Common Sense Media Review
By Christopher Healy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fast (too fast?), exciting chapter in this hedgehog story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Sonic Colors
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 30 kid reviews
Kids say this game features vibrant graphics and enjoyable gameplay, with the wisps adding fun mechanics, although it can be frustratingly easy and short. While many appreciate the appealing soundtrack and some aspects of the level design, criticisms abound regarding the poor 2D gameplay, childish humor, and perceived shortcomings in overall engagement, leading to mixed opinions about its enduring legacy in the franchise.
- engaging visuals
- enjoyable soundtrack
- mixed gameplay quality
- childish humor
- short length
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
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.
Is It Any Good?
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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
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?
Game Details
- Platform : Nintendo Wii
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Sega of America
- Release date : November 16, 2010
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate