Sonic 06 is Better than Colors (Part 7)

I've started a series of blog posts to prove my point: that the most hated game--Sonic 06--is better that one of the most over-praised Sonic titles ever released--Sonic Colors.

Last time we touched on this issue a bit (with the characters of the game) but we'll be going beyond that for...

Part 7: The Conflict: bosses, villains, risks, threats...

First, let's divide this up a bit. 

1. Bosses
2. Main Villains
3. Risks to the World (universe, future, etc)
4. Threats to the Characters

Bosses

So Color's had better robot designs, honestly. Somewhat annoying, the Eggpawns were memorable. The...things in 06 were more serious but ended up rather lame and annoying themselves. But what really counts is the actual boss fights. 

06 had a couple rival battles, which are always fun. Silver's "it's no use" is infamous for it's flaws, but that fight is actually very easy. Most Sonic-fights are after a pattern is discovered--that's standard.

Iblis parts 1 and 3 were intresting. Part 2 was kind of time consuming and disappointing (it has to be done as Sonic and Shadow), but not bad. Mephiles had awesome fights, though with Omega it slows down a bit. Eggman's could be challenging, or a breeze. In all though, they were all exciting to play out. The setting, dynamic designs, and variety per character made me want to shoot for an S-rank. 

Although Colors had a variety as well, they were all the same in the end: frustrating robots. They weren't any fun, and it was hard to remember which wisp-gimmick to use to help. They aren't memorable, and are very lame when compared to bosses in other games. Really only the last battle with Eggman is worth playing.    

Main Villains

Yes, Eggman in Colors was probably better than his creepy 06 version, but what about Orbot and Cubot? They sucked and were an insult to any long-time Scratch&Grounder fan.

Iblis is neat in concept but he's not nearly as cool as Chaos. Solaris is confusing and a waste. But 06 also supplied us with one of the best villains in Sonic history--Mephiles. And I'd argue that his appearance outweighs Eggman's in Colors (which is alright but hard to take serious). 

Mephiles is skin-crawling creepy, especially for a Sonic game. He's the cause of most of the conflict in the game, and only "craves destruction." He fools Silver, taunts Shadow, and kills Sonic. Back up, did I just write that? It's still hard to accept that's what happened. I don't really consider it since they revive Sonic with the magic powers of chaos energy and  looooove, but still. Eggman's always trying to do what Mephiles did in 5 seconds! 

Many find Mephiles' motives confusing. Why not unite with Iblis right-way (since he can time-travel)? Why send Silver to kill Sonic when he could do so himself? So on. But it's clear that he enjoys the suffering of others, and most fan-explanations end the same: Mephiles did what he wanted to.

Continuity thoughts aside, Mephiles' plays his main role well. He manipulates Silver and Blaze and torments Team Dark with knowledge of the future all while keeping in control. 

So Colors vs 06? Colors is creamed. How can anyone take Eggman seriously with those two dumb-bots (or that dumb plot)?

Risks to the World (universe, future, etc)

In Colors, an entire race of beings were at stake. Unfortunately, I hate wisps. They were annoying and did nothing to make me like them. ScrXw Yacker, why should I care? 

06 starts out with concepts that continue to grow. Soleanna is at stake. The future is at stake. TIME-SPACE is at stake. So maybe Generations would have a chance, but no, not Colors.  

The past/present'future>crappy aliens 

Threats to Characters

So in each game there was a physical threat to the characters involved, but that's standard. Sonic 06 gave more purpose to those involved through personal conflicts.  

In 06, Silver had his moral questions--was killing someone to save the world the right thing to? Likewise there was more to Shadow's story. Mephiles tried to convince Shadow to turn against humanity, then caused tension for the team when he revealed not only Shadow's fate but a bit of Omega's. For Sonic's episode, conflict was mainly for Elise, who tried to balance her feeeeelings for Sonic (and a life of adventure) with her duty (and life in Soleanna). 

Colors' kept the conflict straight forward which also dumbed it down. In contrast, 06 had layers for the different characters and storylines, making the threats all the more serious.  

Conclusion

So overall the "conflict" in Colors is not serious. It does nothing to make one feel for the characters or conflicts involved. 06 was far from perfect, but it had a villain that was powerful and manipulative, it had high stakes, memorable bosses, and it added to the story instead of diluting it.  

SA2 Review

Sonic Adventure 2

A review of SA2. The game's rank will be determined at the end. 

Summary: 

Sonic Adventure 2 is a great game. It's has different gameplay-like levels, it's filled with a clever hero/dark theme, and it introduces us to characters Shadow and Rouge (as well as Maria, Gerald, etc). 

