Sonic Colors (American English; ソニックカラーズ Sonikku Karāzu?) or Sonic Colours (British English) is a 2D platformer game from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Co-developed by Sonic Team and Dimps, it is a loose adaption of Sonic Colors released for the Nintendo DS, marking the series' final release on the platform. The game introduces Wisps, power-ups the player can use to reach new areas. It was released alongside its Wii counterpart in November 2010.
The plot of the DS version of Colors follows the same premise as the Wii version, with Sonic and Tails investigating Egg Planet Park, a park built by Dr. Eggman to harvest the energy of an alien race known as the Wisps. The gameplay of this title is based on the playstyle of Sonic Rush, with the levels being entirely side-scroller platformers unlike the Wii version. Furthermore, the DS version features an expanded story and a secret final boss, with the player being able to interact with other Sonic characters in optional missions.[3]
Sonic Colors enjoyed the same critical acclaim as its Wii counterpart, with praise for the level design, visuals, and implementation of the Wisp mechanic. Some, however, criticized the game's short length. The game was also a commercial success, with the DS and Wii versions selling a combined 4 million copies as of 2021.
Plot[edit | edit source]
After supposedly developing a sense of remorse for his past misdeeds, Dr. Eggman has decided to open an amusement park called "Egg Planet Park", which is located in space and made up of several planet-sized attractions, supposedly in order to make up for his transgressions. Suspicious of the doctor's intentions, Sonic and Tails investigate the amusement park before the opening day. As they comment on how pretty the place is, they see Orbot and Cubot chasing alien creatures; in the end, the robots give up, and Sonic ends up discovers his ability to harness their wonderous powers for himself. With the use of a translator built by Tails, it is revealed that the aliens are called Wisps, and one of them is named Yacker. It is also revealed that the Wisps are made of Hyper-go-on, an energy that Eggman is using to power his park.
Allying with the Wisps and using their powers, Sonic visits multiple planets, freeing the Wisps and shutting down the tractor beam generators that link them to Egg Planet Park. Eventually, Sonic learns that Dr. Eggman is transforming the Wisps into Nega-Wisps and using them as fuel for a Mind Control Ray to conquer the universe and make the earth the star attraction of his theme park. Sonic also meets many of his old friends at the park.
After freeing all planets, Sonic, Tails and the Wisps are ready to celebrate. However, Eggman, having gathered enough negative Hyper-go-ons to take over the world, tries to fire his mind control cannon, only for it to backfire due to a piece of robot scrap from one of Sonic's battles are stuck and jammed itself into the cannon. As Egg Planet Park begins to backfire, the hedgehog sends the fox back down the space elevator while he faces his nemesis, who is using the powerful Nega-Wisp Armor that harnesses the negative energy of the Wisps. With the help of every type of Wisp, Sonic defeats the doctor with the Final Color Blaster. In the aftermath, the backfiring mind control cannon creates a black hole that consumes the amusement park and the defeated Eggman. With even Sonic unable to outrun the black hole, all of the Wisps use their powers to neutralize the black hole and save the hedgehog. Afterward, Yacker and his fellow Wisps change the Nega-Wisps back to normal. Sonic reunites with Tails on earth and the two bid farewells to the White Wisp. A while later, Yacker is with the other Wisps at Planet Wisp, where he tells them about his adventure with Sonic and how cool he was, impressing his friends.
If the player has collected all seven Chaos Emeralds, the story continues. Yacker returns to earth, pleading the hedgehog and Tails to stop his mother, Mother Wisp, who has gone rogue and has been mutated into the Nega-Mother Wisp by Dr. Eggman. As such, Sonic uses the seven Chaos Emeralds he had collected during his journey to transform into Super Sonic. Following an epic showdown, the hedgehog defeats the Nega-Mother Wisp and turns her back to normal. After thanking Sonic, Mother Wisp and her children return the Wisps' home planets to their proper place in the universe.
Gameplay[edit | edit source]
Sonic Colors is a 2.5D side-scrolling platforming video game, which plays similar to past Sonic games such as Sonic Rush. The only playable character here is Sonic the Hedgehog. Similar to past Sonic games, the goal here is to pass a series of Acts in less than ten minutes. During regular Acts, both of the Nintendo DS' screens are used to display the area, with Sonic moving between them when he reaches certain heights or depths (with some exceptions though).
While the player is able to run and jump, they can also make use of the returning Tension Gauge, where they can perform a Boost to gain extra speed. However, in this game, the player needs to collect White Wisps to fill the gauge.
The player is able to collect Rings, which are scattered all around the Acts. If the player is hit while they have at least one Ring, they will survive at the cost of losing all Rings. However, if the player is hit without having a single Ring, they will lose a life and will start from either the start of the Act or the latest Checkpoint they touched.
A notable feature in Sonic Colors is the addition of the Color Powers; when the player touches a Wisp Capsule, the Wisps inside will go into Sonic’s body and give him a different ability. The Color Power differs from each Wisp.
