Sonic 06 is better than Colors (Part 5.9)

We've covered each soundtrack, now let's compare.

Review

• The music in Colors is cool. Like the game it keeps positive but in a less cheesy way. The opening them isn't very good but the closing is better.
• The music in 06 is shockingly good. Even haters gotta' admit it. The themes of the characters are fit well, and it has a touching closing.    

AAAAAND 06 DOES IT AGAIN, CRUSHING COLORS TO GLITCHY PIECES AND THROWING THE GAME OUT OF THE MAP! RAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Seriously, Colors just can't compete. 06 was an anniversary game, and a lot of effort was put into it. In the case of music, it was wildly successful. "His World," "All Hail Shadow," and "Dreams of Absolution" still show up in later games. While it's easy for people to hate this game, it's hard for anybody to hate the music.

Meanwhile Color's was lackluster. It was good, but it doesn't stand out. 90% of Sonic games have good music. To be the best, it has to BREAK THE MOLD. But within the entire game, none of the music really stands out (except for Sweet Mountain, curse you Sonic Generations and your unlockable-stick-in-whatever-level-you-want music! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!). It all sort of blends together.

So in the end, Sonic 06 had memorable tunes that matched it's levels and characters, while Colors had at it's best an "okay sounding" OST.

Winner!
06: 5
Co: 0

Join us next time for even MORE reasons Sonic 06 is better than Colors. 

Sonic 06 is Better than Colors (Part 5.6)

Continued from last time, we're now diving into the music of...

SONIC 06

Unlike most topics with Sonic Colors, I praised most of the music. But 06 still outdoes Colors.

Like before, the level's are remarkably in tone. With Colors, you could pick out a tropical tone and sort of guess the setting off of that, but you don't need to even see Crisis City to know the characters are in a desperate situation.

Somehow the tracks not only fit into the location, but to the emotions of them. Aquatic Base has a mysterious mood but keeps a rushed tone below it. Kingdom Valley is elegant but there's a touch of exploration too it.   

Some Tracks
Crisis City (All)
Aquatic Base (Level 1)
Flame Core (Volcano)
White Acropolis (Snowy Peak)

And the variety of music is amazing. The fight with Mephiles, for example, is creepy and panicked while the second "phase" simply gets more intense. 

And it just gets better with the vocals.

The main theme is "His World," which is good, but I like the other versions (Crush 40 and Zebrahead) better. Supposedly there was supposed to be a version with both Zebrahead and Crush 40, but like a lot of 06, that didn't happen.

The theme is an epic combination of Sonic's spiky attitude and the sophisticated setting.

"All Hail Shadow" is actually a Crush 40 cover of Magna-Fi, who made the song for the Hero endings of Shadow the Hedgehog. It's so impressive that it is considered Shadow's theme to this day, resurfacing in games like Sonic and the Black Knight, Sonic Generations, and Sonic Forces.

Silver's theme, "Dreams of Absolution," remains hopeful to the future and fits Silver perfect (it was his debut game, so this was important).

The end credits of Sonic's story is a homage to Sonic 2, "Sweet Dreams." I think it'd sound better with out Akon mixed in, but the song is still sweet. It also fits the Sonic-Elise relationship (which was not weird yet--she doesn't kiss him until Last Story). Unfortunately most took this to an extreme and dislike it for the Sonic-Elise factor. But the original song was made back in the 90s!  


The final closing song is Elise's theme, "My Destiny," which is both sad and sweet. It show's Elise's point of view in the end and gives the game final closure. It also turns up subliminally in the game, like with the Accordion Player and in the menu, which was pretty clever.

06 has a lot more themes than Colors, but did that help or hurt it? [...gee I wonder...] Find out in the next part!

Sonic 06 is Better than Colors (Part 5.3)

Part 5.3--The Music

All Sonic games are praised for their music. There's something for everyone, whether it's an edgy theme song or a soft background beat.

COLORS

Let's start of with Colors for once. The level music is intone with their respective levels, and each have a flavor fresh to the game: unique.

Some Tracks
Tropical Resort (Act 1)
Sweet Mountain (Act 2) 
Asteroid Coaster (1)

Everything seems to have a light and airy tone at the center of it, looping everything back to it's setting. An interstellar amusement park. It's good. A little annoying if you die often (repeating the start), but the music it's self is pretty good.

