Super Sonic Galaxy

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Stop being terrible drivers, you Limeys.

[Neo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvjLf21n9no

Espio sounds like Knuckles did ten years ago! I'm not complaining, but way to come full circle on the whole "change all the voice actors every now and then for shits and giggles" thing they have going on.

[j-man]

Got this in the post today. It is a very good Sonic game. Having a lot of fun with it. More to come!

brb playing sonic colours

[Radrappy]

Goddamn I can't believe you brits got this one before us. Make sure to post your thoughts. Dying to read them.

[(...)]

Bought the Wii version this morning. Been playing it all day.

- Long story short, it's Sonic Unleashed with all the corners rounded off and all the crap bits taken out.
- Each zone has five acts and one boss fight.
- The gameplay is mostly 2D. Like, 80% of each level is 2D.
- As with Unleashed, the level design gets pretty brutal after you beat the first couple of acts in each zone, but (unlike Unleashed) it's seldom cheap or unfair. e.g. you'll not play a level like Apotos act 3 that kills you immediately as you start.
- The controls are a bit different than usual. Sonic is slower than he was in Unleashed, and you earn boost by collecting wisps rather than rings. So you can't just hold down the boost button and fly through the levels anymore.
- When you do a homing attack and no enemies are around, you'll do a double-jump instead. This makes the game A LOT easier to control in the air.
- The 3D sequences are as dodgy as they ever were (you don't get stuck on scenery anymore, but you do bounce off the walls a lot). Thankfully, the 3D sections are mostly limited to running in a line, collecting rings, and occasionally avoiding motobugs on light cycles (!).
- The 3D sequences are also a lot more scripted. For example, drift and boost are now on the same button, and you can only strafe in certain parts of each level.
- There is A LOT of actual platforming in this one, but Sonic is still too fast to do this with any great degree of accuracy.
- The cutscenes are often genuinely funny ("OH HO HO! I gloated so hard, I think I pulled a muscle!", "You THINK he has the wrong voice chip? Does he normally sound like a pirate?"). Though they do overuse the jokes about Tails' malfunctioning translator.
- I like the new voice actors. Sonic doesn't sound quite so camp and nasal anymore.
- Graphically, it's probably the best looking Sonic game this side of the Fan Remix. If it were rendered in HD, it would surpass Unleashed.
- The music is generally awesome (orchestral remix of the drowning music ftw!).
- The stand-out greatest parts of the game are the Sonic Simulator levels. In terms of the level design, they capture the essence of the original trilogy a lot better than Sonic 4. For example, the layout of level 4-1 has some very obvious nods and winks to the Spring Yard Zone.
- There is just a lot of polish in the software all-round. The scenery is animating all the time, the music becomes muffled when you go underwater, the egg pawns are dressed to match the themes of each zone, you can beat up the post-event screen for extra lives, and there's this whole sequence in the Starlight Carnival zone where a giant spaceship flies out of a wormhole while you're running along it and it looks amazing.

[Malchik]

Why wasn't this Sonic 4?

[Tsuyoshi-kun]

So how IS the DS version, gameplay-wise? From what I've seen it looks like Sonic Rush sans Blaze and weird alien gimmick sections.

[Kogen]

The DS one from what I played seemed just like Sonic Rush 2 mixed with Kirby, which is OK !

From looking over Sonic Colours on Wii, I get the impression that it is just a Mario fangame with Unleashed's 3D sections. Sonic swimming is really... ehh.

I do not think calling this Sonic 4 would have spurred a positive reaction either, just based on basic principles being absent.

[(...)]

Sonic swimming is really... ehh.

Sonic can swim?? I knew he had that infinite double-jump underwater in the Wii version, but it wasn't really controllable enough to call swimming.

Anyway, I finished the Wii version yesterday. To an extent, I take back what I said about the level design. It's mostly great until you get to the last couple of zones. The Asteroid Coaster especially is basically Eggmanland as filtered through Shadow the Hedgehog's art style. The final boss is cool though, and the end credits are fun.