Gameplay: 

• The Sonic and Shadow levels are really fun, nice and fast.
• Light-dash has is much better than in Sonic Adventure.  
• One annoying little part is somersaulting (with the level-up needed to break containers) instead of spinning or light-dashing. Can cause an unwanted slow-down.  
• Knuckles and Rouge levels can be fun, and it's nice to be able to explore a bit, but they can get too long or tedious. Maybe if there were less emeralds to find or the hints weren't limited. 
• Attacks are pretty good. 
• The Eggman and Tails levels are horrendous. They are loud, annoying, slow, and frustrating. 
• Gamma wasn't like this! If this is the best Sega can do, just give them a gun. Please. 
• It's hover and jumping capabilities SUCK.  
• Then we get Tails/Eggman complaining all the time "My POWER! MY POWER'S FAILING!" Shut up!
• Wish their were less of these levels. Eggman in particular seems to have a lot. 
• The only time it's not a nuisance is in the battles against each other. 
• Canon's Core:
• I hated it the first time. Seemed hard as heck. Later I realized it's not so bad, but can still get on my nerves. 
• Like how every character comes together...oh wait, WHERE IS SHADOW?
• He gets a boss fight? Oh whoopee. 
• Eggman and Tails, damn it, Eggman and Tails.
• Boss Fights
• All the "rival" fights are fun.
• However, the other battles can be boring/take along time.  
• The Golem thing was annoying as heck. Eggman's version was terrible. Do-able, but terrible.  
• Biolizard is fine, but that awkward break in the ground that sweeps you into yellow-water, though...yeek. 
• Super Fight
• Fun, awesome. Switching isn't exactly made clear, but overall it's pretty easy to get past. It's challenging enough to be fun. 
• Chao Garden. 
• Cute, adorable. Unnecessary? Maybe. But I love it. 
• Gotta' love the Hero/Dark theme added. 
• Races...snooze. Kinda difficult, but if you focus on one chao (instead of the millions you may have bought/breeded), they'll really build their stats.   
• Better controls than in SA. No accidentally smashing your chao with Amy's hammer. 
• Missions
• Missions can be hard, and usually need the mystic melody at some point. I think there's too much in general/too much expected of the player. Those Route ones are awful. Oh yeah...
• Tails/Rouge in a car chase. 
• It sucks. 
• It could have been...but...no, it sucks. 

Characters: 

• Team Hero; Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. 
• Good old Team Hero, always good to see the gang together. 
• Sonic: Attitude-y, just seems like he's along for the ride. Thumbs up.
• Tails: Eh, Tails is just kind of there. He tries to helps, but...eh. 
• Knuckles: MY MASTER EMERALD. Enough said.   
• Team Dark; Eggman, Shadow, Rouge.
•  Eggman: it's the first game to show us (sort of) "behind the scenes with Eggman," but it's really not too interesting. World conquest? Whoo.
• Shadow: why play team dark? This guy, right 'ere. He may "look like Sonic," and he may have the speed to match, but he's not here to play games. He's after revenge...and has a bit of a morality conflict to figure out.  
• Rouge: why play team dark a second time? This girl, right 'ere. Rouge is often over looked, but come on. She's a treasure hunter/thief/spy. 
• And she's after Knux's jewels, lol.       
• Other characters.   
• Amy: Amy may not have her own story, and I kind missed playing as her (with her giant hammer), but she still has a pretty big impact. 
• Freed Sonic from jail (--how she do that).
• Talked to Shadow and made him realize his real promise. 
• And also hugged Shadow thinking he was Sonic--staring one of the series best running-gags and basically creating a bunch of Shadow-Amy fans (what is that one...Shadamy?)
• Maria
• Maria is kind and it's nice to see Shadow in a friendship with someone. Makes good contrast. 
• She also keeps the player hooked on "what happened 50 years ago." 
• Gerald
• Gerald is cold, creepy. It's easy to see his shift from "hero to villain" within his diary. 
• Mr. President & his secretary. 
• Pretty useless and unnecessary. Meh.  

Plot/cutscenes:

• General: 
• This was Dreamcast era, so it doesn't look very good visually.
• In these days the cutscenes were designed for Japan and dubbed over, so there are plenty of lines that overlap ("You're not even good enough--I'll make you eat those words--[same time] to be my fake!"). Not cool.
• The variety in character movements is pretty good (hand symbols, winking, etc).  
• Hero:
• This is more interesting the first time you play it. 
• Thanks, stupid humans. Thinking Shadow is Sonic--idiots. 
• Dark: 
• More interesting, awesome. Slows a bit with Eggman's stuff, though (no wonder he was cut from Team Dark). 
• What happened on Space Colony Ark, and how is that affecting today? 
• Last: 
• An ending that brings all the characters together, gets them to work together, and answers the big questions. 
• Really makes one think: What revenge will cause someone to do; how different the biolizard was from Shadow, and why; the impact of a promise...
• Yeah. Very, very good. 