Some of the tracks are similar to Unleashed or Rush (in a good way not a copy-way).

Even Planet Wisp, which I HATE, has some pretty good music (later ruined by over-play in Sonic Generations *cringe*).

Now here's where Sonic Colors goes...weak.

Reach For the Stars

The best I can call it is okay. It starts with a overly happy tone that never leaves. Fine. Then the singing is...I don't know, fake sounding. That's not an insult at the genre. There certainly have been plenty of good songs with a more "modern" sound to them. But the singer is...unenthusiastic?

And those lyrics--"The colors feel so right"--WTF?

The best part is the ending (no, really) because of it's soft outing.

To me, it seems like a crappy, half-asXed attempt at copying "Endless Possibilities" (once again encroaching on the success of Sonic Unleashed).

Colors got away from the typical style, too. Traditionally modern games featured a theme by Crush 40 (the exception being Unleahsed, handhelds, and spin-offs). Colors? Nada.

I found that the Song is actually by Cash Cash; they would go on to do good work in Generations and they helped bring us a good Sonic CD cover, but this song still sucks.

This isn't official, but I blame Colors for the lame themes we'd have until "Fist Bump." And for the Crush 40 gap of 10 years (I know, they did covers and "Sonic Youth"). 

Compared to past Sonic music, it sucks.

And here is Color's ending theme, Speak with Your Heart (I think--it's been so long since I beat the game and all I remember is Sonic jumping around the credits).

It's better, the lyrics actually make sense and it's a cute good bye to Yacker. Too bad I hate Yacker. CHIP WAS BETTER YOU SPxRMY LITTLE ALIEN!!!

The song's catchy, but it's super robotic. I guess one could argue it's Yacker through the translator or something (even though Tails' was pretty much talking for Yacker most of the game). I just think it would have sounded better a bit less robotic.
EDIT: So much auto-tune ;)

So it's nice but I do prefer THIS.

...Kay, this is getting kind of long, so I'm splitting Part 5 Up. 

Quote of the Month

"Data...has been copied..."
--Metal Sonic, Sonic Heroes

More GlitchOut

Gliiiiiitch? Waaaxajevjerfjt gliiiiii78itch?

Sonic Generations--
Stuck Super Sonic. 

Useful-ness: 

• None. 
• Personal amusement.

Instruction:

1. Activate Super Sonic in Modern Chemical Plant before the spot with the small box that blocks the way. 
2. Congrats he is stuck. 

Notes:

• The small box can usually be (pushed?) or boost-ed out of the way. But as Super Sonic it stays in place. 
• The player must then either wait for 0 rings, start over, or quit. 

GlitchOut Continues

I'm Back. 

Sonic 06--

Keep Playing as Blaze in Crisis City. 

Useful-ness: 

• Finish level quicker (Blaze is faster than Silver).
• Continue to utilize Blaze's moves (mainly her jump move). 
• Spice up gameplay.  
• Finish level with a better character (sorry Silver fans ha).

Instruction:

1. Stock up on extra lives in case of failure. 
2. Continue until 3rd part of level where normally Blaze would switch back to Silver. 
3. Walk to the right carefully avoiding Silver. 
4. Jump forward (off building). 
5. Quickly use the Double Jump part to jump on the platform to the left. 
1. Be sure not to jump too close (to avoid Silver). 
2. Be careful not to "hit a wall" (Blaze will start spinning around and fall to her death). Try to avoid the "invisible wall."
3. Don't drop too far or the double jump will be of no help and Blaze will die. 
6. This may take practice. If switched to Silver, either select "restart," or jump off and die to start over.
1. If you get down to 0 lives you may want to just finish with Silver regardless and try again some other time.  
7.  Once on platform, continue avoiding Silver and jump to the next platform. 
8. Continue in level as Blaze, jumping instead of using telekinesis to hover. 

Notes:

• I'm 70% sure this does not work in hard mode. I've tried multiple times and it's never worked.
• Using Blaze can significantly lower the time taken in the 3rd portion. Shortcuts and fast feet. 
• Blaze will do her victory pose sideways. It doesn't really affect anything but is odd.   

UPDATE:It is possible to finish with Blaze in hard mode, but it seems more difficult than in normal mode. I've done it countless times int the main level and only twice in Hard Mode. Advice? Be careful.