Sonic Colours (Wii)
From Sonic Retro
- "Sonic Colours" and "Sonic Colors" redirect here. For the Nintendo DS version, see Sonic Colours (Nintendo DS). For the remastered version, see Sonic Colours: Ultimate.
Sonic Colours, called Sonic Colors (ソニック カラーズ) in North America and Japan, is a Sonic the Hedgehog game released for the Wii in late 2010. It sees series protagonists Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower save an alien race from an intergalactic amusement park run by Dr. Eggman.
This Wii version of the game was released concurrently with a Nintendo DS version. Both share a similar core plot, but differ significantly in gameplay, with the Wii version opting to expand upon the 3D/2D hybrid gameplay style introduced in 2008's Sonic Unleashed.
Contents
Story
Dr. Eggman claims to have developed a sense of remorse for his past misdeeds, and has constructed Dr. Eggman's Amazing Interstellar Amusement Park, a "gigantic playland" in space to make up for years of trouble. Sonic suspects Eggman's evil intentions, and alongside Tails, decides to explore the park before opening day to see what Eggman is really up to.
The two heroes soon find Orbot and Cubot (who is going through some voice chip problems) hunting small alien creatures known as Wisps. These aliens contain "Hyper-Go-On Energy" which Eggman is attempting to harness, however Sonic soon learns he can use the energy himself, with the Wisps offering a new set of "Colour Powers". Sonic and Tails befriend a Wisp known as Yacker, and the fox starts turning his Miles Electric into a translator for the alien's language.
After a battle with Rotatatron, Eggman reveals his work-in-progress Mind-Control Ray, attempting to force a mind-controlled Tails to fight Sonic. However, the machine runs out of energy, and Eggman is forced to flee to find more. As the game goes on, Sonic battles Eggman's robots and learns that not only are Wisps being harvested en masse to control Sonic's homeworld, they are being transformed into dark "Nega-Wisps" in the process.
Once Sonic destroys the five tractor beam generators holding the planets together, Eggman tries to activate his Mind-Control Ray, however previous damage from Rotatatron's arm causes the device to explode, with the energy from the Nega-Wisps creating a black hole, which begins to consume the amusement park, forcing the heroes to escape.
Sonic and Tails arrive at Eggman's Ultra-Accelerating Space Elevator, but the Doctor greets them with his new Nega-Wisp Armor. Sonic pushes Tails into the elevator to the planet below, and alongside the Wisps, defeats the robot armor with the Final Color Blaster. Sonic attempts to escape the expanding black hole, but is eventually consumed by the void, only to be saved by the Wisps and returned to the planet below. After Yacker gives Sonic and Tails one final goodbye, the aliens stop the black hole and return their planets back where they belong.
In the final scene, a stranded Eggman is seen ordering Orbot and Cubot to push his broken Egg Mobile through space.
Gameplay
As with the game's predecessor, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colours is a hybrid 2D/3D action game, where the objective is to reach a Goal Ring. The Interstellar Amusement Park is divided into seven stages, each with multiple "Acts" and a boss, spanning both Eggman's space station and the surrounding planets he has moved in order to power it.
Sonic, the only playable character, retains all of his abilities from Sonic Unleashed, although certain limitations have been set on the Quick Step and Speed Drift. The Sonic Boost returns, however, the ring energy system has been removed, the gauge has been shortened slightly, and meter refills are now found in the form of White Wisp capsules, which will fill a portion of the gauge.
Quick Stepping can now only be executed in special "Quick Step" sections that will display an icon indicating that tapping left or right on the control stick will initiate a Quick Step in that direction. Similarly, there are special "Drift Sections" in which an icon will appear indicating that the player can execute a Speed Drift by holding 
and leaning the control stick in that direction. Boosting is disabled in these sections. Level designs have been modified to fit these restrictions, and as such, these moves are no longer used as cooperatively.