Music:

• Music's awesome. Live and Learn, It Doesn't Matter, Throw It All Away. Awesome. 
• Tails and Rouge have the weaker themes. 
• Eggman's is amusing.
• Knuckles' stuff is infamous. Not a huge fan, but it's TOUGHER THAN LEATHER. 
• The levels match the characters as well as the location. 
• Though the names...Ghost Pumpkin's soap? Where does that even come from?   

Graphics/Design: 

• Graphics have not aged too well, but it's not super bothersome. It's a talking blue hedgehog it doesn't need to be super realistic. 
• Levels have some interesting layouts and looks. City Escape, Radical Highway, and some around the Space Colony are awesome.
• I like the similarities between rival-levels and close-locations.  
• The level select is pretty straightforward.
• They added soap shoes. Cool.   
• New character designs:
• Shadow looks cool, edgy. 
• Rouge looks...uh, she's a cartoon bat, so what's with the huge boobs? 
• Oh well, now it's trademark Rouge. 
• Maria looks like Alice in Wonderland a bit. Highlights her innocent and young traits. 
• Gerald looks like a gray version of his grandson. No surprise there. Kinda' skinnier though. 
• All the other humans are pretty creepy looking. What's with overhauls girl anyway? 

Final Thoughts: 

• I know some people think Shadow should have remained dead here. While I agree that it takes away from the game, Shadow has become a big part of the series. He usually adds a more mature touch to the story, and I think he's one of the more dynamic of the cast (meaning he's changes over time). 
• And compared to Sonic, for example, Shadow didn't get as many levels. Seems fair for fans to demand to bring him back. 
• The Tails/Eggman levels are often forgotten. They were 1/3 this game, and they sucked. This is the main reason this game is not perfect.    
• Also, TERRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAA. 

Game Ranking (E is lowest, S is highest): A

It has it's flaws but it's still one of the best games in Sonic history. 

Quote of the Month

"Aw yeah, baby! This makes us a team!"
--Rouge the Bat, Sonic Heroes

Quote of the Month

"You know what they say--the more the merrier!"

--Dr. Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog

Sonic 06 is Better than Colors (Part 6)

I've started a series of blog posts to prove my point: that the most hated game--Sonic 06--is better that one of the most over-praised Sonic titles ever released--Sonic Colors.

In this part we're hitting Colors in one of it's weakest points.

The Characters

So one of the reasons Colors lacks much of Sonic's cast is because "fans" wanted a story focusing more on Sonic. When I say fans I mean ***holes.

There are games, like Sonic and the Secret Rings, that focus more on Sonic, but even then versions of Tails and Knuckles appeared. Sonic Unleashed was the first game in years to exclude both Knuckles and Shadow. In that case, both characters originally were planned for the story ("Sonic Adventure 3" at the time), but with the Werehog transformation, the story was shifted to focus on Sonic (and Chip). This worked for Unleashed, but did "we" (we meaning real fans) want that every game? No.

Regardless, Colors featured Sonic, Tails, and barley anyone else. Why? Did so they could focus on a strong bond between Sonic, Tails, and Yacker? Because the story was crap. CRAP. So if that was their idea, their idea sucked.

So lets sort out the characters and see how they do (Colors).

Sonic--Colors Sonic is a jerk. He tries to be funny, ends up being awkward. Even ignoring his disgraceful voice acting, every word written for the character seems to be some kind of joke. Yeah, Sonic's a smart-alec, but it's never been taken to this extreme. And all that stretching. Ugh.
Score: E

Tails--Tails acts smart, gives techno-babble. That's who he is. He does nothing to really stand out from any other games and is mostly just a plot device. However if the game does one thing right, it's his relationship with Sonic. Not the "older bro" feeling from Sonic, but definitely the "kid brother" from Tails.
Score: B

Eggman--Eggman is on point, and acts like his usual "take over everything" self. His personality is well balanced between "funny" and "evil" though the situations typically tilt to the "funny" side. However, as announcer ("Next Stop...Let's mention Ulala" ;>), he can get annoying, and with the plot it's not easy to take him serious.
Score: A

Yacker--Bad jokes (intentional or not), does nothing to make me like him. And he looks like spXrm.
Score: E

Orbot--Why did they change Ergo? I liked Egro better. Ergo was funny, Orbot (and Cubot) make me cringe.
Score: D

Cubot--Why????????????? I appreciate the homage to past cartoons by having the "two-villain side kick," but the voice/accent thing was just stupid. And Scratch and Grounder? SUPERIOR.
Score: D

it's Breezie all over again.

So in the DS version, which I'm not really going off of, but...they gave a small role to everyone else. Now it wasn't great--all they did was give Sonic worthless missions--but it was a nice addition. It also tried to give a bit of a twist in the form of "Mother Wisp," but honestly it's name and appearance are funnier than any humor in the game.

