thomas, who previously worked on Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog series.^[32] A bonus edition was also released containing controller skins and downloadable clothing items for the Avatar based on other Sega games, such as Jet Set Radio, Puyo Puyo, and Persona 5.^[33][34] A tie-in racing game for iOS and Android devices, Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, was released in select regions in September 2017.^[35] After the game's release, several updates featuring new content were released, such as an in-game shirt for the Avatar featuring 'Sanic', an internet meme of a poorly drawn Sonic, and the ability to transform into Super Sonic.^[36] The Super Sonic DLC was released for free, but was initially planned as paid DLC.^[37]

Episode Shadow[edit]

Episode Shadow is free downloadable content (DLC) for Sonic Forces that launched alongside the game.^[38] The story acts as a prequel, focuses on Shadow the Hedgehog and his friends Rouge the Bat and E-123 Omega, and also explores the origins of Infinite. Players control Shadow, who handles similarly to Modern Sonic but has unique abilities such as the ability to perform a chain of homing attacks in rapid succession.^[39] The pack adds three original levels to the game, and the ability to play as Shadow in most of Modern Sonic's stages.^[40] According to Nakamura, Sonic Team created Episode Shadow to appeal to fans of older games in the series, such as Sonic Adventure (1998).^[18] It was the first time that Shadow was a playable character in a mainline Sonic game for several years,^[18][41] with some critics writing that it was much more difficult than the main game.^[42]

Reception[edit]

Sonic Forces received 'mixed or average' reviews, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.^{[43][44][45][46]} In the United Kingdom, the game debuted in fifth place on their all-formats chart.^[51] Sega stated in a financial report in February 2018 that the game 'performed strongly'.^[52]

Writing for Polygon, Jeremy Parish praised the game's visuals and character customization, but criticized its repetitive boss fights and argued the game did not advance the series' design. Parish disliked the ranking system, which rewards players for completing stages quickly rather than exploring them for collectibles, and dismissed the tag team sections as 'under-developed' because players would prefer to use Modern Sonic whenever the Avatar was not required.^[10] The four reviewers of Famitsu were more positive, praising the character creation system, story, and soundtrack.^[2] Heidi Kemps, reviewing Forces for IGN, faulted elements of the game's level design, indicating that 'unfair-feeling traps' recurred intermittently and that the levels were relatively short and underdeveloped. In contrast to Parish, Kemps enjoyed the 'quite strong' bosses, particularly one fought 'among the winding coils of a giant snake,' although she wished they were more plentiful. Kemps cited the game's 'goofy charm' as preventing her from being 'too disappointed' by it.^[3]

Kotaku's Heather Alexandra wrote that Modern Sonic's gameplay was 'visually dynamic' and 'the most fun', but heavily automated and shallow, whereas Classic Sonic delivered a solid but unremarkable platforming experience that compared unfavorably to the more inventive Sonic Mania. Alexandra panned the Avatar stages as 'disjointed and confused' due to a lack of flow and an excessive reliance on trial and error. Overall, she described Forces as fun despite a lack of polish and complimented its 'infectious energy and excitement'.^[1]Game Informer's Brian Shea similarly regarded the game as a 'fun adventure' and considered its controls and level design to be the best of any 3D Sonic entry, but concluded: '3D Sonic games still aren't to where they should be after such a long time of iteration and experimentation'. Shea called Classic Sonic the worst of the three playable characters due to poor physics that failed to emulate those of the original 2D Sonic games.^[8] Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw of The Escapist panned it for not exploring the potential of its ideas and lambasted the story for its attempt at a more mature tone. He later ranked it the second worst game of 2017.^[53][54] Several critics considered Sonic Forces a disappointment in the wake of the positively received Mania.^[3][11][1]

