Sonic Colors

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For other uses, see Sonic Colors (disambiguation).

Sonic Colors
North American cover artwork, featuring Sonic with the in-game Wisp types
Development staff
Developer(s)	Sonic Team Sega
Publisher(s)	Sega
Director(s)	Morio Kishimoto
Producer(s)	Takashi Iizuka
Executive Producer(s)	Okitane Usui
Designer(s)	Morio Kishimoto
Programmer(s)	Yoshitaka Kawabata Hideyuki Atarashi Naoko Shimura Masahiro Ukai
Artist(s)	Sachiko Kawamura Yoshitaka Miura
Writer(s)	Yasushi Otake Warren Graff Ken Pontac
Composer(s)	Naofumi Hataya Hideaki Kobayashi Fumie Kumatani Mariko Nanba Tomoya Ohtani Kenichi Tokoi
Video game overview
Series	Sonic the Hedgehog
Engine(s)	Hedgehog Engine
Release date(s)	JP 18 November 2010 NA 16 November 2010 EU 12 November 2010
Genre(s)	Platformer Action-adventure
Rating(s)	ESRB: E CERO: A PEGI: 3 ACB: G USK: 6
Platform(s)	Wii Wii U (backwards compatable)
Media	Wii Optical Disc
Input	Wii Remote Wii Remote & Nunchuk GameCube controller Wii Classic Controller

Sonic Colors (ソニックカラーズ, Sonikku Karāzu^?), known as Sonic Colours in the PAL region, is a platformer video game for the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. It was released in November 2010 for the Wii, with a separate version developed by Dimps for the Nintendo DS.

Colors' narrative is set in Egg Planet Park, an interstellar amusement park built by Doctor Eggman under the false pretense of atoning for his past misdeeds. Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower investigate the park, which is revealed to be a cover for Eggman's scheme to drag planets from around the universe to Earth and kidnapping the natives, an alien race known as Wisps. Sonic ventures through each of the planets to stop the doctor's plans for universal domination.

The game uses the Boost-based gameplay established by Sonic Unleashed (2008), with the Wisps being featured as power-ups that allow Sonic to use "Color Powers" to navigate through the levels. Colors, tailored to address the poorly received titles of the series from previous years, was aimed towards a casual audience, primarily children who had been introduced to the series through Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (2008). The English script was written by Ken Pontac and Warren Graff, who would go on to write the English scripts for most Sonic games in the 2010s. The Wisps became a staple of the series throughout the decade as well.

Upon release, Sonic Colors received positive reviews. Critics praised the title for its graphics, audio, soundtrack, gameplay and replay value, with many viewing it as a return to form for the series. However, some criticized its difficulty and weak multiplayer mode. The game was a commercial success, with the Wii and DS versions selling over 2 million copies combined. An enhanced version of the game, known as Sonic Colors: Ultimate, was released in September 2021.

Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot, ending details or any kind of information follow.

Please read, watch, or play the Sonic media in question before reading this page/section. Otherwise, feel free to continue!

Title screen of Sonic Colors.

Doctor Eggman invades numerous planets around Sonic's universe that are inhabited by the Wisps, alien creatures powered by Hyper-go-on, and anchors them to an interstellar park called "Egg Planet Park" to harness the Wisps' energy. He falsely claims that he has built the park to redeem himself for his earlier misdeeds.

Suspicious, Sonic and Tails go to investigate prior to the park's opening day. They eventually learn of Eggman's true intentions and that Sonic can harness the Hyper-go-on to achieve "Color Powers". They are joined by Yacker, a Wisp whose speech is translated with Tails' Miles Electric. After facing Eggman, the trio embark on an adventure to free the Wisps.

Under Yacker's guidance, Sonic and Tails visit the various attractions of Egg Planet Park, shutting down the tractor beam generators that anchor them to the park. Along the way, Tails is temporarily mind-controlled by Eggman; the heroes later learn that the doctor is seeking to achieve universal domination, and discover that he is transforming the Wisps into Nega-Wisps and using them as fuel for a mind control cannon to enslave Earth.

Sonic and Tails watching the Wisps return back home.