[Radrappy]

I am in the process of getting all 180 red rings right now. While the game has its share of shortcomings I am happy with it. It's smartly designed for the most part and a lot of fun. I can do a more in depth write up if anyone wants.

It's mostly great until you get to the last couple of zones. The Asteroid Coaster especially is basically Eggmanland as filtered through Shadow the Hedgehog's art style. The final boss is cool though, and the end credits are fun.

I know what you mean. The game starts to get pretty frustrating in the latter half. After understanding a little better though how the game works these stages get much more enjoyable. Surprisingly, Starlight Carnival is the weakest stage. It's pretty crappy.

[Malchik]

I'm hearin' this game is offensively short.

[Radrappy]

I'm hearin' this game is offensively short.

I'll admit that I was mildly disappointed when the end credits started to roll seeing as how it only took 4 hours to get there. But you know what, I'll take a short, tight package over something with needless padding any day. Sonic Team actually did something very very gutsy with the level design: on your first playthrough, you will only see about 1/3 of every stage. The true depth and size of each act becomes apparent only if you choose to search for the red rings. This is quite a gamble for the developers, seeing as how they've made gigantic levels that a good chunk of people won't bother to explore after they've beaten the story. But that's what makes it magical. Mario galaxy, for all its polish and shine is a very linear experience with very little to explore or discover. However in Colors, exploration is the name of the game and the levels are vast playgrounds once you have every wisp power in your arsenal.

[Protodude]

I got it yesterday and I'm almost done with Aquarium Park and two stages into Asteroid Coaster. It is pretty short but it's been a fun experience, and like Radrappy brought up, I'll be running around a level and come past an area where I think "Man, what part of the stage leads me to that exit?", so it seem like there's a fair bit of exploration to be had. I haven't replayed many of the stages yet, but so far I think Planet Wisp is my favorite set of levels, and if the rest of Asteroid Coaster is like it's first two stages then it'll easily be the worst. Love the music, Sonic's voice kind of grew on me, the humor's not too bad and the bosses are okay if a little easy.

Also, am I the only one kind of getting a Klonoa vibe from this? Planet Wisp and maybe to a lesser extent Sweet Mountain seem like they'd be at home in that series, plus the 2D platforming and the way Sonic progresses on the map screen remind me of it in a very shallow sort of way.

[Esrever]

I am continuously surprised by just how much I am enjoying this game. There were a couple cheap segments and a couple underwhelming short stages, but they were just a drop in the bucket compared to all the fun, varied, and interestingly designed stages that make up the bulk of the game. Most of the levels provided a really satisfying mix of racing and platforming, and like Radrappy said, some of them turn out to be surprisingly expansive and multi-tiered when you go back to hunt down all the red doodads.

The biggest weak point is definitely the controls. Sonic's jump feels floaty and definitely takes some getting used to, and the quick step is really cumbersome now that it's mapped to the joystick instead of shoulder buttons... especially in segments where you need to be pushing forwards at the same time. I'd harp on these issues more except that they both became dramatically less pronounced when I switched to using a Gamecube controller half-way through the game. (I think it's just because the joystick is looser, less jumpy, and on a broader access... so for god's sake, if you are dumb like me and didn't have the common sense to start with the cube controller, switch now!)

One last note: I couldn't believe what a big difference the bottomless-pit indicator made. It was so liberating to always know when I could jump down fearlessly and when I needed to be cautious!

[Blount]

I don't think I have any complaints about this game asides from it being a bit short, but even then it's just so much fun to replay it. I'm thoroughly enjoying it even after having gotten all the red rings.

