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Post by Eleonora B.M on Nov 15, 2010 15:51:27 GMT
not to mention the ever so wonderfull sound of the rings! the day they will change that angelic *pling* the Sonic saga will fail forever!!! what I like of the details are the Epic calls of the Wisps powers "LASER" "DRILL"
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Post by projectzuel on Nov 15, 2010 21:58:03 GMT
Can't believe I actually haven't posted here when I've actually got and completed the DS Sonic Colours. Time to rip into this bad boy.
First impressions were actually surprisingly dissapointing. I was prepared for the hammy story with annoying voice acting introduced via the opening cinema but what took me by surprise was actually how the game played. The trick system is entirely absent which affected the experience throughout the entire game. The trick system in Sonic Rush gave not only a sense of flair but also enabled the player to control the pace of the levels via boost meter increase; the fast kinetic flow of the gameplay was one of the prominent and most fun factors of Rush. Colours replaces it with a wisp that gives you limited boost, only increased with more wisps or enemy destruction. This means that boost functions are often too limited meaning crashing into enemies on running paths due to lack of boost can become common place.
Wisps, the obvious gimmik of the game are a mixed bag. The large majority are fine with the drill and lazer being the most fun, the first offering some creative routes via ground and water, the latter offering quick bursts of unstoppable speed. The two main culprits of bad design are the Red Burst and Violet Void wisps which both suffer from unresponsive control which is a shame because they offer intriquing directions to take in the environment.
The special stages take a similar approach to Sonic Rush with the touch screen being used to move Sonic sideways as he runs along a half cylinder. Collecting orbs with some cool twitch mechanic is good fun, the semi-transparent stages allowing a good view of what's ahead. While they are far too easy, later stages confound the player with cheap defeats by overloading the levels with spheres, springs etc.
Cheap defeats and damage are also a running problem, as mentioned earlier. Pit falls, bad enemy placement and spike placement have always been around in some form or another in the Sonic series but Sonic Colours often takes it too far. This is partly due to the multi-tiered levels generated by the wisp mechanic as well as temptations to boost through the air, leading to multiple deaths. The game seems to expect you to know what's happening ahead of you before you can respond to it. The slide feature is often placed in situations where you need to use it to avoid instant death but it's used so sparingly and with little warning that you'll be killed on the spot.
The large amount of the negative critisism on Sonic Colours DS is most apparent on the first playthough. Repeated playthrough gives you time to appreiciate how well many of the levels have been crafted around the wisps. As you aquire new wisp powerups new areas in previous stages become available, opening up some creative game mechanics and generally increasing the flow of gamplay. Once you get to grips with the mechanics of the wisps, going back to some stages can produce utterly joyful experiences. Boosting through several enemies, walljumping off walls to grabbing a Lazer wisp and using it to bounce across a level is exilerating.
The music should also be recognised. Though not up to the catchy and downright funky music Hideki Naganuma produced for Sonic Rush the music is still fun to listen to, matching the levels well and thankfully walks away from the 3D Sonic butt-rock.
Overall Sonic Colours (DS) is a flawed but generally fun product. It boasts an interesting new gameplay mechanic via the addition of wisps but is let down by control issues, cheap deaths and some unneeded mechanics.
7/10
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Post by Eleonora B.M on Nov 15, 2010 22:23:42 GMT
fair enough. I hope I'll get my chance of playing it, so I can give my opinion as well.
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Post by Beeth on Nov 16, 2010 11:02:35 GMT
Projectzuel: I'm sorry, but I believe some of the things you're pointing out as flaws are either things you shouldn't be complaining about, or just don't exist outright. Allow me to pluck out a few examples:
It is a significant adjustment in gameplay style which can catch you out a few times, and I have to admit my boost ran out on quite a few occasions. Personally though, I enjoyed the added challenge, it meant having to be tactical in my gameplay decisions, learning what was coming up, and even bringing standard moves such as the spin dash into play in a pinch as an alternate solution. Spin dash physics are a lot better, as well.
At any rate with both of these put together I see no reason why you should find yourself constantly crashing into enemies. If anything, less so than in the Rush games.
I agree with more or less everything said here; the red and violet wisps did take some getting used to especially. The latter proved to be a bit of an annoyance due to the fact that control is disabled inexplicably for the last second or so of activation, which can potentially see you hurtling uncontrollably into danger at the wrong moment.
That last sentence makes no sense whatsoever. In the same breath, you complain that it's too easy and too hard at the same time. If anything, I believe the former is true and they should've upped the difficulty a bit more.