After Sonic and Tails release all of the planets from Egg Planet Park, Eggman attempts to fire the mind control cannon at Earth. However, a piece of debris created during an earlier confrontation between Sonic and one of the doctor's robots causes it to malfunction and explode, creating a giant Hyper-go-on void that gradually consumes all of Egg Planet Park. Sonic sends Tails back to Earth and faces Eggman in a final confrontation. He defeats the doctor with the Wisps' help but is unable to outrun the void. However, the Wisps use their energy to neutralize the void, restore the Nega-Wisps, and take Sonic back to Earth. There, Sonic reunites with Tails and bids farewells to the Wisps. Meanwhile, Eggman is stranded in space.

Characters

Image	Character	Biography
	Sonic the Hedgehog	Sonic is a hedgehog who loves freedom and the truth. He can't leave anyone in need of help and he's spent years rescuing victims from Dr. Eggman's conniving schemes. He knows better than to believe the rotund scientist, especially when Dr. Eggman claims he's doing something nice.
	Miles "Tails" Prower	Tails is a flying, two-tailed fox who helps Sonic out on his many adventures. Tails' mechanical genius often gets them out of trouble and helps them stay just ahead of Dr. Eggman's henchmen. In Sonic Colors, Tails builds a translator that lets them communicate with the Wisps who are being captured by Dr. Eggman.
	Yacker	Yacker is a curly haired White Wisp who barely escaped from Dr. Eggman's evil robots. He asks Sonic and Tails to help him save the Wisps who are being held captive and the three of them set out on their journey.
	Dr. Eggman	Despite being a scientific genius with an IQ of 300, Dr. Eggman's evil plans are constantly foiled by Sonic. He's convinced everyone of his generosity with his impressive theme park – everyone but Sonic that is. What is he really after...?
	Orbot	Orbot was built by Dr. Eggman to wait on him hand and foot. Though Orbot obeys Dr. Eggman faithfully, he really does not like him very much.
	Cubot	Cubot is another one of Dr. Eggman's creations, paired with Orbot to perform various duties. He likes Dr. Eggman, but he is lazy and tries to get out of doing any work. His several voices is what annoys Eggman the most.

Gameplay

Tropical Resort, the first Area in the game.

Sonic Colors is a platforming video game with gameplay similar to that of Sonic Unleashed. The only playable character here is Sonic the Hedgehog. Occasionally, the camera will shift between a side-view angle and a third-person angle, offering a 2.5D side-scroller gameplay and a 3D gameplay respectively. As with past Sonic games, the goal here is to complete a series of Acts in the least amount of time possible.

The player is able to run, jump, slide and perform a Homing Attack. They can also perform an attack named Boost; when the Boost Gauge is full, the playable character will be able to turn into a destructive projectile. To fill the Boost Gauge, the player needs to collect White Wisps from either Wisp Capsules or Badniks.

The player is able to collect Rings, which are scattered all around the Acts. If the player is hit while they have at least one Ring, they will survive at the cost of losing all Rings. However, if the player is hit without having a single Ring, they will lose a life and will start from either the start of the Act or the latest Star Post they touched.

A notable feature in Sonic Colors is the addition of the Color Powers; when the player touches a Wisp Capsule, the Wisps inside will get inside their body and give them a different ability. The Color Power differs from each Wisp.

Controls

Button formation				Movement
Wii Remote & Nunchuk	Wii Remote (sideways)	Classic Controller	GameCube controller
				Move
				Crouch
				Hop/Jump
while in midair	while in midair	while in midair	while in midair	Double Jump/Homing Attack
while on wall	while on wall	while on wall	while on wall	Wall Jump
left/right	left/right	left/right	left/right	Quick Step/Grind Step
+	+	+	+	Slide
while in midair	while in midair	while in midair	while in midair	Stomp
Move left/right +	Move left/right +	Move left/right +	Move left/right +	Drift
				Boost/Air Boost
Shake Wii Remote				Unleash Color Power
			START	Pause

Characters

Playable characters

• Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Super Sonic
• Virtual Hedgehog (co-op)
• Mii (co-op)