John Linneman of Eurogamer found that Forces was well-optimized for PlayStation 4, with no noticeable improvement when played on a PlayStation 4 Pro, whereas the Xbox One version was 'slightly more responsive' but marred by screen tearing and inferior resolution. He felt that playing on Xbox One X provided the best overall experience, albeit with some 'unwelcome inconsistency' caused by occasional changes in resolution, but that the Switch version had worse technical performance than Sonic Lost World (2013) on Wii U, which featured graphics of similar quality running at twice the framerate.^[55] The Windows version received criticism for problems related to its uneven performance and frequent crashes; Sega released a patch on launch day that fixed some of the problems.^[56]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcAlexandra, Heather. 'Sonic Forces: The Kotaku Review'. Kotaku. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
2. ^ ^abc'Sonic Forces review'. Famitsu (1509). October 2017.
3. ^ ^abcdeKemps, Heidi (November 10, 2017). 'Sonic Forces Review'. IGN. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
4. ^Dornbush, Jonathon. 'Sonic Forces Character Creation Feature Announced'. IGN. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
5. ^Frank, Allegra. 'Sonic Forces' non-Sonic stages might be its best'. Polygon. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
6. ^ ^abcShea, Brian. 'New Tag Mechanic Stirs Up Sonic Heroes Memories'. Game Informer. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
7. ^Frank, Allegra. 'Sonic fans are getting a little tired of Green Hill Zone'. Polygon. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
8. ^ ^abcShea, Brian (November 8, 2017). 'Running A Familiar Route - Sonic Forces - Xbox One'. Game Informer. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
9. ^Alexandria, Heather. 'Sonic Forces Impressions: Great When It Sticks To Its Roots'. Kotaku. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
10. ^ ^abcParish, Jeremy (November 5, 2017). 'Sonic Forces review'. Polygon. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
11. ^ ^abD'Argenio, Angelo. 'Review: Sonic Forces is a half-finished disappointment of a game'. GameCrate. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
12. ^ ^abc'Interview with Takashi Iizuka'. Famitsu (in Japanese). April 2017.
13. ^Whitehead, Thomas. 'Project Sonic 2017 Confirmed for Nintendo NX Release'. Nintendo Life. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
14. ^ ^abc'第1回 背景デザイン アートディレクター 三浦 義貴'. Sonic Channel (in Japanese). Sega. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
15. ^ ^abWallace, Kimberly. 'Sonic Forces Producer Discusses Changes To Ring System And Darker World'. Game Informer. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
16. ^Shea, Brian (March 17, 2017). 'A Longer Look at Modern Sonic - Sonic Forces - PlayStation 4'. Game Informer. Archived from the original on March 18, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
17. ^Frank, Allegra. 'Sonic Forces' Custom Hero mode might not be the wish fulfillment you want'. Polygon. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
18. ^ ^abcRobinson, Martin. 'Sonic Mania and its impact on the future of the Sonic series'. Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
19. ^Sato. 'Project Sonic 2017 Revealed As Sonic Forces, Here's Its First Footage And Details'. Siliconera. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
20. ^Graff, Warren [@warrengraff] (May 16, 2017). 'Just a game I wrote, no big deal' (Tweet) – via Twitter.
21. ^Frank, Allegra (July 6, 2017). 'Sonic Forces recruits Hoobastank for its perfectly on-brand theme song'. Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
22. ^Sega. 'Sonic Forces OST - Theme of Infinite'. YouTube. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
23. ^Sonic Team (November 7, 2017). Sonic Forces. Sega. Level/area: Episode Shadow (DLC).
24. ^'「ソニックフォース」，全楽曲を収録したサントラとボーカル曲を収録したアルバムが12月13日発売'. 4gamer (in Japanese). Retrieved October 16, 2017.
25. ^McWhertor, Michael (July 23, 2016). ''Project Sonic' coming to Nintendo NX, PS4, Xbox One and PC in 2017'. Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
26. ^Duwell, Ron (July 26, 2016). 'SEGA confirms two new Sonic games, a retro-throwback and a Sonic Generations sequel'. TechnoBuffalo. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