As for it being "cheap" in later stages, I don't agree at all. To me, this is how they've always increased difficulty on this style of special stage. If this is a running problem for you, I'd be interested to hear your suggestions for improvement.
Are we playing the same game here? If anything, this game is the complete opposite of this statement. There's hardly any pits in the game until the 6th zone, and even then they're used sparingly.
As for enemy and spike placement, I fail to see what the problem is. I get the impression by this you would've preferred a "hold right to win" sort of situation. I'm not saying that's truth, but that's how this comes across. Challenge needs to exist in a game to make it interesting. And I'd hardly call this "cheap" either, compared to a multitude of other games I've played.
No, it doesn't expect you to know what's happening ahead. No game in the world does. Trial and error is what's needed, if you're completing the whole game in a single playthrough without losing a try then clearly there's a problem in that it's too easy. But you seem to be annoyed at the fact you weren't able to speedrun the whole thing on your first attempt.
Furthermore, I don't see how losing lives should be a problem at all. By the time I reached the sixth zone I had, like, 70 lives on the board. That's ample opportunity and a half to get it right.
It's intriguing how, having moaned incessantly about the games non-existant shortcomings, you're suddenly singing its praises. It definitely seems to me like your issue is with learning the game rather than actually playing it, and that's ultimately why you've marked it down; if you know exactly what you're going to do straight from the off, it's not going to be much of a game at all. I'd much rather be given the chance to replay a section and improve at it than blast through it in a single attempt.
Now I'm not saying this is a perfect game by any means, but it is better than you seem to have given it credit for. There are some rather bizarre control issues, and the red and violet wisps can be awkward to control generally. Overall though, this is the most refined Sonic game I've played, in terms of its physics and gameplay features, in the last 10 years. They've struck the balance so well here, improving on some of the shortcomings that Rush had and adding some new and interesting mechanics which, for once, actually work properly. Not entirely, granted, though it's a marked improvement.
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Pinchetel
Big Time Boomer
...And together in failure.
Posts: 212
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Post by Pinchetel on Nov 16, 2010 13:11:24 GMT
I agree with most of Beeth's analysis on the game (although I only had problems with Burst, not Void). Yes, I said OK instead of good, that was an error on my part, I meant to put "good, but not amazing".
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Post by Badly-Drawn Manchild on Nov 16, 2010 15:39:48 GMT
Currently trying to get all the red rings now. Some of them are absolute gits; I end up blasting past them and it's too late to do anything by the time I've registered it.
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Post by projectzuel on Nov 16, 2010 17:42:39 GMT
Projectzuel: I'm sorry, but I believe some of the things you're pointing out as flaws are either things you shouldn't be complaining about, or just don't exist outright. Allow me to pluck out a few examples: It's intriguing how, having moaned incessantly about the games non-existant shortcomings, you're suddenly singing its praises. It definitely seems to me like your issue is with learning the game rather than actually playing it, and that's ultimately why you've marked it down; if you know exactly what you're going to do straight from the off, it's not going to be much of a game at all. I'd much rather be given the chance to replay a section and improve at it than blast through it in a single attempt. I didn't intent to moan about the game, many of the criticisms I point out can be highly annoying or frustrating but didn't mar the product heavily enough to break it, thus the 7/10 score I gave it. I said at the end that it can provide moments of excitement once you get used to it but in the same breath I can then mention that I crashed into an enemy I couldn't see offscreen, or fell to my death for falling through a rail. I too had plenty of lives at the end but the game pretty much throws them at you. I said special stages were largely easy, but the later ones seem to up the difficulty by overflowing the stages with spheres and springs etc. I don't hate the special stages. Also Sonic naturally runs at a fast pace, therefore it's natural to use boost to protect yourself from unseen enemies. This breeds an incentive to boost often. I didn't speed run for the hell of it, the game often wants the user to move quickly. I'm not saying the game is bad as I still find it very enjoyable; I'm currently going back to collect the red rings and test some new wisp routes.
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Post by Shadic? on Nov 17, 2010 19:03:39 GMT
Bought the Wii version last night.
Seems alright.