Non-playable characters

• Cubot (first appearance)
• Dr. Eggman
• Miles "Tails" Prower
• Orbot (first appearance)
• Wisps (first appearance)
  • Blue Wisp (first appearance)
  • Cyan Wisp (first appearance)
  • Green Wisp (first appearance)
  • Orange Wisp (first appearance)
  • Pink Wisp (first appearance)
  • Purple Wisp (first appearance)
  • White Wisp (first appearance)
    • Yacker (first appearance)
  • Yellow Wisp (first appearance)

Enemies

• Big Chaser (first appearance)
• Burrobot
• Buzz Bomber
• Chopper
• Crabmeat
• Egg Chaser
• Egg Pawn
• Jawz
• Mole
• Moto Bug
• Sandworm
• Spinner
• Spiny

Areas

Screenshots of the six main areas of Sonic Colors. Left to right, top to bottom: Tropical Resort, Sweet Mountain, Starlight Carnival, Planet Wisp, Aquarium Park, and Asteroid Coaster.

Sonic Colors is divided into seven Areas, all of which can be selected through a World Map. Six of these Areas are divided into main six Acts and a boss each. The seventh Area, Terminal Velocity, only has three Acts. The Areas are:

• Tropical Resort: A space resort that serves as the game's introduction. The player learns of the basic mechanics here. The White Wisp is introduced here.
• Sweet Mountain: A planet filled with sweets and other forms of junk food. It is unlocked upon beating Tropical Resort. The Yellow and Orange Wisps are introduced here.
• Starlight Carnival: A space fleet decorated with neon lights. It is unlocked upon beating Tropical Resort. The Blue and Green Wisps are introduced here.
• Planet Wisp: The Wisps' home planet, polluted by Eggman's facilities under construction. It is unlocked upon beating both Sweet Mountain and Starlight Carnival. The Pink Wisp is introduced here.
• Aquarium Park: An ocean planet transformed into an aquarium with Eastern decorations. It is unlocked upon beating both Sweet Mountain and Starlight Carnival. It introduces the Cyan Wisps.
• Asteroid Coaster: A mechanized asteroid cluster transformed into a hazardous roller coaster. It is unlocked upon beating both Sweet Mountain and Starlight Carnival, and introduces the Purple Wisp.
• Terminal Velocity: The final Area of the game, unlocked when all previous stages are beaten. It has an unusual structure of a normal Act, followed by the final boss, and then a shorter level that ends the game. No Wisps are introduced here.

Game Land

Sonic Colors features Game Land, an artificial planet that houses the "Sonic Simulator". Essentially serving as this game's equivalent of the Special Stages, it features 21 levels that are unlocked as the player collects Red Star Rings. Here, one or two players control Virtual Hedgehogs, which play identically to Sonic. The seven Chaos Emeralds are obtained when all of the levels are beaten, allowing the player to use Super Sonic in most normal levels.

Bosses

• Rotatatron (Tropical Resort) (first appearance)
• Captain Jelly (Sweet Mountain) (first appearance)
• Frigate Orcan (Starlight Carnival) (first appearance)
• Refreshinator (Planet Wisp) (first appearance)
• Admiral Jelly (Aquarium Park) (first appearance)
• Asteroid Coaster sub-boss (Asteroid Coaster) (first appearance)
• Frigate Skullian (Asteroid Coaster) (first appearance)
• Nega-Wisp Armor (Terminal Velocity) (first appearance)

Wisps

Sonic Colors is the first game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series to introduce the Wisps. Wisps are an alien race, whose members serve as power-ups used in the game. Utilizing a certain Wisp makes Sonic use its Hyper-go-on to activate different Color Powers, which can be used by the player to reach alternate paths, collect Special Rings, destroy enemies or simply to proceed through the stage.

Image	Color	Description
	White	Fills the Boost Gauge allowing the player to activate the Boost.
	Orange	Allows the player to reach higher areas whilst transforming into a rocket.
	Yellow	Allows the player to drill underground.
	Green	Allows the player to transform into a hovercraft to float towards higher areas and dash through a trail of rings in order to gain speed.
	Cyan	Allows the player to transform into a laser in order to reach areas and destroy enemies at an extremely fast speed.
	Blue	Transforms hindering blocks into blue rings to access through the level
	Pink	Pink Wisps allow the player stick onto vertical walls whilst curling into a spike ball.
	Purple	Transforms the player into a giant head with large fangs, allowing it to break through obstacles whilst 'chomping'.