27. ^Nunneley, Stephany (July 23, 2016). 'Project Sonic out holiday 2017 for PC, NX, PS4, Xbox One – watch the reveal trailer here'. VG247. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
28. ^Fahey, Mike (July 23, 2016). 'And This Is Basically Sonic Generations 2'. Kotaku. Univision Communications. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
29. ^'It sure looks like Sega is making a new Sonic Generations'. Destructoid. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
30. ^Plessas, Nick (July 25, 2016). 'Sonic the Hedgehog making a triumphant return to 3D—this time for real'. Electronic Gaming Monthly. EGM Media. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
31. ^Sato. 'Sonic Forces Releases November 9 In Japan, New Screenshots Show More Of The Avatar'. Siliconera. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
32. ^Jenni (October 12, 2017). 'Sonic Forces Free Comic's First Chapter Released'. Siliconera. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
33. ^@sonic_hedgehog (August 31, 2017). 'Sonic Forces arrives Nov. 7! The physical Bonus edition is available now for Pre-Order, and includes a controller skin + SEGA/Atlus outfits!' (Tweet) – via Twitter.
34. ^Osborn, Alex. 'Sonic Forces Release Date Announced, Persona 5 Outfit Available as Preorder Bonus'. IGN. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
35. ^Nelson, Jared. 'Sega Soft-Launches 'Sonic Forces: Speed Battle' in the Philippines App Store'. TouchArcade. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
36. ^Wong, Alistair (November 12, 2017). 'Sonic Forces Patch Datamine: Includes 'Sanic' T-Shirt, Super Sonic Transformation'. Siliconera. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
37. ^'Sonic Forces' Super Sonic DLC to be free permanently'. destructoid. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
38. ^Jenni. 'Sonic Forces' Episode Shadow Add-on Will Be Free At Launch'. Siliconera. Curse. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
39. ^Sonic Team; Sega. 'Sonic Forces - Episode Shadow Gameplay'. YouTube. Alphabet. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
40. ^Whitehead, Thomas. 'Shadow to be Playable in Free 'Episode Shadow' DLC for Sonic Forces'. Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
41. ^Frank, Allegra. 'Shadow is playable in Sonic Forces DLC'. Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
42. ^Shea, Brian. 'Free Day One DLC Adds Shadow As Playable Character'. Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
43. ^ ^ab'Sonic Forces for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
44. ^ ^ab'Sonic Forces for Switch Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
45. ^ ^ab'Sonic Forces for PlayStation 4 Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
46. ^ ^ab'Sonic Forces for Xbox One Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
47. ^Carter, Chris (November 7, 2017). 'Review: Sonic Forces'. Destructoid. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
48. ^Espineli, Matt (November 10, 2017). 'Sonic Forces Review'. November 10, 2017.
49. ^Andrews, Stuart (November 8, 2017). 'Sonic Forces review: 'A short game of short levels, yet desperately short of real ideas''. GamesRadar. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
50. ^Craddock, Ryan (November 8, 2017). 'Sonic Forces Review - Switch'. Nintendo Life. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
51. ^Whitehead, Thomas. 'Sonic Forces on Switch Has Solid UK Launch as DOOM Moves Up the Charts'. Nintendo Life. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
52. ^https://www.segasammy.co.jp/english/ir/library/pdf/settlement/2018/20180207_3q_siryo_e_final.pdf
53. ^Croshaw, Ben (November 29, 2017). 'ZERO PUNCTUATION Sonic Forces'. The Escapist. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
54. ^Escapist (January 10, 2018). 'Best, worst, and blandest games of 2017 (Zero Punctuation)'. YouTube. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
55. ^Linneman, John. 'Sonic Forces focuses on PS4 with clear issues on other systems'. Eurogamer. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
56. ^Glagowski, Peter. 'PSA: Sonic Forces' PC port is a hot mess'. Destructoid. Retrieved November 7, 2017.