[/end of opinion]
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Post by Nam on Nov 17, 2010 21:22:06 GMT
Picked up the DS version of this today. Overall it's alright, but I wouldn't say it's better than Rush Adventure. While I haven't got to the end yet, I've got to the sixth world, and unless I'm missing something, it's a lot shorter than Rush Adventure was. Things I like: The levels are actually well designed visully, with a lot of interesting things to look at as background. In particular the fifth world, the one that looks a bit like a chinese garden, is very pretty. The levels are alright, though there is a bit of rubbish "Oh you didn't know you needed to slide there, too bad you're dead now" going on in the sixth world. Overall though, they're well thought out, with a lot of different routes. The special stages are actually pretty cool. It took me some time to work out that they were looped, hence there's a bit of strategy in going through them rather than just blindly grabbing everything you need to think "do I grab the multiplyer now, or wait for next lap?" The music is actually pretty good too, with the first levels music being pretty catchy, (especially the underwater theme). I can see this gae coming up highly in good-soundtrack polls. Finally the script is a bit light hearted, and somewhat self depreciative. In particular Silver's mission introduction where they discuss the future and he says it's all "sunshine and smiles" made me laugh. Things I dislike: The Wisps. Which is annoying, as they're a key part of the game, but they get on my nerves. Lazer is a [censored] to use, especially with just a D'pad to get anything other than 45 degree angles, Bomb (the one that's rather inspired by 'Splosion Man), is very tricky and fiddly to control, the Purple one simply doesn't last long enough, and Drill is awkward and unhelpful. Only Rocket and the standard ones are useful, the others just make the game much harder than necessay. Cubot and Orbot. They're meant to be comic releif, but they're not funny, and are actually annoying. I don't particularly like them. Maybe they work better in the Wii version, but in the text only DS version they just come across as highly annoying. Poor mans Scratch & Grounder. Not really a fair complaint, but these missions are really [censored]ing hard. I mean ball achingly hard. I know people like a challenge, and non-story missions are a great place to stick the uber-hard stuff so that the plots can be finished by most people, but there difficulty is deceptive based on the rest of the game. Overall it's a good game though, but I couldn't agree with all these claims of best Sonic handheld game. It's better than Rush, but from everything I've seen so far, not as good as Rush Adventure, though maybe with some time learning how to better use the wisps, and see the games full content, I can be pursuaed otherwise.
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Post by Balls on Nov 18, 2010 13:24:23 GMT
Orbot and Cubot are [censored]ing hilarious in the Wii version.
And a lot of those problems with the Wisps are solved purely with access to an analogue stick on the Wii version. Laser's a bit weird to use in the 3D sections but it's usually used in 2D parts, as are most of the Wisps. In fact, Spikes, Drill and Rocket are used exclusively in the 2D parts.
The main complaint I have with the Wisps is that you can't cancel and transform back at will. Never a problem except with Spikes, which always, without fail, lasts way too long.
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Post by Eleonora B.M on Nov 18, 2010 15:38:57 GMT
LOL! the wisps call Eggman "Baldy Mcnosehair" !!!! Great this game is quite amusing!!!! ^_^ and Tails isn't as bouring as other times....and yes, ORBOT AND CUBOT are great! Definetly like them!!!
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Post by Blizz on Nov 18, 2010 17:50:46 GMT
I'm not sure whether Orbot and Cubot are more like Scratch and Grounder, or Pinky and the Brain.
I like Cubot though. He makes me chuckle.
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Post by Calisto on Nov 18, 2010 19:21:41 GMT
In the DS version of the game booklet. There's more apparently, such as "Preform" in the Wii version. =P
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Post by Tom J on Nov 18, 2010 19:30:15 GMT
lol, there's a screencap of a cutscene from the wii version somewhere with the subtitles "Look at of all them!"
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Post by madhair60 on Nov 19, 2010 19:30:40 GMT
unless I'm missing something, it's a lot shorter than Rush Adventure was What we're missing is the stylus bits and the hidden islands. I can take or leave the stylus stuff, but I liked the hidden islands, and wish they'd returned in some capacity. I have no qualms with any of this, I just found it slightly amusing. Actually. Unless I'm mistaken, you can only get 45 degree angles. You hold up or down to decide which direction. Someone else said this as well, and I don't see it as a problem - it's an explosion, so it's bound to be chaotic. If it wasn't at least a little imprecise it wouldn't feel right to me, but it's really each to their own. Certainly, the areas where BURST!!! is used are designed around its erratic movement, what with those bombs that fire you all over the shop. I agree with this. There's a section towards the end of the final zone where you have to be almost literally pixel-perfect to fly under a low platform, but stay above an instant-kill acid pit, then make your way up to rest on a higher ledge. It's a ridiculously demanding section. I love DRILL!!!. It's my favourite of the lot. Really hard to master, but rewarding when you just cruise through. I beat them all in less than two hours, but then I am a truly excellent person
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Post by Juliett. Bravo. Alfa. on Nov 20, 2010 9:36:02 GMT
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Post by Tom J on Nov 20, 2010 10:49:43 GMT
is the Wii a tenner yet? >__>
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Post by Eleonora B.M on Nov 20, 2010 14:13:56 GMT
18£ ?!?!? hey I don't get it! It's a lot cheaper than in Italy! Here we pay the Wii version 50 Euros!!!