Development

Sonic Team examined the criticism of previous Sonic titles from critics and fans and tailored Sonic Colors to match. The resulting changes included an amalgamation of 2.5D and 3D level designs and graphics, and omission of a core "gimmick," such as the sword in Sonic and the Black Knight. One of the first developments made was the decision that the setting should not be part of the Sonic Storybook Series, and should instead go back to simpler, fun roots as seen in the classic 2D titles in order to avoid the issues that have plagued the recent 3D titles, while featuring an amusement park. Sonic Team then realized that "any sort of terrestrial amusement park would be too small to contain Sonic's adventures." From this came the idea of an interplanetary park, which would allow for more creativity and variance in the game. The music was then written to "expand beyond the usual 'cool' Sonic sound and focus on making fun, up-tempo music that will really get players' blood pumping."

Ken Pontac (left) and Warren Graff (right) co-wrote the English script of Sonic Colors.

During the development, Takashi Iizuka aimed Sonic Colors towards a young audience, stating that the game is intended to be "played by children of probably between six and twelve years-old" to make sure that "everyone can control and have fun in" it with no exception to the hard-core fans. While Iizuka had previously admitted that it is nearly impossible to please all Sonic gamers. This statement alienated some critics and core gamers who enjoyed previous entries such as Sonic Unleashed and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I. Sega of America later assured that the game is intended for a wider demographic, aiming to make it accessible for both younger consumers and core fans. Sega also admitted that the game was also designed to appeal to Mario fans, and added that "from that perspective [they] hope that fans of Mario will really be able to enjoy playing as Sonic in Sonic Colors." Iizuka later explained his comment, stating the game is a proper mainstream platforming title for the Wii and Nintendo DS, intending to expand on the audience gained from the Mario & Sonic series. The daytime stages of Sonic Unleashed also served as inspiration for the game.

Another improvement that was added to the game is the Color Powers. Iizuka described them as a way to avoid including more characters and to differ gameplay elements. Orbot and especially Cubot were added so they could add a "real fun and joyous aspect to the story" as well. The script for Sonic Colors was co-written by MadWorld and Happy Tree Friends writers, Ken Pontac and Warren Graff, so that the story would be one both kids and adults could enjoy.

Soundtrack

Cover art for Vivid Sound X Hybrid Colors: Sonic Colors Original Soundtrack.

Since the game has an amusement-park setting and a more fantastical visual style, they're trying to expand the usual "cool" Sonic sound and focus on making fun, up-tempo music that will really get players' blood pumping.

— Takashi Iizuka

The soundtrack of Sonic Colors was released as Vivid Sound X Hybrid Colors, being produced by Wave Master. It also consists of the main themes and in-game level music.

The main theme song is "Reach for the Stars", sung by Jean Paul Makhlouf from the band Cash Cash. The ending theme of the game is "Speak with Your Heart", which is also sung by Cash Cash.

Cast and Voice Direction

Jack Fletcher was the voice director for the English dub and Eriko Kimura was the voice director for the Japanese dub.

Role	English voice	Japanese voice
Sonic the Hedgehog	Roger Craig Smith	Jun'ichi Kanemaru
Miles "Tails" Prower	Kate Higgins	Ryō Hirohashi
Yacker	Utako Yoshino
Dr. Eggman	Mike Pollock	Chikao Ōtsuka
Orbot	Kirk Thornton	Mitsuo Iwata
Cubot	Wally Wingert	Wataru Takagi
Announcer	Roger Craig Smith	Fumihiko Tachiki

Reception

Pre-release

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	78.84%
Metacritic	78%
Review scores
Publication	Score
Eurogamer	8/10
Famitsu	34/40
Game Informer	7.0/10
GameSpot	8/10
GamesRadar	7/10
GameTrailers	6.4/10
IGN	8.5
Joystiq	4/5
Nintendo Power	9/10
Official Nintendo Magazine	86%
NGamer	86%
WiiMagazin	92%
CNET
Awards Entity Award Nintendo Power Best Wii Graphics IGN Quick Fix Award

A preview of the Nintendo Power gaming studios said that the action was fast, the levels were nice and long, and that there were loads of different routes available through each level. Their favorite Wisp was the Drill Wisp. In the end they mentioned that Sonic was at his best at mimicking Mario elements similar to the hit game, Super Mario Galaxy 2. They said the game will be the equivalent of all-daytime stages of Sonic Unleashed. As of 2011, the game has nearly sold 2 million copies worldwide.

