PixlBit

Having had the opportunity to play all of this year's Sonic games, it's unquestionable that Sonic Colors on the DS is the best of the whole lot. This may come as a surprise to some, especially when one of the titles released constituted the fourth part of the mainline series. However, the adventure created by Dimps this time around far surpasses the currently competing Sonic titles, as well as their past work on both Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure.

Sonic Colors shares its story with its Wii counterpart and as you might have heard already, it's a bunch of inane nonsense about Eggman building a theme park in outer space, though he clearly has an ulterior motive. Considering the hefty amount of mundane back and forth dialog that litters the game between acts, worlds, missions, and just about everything else, the best part of the story is the ability to skip it with the simple push of a button,

Unlike its brethren, Sonic Colors is broken up in a unique and rather interesting manner. Like all Sonic games, there are a variety of worlds, but rather than just having the standard set of two acts and a boss battle, three missions are now mixed in, providing a few particularly tough challenges. These missions take place within the levels featured in the acts of a given world, and they task players with certain objectives. These include collecting so many of a particular object within a time limit, and racing to the finish line within a very short span of time, which requires players to pick up time extensions along the way.

Though they are frustratingly tough, the missions are quite interesting because they force players to approach each level in a manner that is completely different from their initial play through. Though completion of these missions isn't mandatory, and won't net players anything but personal satisfaction, they are a nice addition that extends the gameplay beyond the main quest.

After having played both Sonic Rush titles and the Sonic Advance games before that, it's unbelievably surprising how well done and different the main quest feels in Sonic Colors. This is not to say that any of Dimps work on the Sonic series preceding this title was bad, but the gameplay here is so much more fluid and varied that it really stands apart from prior offerings.

This is accomplished with some truly great level design. Though present, death pits seem much less common this time around, as Sonic Colors places a much greater emphasis on finding the best path through a level rather than the path that won't kill you. Subsequently, the entire experience flows a lot smoother than it has in a very long time, allowing players to keep on moving at Sonic's lightning speed, which was the main attraction in the first place.

In order to accomplish this goal, Sonic's homing attack and his boost ability play a huge role in finding the best path, and in keeping things running fast and smooth. Obviously, both of these abilities have been present in past Sonic DS titles, so it goes without saying that there is a differentiating factor in this title that sets it apart. This comes in the form of the Wisp powers.

In each world, players unlock a brand new Wisp power that allows Sonic to transform mid-mission. Throughout the level players will absorb different Wisps that provide a much better path through the level. Wisp powers include things like turning into an exploding fireball, a rocket ship, or even a drill. While most levels don't require players to grab Wisp powers in order to complete a level, expert navigation will reveal spots in the hugely expansive levels where players can transform and explore an entirely new segment.

Red gates also exist in obscure sections of the level, with many only accessible by grabbing a single Wisp power or a succession of them. Because the Wisp powers aren't automatic, there is a certain amount of mastery involved with activating them in the right locations, and using them after you've set them into motion. The exploding fireball comes to mind in particular, as does the drill. While either of the two is activated, players will need to continuously hit subsequent Wisps or destroy enemies to keep them going in order to reach some of the best paths.

To further layer the experience, earlier levels will have shadows of Wisps players have yet to encounter, encouraging them to back track in order to score highly. What tends to be frustrating about this aspect is that the game's scoring system is incredibly strict, forcing players to perform unbelievably well to achieve anything higher than a D. Of course, there's no real benefit to scoring higher, but it's all players really have to look forward to, as the quest is extremely short and can be completed in just a few hours of rigorous play.

Wisp powers also make the boss battles that much more interesting as they are typically based around the given gimmick of the particular Wisp power within that world. Though the battles aren't particularly lengthy, lasting only a few minutes each, they feel much longer because they are so frantic and intense. With each being based around a different Wisp power, all of the boss battles felt unique, which really helped in making them interesting each time I encountered a new one. They are a massive departure from the typical levels, making them a great change of pace between the fast-paced left to right running.

Chaos emeralds are present in the game once again, and the special stages are some of the best seen in a Sonic game in a long time. The levels ask players to don their stylus and move Sonic around a tube stage while he runs forward, just like they once did in Sonic 2 years ago. The stages have three legs and in each, players must collect a certain number of specific colored orbs. Though these levels are a blast, they can occasionally be frustrating due to some finicky touch screen control. On more than one instance, Sonic seemed to get stuck in place, not following my stylus movements as I made them. Eventually the game would detect where I was pointing, but often times it would result in missing orbs, or hitting an impediment.

Sonic Colors' biggest problem is the same suffered by any of the past Sonic titles. It's not particularly challenging, and while there is a major focus on finding the best path, most players will simply move from left to right following only the obvious paths along the way. For those who have no interest in replaying the game's various levels, you'll likely feel cheated by the short duration of the main quest.

However, if you are into replay, and you are a fan of the Sonic series, Sonic Colors stands apart as one of the best experiences in the handheld series, and it easily beats out its corresponding Wii release. With the infusion of Wisp powers, players are made privy to one of the deepest Sonic experiences yet.