External links[edit]

Sonic Colors^[a] is a 2010 platform video game published by Sega. An installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, it follows Sonic's quest to stop his nemesis Doctor Eggman from enslaving an alien race and taking over the world. The gameplay is similar to prior Sonic games, with players collecting rings and defeating enemies; the camera perspective occasionally switches from third-person to side-scrolling perspectives. The game also introduces Wisps, power-ups the player can use to increase attack power and reach new areas.

Development of Sonic Colors began in 2008, following the completion of Sonic Unleashed. Examining criticisms of past games, the developers made Sonic the only playable character and worked to balance speed and platforming; the Wisps were introduced to diversify the gameplay without slowing it down. Two versions of the game were developed: one for the Wii by Sonic Team, and one for the Nintendo DS by Dimps. The game was designed for a wider demographic than previous games, specifically children and fans of the Super Mario series. In anticipation of the game's release, Sega delisted several Sonic games with sub-average Metacritic scores to increase the value of the brand.

Sonic Colors received positive reviews. Critics recommended the title for its graphics, audio, gameplay, replay value, and considered it an improvement over previous installments. However, some criticized its difficulty and weak multiplayer mode. The game was a commercial success, selling over two million copies. The Wisp power-ups introduced in Sonic Colors became a staple of the Sonic series.

Sonic Colors Full Game

• 1Gameplay
• 3Development

Gameplay[edit]

Premise and setting[edit]

Sonic Colors is a platform game set in outer space. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, whose goal is to save the Wisps, an alien race that has been enslaved by Doctor Eggman.^[1] The game's main hub is Doctor Eggman's Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park, an interplanetary amusement park that consists of six small planets chained to each other.^[2] Sonic must be guided through these planets to destroy the power source at their center.^[3]

Each planet is split into seven parts: six main levels called acts and a boss level.^[2] In each act, players must guide Sonic to the goal, whilst defeating enemies and dodging obstacles. In boss levels, players face one of Eggman's large robots, and must defeat it. Gameplay seamlessly shifts between side-scrolling and third-person perspectives.^[2][4] Upon completion of a level, players are given a grade dependent on their performance, with an 'S' being the best and a 'D' being the worst.^[5] As the player progresses through the game, more planets become available to select. Once each planet has been completed, a bonus seventh, which concludes the story, is unlocked.^[6]

Controls[edit]

Players control Sonic using the Wii Remote (with or without the Nunchuck),^[1] the Classic Controller, or the Nintendo GameCube Controller. Sonic retains most of his abilities from Sonic Unleashed:^[7] he can perform a 'Sonic Boost' which greatly increases his speed and allows him to smash through various objects;^[8] a homing attack that allows him to destroy enemies from long distances;^[9] and a stomp that enables him to quickly destroy objects below him. In certain levels, players are sent at high speeds and must perform a quick step maneuver to dodge walls and other hazards;^[10] others see Sonic using a drift mechanic in order to make sharp turns. Sonic is also given a double-jump ability, which allows him to perform an additional jump in mid-air.^[9]

Power-ups and lives[edit]

A major aspect of Sonic Colors is the ability to activate Wisp power-ups.^[11] There are eight different types of Wisps, each with their own unique advantage dependent on their color.^[1] Normal white-colored Wisps allow the player to get a speed boost at any time.^[8] The 'Cyan Laser' turns Sonic into a laser that can bounce off solid surfaces to change the laser's path and to travel through power lines,^[11] while the 'Yellow Drill' allows Sonic to drill through soft ground and water.^[11] The 'Orange Rocket' allows Sonic to blast upward to tremendous heights;^[12] the 'Pink Spikes' allows Sonic to bond to walls and ceilings and to perform a spin dash to gain velocity and to destroy objects;^[11] the 'Green Hover' enables Sonic to hover and to perform dashes across lines of rings;^[2] the 'Blue Cube' gives Sonic the ability to turn blue blocks into blue rings and vice versa;^[5] and the 'Purple Frenzy', which turns Sonic into a berserker that chomps through anything in its path, increasing in size as it continues to eat.^[2]