IGN said that Sonic Colors might be "the best Sonic game of this generation," praising its level design and fully-packed action with vibrant colors. It also was also nominated as the "Best of E3" by IGN, though it did not win. Sonic Colors was nominated for "Best Platformer Game" at GameTrailers' E3 2010 awards.

Post-release

Reviews for the game were mostly positive, with a Metacritic ranking of 78 out of 100, and a GameRankings score of 78.84%. IGN gave the game a score of 8.5/10, calling it "the best Sonic game in 18 years," praising its gameplay, level design and vivid graphics, while criticizing some difficulty spikes later in the game, as well as the two player co-op, noting that the one screen isn't enough both players. They also gave it the 'Quick Fix Award' in their Best of 2010 awards. Famitsu gave the game 34/40. NGamer gave Sonic Colors a 86%, praising its gameplay and soundtrack, though criticizing some easy and "rehashed" bosses. Nintendo Power gave Sonic Colors a 9 out of 10, praising the game as "an unequivocal success". At the Nintendo Power awards, the game won "Best Wii Graphics" and was nominated for "Best Wii Game of the Year." Official Nintendo Magazine gave the Wii version of the game 86% and the Nintendo DS version an 85%.

WiiMagazin, a German gaming magazine, gave the game 92%, praising the game with the remark: "there is a God, and he's a Sonic-fan". Joystiq gave the game 4 out of 5 stars, saying that "Sonic Colors succeeds where so, so many other Sonic games have failed." Eurogamer gave the game 8/10, calling it "stupefying fast and utterly thrilling." GameSpot gave the Wii version an 8 out of 10, praising the game's level design, sense of speed and graphics, but criticizing its bare-bones, poorly-designed co-operative play. CNET reviews gave the game 4 stars, praising that the game offers a mix of 3D action and classic Sonic side-scrolling with dazzling visuals and exhilarating platforming. Wired gave the Wii version a 7/10, praising its "Excellent music, colorful graphics" and "fun and varied level design" while criticizing its "somewhat twitchy jumping controls" and the fact that later levels "are filled with cheap deaths."

GameTrailers was more critical of the game, citing unresponsive controls and underused Wisp powers, giving the game a score of 6.4/10. GamesRadar gave Sonic Colors 7/10, praising the game's replayability while criticizing some "horribly cheap deaths." Game Informer gave the game a 7.0 score, criticizing floaty physics and inconsistent difficulty.

In 2022, IGN placed Sonic Colors as the fifth best Sonic game in their "10 Best Sonic Games" list, while WatchMojo put it at third in their "Every 3D Sonic Game Ranked" video.

Re-releases

Cover art for Sonic Colors Ultimate.

As a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, a remaster of the Wii version called Sonic Colors: Ultimate was produced by Blind Squirrel Games and Sonic Team. It was released on 7 September 2021 for the PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. While Sonic Team developed the original version, Blind Squirrel Games handled the ports for the Sonic Colors: Ultimate version.

Adaptations

The Sonic the Hedgehog comic series published by Archie Comics made an adaptation of Sonic Colors in Sonic the Hedgehog #219. It serves as a preview for the game.

In 2021, Sonic Colors' plot was adapted twice again to promote the release of its remastered version, Sonic Colors: Ultimate. Sonic Colors Comic was a two-story Japanese manga that served as a prologue for the game. Also, a short series, Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps, was produced by Tyson Hesse and takes place at some point during the events of the game.

Trivia

• This is the second game to feature three bosses with counterparts as the three next bosses, the first being Sonic Heroes.

