Sonic Colors: Ultimate Reviews
Overall, for Sonic purists there’s undoubtedly a great time to be had with Sonic Colors: Ultimate. For those who are more fairweather Sonic fans or are looking for a new adventure to dive into, the game might be a little more of a challenge to enjoy.
Sonic Colors is still a great game, but Ultimate is lackluster at best. It's glitchy, visually inconsistent, and has some abysmal mixing that makes it impossible to hear the excellent soundtrack, let alone the new remixes.
Sonic Colors Ultimate enhances the original's great gameplay to modern HD standards, but misses the mark in almost every other regard.
While Sonic Colors Ultimate is still plagued with a few frustrating moments, Sonic veterans know that these games are platformers at heart and not just a quick dash to the finish. If you’re a fan of the blue blur, it’s worth giving this game a shot.
If you're a fan of the original game, there's nothing here that will surprise you, but for newcomers, you can experience one of the better 3D Sonic games.
I still recommend the game. Beneath all the baggage that the Ultimate version introduces, it’s still fantastic after so long. Despite having played the Switch version in particular, which is much worse off than the other versions, I still enjoyed the game enough to 100% in less than half a day. While I don’t regret my time doing so, by the end of it, I was slightly disheartened. Disheartened that, despite all the promises Sega made about ensuring more quality Sonic experiences, these promises end up coming out feeling like half-truths. I can only hope that future Sonic re-releases and remasters, including the upcoming Sonic Origins, have more time and care put into them, as the series truly does deserve better.
Could the remaster of what is definitely, in my eyes, the best 3D Sonic live up to my expectations? Definitely. However, I didn't expect any quantum leaps either, but those who do might get a rude awakening. Sonic Colours Ultimate is a robust remaster with slight additions - nothing more, nothing less. If you liked the original and want to experience the whole thing again, you can grab it, and newcomers should also have fun with the port. However, those who have absolutely nothing to do with jump'n'runs or the relatively fast-paced Sonic gameplay won't get their money's worth with Sonic Colours Ultimate.
Review in German | Read full review
At its core, Sonic Colors is still a great game and one of Sonic Team’s best in recent memory, but it’s not quite as refreshing in 2021 as it was in 2010.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a somewhat buggy remaster of a great game. If SEGA and Blind Squirrel can patch out the various bugs, this’ll be the best way to experience the momentum and vibrancy of Sonic Colors. Until then, it’s just a decent way to play it, with some swell but minor add-ons.
Luckily, the original Sonic Colours stands tall, featuring fun, exploratory gameplay and it is rewarding replaying levels to attain higher ranks. The 3D sections are far and few between, but the ones that are there are fun. The 2D gameplay is vastly improved from Sonic Generations with tighter controls and added variety in the form of Wisp abilities. Ultimate adds a lick of new paint to bring this to the Xbox platform, of which it is recommended to play on either Xbox Series X|S to get the standard performance that players have come to expect. Rival Rush is a fun mode, but there are only six acts and some of these levels are incredibly short. The other additions that Ultimate has added are superfluous, but don't do anything to really damage the core game either. If Sonic Colours doesn't exist in your library and you are a fan of the Blue Blur then there is no excuse to not pick this up.
While there are issues, both in the game itself and the porting, Sonic Colors Ultimate is a fun enough time.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a safe remaster of a cult classic which should please old players and newcomers alike, but isn’t going to redeem the iconic hedgehog’s troubled record.
Sonic Colors' vibrant colors, inventive level design and fast gameplay made it a hit back in 2010.
A fine remaster of a good 3D Sonic game, Sonic Colours: Ultimate delivers speedy thrills aplenty, with its rainbow of Wisps injecting a smart twist to platforming. With more than enough replay value to keep you coming back, Sonic Colours: Ultimate will last far beyond its initial 4-5 hour runtime and slake your thirst for speed.
Sonic Colors was already a great game when it was released on the Wii and Sonic Colors: Ultimate doesn't detract from the original experience, barring the aforementioned issues with the Switch port. The new content is underwhelming, but the whole package still stands up and it upholds the game's reputation as one of the best 3D entries in the series.
Sonic Colors Ultimate is definitely conjuring up memories of the 3D Sonic era in its execution. This game was considered a hidden gem back in the day, but really is just one of the better 3D Sonic games. It still doesn’t come close to matching the excitement of the classic style or even the more recent Sonic Mania. Sonic just works best in 2D and while Colors does some interesting things with its game play, it still only serves as the best of a worse situation.
Even if it turns out to be annoying at times and has not got rid of the inherent flaws of 3D episodes, this Sonic Colours Ultimate is still a good game. The app has received a welcome facelift, except in the cutscenes, and deserves a second chance, because even in 2021, if other games have shown that the blue hedgehog is still valiant, it remains one of the best Sonic of the post-Dreamcast era. Which is still not nothing.
Review in French | Read full review
When comparing it to other 3D Sonic titles, Sonic Colours is easily one of the better entries in the storied annals of the spiny speedster. It's an audiovisual delight, and more often than not, calls upon the spirit of speed that made this a household name. Unfortunately, it still carries plenty of the baggage from older 3D Sonic games in terms of unnecessary difficulty spikes, and inconsistent switching between 3D and 2.5D.
Sonic Colours: Ultimate varies the traditional gameplay with new mechanics that will delight younger players. The new mechanics and a few moments make it an interesting but somewhat accessible Sonic for veterans.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Sonic Colors: Ultimate does a decent job of bringing back a good game for modern audiences. Although I have fond memories of the original, this remake made me realise that my memory can't always be trusted when it comes to how well certain games will hold up.