Sonic is also equipped with a Double Jump to prevent players from moving too fast while in midair and overshooting small platforms. While 2D gameplay still focuses on rolling hills, curved slopes, springs, and ramps, it also has a focus on rectangular structures and 90-degree angles that slow down gameplay slightly. Because of the increased focus on exploration, the levels tend to span more vertically than Unleashed. Some stages also play more like short puzzles.
Wisps
The game's signature feature is the appearance of Wisps; small, colour-coded, floating alien creatures that each contain a different Colour Power ability that Sonic can harness by collecting them. When a Wisp is collected, the gauge on the bottom-left corner of the screen will display which Wisp is currently active. Sonic can only have one Colour Power active at any one time; if another Wisp is collected of the same colour, the Boost Gauge will replenish, while if it is a different colour, it will be kept in reserve until the first Colour Power runs out.
The available Wisps are:
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White Wisps |
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White Wisps charge the Boost Gauge, allowing Sonic to perform the Sonic Boost[10]. Boosting not only speeds Sonic up, but destroys enemies blocking his path, and can allow access to new areas. White Wisps can also be freed from certain enemies. | |
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Cyan Wisps (Laser) |
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When activated, these Wisps turn Sonic into the "Cyan Laser"[10], which allows him to ricochet between walls over a short distance, and travel through formations of diamond shaped prisms and "optical cables". This power is used both to traverse to new areas of the map, and eliminate large groups of enemies in a short space of time. | |
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Yellow Wisps (Drill) |
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These Wisps turn Sonic into the "Yellow Drill" that can dig through certain surfaces at two different speeds, allowing access to other paths[10]. Sonic Colours also places Yellow Wisps underwater, allowing for both easier traversal and a constant supply of air. Should the power run out while underground, Sonic will die. Yellow Wisps only function in the 2D side-scrolling sections of the game, and when Sonic is either in contact with a surface which can be drilled, or is underwater. | |
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Orange Wisps (Rocket) |
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Orange Wisps turn Sonic into the "Orange Rocket", which blasts vertically upwards into the air[11]. This allows Sonic to reach higher areas, but also, when the power runs out, puts him in a gentler falling state, allowing him to collect rings in mid-air. Orange Wisps also only function in the 2D sections of the game. | |
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Blue Wisps (Cube) |
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These Wisps turn Sonic into a heavy "Blue Cube" that crushes anything under it and impacts the surrounding area[11]. When activated, collectible "Blue Rings" turn into solid "Blue Blocks" and vice versa; once the power runs out (or is activated again), the Blue Rings and Blocks reverse once more. | |
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Green Wisps (Hover) |
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These Wisps give Sonic the power of "Green Hover", turning him into a balloon-like green orb that allows him to float[11]. While hovering, Sonic can perform a Ring Dash, moving him quickly along a line of rings similarly to the Light Dash of older 3D Sonic games. | |
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Pink Wisps (Spikes) |
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Pink Wisps turn Sonic into "Pink Spikes", giving him longer, pointier spikes that allow him to stick to walls[12]. Using this ability, Sonic can roll up walls and ceilings to access new areas. He can also accelerate by stoppign and holding | |
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Purple Wisps (Frenzy) |
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These Nega-Wisps turn Sonic into the monstrous "Purple Frenzy", a creature that moves forward eating enemies objects[12]. The more that is eaten, the larger the Purple Frenzy gets, at the expense of speed. |
Scoring
Throughout each Act, the player can earn a variety of bonuses for performing specific actions, such as performing certain moves, collecting Red Star Rings and using Color Powers. There is also a limited amount of time in which the player can score points - if they take too long to clear an Act, "TIME'S UP" will appear beneath the player's score, and the player's score will be locked, preventing them from scoring any more points for the remainder of the Act.
Upon completing an Act, Sonic Colours ranks the player's performance from a scale of D (lowest) to S (highest), based on how many points are earned. Unlike some Sonic games, in Colours ranks are just for posterity; nothing is unlocked or changed with a full set of S-Ranks.