Like previous games, Sonic collects golden rings,^[2] which protect him from a single hit by an enemy or obstacle, though they will scatter and blink before disappearing. Sonic starts the game with a limited number of lives; if he is hit with no rings in his possession, he will lose a life.^[1] If a player exhausts their lives, they will receive a game over.^[6]

Multiplayer[edit]

Sonic Colors features a co-operativetwo-player mode, Eggman's Sonic Simulator, in which players control Sonic-modeled robots or their Mii characters through a series of levels.^[3] These levels can be unlocked by collecting special Red Star Rings hidden throughout each act.^[2] Completing Sonic Simulator levels rewards the player Chaos Emeralds, and once all seven are collected, Sonic can transform into Super Sonic after collecting 50 rings in normal levels. As Super Sonic, players are invincible and can boost infinitely, though they cannot use Wisps and lose one ring per second, de-transforming when the ring counter hits zero.^[6] The game also features online leaderboards, allowing players to upload their scores via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.^[13]

Nintendo DS[edit]

Unlike the Wii version, the Nintendo DS version of Sonic Colors is a side-scroller reminiscent of the original Sega Genesis games that takes advantage of the system's dual-screen.^[12][14] Exclusive to the DS version are touchscreen-controlled special stages similar to the ones seen in Sonic the Hedgehog 2,^[12] missions featuring various characters from throughout the franchise, a competitive multiplayer mode,^[14] and an extra final boss.^[6] The game features two additional Wisp types: 'Red Burst', which allows Sonic to burst in midair and can activate certain objects such as a hot air balloon, Ferris wheel, and popcorn cannons;^[6] and 'Violet Void', which gives Sonic the ability to float and to suck up nearby objects, growing bigger in the process.^[12] Unlockable concept art is also included.^[12]

Plot[edit]

Doctor Eggman opens an amusement park in space called Dr. Eggman's Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park, allegedly turning over a new leaf and making up for past transgressions. The park is made up of several planet-sized attractions. Suspicious, Sonic the Hedgehog and his best friend Tails investigate. They meet Yacker, who comes from a species of aliens known as Wisps. After Tails invents a translator to communicate with him, they learn that other Wisps have been enslaved by Eggman, who plans to harness their energy for a mind-control laser that will allow him to take over Earth.

Sonic proceeds to visit the planets, liberating the Wisps and shutting down the generators linked to the amusement park. He meets many of his friends along the way, who are also exploring the park in an attempt to disrupt Eggman's plans.^[b] After Sonic frees the Wisps, Eggman tries to fire the cannon at the world, but a piece of wreckage causes it to malfunction. As the amusement park begins to explode, Sonic confronts Eggman. Eggman uses the Nega-Wisps to power his final contraption, a robot that uses the powers of all the Wisps that Sonic has met against him. As the machine gets weaker, the Wisps escape and help Sonic defeat Eggman, sending him hurtling off into space. The Wisps carry Sonic out of the exploding amusement park. Returning safely to Earth, Yacker thanks Sonic and Tails.

However, Sonic and Tails soon learn that the leading Mother Wisp had been infected by the negative energy and transformed into the Nega-Mother Wisp. Using the power of the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic transforms into Super Sonic and fights her. Following her defeat, the Mother Wisp returns to normal and the Wisps part ways with the two heroes.^[b] In a post-credits scene, Eggman is seen stranded in space with his henchmen Orbot and Cubot.