The Sonic Hat.

• If a customer pre-ordered Sonic Colors at GameStop, a free hat was included with the game of Sonic's spines, made by Great Eastern Entertainment.

Limited Edition European Wii version of the game.

• Limited Edition packs of the game were available in Australia and Europe and included either the Wii or Nintendo DS version of the game with a Sonic action figure and three Wisp figurines made by Tomy. Each version had a different set of Wisps.

The Sonic Colors-themed Classic Controller.

• A blue Wii Classic Controller with the game's logo on it was available in a bundle with the game in Australia.
• In the E3 demo, when Sonic would activate the "Drill Power", the announcer would say, "Spin!", but in the final version of the game, he says, "Drill!" Also, before activating the power of any Wisps, the announcer would say, "Color!" in the demo version, but in the final build he does not say anything until Sonic activates the power.
• This is the first main series 3D Sonic game where Sonic can transform into Super Sonic during the normal stages, although he cannot fight bosses.
• During an Act, when Super Sonic mode is activated, any Wisps' power cannot be used except from the White Wisp.
• This is the first main series 3D game in which the final boss is fought between Sonic and Eggman, with the former in his base form. Both of these things would reoccur in the two versions of Sonic Lost World and Sonic Forces.
• During one of Eggman's announcements, he mentions a yellow car with license plate "1NOM155" is about to get hit by an asteroid. This could be a reference to Crazy Taxi (another Sega game), as one of the characters, Axel, drives a taxi with the same license plate.

An image showing the screen of the Miles Electric.

• Towards the end of the game, the Miles Electric's screen is shown. Earlier in the game, Tails says that the translations on there are in binary code, but the code shown on the device is in hexadecimal format (Tails may have switched it to a better code offscreen). The bottom line of code translates to: "If you can read this, you're a geek!".
  • However, professional hexadecimal format translators may notice that the code for the apostrophe is the wrong number, and the code for the letter "F" is put between the apostrophe and the "R," making it instead read, "If you can read this, you'fre a geek!" The correct hexadecimal number for the apostrophe is 27, but the Miles Electric shows it as 81, which is actually the symbol received when an emoji is sent to a phone that does not have that emoji. It also displays the comma as hexadecimal code 20, which is the space. The comma is actually hexadecimal code 2C.
• Unlike the other games, Sonic does not get an extra life upon grabbing one-hundred Rings.
  • By achieving an A/S-Rank on any Act, the player will earn one life.
  • When Sonic attacks the "text" while in the results screen (using techniques such as Boost and Stomp), an extra life may pop out.
• This is the first 3D Sonic game where, if the player starts a new game, they are taken to the first stage immediately rather than showing a cutscene first or even saving a file.
• In the cutscene after the credits to show what happens to Eggman after the ending, Cubot says, "What's up with those things anyway?" However, the subtitles say, "What's up with those guys anyway?"
• On the back of the box of the game (the US version), there is a grammar text that says, "And preform new moves". It is supposed to say, "And perform new moves."
  • Also, in the instruction manual, "Nega Wisp" is accidentally misspelled as "Mega Wisp".
• When Orbot installs a new voice chip for Cubot, he says "The think bone's connected to the talk bone... the talk bone's connected to the mouth bone". This is a reference to Dem Bones, a traditional song written by James Weldon Johnson.
• Each time a new save file is chosen, the game gives as a default name a Sonic character's name (e.g Silver, Shadow, Big, Blaze, etc.).
• Orbot's two lines, "Don't think about it" and "Got it", from a few cutscenes were later used in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games in a sticker copy feature where Cubot and Orbot copy one sticker.

Videos

• Gameplay Trailer #1
• Two-player
• Official trailer
• Gameplay trailer #2
• Gameplay trailer #3
• Commercial
• E3 2010

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Official website (English) (archive)
• Sonic Colors at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sonic Colors (Wii)

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Main article · Script · Credits · Glitches · Beta elements · Gallery · Re-releases (Ultimate)

*Appears only in the Wii version · ^Appears only in Sonic Colors: Ultimate
V·T·E · {{Colors (DS) info}} · Category

Sonic the Hedgehog console mainline games

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