Controls[edit | edit source]
Objects[edit | edit source]
Items[edit | edit source]
- Chaos Emerald
- Distraction Item Template:Only
- Goal Ring
- Item Box
- Prison Capsule
- Red Star Ring
- Ring
- Time Bonus
- Wisp Capsule
- Cyan Wisp
- Orange Wisp
- Red Wisp (first appearance)
- Violet Wisp (first appearance)
- Yellow Wisp
- White Wisp
Gimmicks and obstacles[edit | edit source]
Characters[edit | edit source]
Playable characters[edit | edit source]
Non-playable characters[edit | edit source]
- Amy Rose
- Big the Cat
- Blaze the Cat
- Cream the Rabbit
- Cheese
- Cubot
- Dr. Eggman
- E-123 Omega
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Milk (first appearance)
- Mother Wisp (first appearance)
- Nega-Mother Wisp (first appearance)
- Orbot
- Rouge the Bat
- Shadow the Hedgehog
- Silver the Hedgehog
- Team Chaotix
- Yacker
Enemies[edit | edit source]
Areas[edit | edit source]
Similar to the Wii version, Sonic Colors is divided into seven Areas, all of which can be selected on the World Map. Each Area is divided into two Acts each, with a Boss Act and three extra missions, with the exception of Terminal Velocity, which has only one Act. The Areas are:
- Tropical Resort
- Sweet Mountain
- Starlight Carnival
- Planet Wisp
- Aquarium Park
- Asteroid Coaster
- Terminal Velocity
Special Stages[edit | edit source]
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Unlike the Wii version, Sonic Colors features seven Special Stages in which by completing each, a Chaos Emerald will be received. It is entirely similar to the Special Stages that were used in Sonic Rush, except instead of collecting Rings, Sonic will have to collect Spheres. The player needs to collect the spheres that are the same colors as the top screen displays. The rainbow spheres can be collected at any time and count as two spheres. If they have a number on them, they will count as the number they have. There are also checkered ones, and if the player has collected all of them, a ten sphere bonus will be received. Also, there is a special checkered sphere before the end of each round (there are three rounds, each one requiring a different sphere color), and if the player touches it, many required colorful spheres will roll from one side to the other. But the player has to be careful as touching any balls that are not in the right color of the top screens will shove them out of the course, disabling their collection.
Bosses[edit | edit source]
- Globotron (Tropical Resort)
- Captain Jelly (Sweet Mountain)
- Frigate Orcan (Starlight Carnival)
- Drillinator (Planet Wisp)
- Admiral Jelly (Aquarium Park)
- Frigate Skullian (Asteroid Coaster)
- Nega-Wisp Armor (Terminal Velocity)
- Nega-Mother Wisp (extra boss)
Other modes[edit | edit source]
Quick Select[edit | edit source]
Quick Select is an additional mode where the player has quick access to the Acts they have already cleared. To access to its menu, the player must press Template:L Button (GBA) while at the World Map. At the Quick Select menu, the player can press Directional buttons left/right to select the Area and Directional buttons up/down to select the Acts and Missions, which also show the player's statistics. To go back to the World Map, the player can press Template:R Button (DS).
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
"Gallery" menu
-
"Event" menu
-
"Sound" menu
-
"Illustrations" menu
Gallery is an extra mode in Sonic Colors where the player can watch many extras they have collected throughout the game- To access to it, the player must press Template:R Button (DS) whilst at the World Map. It features the following options:
- Events: Plays an event movie. These are unlocked as the player progresses through the game.
- Sound: Plays the game's various music tracks. These are unlocked as the player progresses through the game.
- Illustrations: Allows the player to see many images of the game. These are unlocked as they progress through the game.
Game Land[edit | edit source]
Versus mode[edit | edit source]
In Versus mode, the player competes against an AI or another player to see who can beat the Acts faster. The first player that makes to the goal will be the winner. It features the following options:
- Single-player: The player races against an AI.
- Muti-Card Play: The player plays against a nearby Nintendo DS player who has a Sonic Colors Game Card. it features the following options:
- Host a Game: The player hosts the match. They must wait for other player to join.
- Join a Game: The player joins a match.
- Single-Card Play: The player plays with a nearby Nintendo DS player who does not have a Sonic Colors Game Card.
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection: The player plays online against other player. It features the following options:
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Battle: The player connects online.
- Grand Prix: The player plays against another Nintendo DS player online.
- Friend Match: The player plays against one of their Nintendo DS friends. This option will be disabled if the player does not have any friend in their Friend Roster.
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Settings: The player changes their Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection settings.
- Versus Records: The player views their Win/Loss records.
When the player has selected their opponent, both will select an Act to play. If the choices do not match between both, the game will randomly choose one to play in.
In gameplay, the player will appear on the top screen, while their opponent can be seen at the bottom one. The first player to finish three laps will be the winner. However, if both opponents finish at the same time or the time runs out before either of them get to the goal, it will considered a draw.
Both players have unlimited lives. However, if they die, they will restart at the latest Checkpoint they touched.
Versus mode features Distraction Items, power-up items the player can use to their advantage against their opponent. If the player has one Distraction Item in their possession, it will appear in the top right corner of their opponent's screen. To use a Distraction Item, the player has to press the L button.
