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Sonic Colors (DS) Review
15 years ago
General
Oh god a jackalope!
So, I've recently sat down with Sonic Colors over a few lunch breaks and a late night gaming session. So here's how it all stacks up, in my book.
Visuals: Sonic Rush part 3. That's really just about all I can say about it. However, interspersed through the game at some good key moments are fully animated cutscenes, all of them look surprisingly beautiful on the DS's screen. As a whole, most story moments are captured with text on the screen and still images.
As for the level visuals, they're all spectacular, fitting neatly into a category of where it is. There's no way you'd mix up Tropical Resort with Planet Wisp, for example!
Sound: This is where Sonic Colors shines the best. There's nothing quite so satisfying as the announcer calling LASER and then you get sent ricocheting along your set path. The music is stunning, and there's actually VOICE ACTING in the intro cutscene! They use the new voices and from what I hear, everyone's finally gone through puberty.
Cast: Everyone's back. No really, just about everyone's back. Silver, Blaze, Omega, Shadow, Rouge, Tails, Knuckles, Charmy, Espio and Vector all make guest appearances as your guide to the mission stages. However, there's only one playable character: Sonic. This is what the games should be like, with Sonic as the player character, with the others in supporting roles. Each one has a quirky scene separate with Cubot and Orbot (Robotnik's lackeys in this game), then they join up for the third mission of the area. I particularly like Silver and Blaze's combo, mostly because they whup Cubot and Orbot. xD
Gameplay: Finally, we're into the meat of it all. How's the gameplay, you're asking? Well... it's Sonic Rush. Again. For the second time. You jump with B, dash with Y, use Wisp powerups with X and slide with R. You can also do a stomp in midair by holding down on the d-pad, then pressing B. It's really good when you go from stomp to boost, like Sonic's taking off again.
The main gimmick of the game is the Wisps. There's 6 colors for the little guys: White Boost, Red Burst, Orange Rocket, Yellow Drill, Cyan Laser, and Violet Void. Whites are by far the most common, providing much needed energy for your boost gauge as you dash like mad through the level. It's also the most useful as if you can get to a high enough point, you can usually dash across to another platform.
The other power ups are mostly movement, with the exception of Orange Rocket. Red Burst will give you infinite jumps for as long as your gauge lasts, and a screen clearing 'super burst' if you hold down the button long enough. The Drill will let you tunnel through dirt and surprisingly water, just don't get caught in dirt when the gauge runs out! Laser will send you careening on a path that you have to choose quickly in the initial startup, indicated with a triangle from where Sonic was facing and a darker line through that aiming sight, though you'll usually end up mashing 'up' to get anywhere. Cyan laser will bounce off of anything, including water, while crystals will alter your path permanently. Orange Rocket is just what the name says: You're going up. Violet Void is the weirdest of these powers, allowing for free movement, invincibility, and the ability to swallow enemies. As you eat more, you get bigger. And the bigger you get, the bigger obstacles you can destroy.
As a whole, this game is very fun and stacks up well with even Sonic's older adventures on the Genesis. The controls are very tight, perfect for a handheld game. The touchscreen is almost never used through the entire adventure except for special stages, and the gimmick doesn't feel forced on you. You can actually clear most of the game without using any wisp but the White Boost.
As such, I gotta give this game an 8.5. It's a very solid game, but there're a few areas that need some polish. The true final boss is very weak, the game can be beaten in a few hours of non-stop play, and you will almost never run out of lives if you keep up your speed and S-rank a few levels (You get 3 lives for every S Rank!)
Thank you Sega for this awesome game, and keep up the pace this time!
Til next time, keep it way past cool!
Visuals: Sonic Rush part 3. That's really just about all I can say about it. However, interspersed through the game at some good key moments are fully animated cutscenes, all of them look surprisingly beautiful on the DS's screen. As a whole, most story moments are captured with text on the screen and still images.
As for the level visuals, they're all spectacular, fitting neatly into a category of where it is. There's no way you'd mix up Tropical Resort with Planet Wisp, for example!
Sound: This is where Sonic Colors shines the best. There's nothing quite so satisfying as the announcer calling LASER and then you get sent ricocheting along your set path. The music is stunning, and there's actually VOICE ACTING in the intro cutscene! They use the new voices and from what I hear, everyone's finally gone through puberty.
Cast: Everyone's back. No really, just about everyone's back. Silver, Blaze, Omega, Shadow, Rouge, Tails, Knuckles, Charmy, Espio and Vector all make guest appearances as your guide to the mission stages. However, there's only one playable character: Sonic. This is what the games should be like, with Sonic as the player character, with the others in supporting roles. Each one has a quirky scene separate with Cubot and Orbot (Robotnik's lackeys in this game), then they join up for the third mission of the area. I particularly like Silver and Blaze's combo, mostly because they whup Cubot and Orbot. xD
Gameplay: Finally, we're into the meat of it all. How's the gameplay, you're asking? Well... it's Sonic Rush. Again. For the second time. You jump with B, dash with Y, use Wisp powerups with X and slide with R. You can also do a stomp in midair by holding down on the d-pad, then pressing B. It's really good when you go from stomp to boost, like Sonic's taking off again.
The main gimmick of the game is the Wisps. There's 6 colors for the little guys: White Boost, Red Burst, Orange Rocket, Yellow Drill, Cyan Laser, and Violet Void. Whites are by far the most common, providing much needed energy for your boost gauge as you dash like mad through the level. It's also the most useful as if you can get to a high enough point, you can usually dash across to another platform.
The other power ups are mostly movement, with the exception of Orange Rocket. Red Burst will give you infinite jumps for as long as your gauge lasts, and a screen clearing 'super burst' if you hold down the button long enough. The Drill will let you tunnel through dirt and surprisingly water, just don't get caught in dirt when the gauge runs out! Laser will send you careening on a path that you have to choose quickly in the initial startup, indicated with a triangle from where Sonic was facing and a darker line through that aiming sight, though you'll usually end up mashing 'up' to get anywhere. Cyan laser will bounce off of anything, including water, while crystals will alter your path permanently. Orange Rocket is just what the name says: You're going up. Violet Void is the weirdest of these powers, allowing for free movement, invincibility, and the ability to swallow enemies. As you eat more, you get bigger. And the bigger you get, the bigger obstacles you can destroy.
As a whole, this game is very fun and stacks up well with even Sonic's older adventures on the Genesis. The controls are very tight, perfect for a handheld game. The touchscreen is almost never used through the entire adventure except for special stages, and the gimmick doesn't feel forced on you. You can actually clear most of the game without using any wisp but the White Boost.
As such, I gotta give this game an 8.5. It's a very solid game, but there're a few areas that need some polish. The true final boss is very weak, the game can be beaten in a few hours of non-stop play, and you will almost never run out of lives if you keep up your speed and S-rank a few levels (You get 3 lives for every S Rank!)
Thank you Sega for this awesome game, and keep up the pace this time!
Til next time, keep it way past cool!
fatbunnyagenda Proud member and supporter! :3 