Many will admit Sonic the Hedgehog didn’t make the transition to the third dimension as gracefully as he could have and that his oeuvre of subsequent starring titles has been of inconsistent quality at best. However, Sonic Colors, his latest next-gen adventure, presents itself as a potent collage of what has inarguably worked for the blue blur over these past 12 years.
Sonic Colors, which is due this holiday season for both Nintendo Wii and DS, transports our hero aboard an interstellar amusement park, on which we must once again chase down and do battle with the ever-resourceful Dr. Eggman, while this time aiding (and being aided by) a species of cutesy extraterrestrial cyclopean squids called Wisps.
The Wisps have a direct impact on the way Sonic maneuvers through the game’s diverse array of zones. There are a total of six Wisp color varieties, each offering the character a rainbow of unique abilities when collected; some are as simple as speed boosts, with others are as complex as physically transforming Sonic into a drill with the power to burrow under the map. In fact, each Wisp has its own exclusively unlockable areas, which Sonic Team hopes will keep Sonic Colors fresh for replayability.
Sonic fans will also be happy to learn his latest outing employs the same speed-based 2-D/3-D gameplay hybrid used in Sonic Unleashed’s daytime sequences, without the cumbersome nighttime action levels it was bogged down by. After getting some hands-on time with Sonic Colors, I can attest that adrenaline is absolutely at the forefront of the experience, and maybe best yet, Sonic is the sole playable character. So long, forgettable sidekicks!
But for those still unconvinced that Sonic Team has what it takes to reassert the reputation of its titular hero, the company offered one more intriguing factoid: For the first time, writers were hired to better tailor the characters to the Western market, with humor that attempts to appeal not only to American children, but adults as well.
Perhaps it’s still too early to tell if Sonic Colorsis the 3-D hedgehog epiphany gamers have been waiting for this past decade, but Sonic Team seems to have taken its past missteps to heart in creating a title that celebrates the nearly 20-year history of a gaming icon that still has plenty of life in him.
It began with a Colecovision and a string of second-hand Nintendo Entertainment Systems, and I haven’t looked back. I’m an avid gamer, but with a background in film and video production, I put particular importance on story and atmosphere in the videogames I play. As a result, I find myself gravitating to adventure or horror titles that give a convincing sense of place, and I am less interested in shooters and button mashers.
I also love unusual and experimental games (Zen Bound, Endless Ocean, Puzzle Quest) that you might scoff at hearing an explanation of. I treasure these new and creative gaming experiences far more than the rehearsed adrenaline of an average AAA blockbuster title.
Most of all, however, I’m open to anything unique and fun.