The phenomenal attention to detail is uncharacteristic for a modern Sonic game. There's so much stuff to do and so many ways to do it, and you get a lot of optional routines like challenge mode and Super Sonic runs. And that's without mentioning all the nods to the classic games they've put in, which makes Sonic 4 all the more irrelevant. The visuals are amazing and the music is really good. I also had no problems with the controls, despite hearing many people complain about the Nunchuk + Remote setup, which is what I'm using. And that's from someone who couldn't stand Unleashed's controls. The jump only takes a little while to get used to, but it really helps that you can perform a double jump or a stomp to land where you want.

This is the first time I'm genuinely happy with a Sonic game in over a decade. I kept smiling in awe during my first playthrough and I once again have hope for this franchise. Want more, SEGA.

[Locit]

Well, I've beaten it and snagged all the red rings and emeralds, and I have to say Sonic Colors is a giant leap in the right direction for the franchise. The entire game is rock solid, and beautifully executed. There are one or two stages I could take or leave --particularly the "bounce on a moving set of springs" acts-- but really, those are minor complaints among a cornucopia of compliments.

Beyond doing nearly everything right in the basic sense of the term, it actually weaves the Wisp powers through each level to make a cohesive experience. It never feels like you're not playing a Sonic game, in part because the control scheme of each Wisp, in keeping with the Sonic mindset, is really simple. (Simpler than the normal controls, really.) They also never feel like they last too long or short, giving a good challenge when reaching for that ridiculous final red ring that never feels unfair. Indeed, there are very few cheap deaths. Outside the final boss rush/stage I only died a few times during my first run where I felt that it wasn't my own fault.

I think there ought to be a little more cohesion in terms of play styles--something closer in spirit to the Unleashed day levels, especially in regards to side-stepping and drifting--but really this only applies to the 3D sections, which account for perhaps twenty percent of gameplay. As Esrever mentioned, the game does flash signals when you're supposed to do this or that or when you're above a bottomless pit which are actually helpful (though you can turn them off). The ability to map controls to the buttons you want would alleviate most of my complaints here. The guy who decided to map Wisp powers to the z-trigger on the GC pad deserves to be beaten about the head and made to stand in the corner.

My other big fear, that the cutscenes would be corny and awful, proved largely unwarranted. There are one or two groan-worthy lines, but those are followed by jokes about the tropes of the series. The voiceovers are solid, and the plot feels like a self-aware version of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. (It's hard not to draw comparisons thanks to the two henchmen-bots who adhere so closely to the roles of Scratch and Grounder.)

Giving Sonic a double jump also goes a long way toward relieving control complaints. It ups the finesse of the platforming in the same way the spin boost does in Galaxy, only it's much more necessary due to the speeds at which you're typically running. You can practically reverse an entire jump with it, making painful mistakes far less common. I had less trouble than Esrever in adapting to the new jump mechanics, but they're definitely not perfect. This is the kind of tweak that could be made in a sequel, which I would actually look forward to if announced.

Playing as Super Sonic is silly (pointless) fun, but his looping theme music is just awful. (An unfortunate similarity to the Genesis games.) It's a shame, because the rest of the game's soundtrack is absolutely fantastic. Esrever was right in his evaluation --it's a whirlwind tour of Sonic Team's musical styles that pays homage without being derivative. The same goes for the levels, which will occasionally pay obvious tribute without feeling unoriginal. For instance, Asteroid Coaster starts with an extremely obvious nod to Twinkle Park, but quickly becomes its own beast in regards to how that gameplay element is handled. For one thing, it's actually a gameplay element!

What is so refreshing about the game is that it's just Sonic being Sonic. Running around and jumping on robots. Even the old badniks show up with slightly altered attacks or functions to provide a fun spin on classic Sonic tropes. And speaking of, some of the Sonic Simulator stages even takes some areas wholesale from the old Genesis games and plop them in the middle of an otherwise unique stage to give a genuine feeling of nostalgia that shows Sonic Team--whoever that actually means in this case--actually (finally?) appreciates the games made before this one.

