Joystiq Preview

[Mr.S]

Here is a preview of Sonic Colors which has is Joystiq.com

Here's the thing: I'm hesitant to say anything good about an upcoming Sonic game, because we all know we've been disappointed so many times by the franchise. Sega's been chasing after a super fast, graphically gorgeous, inventive and fun Sonic platformer for so long that whenever it promises yet another new Sonic title, it's very, very hard to believe that it might end up finally being that game.

Just according to the odds, I'm going to guess that Sonic Colors still isn't that game, but Sega has been trying very hard, over and over again, to do it right. Sonic Colors looks good, albeit with reservations.

• 
  
  
• Sonic doesn't talk. There are no conversations or text screens -- just Sonic running around a lot, very quickly. The game was described to me by a developer as, "Sonic Unleashed minus everything but the running," and that seemed an apt description, as Sonic races over huge walkways, bounces off of springs, and homes in on enemies, combo-ing them them in groups if timed exactly right.
  
  
• The cast is kept to a minimum. Well, the "colors" could be counted as friends, I guess, but they're really just power-ups, activated by waggling the Wiimote. In the part I played, Sonic hit a yellow color creature, and waving the remote turned him into a drill that had him digging in any direction across a 2D plane, seeking out secret stashes of rings in the giant environment. A green color creature creates a laser that will aim Sonic and then launch him back out into the level.
  
  
• It's fast. Sonic Adventure fast. The levels I played were bright and colorful, one long sprint of dodging and jumping and Sonic doing what he does best.
  
  
• I was told that there wasn't a hub world, but there was definitely a map screen, showing off a series of planets in space from which Sonic could visit and access levels. In fact, my first reaction to seeing the game was: "Sonic Galaxy." That's not a bad thing, right?
  

It seems like it would be hard for Sega to keep up the frantic pace in the levels I saw for an entire game. Sonic raced across a huge world with multiple paths in the few stages I played, and it'd be tough to keep that varied and interesting over an entire game. And at one point, Sonic lifted a gimmick from Super Mario Galaxy, facing a giant boss that appeared in the center of the screen, while he ran and dodged attacks in 360 degrees around the outside.

Also, as seen in the announcement trailer, Tails will be in the game. I didn't see him in the part I played at all, though, so his role could be minimal, or he could simply be an alternate character.

Sonic Colors could still go either way. There was fun to be had in the preview demo, but given that there were only a few levels to play, it's hard to tell if it's representative of the game at large. I can say this, though: Even if Sega hasn't found the game it's looking for (and the one we all want to play), it seems like the series is finally headed in the right direction. Then again, with the way the series has been going lately, there might not be any way to go but up.

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/15/preview-sonic-colors/

Edited June 15, 2010 by Mr.S

[Indigo Rush]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing, dude.

I'm liking this more and more as time goes on. You'll still get the "Oh how I wish there were Spinball Physics and spindashing" from me, but I'm okay with what we have. I'm genuinely and honestly okay with this.

I'm happy, SEGA.

I'm very happy.

[Gabz Girl]

This sounds, and from what I could see in screenshots, looks very promising (those Wisps are just too damn cute X3). But I really want to see some gameplay videos... >3>

Wait...Sonic doesn't talk at all in this game? W00t! Sonic is going the Mario root!

[Shaddix Leto Croft]

WAIT Sonic mute in game ....*gets the beer out* Yeshh I am freaking sick of hearing speak in middle games this is one thing I wanted in the game aswell we can listen to the soundtrack without Sonic going WHOOO YEAH ALRIIGHHT or talking by himself mid levels Ala Sonic 06 and Sonic Heroes XD

Edited June 15, 2010 by Crash

[Scar]

YAY!

Looking good.

[Swiss]

Wait...let me get this straight. NO Hub Worlds? NONE? ZERO?

...

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I hope the no-talking part is strictly in-game and not the whole game. Sonic doesn't strike me well as a mute.

Aside from that, I'm pretty cautious for everything else.

[Extryn]

I hope the no-talking part is strictly in-game and not the whole game. Sonic doesn't strike me well as a mute.

Aside from that, I'm pretty cautious for everything else.

Seconded, Sonic is much nicer when we can hear a bit more of his personality. I wouldn't mind him not yelling in-level either (although it was far more bearable with Jap audio in Unleashed) but some nice cutscene banter would please me.

The voice acting isn't SO terrible I never want to hear Sonic talk again.

[EXshad]

This is awesome news! If not a bit surprising.... Sonic won't talk in the game? Somehow I doubt that. I'm guessing talking has just been taken out of the levels, or something. Then again, Sonic was silent during the Unleashed levels, besides some whoas and grunts. Ah well, ain't a big deal. Between this and the Eurogamer preview, it sounds like it's doing a lot right, with one exception: the difficulty. I hope this isn't the first Sonic game that's just flat-out dumbed-down to accommodate itself to younger gamers. I mean, what about Secret Rings? Unleashed? The Rush games? Those games are pretty tough, but they're still targeted towards a wide demographic of gamers.

Meh... we'll see what happens.

[Blue Blood]

I'm very sure that Sonic simply won't talk in levels, much like in SA1. Cutscenes without voices I don't see happening. Truth be told, I like that Sonic isn't a mute series.

[EXshad]

Yeah, but that's something I don't really care too much about. I just wanna see it in action now, and I really hope it's got some challenge to it. At the worst, I hope its difficulty resembles that of Sonic Adventure. That game, I thought, was easy, but still insanely fun to play. At best though, I hope its got the challenge factor that more recent Sonic games have brought to the table. Even Sonic Riders 2 (with the gamecube controller) was hard as hell at points.