Common objects
Items
Gimmicks
Yellow springs
In some 2D Acts, a set of yellow springs will hover beneath Sonic while slowly moving forward. Executing a Stomp will cause Sonic to bounce higher off of these springs, allowing him to reach more elevated platforms. Because these springs move relatively slowly and are often located above pits, going too fast may cause Sonic to fall off.
Blocks
Many of the 2D sections in the game feature blocks and crates that Sonic can interact with. These blocks are also sometimes used as obstacles, platforms, and parts of the level layout that Sonic must navigate around.
- Breakable blocks appear to be made of some sort of dissolving metal material. Sonic can destroy them by stomping on them, but they will not reappear.
- Reviving blocks are yellow and will reappear moments after being destroyed. Sonic can get rid of them without the assistance of Wisps.
- Wisp blocks are dark with glowing lines around them. They can only be destroyed with the use of Color Powers. Special Rings and pipes are often hidden beneath them.
- Blue blocks can be turned into blue rings and vice versa by using the Blue Cube Color Power.
- Pushing blocks or crates can be pushed by pressing and holding
while standing close to them. Sonic will charge up and initiate a kick that pushes them depending on how long it is charged. This also can be used to defeat lines of enemies. - Solid blocks are dark with glowing blue edges. They cannot be broken and are usually used as part of the level design.
- Bomb blocks are black with red outlines. Touching a bomb block will set off a timer that will cause it to explode, destroying any other bomb blocks surrounding it. If the bomb block explodes while Sonic is touching it, he will be injured.
- Platform blocks are flattened blocks that Sonic can walk across or use to reach higher areas. They come in a variety of different designs and sizes to match each stage. Sometimes, triggering a switch will cause these blocks to move. Some platform blocks will fall if Sonic stands on them for too long.
Special Rings and Game Land
Building off previous Sonic games, each Act of Sonic Colours contains five red "Special Rings"[13], which when collected in sets of ten, unlock levels in a special mode, Game Land, a "Sonic Simulation" played with "Virtual Hedgehogs"[14]. Here, seven stages of Game Land, each with three Acts can net the player Chaos Emeralds; if all Chaos Emeralds are collected, a Super Sonic mode is unlocked in the options menu for use in the main game.
Super Sonic functions much as he did Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3; collecting 50 rings during an Act lets you transform into Super Sonic, who is invincible, has unlimited Boost and both moves faster and jumps than regular Sonic. With this mode enabled, Wisps do not function, meaning some areas of the map are inaccessible by Super Sonic through normal means (although Super Sonic can break blocks which normally require Color Powers). As Super Sonic the ring counter steadily decreases; if it reaches 0, Sonic reverts to his non-Super state. Super Sonic cannot be used in boss battles, including the final boss.
Sonic Colours marks the first time Super Sonic has been playable during normal stages in a 3D Sonic action game. While both Sonic Adventure and Sonic 06 seemingly planned for such a mode, as with other titles, Super Sonic spent the preceeding decade being reserved for final bosses. Conversely in Colours, Super Sonic does not play a role in the narrative, and is treated just as an optional bonus feature.
History
Development
Release
As a gift for pre-ordering the game at GameStop in North America, Sonic Colours included a hat shaped like Sonic's head. A "Special Edition" of the game released in Spain, Italy, France and Germany, which came with a Sonic figurine as well as three Wisp figurines (White, Cyan and Orange). In France and Spain it was sold in Carrefour retail stores, with the pack being named the "Carrefour Edition". Unlike Europe, Australia received the figurines and a blue Classic Controller.