Infinitely more than Sonic 4, this feels like a real successor to the Sonic series proper. Instead of pinning Sonic to exactly how he's supposed to move in a given area--and sucking the joy out of the game--you're given much more control. Some of the 3D segments do take away full control in the interest of more precise movement (A single 3D segment in Aquarium Park takes away the jump ability to force you to use the boost! Bizarre!), but the 2D areas all feel solidly grounded in an easily understood and enjoyable set of physics. Despite retaining a (very toned-down) version of the boost from Unleashed, Sonic actually has momentum that can be used to your advantage. It all feels very visceral, especially compared to the mess that was Sonic 4.

As for Sonic swimming, it makes a huge difference, and for the better. Aquarium Park could have truly sucked, but the basic swimming mechanics make it fun. And really that's all I'm willing to care about with this game: whether it's fun. In not promising a return to Sonic's roots and focusing only on making an enjoyable experience, Colors comes much closer to bringing back the fun of the original games than any of the other post-Adventure titles by a wide margin.

[Blount]

Couldn't have put it better myself. I almost forgot about the cutscenes until I read your post - not because they're bad or anything but because the game is so fun to replay at your own personal pace that I haven't started a new save yet. The characters are a huge improvement over the stale, overly friendly versions that have been plaguing the series for years (especially Tails). The Wisps are very likable and Eggman is quite funny, as are (surprisingly) Orbot and Cubot. I liked the English voice acting, by the way. The new actors are definitely much better.

I was really pleased when I found out that the plot doesn't make the slightest mention of the Chaos Emeralds, and it finally ends with Sonic versus Eggman again, rather than Super Sonic versus giant generic monster. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who liked that.

Plus the final boss was just... cool. Especially the way you end it.

[Dash]

Well you guys pretty much summed up what I would say about the game. This game has been really fun! Not perfect, but very fun, especially if you're a long-time fan and can catch all the references.

Interesting note: When I was prompted to enter my name for the save file, the first temp file name they gave me was "Emerl." Whatever Sonic Battle's true quality is(I haven't played it in years), the fact that they referenced such an obscure character made the nerd in me a little giddy.

[Crazy Penguin]

So I didn't read the manual and only just realised that the Pink Wisp also lets you spin dash.

[Kogen]

What would be even cooler would be if you could just do that when ever you wanted to instead of sliding.

[Radrappy]

What would be even cooler would be if you could just do that when ever you wanted to instead of sliding.

100% agreed. Either that or the peel out back from CD. It feels really unnatural to backtrack and build up speed on the rare occasion that you do not have enough to get over a hump/ramp/half-pipe.

a few things I did not know and are not stated anywhere in the game be it the manuel or hint thingie:

-you can aim with the cyan laser indefinitely as long as you don't let go of a direction on the control stick.

-you actually can boost twice in the air by boosting onto a jump pad and then boosting again while airborne.

-The midair launch pad gimmicks that asked for button prompts in Unleashed are now activated with the jump button always. Instead of pressing a different button to go up or sideways, this time you indicate direction with the control stick.

-The exclamation point warning doesn't always refer to dangers right under you and especially in 3d sequences warns of bottomless pits that are fast approaching. If you see one in A 3d sequence, slow the fuck down.

[gr4yJ4Y]

A friend of mine who works at Toys "R" Us said that they received "a bajillion" more copies of Colors than they would for an average Sonic game. If that's any indication, it looks like Sega is really banking on the improved quality translating into higher sales.

[Radrappy]

I finished collecting all the red rings, put the disc in its case and placed it on the shelf. I am happy and satisfied with this experience and look forward to what's coming next.

It has occurred to me that without negativity, this community is pretty quiet.

[Dash]

Probably a good thing- The game is more fun to play than complain about. I mean, it's been a while since that happened!

[Dr. BUGMAN]

I don't have money, and if Galaxy 2 couldn't get me to resetup my Wii, this won't either. Even if it the is best Sonic game since SA1 or S3&K or whatever the consensus is.