The original Sonic Colors was released in 2010 to positive reviews. The title was a mission statement for the series going forward in regards to what Sonic Team hoped to achieve using the new engine and gameplay mechanics that it debuted in Sonic Unleashed. The game was praised for its simplicity, responsive controls and impressive graphics for the console.
11 years later, the title has been remastered as Sonic Colors Ultimate in celebration of the hedgehog's 30th anniversary with new features and improved performance. For all intents and purposes, Ultimate is the same game originally released back in 2010. Though it may improve the graphics and add a few new things, there's not a lot that's changed here, though fans of the original Colors will likely be happier for it. For better or for worse, Ultimate is an unsurprising title.
Ultimate runs at a blistering 60 FPS on all platforms aside from the Switch and feels incredibly smooth. The game's controls can now be entirely customized as the player sees fit. Graphics have been improved as well, and while the game can look appealing when Sonic is racing through colorful environments at top speed, the game begins to show its age in certain areas such as cutscenes, which can appear quite blurry. Ultimate plays exactly as fans remember it, and looks perfectly fine visually but isn't likely to blow anyone away.
In the interest of changing things up, Ultimate includes a selection of new features to keep players on their toes. The remaster does away with the life system of the original, meaning death will always restart Sonic back at a checkpoint without the fear of a Game Over. The space that once was occupied by the life counter in the HUD now displays the number of Tails balloons the player possesses. These balloons are consumed when Sonic would normally fall to his death, instead allowing Tails to rescue Sonic and safely place him on a nearby ledge, leaving his rings and score intact. The removal of lives undeniably has an impact on the game's difficulty. Levels can feel devoid of any challenge when the only consequence of repeated deaths will be a lower final grade.
The game also introduces a customization mechanic. Park Medallions can be found within levels and obtained as rewards for completing stages with higher ranks, which can then be exchanged over in the Options Satellite for new cosmetics. Sonic's gloves, shoes and boost aura can be customized, as well as the player's profile icon. Unfortunately, extra playable characters or whole character skins cannot be obtained. Customization is a nice feature that is sure to incentivize re-play, but the rather underwhelming customization options hold the feature back somewhat. The feature is hardly a major selling point but still serves to add some extra content to this re-release, even if minor.
Sonic Colors Ultimate is a solid remaster that brings the classic Wii title into the modern age. Fans of the original game (or the boost era in general) will have plenty to sink their teeth into with this re-release and should know exactly what to expect. Make no mistake, Ultimate is an upscaled port of the original with higher frame rates and improved graphics, it looks and plays almost identically to the original with some added bells and whistles. While this fact may put off some fans, it ensures that the original game endures, and provides a definitive way to play the title that doesn't necessitate hunting down a Nintendo Wii online. That said, those fans disenfranchised with the boost era will find nothing to change their mind in Ultimate.
Sonic Colors Ultimate launches September 7th for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
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