Development[edit]

Takashi Iizuka, on why Sonic Colors was designed to appeal to a wider demographic.^[15]

Development of Sonic Colors began in 2008, following the completion of Sonic Unleashed.^[16] While they kept most of Unleashed's core gameplay elements,^[7] developers Sonic Team and Dimps decided to create an equal balance between speed and platforming similar to that of the games released for the Sega Genesis, in comparison to the straightforward gameplay of Unleashed.^[17] Following requests by fans, the team also made the decision to make Sonic the only playable character, and to omit 'gimmick' themes such as the swordplay mechanic used in the 2009 spin-offSonic and the Black Knight.^[18] The team chose to develop Sonic Colors on Nintendo's Wii and DS consoles, hoping to expand upon the audience attracted by the successful Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Gamescrossover games.^[17]

One of the first ideas was the setting should be an amusement park; Sonic Team then realized that 'any sort of terrestrial amusement park would be too small to contain Sonic's adventures.' From this came the idea of an interplanetary park, which would allow for more creativity and variance in the game.^[18] The developers used Disneyland as visual inspiration for the levels.^[17] Sonic Team also desired something that would diversify the gameplay, but did not slow it down. Thus, the Wisps were added to the game to expand and strengthen the gameplay without forcing the player to switch to other playable characters.^[19] Another goal was to encourage players to revisit completed levels; Sonic Team accomplished this by adding segments requiring certain types of Wisps to levels preceding their first appearances.^[20] The Wii version makes use of the PhysXphysics engine,^[21] previously used with 2007's Sonic and the Secret Rings,^[22] while the DS version uses the same engine used in the 2005 entry Sonic Rush and its sequel.^[7]

According to producer Takashi Iizuka, Sonic Colors was designed to appeal to a casual audience, particularly children and fans of the Super Mario series.^[15][17][23] Iizuka's statement that it was impossible to please all Sonic fans initially alienated those who had enjoyed prior entries such as Unleashed and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I,^[24] though Sega brand manager Judy Gilbertson later clarified that 'we’re also looking to create a game that is accessible to younger gamers as well as our ‘core’ fans.'^[23] The script was written by MadWorld and Happy Tree Friends contributors Ken Pontac and Warren Graff.^[25]Sonic Colors is also one of the first games in the series not to use the English voice cast from the Sonic X anime series following a major re-casting of the franchise in 2010, with Roger Craig Smith assuming the role of Sonic.^[1][26]

Sega first announced Sonic Colors in a blog post on May 26, 2010.^[27] Demo versions of the game were playable at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010,^[28]Gamescom,^[29] the Penny Arcade Expo,^[30] and the Tokyo Game Show.^[31] On November 4, 2010, Sega held a Sonic Colors-themed ice-skating event at Bryant Park in New York City.^[32]BradyGames also published an official strategy guide, which launched alongside the game.^[6] In anticipation of the game's release, Sega delisted multiple Sonic games with sub-average Metacritic scores to increase the value of the brand.^[33]Sonic Colors was first released in PAL regions on November 11, 2010, followed by a North American release on November 16, 2010 and in Japan on November 18, 2010.^[34][35][36] People who pre-ordered the Japanese version of the game received a special card compatible with the arcade game Rekishi Taisen Gettenka, allowing Sonic to appear in the game.^[37] Those who pre-ordered the game through GameStop in North America received a Sonic shaped hat.^[38] A special edition was also sold in Europe, featuring figurines of Sonic and the Wisps.^[39]

Music[edit]

The game's score was composed by Tomoya Ohtani, Kenichi Tokoi, Fumie Kumatani, Hideaki Kobayashi, Mariko Nanba, and Naofumi Hataya, and was written to be more energetic than previous entries' scores.^[18] The in-game music is performed by the Amsterdam Session Orchestra. Jean Paul Makhlouf from the American band Cash Cash performed the game's opening song, 'Reach For The Stars', and his brother Alex joined him in singing the ending song, 'Speak With Your Heart'. A three-CD soundtrack, Sonic Colors Original Soundtrack: Vivid Sounds × Hybrid Colors, featuring music from the game was released on CD in Japan on December 22, 2010,^[40] with a digital version released via iTunes in January 2011.^[41]

