I’ve spent years hearing people tell me how good Sonic Colors is. In a series filled with mediocre 3D entries, fans assured me that this wasn’t just a good one by those standards, it was an excellent game in its own right. I’m having fun with it, so I guess they were correct, but I wish the experience wasn’t being dragged down by a remaster so awash with gameplay issues and questionable design decisions that many believe have squandered the legacy of a classic platformer. Sonic deserves better, and Sega needs to recognise that.
I’m not one of those people who will scream “Sonic was never good!” from the rooftops because I’m still suffering from residual trauma after playing Sonic Forces. Hoobastank did the soundtrack so I can’t resent it that much, and I’ll never forget crafting my fursona with weird outfits and doe-faced eyes before making them play a major role in Sonic canon. But I went into Forces knowing it was mediocre, and how fans were already viewing this latest entry with disdain. Every time a new Sonic game comes out, whether it be Boom, Forces, or even Generations to an extent, the audience always laments on how it doesn’t reach the lofty heights of Colors. For years that sentiment has stuck with me, so my expectations were high going into the remaster earlier this week. But to be perfectly blunt, I’m underwhelmed.
I think this perception is largely because I never played the original, and Sonic Colors Ultimate paints it in a light that was never intended. As I began soaring through the gorgeous sights of Tropical Resort at breakneck speed I was taken aback, the remaster making a striking first impression as catchy music blared alongside the blistering speed of Sonic across all manner of loops and obstacles. Sadly this momentum was short-lived, just as it is in many of the series’ 3D outings, as you’re brought to a stop and forced to jump atop enemies and platforms with the enthusiasm of an elderly cat drenched in maple syrup. You can jump, but ascending to certain areas is a chore and feels so poor when compared to sprinting through stages as the blue blur. The game is working against you, and it doesn’t seem like the controls or physics have been modernised to take advantage of new platforms. It just comes across as messy.
Sonic Colors Ultimate feels fantastic when you’re going fast and making use of the Wisps and seamless combat mechanics, but whenever you’re forced to stop and smell the poorly ported roses, the cracks in the experience become so, so apparent. Textures can be inconsistent, with a number of characters and environmental objects popping in as the new hardware overcompensates and causes levels to buckle under themselves with Sonic rushing forward before the world itself is ready to accommodate him. Obviously this graphical fidelity will vary depending on the platform you’re on, with Nintendo Switch bearing the brunt of mediocrity as players are exposed to all manner of unforeseen visual glitches and other such issues. It is clear this project was troubled, rushed, or something; a worrying thing to consider given how beloved Sonic Colors is amongst the fandom. It feels like a betrayal, like it isn’t worth revisiting with the critical reverence granted to the original.
The lacklustre user interface doesn’t help matters, with existing assets being poorly upscaled alongside new elements that don’t gel with the original in the slightest. Stark blue panels burst onto screen to advertise new mechanics and features with the visual flair of a powerpoint presentation you’d make in secondary school. I’m serious, some of the new menu options like cosmetic upgrades and those relating to Tails and other characters look criminally bad. So much so that I’m shocked they made it through the approval process. Sonic Colors Ultimate is a game that is beloved for its aesthetic, combining excellent level design with splendorous music to create something that has stood the test of time remarkably. Parts of this remaster bastardise that legacy, undermining its brilliance with needless additions and a facelift that fails to go all the way, meaning the issues it fails to address stand out all the more and leave themselves open for criticism. The game at the centre is still exceptional, yet Sonic Colors Ultimate is working against you every step of the way.
You only need to take a curious peek at social media to see how disappointed fans are in Sonic Colors Ultimate, with Sega having to emerge and declare it is working on updates to address a number of issues that are preventing full enjoyment of the game. Addressing these glitches and visual bugs can only stretch things so far, since the artistic decisions made in regards to graphics, music, user interface, and even gameplay mechanics can’t be modified without tearing it all asunder. The new Tails mechanic is one idea, which in theory is designed to grant Sonic an extra life or two when he meets an untimely demise. Groovy, it makes the game more approachable to newcomers, but it also frustrates returning players because you can’t turn it off, the animation is several seconds long EVERY TIME, and it screws up the checkpointing system so beating levels is both far too easy and missing collectibles becomes a frequent frustration. It wasn’t thought through and it’s so obvious.
I’ll keep soldiering onward with Sonic Colors Ultimate, since I want to unearth all of the nostalgic excellence my friends have been harping on about for the last decade. Even if I’m left wanting more from the finished product, this game has a place in gaming history that deserves to be appreciated. Knowing this, the treatment of this remaster stings all the more. I imagine the development process was complicated, with budget or logistical issues surfacing that prevented Blind Squirrel Games from making the most of a bad situation, but Sega should have recognised these shortcomings to ensure Sonic’s legacy wasn’t squandered. Delay the game, or be honest with fans about the state of things. Every couple of years it feels like the platforming mascot is moments away from superseding his usual reputation, until something like this happens and he’s dragged back into the pits to be made a joke of once again. I wish this would change, since the fans deserve better.