Meanwhile Sonic 06 had a large cast--not quite as much as Sonic Heroes, but 3 in a main role and 6 in supporting. So at least 9 playable characters, already giving the game more variety than Colors' ("Just Keep Boosting"). It also features some main-06 exclusive characters, including villains.

Unfortunately the game didn't work out for everyone, but at least the creators put some effort to grow the cast instead of assuming everyone would be pleased with just Sonic.

Sonic--Sonic really acts like himself twice in this game: in the first cutscene, and in the final fight. Well, maybe I'll give him the smile thing. That was kind of nice. But unfortunately Sonic acts kind of "neutral" since his plot centered around Elise, and his feelings were up to the player (hmm...or so we thought, huh?). Despite this he still pulls together his attitude when the time is right.
Score: B

Tails--Tails is very annoying and his role is pretty pointless. He has one or two cute moments but mostly wastes time.
Score: E

Knuckles--Knuckles is the tough guy, and the way he acts is fine. The down part here is that his role is so small. I mean, this is team hero. Come on.
Score: B

Shadow--Shadow's pretty spot on. What's really highlighted is his change since we last saw him. He knows who he is, he put the past behind him, and he won't let other people control him anymore.
Score: S

Rouge--Rouge is there for Shadow, both in gameplay and in cutscenes. Her attacks can be kind of annoying but that's getting into gameplay...yeah overall Rouge acted like herself.
Score: A

Omega--most of the problems I have with Omega in this game come from his attacks and voice work. In the story, though, there's a fairly interesting plot that he is included in, so points for not just being thrown into the game (just to be there).
Score: B

Silver--ah, Silver. On one hand, he's this cute kid from the future who's just trying to make things right. On the other he's an obnoxious slow-mo. For the most part Silver brings a fresh story and a unique personality to the Story, though.
Score: B

Blaze--Blaze is here with no explanation. Sol Emerald? Nope! She's just there. And "sure, Silver, go kill one of my few friends in the world." Ack! So there's points off for that, but she plays her part just as she would have in Rush. Reserved, a little judging, but doing whatever it takes to save the world.
Score: B

Amy--Amy's delightful in the cutscenes but a waste in play. Turing invisible? WTF? A she just kind of disappears from the plot, too, for both Sonic and Silver (until the end of the game). And she has no problem with Elise? Such a waste.
Score: C

Elise--Elise is a mildly interesting character. Strip away what happens in last story (the...kiss) and the damsel-in-distress plot, and she's actually interesting. The princess of this huge place, Soleanna, who lost her parents long ago, who keeps a fire monster inside of her. Who has fantasies about the apocalypse and isn't allowed to cry. BUT. Then there's getting captured every 5 seconds, and the...kisssssssss. Eck.
Score: C 

Eggman--He's a bit more to the "evil" side. He's got a plan...he's pretty much his usual self. BUT his appearance...AHHHHHHHHHHH.
Score: B

Iblis--He's a giant, lame monster. Lamer than Chaos.
Score: D

Mephiles--A creepy, calculating villain. Always one step ahead, always with a trick up his sleeve. Er...glove? But then he's a re-skin of Shadow for 1/2 the game and he has some continuity errors he never resolves. Still one of the best villains in Sonic history.
Score: A

Solaris--A gaint, lame, confusing monster. I don't understand, ARE YOU EVIL OR NOT? WTF IS THE "TRUE SOLARIS" UUUGH.
Score: C

So 06 had some more, smaller characters but those are the important ones. So from the rankings, Colors has a few good scores, but mostly bad or REALLY BAD. 06 had mostly average characters with a few outstanding ones. So ignoring the amount, the better portrayals/new additions go to those in 06.

And then there is the amount. Some people think that it should be Sonic, maybe Tails, and that's it. To be honest, there was a time when I had similar thinking. But that was because I did not know the characters (like I do now). And it seems the gameplay is a lot more fun--and the plot a lot richer--with more characters. Sonic himself raved about the "Super Power of Teamwork!"

I'm not saying a solo-Sonic game is terrible (because...Sonic 1). But now that Sega has built up these characters, it makes much more sense to use them than to forget they exist.

What really annoys me about Colors' lack in characters is that the ones they did have (Sonic, Tails, etc) did not make up for it. Unleashed confiscated, but Colors fell flat. 

Meanwhile 06 gave over 10 characters a chance to be introduced to new players. They didn't do it perfect, but like most notable Sonic games, they brought in the new and the old for an adventure together.

All Colors gave us was a bunch of emotionless Wisps. Man, I miss the Black Arms.

Wait...

ARCHIE WHAT THE F-----FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

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!