Sonic Colors: Ultimate is speeding its way to PC and modern consoles next month, meaning fans will be able to experience the game in a whole new light with 4K resolution and HD graphics galore. In the buildup to Ultimate’s launch, I recently got a chance to speak with Sega of America producer Aaron Roseman about the first modern Sonic remaster in over a decade.
“Sonic Colors was an exclusive developed specifically for the Wii, and it’s been locked to the platform since 2010,” Roseman tells me. “Because this is such a loved game, we wanted to make it available to all players on PC and consoles.” Roseman adds that even though fans put Sonic Colors on a very high pedestal, the game was made exclusively for the Wii — and by extension, the Nintendo DS — which meant neither PS3 or Xbox 360 owners could experience the game. “The original title is a highly regarded game that was only available on one console,” he explains “Although it had a large install base, the Wii limited the number of players that were able to experience this game when it was first released.”
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While the remastered Sonic Adventure games had minimal to no changes in terms of graphics and extra power-ups, Roseman says that Sega has made a multitude of changes to Sonic Colors. From remixing the songs to adding an all-new Wisp, this is a remaster intended to live up to its namesake while also modernizing the core experience of the game.
“When approaching the remaster of Sonic Colours, we wanted to maintain the core experience of the game while ensuring that the game felt ‘Ultimate,’” Roseman says. “We’ve added new customization features for Sonic, introduced a new Wisp (Jade Ghost), implemented a game mode (Rival Rush), remixed all the level music tracks, and made various quality-of-life improvements throughout the game. We hope that new and old fans alike find something that they enjoy with Sonic Colours: Ultimate.”
Another feature that old and new Sonic fans may enjoy is the Tails Save mechanic. Roseman explains that Tails Save was added to make the game less frustrating for players who fall off a platform and into the bottomless pit of space only to get a “Game Over” message. That got me thinking – does the Tails Save feature render the traditional Sonic life count system obsolete?
“In a way, yes,” Roseman says. “We felt the loop of losing lives, going to a game over screen, then being sent back to the title screen took the player out of game experience for too long. The Tails Save system was introduced to make falling into a pit less punishing on the player. When the player falls with a Tails Save, Tails will pick Sonic up and return him to his last safe location without losing any rings. Additionally, the number of Tails saves are limited so once a player runs out, if they still fall into a bottomless pit, they will be sent back to the last checkpoint, never a game over screen.”
That’s not the only thing that’s changing with Sonic Colors: Ultimate. When discussing the difference between the Wisps and the Chaos Emeralds in terms of their use as a plot device, I brought up the possibility of Wisps becoming the new Chaos Emeralds given that they contain an equal amount of power, especially when you consider their use in later games like Lost World and Forces. For Roseman, however, Chaos Emeralds still pack a heavier punch than Wisps.
“Wisps are different from the Chaos Emeralds since they are allies of Sonic,” he tells me. “While they are similar in granting Sonic new and powerful abilities in the short term, the Chaos Emeralds contain a greater power. They’re what allow Sonic to transform into Super Sonic.”
Roseman says that of all the elements in Sonic Colors: Ultimate that interest, the soundtrack is the crown jewel of the game — as is the case with most Sonic games — especially with the series’ legendary guitarist Jun Senoue thrown into the (re)mix. “In my opinion, the remixed music tracks are one of the most interesting and endearing elements of Sonic Colours: Ultimate," he explains. "We were thrilled to work with iconic musicians and composers like Jun Senoue and Tomoya Ohtani for this title. They did a fantastic job remixing the original tracks."
Since Sonic Colors is receiving the remastered treatment, it's safe for everyone to assume that there might be more remasters of modern Sonic games on the way. Whether that is the case or not, Roseman is keeping a tight lid on that cookie jar. "I have nothing to share right now," he tells me. "But the fans have a lot to look forward to with the upcoming Sonic Team title in 2022 and Sonic Origins."
Sonic Colors: Ultimate launches September 7 for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and the Nintendo Switch.
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