Sonic Colors: Ultimate (NSP, XCI) ROM + v1.0.9 Update + All DLCs

Sonic Colors: Ultimate is an enhanced remaster of the Wii version of Sonic Colors. It was released on September 7, 2021, both physically and digitally for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One consoles, and as a digital-only release for PC via the Epic Games Store, and Steam in most countries and on September 9 in Japan.

It can also be played on Xbox Series X and Series S and PlayStation 5 via backward compatibility. Players who opted for the Digital Deluxe version of the game instead received the game on September 3, 2021.

Explore six unique and colorful worlds, each filled with dangerous enemies and obstacles to overcome. Use Sonic’s lightning-fast speed to race through each level and rescue the Wisps. With stunning upscaled visuals, new features, a new game mode, and enhanced gameplay.

Sonic Colors Ultimate is the ultimate Sonic experience. Join Sonic on this thrilling journey to free the Wisps and put a stop to Dr. Eggman’s evil plans once and for all. With the help of the Wisps and your skills, Sonic will pass this test with flying colors!

GAMEPLAY

The Jade Wisp, a Wisp that debuted in Team Sonic Racing, is featured as a Color Power that grants the Jade Ghost. This Color Power can be obtained in various places and allows Sonic to go through solid objects to discover alternate paths that were not in the original game. The life system has been entirely removed, meaning that players can start over from where they failed without fearing a game over. Likewise, lives and 1-Ups have been replaced by different features. Tails now can lift Sonic back into the levels. This can be accomplished by obtaining a new type of collectible called Tails Saves that appears in the Acts, and the counter for the number of Tails Saves the player has replaces the life counter.

When using a Tails Save, rather than respawning from the beginning of an Act, starting over from the last Star Post touched, or getting a game over, Tails will come in, pick up Sonic, and fly him to his last known location. The 100 Count Ring returns from the Wii/PlayStation 2 version of Sonic Unleashed, replacing the 1-Up in Acts. In this game, in addition to granting the player one hundred Rings when picked up, it makes Sonic invincible for a short time. The Homing Attack has a new feature, the “sweet spot attack,” where timing the attack just as a green circle overlaps the Homing Attack reticle will award Sonic with Boost energy for the Boost Gauge.

The player can customize Sonic’s appearance and visual effects in the Options Satellite’s Customize menu. This includes Sonic’s gloves, shoes, Boost, and aura. In the case of the Boost, for example, the player can customize which effects will follow Sonic when he uses the Boost. In the case of the aura, the player can give Sonic different colored energy auras.

These are merely cosmetic and do not affect Sonic’s control performance in gameplay. All the customization options can be unlocked with the new Park Tokens. However, the customization items do not affect the in-game cutscenes. The Park Tokens are collectible throughout the Acts. Players can exchange these to unlock items, songs, artwork, and Sonic’s cosmetic customizations. They also function as continues for Challenge Mode and Game Land.

PLOT

Planet Wisp is the beautiful home planet of an alien species known as the Wisps. One day, these little creatures begin to jovially play as usual. However, they are suddenly visited by an airship, from which numerous robots fall towards the surface and begin catching Wisps. As it turns out, the evil Dr. Eggman has set his eyes on the aliens, intent on harvesting their Hyper-go-on to fuel a massive mind control cannon with which he plans to enslave the earth.

Sometime later, Sonic and Tails watch an advertisement on TV where Eggman claims that he has changed his evil ways and that, tomorrow, he will be opening up “Egg Planet Park”, an interstellar amusement park with six planets chained to it as attractions, Planet Wisp included. Suspecting that the doctor might have other intentions, the hedgehog and his friend set out to go to Egg Planet Park and find out what the villain is up to.

Upon arriving at Egg Planet Park, Sonic and Tails discover Eggman’s true intentions and ally themselves with the Wisps to stop him. With the help of a White Wisp named Yacker, the heroes eventually manage to liberate the planets from the doctor’s control.

However, the villain, still not giving up, activates the mind control cannon, but a piece of wreckage causes it to malfunction and create a Hyper-go-on void that begins destroying all of Egg Planet Park. Fortunately, though, the Wisps manage to neutralize this void and take Sonic and Tails to safety on Earth. The duo then says goodbye to Yacker as he goes back home with his fellow brethren. Meanwhile, Eggman is left stranded in space.

GAMEPLAY FEATURES

• The sound effect for collecting a Park Token or a Tails Save is recycled from the old 1-Up sound.
• Getting an A or S-Rank in an Act will now reward Park Tokens instead of 1-Ups.
• Attacking the score during the results screen grants a Tails Save instead of a 1-Up.
• The game introduces a new mode called “Rival Rush”, which are challenge where Sonic can race against Metal Sonic, who did not appear in the original game, and win rewards for beating him. Races are unlocked by collecting fifteen Red Star Rings in an Area, and Metal Sonic will race in one specific Act per Area.
• The Super Sonic menu in the Options Satellite now has a list of criteria for using Super Sonic.
• There is now an “Extras” section in the Option Satellite that includes music and cutscenes. The latter are now named rather than simply numbered, although they cannot be viewed in full screen.
• The World Map now displays what percentage of the game has been completed.
• Several Red Star Rings have been placed in new positions from the original game.
• Apart from the Jade Wisp, several Acts feature Wisps that were not in the original game’s Acts: Starlight Carnival Act 3 now has the Green Wisp and Jade Wisp, rather than none at all, Planet Wisp Act 2 now has the Pink Wisp in addition to the Purple Wisp.
• Miis are no longer playable in Game Land despite the presence of Miis on the Nintendo Switch. The swappable colors for the Virtual Hedgehogs take the Miis’ place and can be selected by simply pressing left and right, rather than having to press a specific button for each color.
• When becoming the Yellow Drill while underwater, it uses the Yellow Drill (Submarine) music from Sonic Lost World.