Sales data
NOTE: The following data comprises of sales from both the Wii console version and the DS handheld version of the game.
| Number of copies sold | Sega IR Reference | Platforms | Regions | Cumulative sales total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,850,000 | FY2011 3rd Quarter Results | Wii/DS | US/EU/JP | 1,850,000 |
| 330,000 | FY2011 Full Year Results | " | " | 2,180,000 |
| 4,000,000 | Weekly Famitsu interview with Takashi Iizuka about Sonic Colors: Ultimate, (June 2021) (translation/source: NintendoEverything.com) | " | N/A | 4,000,000 |
Production credits
Voice actors
Sonic Colours uses the Sonic voice cast introduced in 2010; the second game to do so after Sonic Free Riders for the Xbox 360. The Japanese cast remains largely the same as 1998's Sonic Adventure.
| Role | English | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic the Hedgehog | Roger Craig Smith | Junichi Kanemaru |
| Miles "Tails" Prower | Kate Higgins | Ryo Hirohashi |
| Dr. Eggman | Mike Pollock | Chikao Otsuka |
| Orbot | Kirk Thornton | Mitsuo Iwata |
| Cubot | Wally Wingert | Wataru Takagi |
| Colour Power Announcer | Roger Craig Smith | Fumihiko Tachiki |
Both English and Japanese voice language tracks are included in the game disc and, in all its regional variations, can be switched in the options menu, alongside multi-lingual subtitles. However, as the options menu is not available from the beginning, you must start a new game and complete the first two Acts of Tropical Resort in order to access the World Map.
Manuals
US
CA
Magazine articles
Promotional material
Sonic Colors Japanese promotional poster
Artwork
International Logo
US logo (CMYK)
US logo (RGB)
Eggman invitation
Promotional poster for the game, as featured on the cover of Nintendo Power
White Wisps
Cyan Wisp
Yellow Wisp
Orange Wisp
Pink Wisp
Green Wisp
Blue Wisp
Purple Wisp
Wallpaper
Japan
America
Europe
Screens
World Map
Tropical Resort
Sweet Mountain
Starlight Carnival
Planet Wisp
Aquarium Park
Asteroid Coaster
Terminal Velocity
Game Land
Physical scans
 Reception »
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Technical information
ROM dump status
| System | Hash | Size | Build Date | Source | Comments | |||||||||
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4,699,979,776 | Disc (US) | |||||||||||
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4,699,979,776 | Disc (JP) |
External links
- Sega of Japan catalogue pages (Japanese): Wii
- Official website on Sega.com
- Official website on Sega.jp (Japanese)
- Nintendo catalogue pages: JP, US, UK, AU
References
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Wii/Sonic-Colours-283146.html (archive.today)
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.fr/Jeux/Wii/Sonic-Colours-283146.html (archive.today)
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.de/Spiele/Wii/Sonic-Colours-283146.html (archive.today)
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.nl/Games/Wii/Sonic-Colours-283146.html (archive.today)
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.es/Juegos/Wii/Sonic-Colours-283146.html (archive.today)
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.it/Giochi/Wii/Sonic-Colours-283146.html (archive.today)
- ↑ http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/BvBcuc31VCDL6nW4YwEwu_n__FlsEHP6 (Wayback Machine: 2017-10-03 04:50)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://sega.jp/wii/soniccolors/ (Wayback Machine: 2010-12-08 00:55)
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.pt/Jogos/Wii/Sonic-Colours-283146.html (archive.today)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 File:SonicColours Wii US manual.pdf, page 13
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 File:SonicColours Wii US manual.pdf, page 14
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 File:SonicColours Wii US manual.pdf, page 15
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 File:SonicColours Wii US manual.pdf, page 18
- ↑ File:SonicColours Wii US manual.pdf, page 20
| Sonic Colours (Wii) / Sonic Colours: Ultimate | |
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Main page (Ultimate) Manuals Development (Ultimate) |
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| Sonic the Hedgehog games for the following systems | |
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2007 Sonic and the Secret Rings | Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games 2008 Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity | Sonic Unleashed 2009 Sonic and the Black Knight | Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | Sega Fun Pack: Sonic and the Secret Rings & Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz 2010 Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing | Sonic Colours 2011 Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games |