[Scar]

I'm sure the difficulty will rack up eventually.

Unleashed was easy at first.....Then came Eggmanland...

The first 2 levels usually aren't that hard, but we'll see how things go.

[JezMM]

It's fast. Sonic Adventure fast.

Either someone hasn't played Sonic Adventure since it was first released and forgotten how it handles by today's standards, or Sonic Colours is slow and clunky as fuck except for one level. 8I

[Scar]

Either someone hasn't played Sonic Adventure since it was first released and forgotten how it handles by today's standards, or Sonic Colours is slow and clunky as fuck except for one level. 8I

I'm sure he means its is as fun as Sonic Adventure.

[JezMM]

I'm sure he means its is as fun as Sonic Adventure.

Either someone hasn't played Sonic Adventure since it was first released and forgotten how it handles by today's standards, or Sonic Colours is ...naw I'm kidding SA1 isn't that bad.

[Blue Blood]

Sonic Adventure fast is more my idea for Sonic in 3D actually. However it's done that I don't mind- Unleashed HD was awesome because of speeeeeeeeeeeeed.

[Rusty Spy]

I hope "Sonic doesn't talk" strictly means, "Sonic doesn't talk". I don't really like playing as an emotionless character that takes an extra life the same way he takes a robot to the head.

Though I am interested in that they commented on how "varied and interesting" the levels were.

And at one point, Sonic lifted a gimmick from Super Mario Galaxy, facing a giant boss that appeared in the center of the screen, while he ran and dodged attacks in 360 degrees around the outside.

This seems like an odd statement, cause there's a good amount of games that have that boss.

Edited June 15, 2010 by Black Spy

[Unholy Sonic]

DUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDEDUDE!!!!!

EPIC SAUCE!!!

But I also second the Sonic talking outside the stages.

Also I think we might hear sonic in-levels but mostly at critical moments:

When he dies

Mini Boss showing up of no where and sonic being surprised ala UH!? D8

Aaaand thats about it.

[EXshad]

Sonic Adventure was plenty fast. With the help of speed pads of course, but their use was very frequent. Windy Valley, Speed Highway, Sky Deck, Final Egg, and Lost World all had section that were extremely fast. Though, still, I think compared to Unleashed and even the mach speed areas in Sonic 2006, saying it's "fast, like Adventure" will get it laughed off. I'm sure it's faster than that.

Adventure, though, was also arguably the first, and one of the last, high-quality Sonic games out there. If this game draws any comparisons to Adventure in that department, I'm pleased already.

[Unholy Sonic]

Well maybe thats exactly it, their talking about the fastest stages in both Sonic Adventure 1 and 2.

They were fast, you had all the time to react even while running so damn fast, you could enjoy the surroundings even at that speed unlike '06 and Unleash.

Maybe thats what we'll get in Colous, a bit faster then SA1/2 yet letting the player in full control of Sonic without missing anything if your concentrated on your environment.

Improved breaks? lol

[Rusty Spy]

I'm hoping they're referring to Sonic's running speed (and I guess the overall pace) being similar to that of Adventure.

[JaidynReiman]

Heh. I hope its not as "fun" or as "fast" as Sonic Adventure. Sonic Adventure was boring as hell. I enjoyed about two stages in the entire game. The rest was ridiculously easy and I found very little enjoyment in actually playing it. Which is ironic, because I BOUGHT the game after everyone online spouted how awesome the game was.

Either way, this sounds alright. The game doesn't look that bad. Unleashed - Werehog/boost spamming sounds pretty good, though I still miss Adventure gameplay... Adventure's main problem was that the stages were too short AND too easy. Except Big. *Shadow voice* "He can go straight to hell!"

[Rusty Spy]

Heh. I hope its not as "fun" or as "fast" as Sonic Adventure. Sonic Adventure was boring as hell. I enjoyed about two stages in the entire game. The rest was ridiculously easy and I found very little enjoyment in actually playing it. Which is ironic, because I BOUGHT the game after everyone online spouted how awesome the game was.

The worst fate of giving into other's hype for a game. It raises your expectations too much beyond what is possible for you to end up enjoying. The same thing happened to me when I played the Rush games after hearing everyone's praise.

[Unholy Sonic]

Never found any Sonic games too easy or short or whatever people claim [insert sonic game title] is.

Thing is, the moment i'm having fun playing a sonic game, the rest barely matters to me. Of course when we have many problems like in '06, NOW we can complain about it.

Expecting can be positive or negative depending on the person, but when you're stuck on hoping that the next sonic game is suppose to be like the ONE and the only ONE game you used to play, your bound to be disapointed to no end. Same goes to the opposite who's hoping that the next sonic game is gonna be crap like this ONE and the only ONE game that was majorly screwed up your bound to never find any light in the new games.

Those who just doesn't hope for nothing cause they think that aaaaaaaaaaaaall the next sonic games will be crap... excuse me for saying it but they can go to hell and stop coming to the upcoming games topic and stick on community and chatting.

Those who doesn't want to hope for anything cause their scared of being disapointed or something like that well... you gotta take chances you never know when things will brighten up. No pain no game man.

Anyway, I'll just keep it positive and wait for the next info we get and gawd I hope we'll get some gameplay video's.

[Totally]

I hate them saying every time 'that the series has gone to the right direction!The series has gone to the right direction since 2008 with Sonic Unleashed or even with Sonic Rush!