Corny name aside, Sonic Colors takes everything the series has done right and throws it into one brilliant game.
Story - 8/10
After being defeated too many times, good old Dr. Eggman decides to finally throw in the towel and apologize with a giant interstellar amusement park. Or has he? In reality, the amusement park is a ploy to use the energy of an alien race called the Wisps to create a mind-control device that will allow him to take over the world. As far as Sonic storylines goes, this is probably one of the more enjoyable ones, as it uses this foundation to provide a fun and light story that doesn't try to be serious and captures the feel of what a Sonic game should have for a plot: Eggman trying to take over the world with Sonic trying to stop him, filled with goofy, fun dialogue that puts every other 3D Sonic game's plots to shame. The writing is some of the best in the series, and fans are sure to chuckle with the dialogue provided. Voicework is some of the best here, as well, with Roger Craig Smith providing great personality for Sonic the Hedgehog, and Mike Pollock continuing his more than fitting spot as the Doctor. Tails' voice also sounds more boy-like and less excited thanks to new voice actor Kate Higgins, much like Tails' voice in Sonic Unleashed was. All in all, the plot does what it needs to do: move the game along while not putting too much emphasis on itself, as well providing a short enjoyable break between levels.
Gameplay - 9/10
I'd be lying through my teeth if I said the gameplay in Colors wasn't good, because by and far it beats every other 3D Sonic game out there, and it even has it in it to stand up to some of the other greats in the series. Initially it is a bit tricky to get the controls down, but not difficult as the game just drops you in from the get-go, which is a bit of a double-edge sword, but all in all it's for the best, as the better you get at controlling the flow of the level, the more proud of yourself you'll be since while there are help icons to tell you the controls, you mostly need to figure out just how things work on your own.
You can play the game in all the different available control schemes: the Wii Remote sideways, the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Classic Controller, or the GameCube Controller (which is surprsingly still popular). In all honesty I have not used any other control schemes but the Wii Remote and Nunchuk combo, but the game performs beautifully in this way so if you are okay with the combination, use that to play the game, but the Classic Controller and GameCube Controller will obviously work just as well. The Wii Remote may not have enough buttons and with the D-Pad may not control as well as the other options, so you may want to steer clear of that control scheme if possible.
The levels in the game play out much like the old Sonic games. There's a certain amount of zones (7) and 6 acts to each zone (with the exception of the last zone which has 2). There is also a boss in every zone to defeat, and with the exception of the last zone (I'll try not to go into detail so I don't spoil anything) the boss is at the end of the zone. The first three bosses are all fresh, as well as the 7th and final boss, but bosses 4-6 are all rehashes of the first three, just made tougher, which is unfortunate. Levels are beautiful expanses that are well-designed and never make you feel like the game cheated you out of one of your lives. A pop-up icon will even indicate where there's a dangerous part of a level so if you lose a life, the game did warn you. However trying again for the most part never feels frustrating, and the levels barely put a focus on trial and error. You can definitely beat a level with relative ease if you simply are careful of your surroundings. Colors is platform-heavy, and the player will see this not too far into the game.
Aside from the familiar gameplay pacing, an important note is the new addition to the game: Wisps. These aliens will give Sonic a helping hand in the myriad of levels, each having their own power-up to help Sonic in a different way. The Wisps grant Sonic both new and returning abilities that can really help you get through tricky parts of a level, and these aliens are actually quite a lot of fun to use and break up the otherwise repetitive gameplay and add a fresh spin to it. Whether you're drilling into the earth, destroying everything in your path and growing ever larger and more fearsome, turning into a laser and shooting forward like a speeding bullet, or any of the other things these cute but useful aliens help Sonic do, you'll find yourself often happy to activate that Wisp power-up and take it for a spin. Just like Sonic and his main set of moves, some of these power-ups will take just a little time to learn their full potential. But just like Sonic again, as you become more familiar with the mechanic you'll become a master at using it.
Many features of old games return here, including the boost ability which, while undeniably satisfying to use, is not heavily focused on, and can't just be blindly abused like in Sonic Unleashed or the Rush games. It needs to be used in moderation. Sonic regains his Double Jump ability from the Game Gear titles so long as there's nothing to use the Homing Attack, another long-standing feature of the games, on. Wisps will appear in capsules which, to any Sonic fan, will have you looking at them being reminded of the shield monitors of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Title cards for each zone and act will immediately remind you of a new version of the level cards for Sonic 2. There's many other throwbacks to the old games found here, and they all fit in in ways you may or may not expect them to.