Reception[edit]

Sonic Colors Movie

Both versions of Sonic Colors received 'generally favorable' reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.^[42][43] The game was also successful commercially; as of March 2011, it has sold 2.18 million copies.^[48]

The game's presentation was well received. Pedro Hernandez of Nintendo World Report described the graphics and animations as 'beautiful' and 'gorgeous'.^[3] Arthur Gies of IGN considered them to be among the best available on the Wii, praising the lighting, detail, and variety they offered.^[1] Both Hernandez and Jane Douglas of GameSpot both praised the audio for incorporating familiar aspects of past Sonic games, and Douglas admired the 'jazzy, high-energy' soundtrack as fitting for all levels.^[3][2] The new voice casting was also appreciated; Gies elaborated that the cast was 'much less annoying' than the previous voice actors, and Hernandez considered their voices to be fitting for the characters.^[1][3]

The gameplay was praised, particularly for the Wisps and its replay value. Al Bickham of Eurogamer considered the game's intertwining of platforming and speed to be successful, and also praised its use of the Wii Remote.^[9] Gies, Douglas, and John Meyer of Wired praised the shift from third-person to side-scrolling, which Meyer described as 'elegant and cohesive'.^[4] Matthew Keast of GamesRadar called the Wisps the game's best feature, describing the element of backtracking to previously completed levels after unlocking more types as clever.^[11] Tim Turi of Game Informer praised the Wisps for adding 'an interesting new gameplay mechanic without succumbing to Werehog-itis',^[12] and Gies compared the Wisps to power-ups from the Super Mario franchise, though he felt that Colors still felt distinctive and fresh.^[1] Douglas, however, preferred basic platforming over using the Wisps.^[2]

Some aspects of the game were criticized, however. Writing for Destructoid, Jim Sterling described Sonic Colors as 'terribly designed'. He criticized the controls and physics, and felt the developers had not addressed problems present in previous games and concluded that the game was poor.^[10] Gies, Hernandez, Meyer, Turi, and Keast criticized the game's high difficulty level,^{[1][3][4][11][46]} with Keast going as far to describe it as 'hardcore'.^[11] Both Gies and Douglas spoke negatively of the co-op Eggman's Sonic Simulator; Gies described it as not fun,^[1] and Douglas called it 'ugly' and ultimately concluded that the multiplayer was weak. Douglas also made note of the boss fights as being repetitive.^[2]

Regarding the game as a whole, critics felt that Sonic Colors was one of the best entries in the Sonic series.^[1][4]IGN declared it one of the best games available for the Wii,^[49] and awarded it their 'Quick Fix' award of 2010.^[50] Douglas concluded that 'Wii owners shouldn't miss an opportunity to play with Sonic at his best'.^[2]Empire considered Colors a return to form for the series,^[45] whose popularity had declined in recent years following a number of poorly received games such as the 2006 reboot.^[50]

Legacy[edit]

Sonic Colors introduced the Wisp power-ups, which would go on to become a staple of the Sonic franchise.^[51] Games featuring the Wisps include Sonic Generations (2011),^[52]Sonic Lost World (2013),^[53] and Sonic Forces (2017).^[54] The story of Sonic Colors was adapted in Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series.^[55]

Sonic Generations was released in commemoration of the series' twentieth anniversary, and remade various aspects from past entries. The version of the game released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Microsoft Windows features a reimagined version of Sonic Colors's Planet Wisp level.^[56] The version of the game released for the Nintendo 3DS contains a remake of the Tropical Resort level.^[57]

Notes[edit]

1. ^Japanese: ソニックカラーズHepburn: Sonikku Karāzu^?, known as Sonic Colours in PAL regions
2. ^ ^abOnly in the Nintendo DS version.

Sonic Colors Gameplay Youtube

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

Sonic Colors Free Game

• Official website

Sonic Colors Gameplay Trailer