Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a slightly buggy remaster of one of the better modern Sonic games. The new features are small but fun enough, the core gameplay is a fast-paced thrill ride, and the remixed music gets you ready to run. It’s a shame that there are some real doozies of bugs, as the game itself is truly enjoyable.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate
Developer: SEGA and Blind Squirrel Games
Price: $40
Platforms: PS4 (reviewed,)Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS4 code for review
Having grown up with a Sega Genesis and a Dreamcast, I’m something of a Sonic fan and apologist. He’s had some bumps in the road, but I think a lot of Sonic games are actually pretty fun. One game that stands out, however, is Sonic Colors, which, at launch, was heralded as the return of good Sonic games. With this rerelease, I can confirm that it’s still a good Sonic game, though until it gets some patches, it’s a bit of a rough remaster.
In Sonic Colors, Sonic and Tails have come to Dr. Eggman’s Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park– a theme park that’s floating in space with multiple planets tethered to it. Eggman is pillaging these planets and using their inhabitants to power his park, so Sonic and Tails team up with the alien Wisps to stop the bad Doctor and save numerous worlds. It’s a more light-hearted story than those of the Adventure games and onwards, but it works and feels like a happy little escapade. Some of the humor doesn’t quite land, but this is a kid-focused game about a quick blue hedgehog, so it’s not really a problem.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a lot of fun to play, as it takes the boost-based gameplay of the daytime stages from Sonic Unleashed and mixes them with 2D segments, as would later be done in Sonic Generations. The 3D sections feel very free and open, which allows for some very fast running and platforming. There’s a sense of speed in Colors Ultimate that older 3D Sonic games couldn’t quite grasp, which is ideal, as this is a key part of what makes 3D Sonic so fun (when it works.) Jumping and homing-in on Egg Pawns just feels satisfying, as Sonic does a number of poses mid-air to add a bit of style to everything. If 3D Sonic was never your thing because of the lesser entries, I’d recommend trying Colors here to see what you’ve been missing.
“Overall the PS4 version seems to be faring better than other versions of the game, but there’s still a good deal of technical problems to be fixed.“
There aren’t many big additions to the Ultimate version of Sonic Colors, but the small bonuses are neat enough. You can change the colors and patterns of Sonic’s sneakers and gloves, give him an aura, and change the color of his boost effects. There’s also a new Rival Rush mode where, after finding 15 red rings in an area, you can race through a level against Metal Sonic. Any inclusion of Metal Sonic is a bonus, but racing him to jazzy tunes while maximizing your speed on each stage is a blast. You can even pick an icon to be seen online, and you can use the cover of Shenmue, so that’s worth mentioning as a positive.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of bugs in Sonic Colors: Ultimate, which detract from the overall experience. I had the game freeze up on me a couple times, leading to forced restarts, including in the credits. This is in addition to smaller temporary freezes and frame drops. I didn’t experience any of the texture issues that others are reporting, but it’s worth noting that these issues do exist in certain versions of the game. Overall the PS4 version seems to be faring better than other versions of the game, but there’s still a good deal of technical problems to be fixed.
“For what was originally a Wii game, Ultimate looks pretty slick in HD.“
Having Sonic Colors take place in an intergalactic amusement park means that the stages can have a wide variety of unique and lively themes. From Japanese-inspired waterparks to fortresses made of desserts, there are quite a few colorful themes across Sonic Colors: Ultimate. For what was originally a Wii game, Ultimate looks pretty slick in HD. You’re not going to be fooled into thinking it’s a PS4 game, but it’s high enough quality that you can indeed tell that the game has been remastered.
The music in Sonic Colors: Ultimate has been largely remixed, and I’m a fan of most of the tracks. Themes for areas like Planet Wisp and Tropical Park were already strong in the original release, but the variations in each level this time around have some good energy and are memorable even when you’re not playing. The voice acting is exceptional as well, with Mike Pollock’s work as Eggman continuing to be as hammy and delightfully villainous as ever.
The Final Word
Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a somewhat buggy remaster of a great game. If SEGA and Blind Squirrel can patch out the various bugs, this’ll be the best way to experience the momentum and vibrancy of Sonic Colors. Until then, it’s just a decent way to play it, with some swell but minor add-ons.
MonsterVine Rating: 3.5 out of 5 – Fair