The levels, as stated before, are beautifully crafted and fittingly will provide new challenges to the player as they progress through the game. The acts to each zone are usually quite short, with no stage taking any more than 3-5 minutes or so to complete, and even some levels taking as little as 30 seconds. However with all the levels there are to the game, the shortness of the levels isn't really something to complain about, and another positive to the short levels are the red star rings, which I'll explain later. The levels are decently varied and switch between 2D and 3D without throwing the pacing or control of the game off in the slightest. The 3D segments play like Unleashed's day stages and focus on speed, while the 2D segments focus more on the older games' platform-minded focus. This relationship between speed and platforming is some of the best in the series overall, and easily the best any 3D Sonic game has seen, by and far surpassing the foundation Unleashed patted down.
As stated before, you can collect red rings in the game. These rings are evenly distributed 5 to each act, except the acts of the last zone and all boss levels. Finding these can be a challenge, but it's not mandatory to beat the game, and so it's one of those pieces of gameplay that will extend the game and its value for those interested in it. These rings unlock levels in the "Sonic Simulator", which will initially have 7 available levels as more will be unlocked as you collect more red rings. The Sonic Simulator levels have some segments directly taken from old Sonic games, especially the first Sonic the Hedgehog, which depending on your standpoint you may welcome or call foul to this design decision. Personally, I was ecstatic to see these small parts return without the levels feeling like a total rehash of the old games. These levels are completely optional, and are only needed to be played to unlock Super Sonic (whom can be used in normal gameplay once obtained!), however if you want to get the most out of Colors, definitely play these levels. They're quite enjoyable to say the least.
Graphics - 10/10
Colors has, without a doubt, some of the most gorgeous graphics on the Wii, and Colors can even call out Mario Galaxy in the graphics department. The levels look solid, and areas like Planet Wisp and Starlight Carnival will have your eyes drooling with satisfaction. The game is very pleasing to the eye, and Sonic Team has managed to sculpt a game so beautiful that you'll want to play some parts several times over just to take in the gorgeous visuals. The stages are also varied in design, with the beginning being a straightforward town-like "resort" area, and other stages including a zone filled with sweets and junk food (and even sprinkle-filled missiles!), a lush planet with a bustling construction zone in it (which ranks right up there with Apotos' Windmill Isle from Unleashed among the most visually pleasing and yet also fun levels in 3D Sonic, personally), to a roller coaster area that surrounds an asteroid belt. The developers spared absolutely no expense at making this game a breathtaking visual experience, and you will not be disappointed.
Sound - 9/10
The soundtrack to Colors is varied and satisfying. While some tunes sound like obvious copies of Super Mario Galaxy tracks (perhaps to cash in on its success), they still sound good, and other tunes like Planet Wisp's music and Tropical Resort's music are a perfect fit for the level and feel different to one another and give each stage of the game its own identity. A surprisingly good song is found in Sweet Mountain's jazzy and classical tune. Each stage has a main melodic theme, with each act in the zone providing a remix to that tune, much like Sonic 3 & Knuckles and the Sonic Advance series did. Some of the music is good enough to be memorable, and it's doubtful to find much fault with the soundtrack as a whole. The music is, much like most of the rest of Colors, some of the best the series has had in years.
Sound effects and voicework are both done quite well, and many familiar sound effects return to fill your ears with nostalgic bliss. Eggman will talk over an intercom during parts of levels, and if you listen closely some of what he says is quite funny, and fans of the series will enjoy these little sound-based additions to the game. From the sound of losing rings, to flying through a rainbow ring, to the music being muffled by the sound of your boosting, everything comes together beautifully. The voicework may not be the best in gaming, nor close to it, but as a Sonic game the voicework is some of the series best and you definitely won't find it all that annoying and may even find it enjoyable. Overall sound effects and voicework work well and help hold the game together properly.
Replay Value - 10/10
Fun Value - 9/10
As good as the game is, the core experience is quite short. The main game will most likely clock in about 5-7 hours of gameplay. However, going back to get all 180 red rings, playing through the levels of the Sonic Simulator to unlock Super Sonic, aiming for S ranks, and taking part in Challenge Mode, a straightforward, non-stop runthrough of the game from the first to last level, will all soak up at least that much more time out of you, and it'll be all smiled through to the end of it. The multiplayer is limited to the Sonic Simulator, but it honestly is not something to be too excited about. Due to the speed of Sonic games, keeping up with a faster player is much harder than in, say, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and it will more than likely cause more frustration than enjoyment. The 1.5 player allows for player 2 to pop in and out, but it just doesn't hold a candle to playing the game alone, unfortunately. If you want to play Colors with a friend, best to do it the old fashioned way and just take turns with it.
Overall - 9/10
Overall, despite a few hiccups with getting into the controls and the rehashed boss battles, the only thing Colors could be faulted for is its lack of length. However it is a full game experience if you pursue gameplay past the main game, and so players looking for more than the main game will get more than their money's worth. Sonic Colors takes everything the Sonic series has done right and puts it in one game, and Sonic Team seems to have enjoyed making this, and fans of the series owe it to themselves to pick up this worthy title. It's not just 3D Sonic done right. It's a great Sonic game in general. As I've said before: if this is the future of the Sonic series, the future looks bright.