I know I just said "Metroid" marathon, but you should know at this point that I like to take some pit stops. Plus, with it being the last few months of 2021, some bigger and more exciting game releases are going to take up some time. That even includes some re-releases, one of which was "Sonic Colors: Ultimate." The original "Sonic Colors," released for the Wii in 2010, has been considered one of the better 3D "Sonic" titles and by far one of the best modern "Sonic" titles (well, reasonably, given that the "Sonic" fandom can never agree which games are good and which ones aren't), but it was also one I rarely got to play during its original release. With its new remaster for modern consoles, I was excited to finally experience it myself, and also see if it's still just as fun now. And I can certainly say that it definitely still is!
"Sonic Colors: Ultimate" is a great reminder of why "Sonic Colors" has been one of the best 3D "Sonic" games to date. The game does a great job introducing the "boost" gameplay that would be present in later games and said boost gameplay still feels dizzyingly fun. The controls are very smooth (which is honestly a bit of a rarity in 3D "Sonic" games), and the platforming gameplay feels solid, being challenging without being overly difficult. The Wisp powerups also add an extra layer to the platforming, and the game manages to be easy and accessible for newcomers, while still providing enough of a challenge for older players. The visual design is absolutely stunning and, befitting to the game's title, bursting with color, and the HD facelift really brings out those colorful graphics. The story and characters are charming and offbeat, I think the goofier direction is very nice, and the game itself has tons of replay value with its numerous collectibles. Also, the "Ultimate" edition being 60 FPS is a blessing: it helps the game to feel even more smooth and more fun than its original release.
I will admit that the game did have some flaws, and they weren't related to bugs; while there was some controversy over the game being released in a buggy state, I didn't have any bugs to report. I did have a few more issues with the game, though: for starters, I think the boss fights can get very repetitive, and are one of the only things that bring down the overall smooth gameplay. Also, there are some issues specifically with the "Ultimate" version of the game: on one hand, the new features don't amount to much, but more disappointingly, the cutscenes are ripped straight from the previous version. It's just kinda sad, and it would've been nice if they got a visual upgrade of some kind with this new re-release.
Overall, "Sonic Colors: Ultimate" is a strong port of one of Sonic's finest recent adventures, and another reminder of what this series is capable of in its best moments. Even though several 3D "Sonic" games since this one would continue the "boost" gameplay, that standardization of the gameplay style hasn't caused this game to lose its sheen. It's still extremely fun, and a title absolutely worth playing. If you own the original Wii version, you wouldn't be wrong to skip this one since it doesn't offer too many new features, but if you haven't gotten to play the game yet, definitely give it a shot.
Final rating: 8 out of 10 "Great"