| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that Sonic Colors is the latest in a very long line of Sonic the Hedgehog games. It's a cartoony action tale that features violence only against robots. The plot does involve a villain kidnapping cute innocent aliens, however. As is typical of Sonic games, the action moves incredibly fast as Sonic zips along, and it can actually be disorienting for some players.
The evil Dr. Eggman seems to have changed his ways in SONIC COLORS. He's built an intergalactic amusement park to provide fun for the whole galaxy. Sonic the Hedgehog is suspicious, though, and when he visits, he discovers that the park is just a trap to help Eggman take cute little aliens captive. As Sonic races around and saves the aliens, called Wisps, they each provide him with a special power. Depending on the color of the wisp, it may give him an extra speed boost, let him fly, help him stick to walls, or even become indestructible for a brief time.
Sonic Colors feels like one of the better entries in this long-running game series. Sure, those not used to Sonic games can get disoriented by the insane speed at which it plays (heck, even Sonic veterans can be), but that ridiculous pace has always been part of Sonic's appeal. This new game caters to both old-school and new-gen gamers, as it flips back and forth between 3-D and 2-D sidescrolling formats -- often within the same level. The new powers are fun to use when you can manage to snatch them up, and the vibrant worlds full of hidden detours are exciting to re-explore after you've completed them initially. The tutorial system certainly could have been planned out better, but beyond that, this is a solid game.
Families can talk about the fighting action in the game. Sonic only fights robots. Is violence less impactful when it's enacted against non-human characters?
Would the game feel different if the bad guys were alien creatures? What if they were humans?
| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Developer: | Sega of America |
| Release date: | November 16, 2010 |
| Price: | $39.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E for Cartoon Violence (Nintendo Wii) |
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