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Post by Arch on Nov 20, 2010 19:03:13 GMT
Wii version links to a £24.99 game now. Oh well.
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Post by MentalAnalysis on Nov 20, 2010 21:27:05 GMT
Wii version links to a £24.99 game now. Oh well. that's the price I got mine at in asda First impressions, I thought its pretty good. the plot is simple as its aimed for kids (without the complicated crappy storylines). Gameplay is fun, deaths come cheap but that's like saying a megaman game a crap because its hard. All sonic games had cheap deaths, lets face it. I didnt bother with the DS version because I already played the last two rush games >> in short, I like it
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Post by Arch_one_zero_one on Nov 21, 2010 2:18:57 GMT
The link for the DS Version actually links to the Wii one on another site (zavvi instead of play), where it is £18.
Edit: Well, it did anyway. I know cos I bought it.
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Post by Xavious on Nov 24, 2010 8:20:49 GMT
If I had to sum the Wii version up in a sentence it would be: "Best 3D Sonic game since Sonic Adventure 2 Battle".
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Post by Balls on Nov 24, 2010 9:50:37 GMT
If I had to sum the Wii version up in a sentence it would be: "Best 3D Sonic game since Sonic Adventure 2 Battle". No, it is considerably better than Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. Don't let nostalgia lie to you and convince you otherwise.
And here's why in lazy list form
-While Sonic and Shadow's Sonic Adventure 2 levels were good (Metal Harbour, for instance, is one of my favourite levels of all time), Sonic Colours' levels have considerably more depth and variety, much more refined gameplay, a better camera, better visuals and sound (and I don't mean better graphics- I mean themes and artistic design) and an over-all more polished, finished feel to them. Of course, this point is the only one that can be argued with, as if you personally prefer the gameplay in those levels then I can't say you're wrong.
-Sonic Adventure 2 had a bull[censored] storyline that tries to be epic and for the most part fails, but also harming the playing of the game when you're shoved into the same boring space station and city levels. The only levels that had any sort of variation on these themese were the Knuckles/Rouge levels.
-Sonic Adventure 2's script that was impossible to care about. It wasn't interesting, funny, compelling, emotional, gripping or any other adjectives besides "crap". Sonic Colours is simple, funny and doesn't over-reach into something ridiculous that a Sonic game never should be.
-Script made worse by voice acting so bad that Deem Bristow actually died because of it. Sonic Colours has actual professional voice actors who, regardless of how much people like their actual voices, don't sound like they're reading from a sheet for the first time.
-The most important point is that more than two thirds of Sonic Adventure 2 was unnecessary tripe. For ten or so fairly decent Sonic and Shadow levels, you were also given the bull[censored] Knuckles and Rouge levels, the even more bull[censored] Tails and Robotnik levels, and the Chao stuff that some people liked, more people hated but in general can be taken or left. Sonic Colours if pretty damn consistent. It may be a whole lot shorter, but at least its quality shines throughout, instead of being buried by a truckload of game-breaking issues.
The only things that give any competition to Sonic Colours' levels are HD Sonic Unleashed's daytime levels, but we, again, can't forget the rest of the assinine medal and Werehog bull[censored] Unleased forced us to endure to get to all the content we actually wanted to play.
In conclusion, Sonic Colours is better than every other 3D Sonic game in every single way, as it's almost bull[censored] free by comparison.
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Post by Tom J on Nov 24, 2010 10:41:42 GMT
I liked unleashed werehog play for the most part. Sure it was comparatively plodding and all, but I had fun :/ Apparently it's a gigantic rip-off of god of war? but as I don't have a PS3 and thus have never played it, I can't really get bothered over that.
I agree SA2 is not as great as it might be remembered. Lot of the levels were visually pretty damn bland too.
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Post by Balls on Nov 24, 2010 11:08:14 GMT
Apparently it's a gigantic rip-off of god of war? but as I don't have a PS3 and thus have never played it, I can't really get bothered over that. It's unfairly compared to it. God Of War isn't the only game of its kind, it's just the best by a long mile, so it's the one people will use to say "like God of War but..." in the same way that sandbox games are automatically "like Grand Theft Auto but..."
It's just jarring and had no real place in a Sonic game. Though I suppose the idea of a kid-friendly God of War style game is probably a good idea, as I wouldn't really recommend GoW for a minor.
If the Werehog levels were a bit better and not Sonic and not in a Sonic game I probably wouldn't mind, but you were forced to play them in a game session where you're trying to do something else.
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