Sonic Colors Hands-On

While Sonic Team has had its ups and downs with Sega's world-famous hedgehog, Sonic Colors shows that they're back in rare form with an amazing game experience no Sonic fan should miss. The fantastic use of color and detail (truly amazing for the Wii), blistering speed and wide range of amusement park (in space!) level designs make the game not only immediately accessible, but one of those titles you'll want to play over and over once you get your hands on it. My brief hands-on time was definitely exciting, as the game was easy to pick up and play, but far from the simple kid's game you're probably expecting.



Controls are straightforward as far as getting around and attacking the assorted robotic enemies, but the added Wiimote-waggling for activating special powers gained as the game progresses demands a bit of precision. Some of the abilities are standard issue Sonic stuff, such as a turbo boost, while others such as a guided laser or special block creating move are all-new for the blue blur. These powers are gathered from Wisps collected throughout the levels and I was told that not every power will be found on the first play through, meaning certain areas or secrets will take some time to discover. One can blaze through stages as quickly as possible for the best time, yet finding the proper (and fastest) routes seems to be easier said than done thanks to the temptation to veer off and see what's along another path.

That, and the stunning visuals and wild use of colors and effects makes this the best-looking Sonic game to date. You don't need a HD system to show off great graphics and Sonic Colors is pure proof of this fact. Catchy tunes are also par for the course here and I was told that voice acting for Sonic, Tails and other characters will be as good as it gets for the franchise. So far, so good and I didn't catch any major flaws in the build that were worth noting. If anything, I'm hoping the more hardcore fans of the long-running franchise finally see the Wii as a viable platform for Sonic (as well as other awesome games such as Conduit 2, which is looking completely AMAZING).

Between Sonic Colors and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, it looks as if Sega's mascot is finally back on track with some truly good games, but Nintendo DS fans have been getting some stellar Sonic games for a while now. Speaking of, the DS version of Colors wasn't at the event, but as it follows the Sonic Rush style of gameplay, it should be quite a blast. Anyway, back with full reviews on both titles when the games ship... stay tuned.