After the match, the player will have the following options:
- Retry: Restarts the Act.
- Change Act: Changes an Act to play in.
- Quit: Leave the game. Note that if one player quits, the other one will as well.
Time Attack[edit | edit source]
In Time Attack, the player needs to beat an Act as fast as possible. It features the following modes:
- Time Attack: The player selects an Act and plays it. The player has only one try to get to the goal. Should they fail, they will be given the following options:
- Retry: Restarts the Act.
- Change Act: Changes an Act to play in.
- Quit: Leave the game.
- Time Attack Records: The player can see their best Records from the Acts. To access to it, they have to press Template:L Button (GBA)/Template:R Button (GBA). If they wish, they can also press START to submit their Record online on the Leaderboard.
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Ranking: The player can see the best Records from the Acts on the Leaderboard. They can press START to download the Leaderboard Rankings. By pressing Directional buttons left/right, they can switch between TOP3 and ME.
- TOP3: Shows the best Records worldwide on an Act.
- ME: Shows the five closest Records to the player's.
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Settings: The player changes their Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection settings.
Options[edit | edit source]
Options is the settings mode of Sonic Colors. It features the following options:
- Change Player Name: The player changes their in-game name. This name will be used for Versus mode.
- Infinite Boost: The player can toggle the Infinite Boost. It can be unlocked by collecting every Red Star Ring on every act and mission. When Sonic stops boosting, the Boost Gauge will fill up automatically without needing any White Wisps.
- Set Time Limit: The player can toggle the Time Limit option. If it is in ON, the player will lose a try when the time count gets to 9'59"99.
- Delete Data: Deletes the player's data. It features the following options:
- Delete Story Mode Data: Deletes the player's progress in Story Mode.
- Delete All Data: Deletes all of the player's data.
- Quit: Takes the player back to the Options menu.
Cast[edit | edit source]
This is the first handheld game to feature the Studiopolis voice actors, following the departure of the 4Kids voice actors.
Reception[edit | edit source]
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 77.07% |
| Metacritic | 79%[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| 1Up.com | B+[5] |
| Game Informer | 8.5/10[6] |
| GameTrailers | 7.9/10[7] |
| IGN | 8.5/10[8] |
| Nintendo Power | 85%[9] |
| Official Nintendo Magazine | 85%[10] |
| WiiMagazin | 92%[11] |
Like the Wii version, Sonic Colors was praised by both critics and fans alike, with Metacritic giving it a critic rating of 79 out of 100,[4] and GameRankings giving it a rating of of 77.07%.
IGN gave both the Nintendo DS and Wii versions versions a score of 8.5 and an Editor's Choice Award, calling them "the best Sonic game in 18 years" and praising their gameplay, level design and vivid graphics, while criticizing some difficulty spikes later in the game.[8] Nintendo Power gave Sonic Colors a rating of 85%, criticizing its short length.[9] Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game 85%.[10] 1UP gave the game a B+ rank, calling it "the best 3D Sonic in ages."[5] WiiMagazin, a German gaming magazine, gave the game a 92% rating while praising the game by saying that "there is a God, and he's a Sonic-fan".[11] GameTrailers gave the game a rating of 7.9, preferring it over the Wii version.[7] Game Informer gave the DS version a score of 8.5, saying that "Dimps continues its run of entertaining titles with Sonic Colors."[6]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- This is the first time Sonic can perform a Stomp attack on a handheld console.
- In this game, Cheese is missing their bow-tie.
- This game takes the drowning tune out of the drowning music "I Wanna Breathe" from Sonic Rush.
- Bella Hudson is incorrectly credited as the voice of Blaze, instead of Laura Bailey.
Videos[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 超音速アクションがカラフルに生まれ変わる (Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sonic Colors DS. IGN. Retrieved on 5 May 2014.
- ↑ Higham, Rupert (6 October 2010). Interview: Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka. Kikizo Archives. Archived from the original on 5 July 2011. Retrieved on 22 February 2022.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sonic Colors for DS. Metacritic. Retrieved on 8 January 2011.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cocke, Taylor (16 November 2010). Sonic Colors Review for DS. 1UP. Retrieved on 8 January 2011.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Turi, Tim (9 November 2010). Dimps Crafts Another Amazing 2D Sonic Game. Game Informer. Retrieved on 8 January 2011.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sonic Colors Review Pod (DS). GameTrailers (9 November 2010). Retrieved on 8 January 2011.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Gallegos, Anthony (8 November 2010). Sonic Colors DS Review. IGN. Retrieved on 8 January 2011.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Nintendo Power Gives Sonic Colours 9/10.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Oliver, Tristan (28 October 2010). ONM: 86% for Sonic Colors Wii, 85% for DS. TSSZ News. Retrieved on 8 January 2011.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 WiiMagazin gives Sonic Colors 92%. TSSZ News.
External links[edit | edit source]
- Official website (Japanese)
- Official website (English) (archive)
- Sonic Colors at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Template:Colors infoTemplate:Colors (DS) info