Sonic Colors Ultimate (Switch) review

Being a fan of Sonic is difficult. The Blue Blur has starred in quite a few legitimately great games over the years, but it’s also been on almost the same amount of junk that ruined its reputation. Sonic has struggled especially when it comes to his forays into 3D environments, however there was too short a period between 2008 and 2011 where it seemed like Sonic Team almost they had a solid idea of ​​what they wanted a Sonic 3D game to be. Sonic Colors was launched at the pinnacle of that era and at the time was praised for raising the bar and representing a promising new direction for the often troublesome pig. Now, almost ten years later, it was given a re-release as Sonic Colors Ultimate, and we can confidently say that this is still one of the best Sonic 3D games out there.

The narrative sticks mostly to the classic duo of Sonic and Tails, as they travel to Eggman’s new outer space amusement park to investigate any signs of wrongdoing. It doesn’t take them long to discover that a secret race of aliens called the Wisps is exploiting to power the park (and an evil space laser), so they strive to travel to all the planets to free the Wisps and save the day. . It’s not a very deep story, but a lot of the jokes still land well and his pleasantly light-hearted nature fits the style of play freely. At the very least, it’s refreshing to play a Sonic game that doesn’t take itself too seriously or bog down trying to tell an emotional story.

The gameplay in Sonic Colors follows the often divisive ‘momentum’ formula that most modern 3D Sonic games have followed, and while there are some notable cracks in its design, it often manages to adequately sell that sense of manic speed. that the developers clearly were going. by. Many stages will have you guiding Sonic down relatively flat, track-like paths that give him plenty of room to accelerate full throttle, while fast reaction times are often needed to deftly launch or attack any obstacles that may arise in his path. path. Dispatching any of the easily defeated robots your way will give you a small boost of boost power that you can then use to break the sound barrier and turn Sonic into a virtually invincible comet that cuts through everything it touches.

It might sound pretty absurd, in many cases it is, but the key here is that level designs often reward quick reflexes and faster muscle memory. For example, many stages will have some scattered low curbs for these high-speed segments that trip Sonic and stop him if he connects with them. It’s no big deal if you hit one, but it can be quite a stir when you were just rolling at the speed of sound and suddenly you have to rebuild from scratch. However, if you have fast enough reflexes or have played the level long enough to know when these dangers are looming, you can easily bypass them with a short tap of the jump button and continue navigating.

When you consider that the main game can be beaten in just over five hours, it is clear that the main joy of Sonic Colors is not in the clear stages, but in excelling in them. It’s an exhilarating feeling when you hit that perfect one-level run and drop your old record by 30 seconds, but more importantly, there is great satisfaction throughout the run as you traverse every obstacle and section of platforms you’ve practiced. . Countless times.

With this in mind, Sonic Colors is the type of game that most appeals to players who don’t require a lot of extrinsic motivation to have fun. Sure, there are plenty of unlockables and secrets to collect at all levels, but focusing too hard on those things will rob you of your desired experience and the enjoyment it can bring. This is a game about constantly being better than your old self, about learning the shortcuts and performing the tricks you need to get through these levels faster than greased lightning. In this sense, Sonic Colors is comfortably one of the best Sonic 3D games.

However, things often fall apart when you are dragged into one of the many 2D sections that are seamlessly spread throughout each level. When Sonic Colors goes 2D, things generally slow down and focus becomes a more precise and careful rig type. This is fine in theory, giving Sonic brief periods of slowing down certainly introduces some variety to the level designs, but the problem is that the physics are clearly not properly tuned for the kind of precision that is required. Sonic’s inertia feels muffled and ironically slow, almost similar to Donkey Kong in recent Donkey Kong Country games.

It takes some time to get familiar with Sonic’s 2D controls, and while things get a bit better as you acclimatize, they never feel like Right. These 2D segments are usually pretty short before hitting the road so they don’t drag the overall experience too much, but this is one aspect of Sonic Colors that could definitely have used a little more love in the development stages. .

Of course, everything up to this point could pretty much apply to any 3D Sonic game, but the big innovation that Sonic Colors brought to the table was the Wisp power-ups. These little multi-colored aliens not only serve as the core of the plot, but they also have different temporary abilities that grant Sonic new mobility options. A blade, for example, turns it into a drill that can quickly pierce special sections of the ground that lead to new collectibles and pathways. Another turns it into a spiked ball that can be glued to walls.

None of the abilities radically change the way you play, and they are only used for a few seconds at a time, but Wisps go a long way in making level designs more complex and interesting. You’re unlocking new Wisps pretty much throughout the game and they’re retroactively added to previous stages, meaning there’s almost always another path or secret you’ll have to come back to later once you’ve unlocked the correct Wisp. .

It wouldn’t be an ‘Ultimate’ release without some new bells and whistles, and thankfully Sonic Colors doesn’t disappoint in this regard. The most notable new addition is the integration of large coins scattered around each level that can be collected and then spent on new cosmetic customizations for Sonic. You can change things like her shoes or her aura to boost mode, and there are quite a few options for each category. Similarly, there are some optional races you can participate in against Metal Sonic that lead to even more unlockables. This aspect of customization certainly won’t appeal to everyone, but we appreciate how it adds a bit more content and rewards for those who like to collect things.

The latest great addition is a new Wisp named Jade Ghost, which gives Sonic the ability to fly and go through walls. Some levels have been adjusted to better suit this downright broken ability, but mostly it works as an easier way to access some hard-to-reach places. Overall, it feels like a nice addition to the game loop, even if it doesn’t change things too much.

The presentation is probably the area where Sonic Colors stumbles the most, as it feels more like an improved version of the Wii original than a proper remastering. Unlike other consoles, Sonic Colors only runs at 30FPS on the Switch (though it’s stable) and the graphical enhancements feel relatively minimal. Nothing in the game looks bad, of course, quite the opposite for magnificent courses like Sweet Mountain or Planet Wisp. The problem is simply that it seems that more could have been done to show the improvements that the evolution of hardware has brought in the last ten years. This is more of a half step than a big jump.

Similarly, newly remixed music leaves a lot to be desired. The original soundtrack is still present in most levels and sounds as good as ever, but the new versions sound different for the simple fact of being different. So in most respects, Sonic Colors Ultimate won’t surprise you with what it can do with the Switch hardware, which feels pretty disappointing considering the opportunity here.

conclusion

Sonic Colors Ultimate is a well-executed review of a high point in Sonic’s long career. Most of the quality here comes from the content of the original, rather than the new additions and tweaks for this re-release. Things like the Jade Ghost and additional customization options are welcome, but they are not game-changing, and the musical and graphical improvements are minimal. However, at the end of the day, this is still a well-performing portable version of a classic and that’s possibly all it needs to be. We’d give this one a recommendation, then, to anyone who hasn’t experienced Sonic Colors yet, as this is hands down the best and easiest way to try it out. If you’re a fan of the original, we’d still say it’s worth a bet; you’ll still love the game on Switch. Just keep in mind that this is not a massive overhaul of what came before.