How much of Sonic Colours is Actually 3D? [Gameplay Breakdown]

A huge talking point surrounding Sonic Colours over the past few years is that it isn't a 3D Sonic game, mostly because of how much of the game isn't playable in 3D. I've always wanted to know how much of the game exactly is or isn't 3D, so seeing as Colours Ultimate is on the horizon and because I'm insane, I decided to take this into my own hands and break down the gameplay to find out.
For this video, I played through Colours (Wii) on Dolphin, and measured the times for every main level (including bosses). I broke the gameplay into 4 categories being:
- Automated (Including trick ramp segments)
- 2D
- 3D
- Restrictive 3D
(Restrictive 3D being 3D gameplay that doesn't allow full control over Sonic. In moments like quick stepping and free falling, you could honestly argue they aren't even 3D because they're on 2D plane anyway. So I decided to count these segments seperately)
Twitter: / wumblewasp
Timestamps:
0:00 - Explanation
0:33 - Tropical Resort: Act 1
2:10 - Tropical Resort: Act 2
3:30 - Tropical Resort: Act 3
5:24 - Tropical Resort: Act 4
5:53 - Tropical Resort: Act 5
6:57 - Tropical Resort: Act 6
7:27 - Tropical Resort: Boss
8:10 - Tropical Resort Summary
8:36 - Sweet Mountain: Act 1
10:48 - Sweet Mountain: Act 2
12:39 - Sweet Mountain: Act 3
14:15 - Sweet Mountain: Act 4
16:14 - Sweet Mountain: Act 5
17:32 - Sweet Mountain: Act 6
18:40 - Sweet Mountain: Boss
20:24 - Sweet Mountain Summary
20:50 - Starlight Carnival: Act 1
24:24 - Starlight Carnival: Act 2
25:26 - Starlight Carnival: Act 3
26:43 - Starlight Carnival: Act 4
27:37 - Starlight Carnival: Act 5
30:23 - Starlight Carnival: Act 6
31:20 - Starlight Carnival: Boss
32:59 - Starlight Carnival Summary
33:26 - Planet Wisp: Act 1
35:29 - Planet Wisp: Act 2
36:45 - Planet Wisp: Act 3
37:48 - Planet Wisp: Act 4
39:05 - Planet Wisp: Act 5
39:58 - Planet Wisp: Act 6
41:47 - Planet Wisp: Boss
42:48 - Planet Wisp Summary
43:14 - Aquarium Park: Act 1
45:01 - Aquarium Park: Act 2
45:37 - Aquarium Park: Act 3
47:15 - Aquarium Park: Act 4
50:15 - Aquarium Park: Act 5
51:47 - Aquarium Park: Act 6
54:39 - Aquarium Park: Boss
56:38 - Aquarium Park Summary
57:05 - Asteroid Coaster: Act 1
59:58 - Asteroid Coaster: Act 2
1:02:43 - Asteroid Coaster: Act 3
1:03:41 - Asteroid Coaster: Act 4
1:04:42 - Asteroid Coaster: Act 5
1:05:26 - Asteroid Coaster: Act 6
1:08:30 - Asteroid Coaster: Boss
1:11:07 - Asteroid Coaster Summary
1:11:33 - Terminal Velocity: Act 1
1:13:53 - Terminal Velocity: Boss
1:16:55 - Terminal Velocity: Act 2
1:17:33 - Terminal Velocity Summary
1:17:52 - Overall Summary

[@lpfan4491]

9% full 3d gameplay. Meanwhile in Forces: Half of that gets absorbed into automatics.

[@michigansalto]

and even when you have full control on Sonic you just homing attack and boost through the enemies

[@theinktician]

"The game where Sonoc found his footing in 3D" 🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️

[@xraiderblack1850]

Yup. All 9% of it.

[@peliukun8164]

it was an agenda full stop

[@VoidHarbinger430]

I remember hearing several people say the game was like 80 or 85 percent back in the day which makes this final result really weird to me.

[@Khyon521]

Probably because of game land

[@rynobehnke8289]

This comes down to mostly 2 reasons. For one is he a good player and therefor knows how to progress fast even in some of the blockier 2d sections. Best example would be his Sweet mountain 4 were he damaged boost through many heat rays rather than wait for them to turn which makes many of the slower 2d segments go by much faster there would be for a new or at least less experienced player. So most people that don't go back to master these 2d sections will always remember them as a far bigger part (because there took them relatively more time than the lack of knowledge costed them in the 3d portions) than the numbers here show. The other reason is because of gameland which is far more 2d heavy having entire zones from Sonic 1 ripped and put right into it which are obviously all 2d.

[@ilay_ux]

the funny part is, you're basically doing the 2d sections as fast as you can. trying to even avoid standing still at all. now imagine a casual gameplay lmfao with this kind of breakdown. yeahh.... lots of 2d

[@Terminal_Apotos]

Even though it’s mostly 2D it’s still my 2nd favorite Sonic Game

[@shore7154]

Great video. It's actually crazy to me that only 9% of the game is actually true 3D gameplay (I don't count restricted since it's also automated to an extent). There is a lot less 2D than I thought though. Huge respect for going out of your way to do this.

[@sofiathefirst6981]

Btw, if you included game land the game would be 90% 2D lmao

[@sofiathefirst6981]

I always wanted to see a video like this. I hope this gets lots of views!

[@brinst_ar]

Personally think 2D is fine in the boost games but it's done better in Generations/Unleashed, Colors has a lot of sections were you need to stop and a lot of stage gimmicks like those springs that move with you, not that bad, just pace breakers. That's why people tend to think the game had a lot more 2D than it actually has, because it breaks the pacing. Comparing to the other 2 boost games (not counting forces), their 2D sections can feel just as fast as the main 3D gameplay with some exceptions here and there.

[@iKickBullies]

This person is better at the 2D sections than the general person playing the stages a first few times. So the time comparison would be even bigger in the 2D situation

[@MasterSprintersan1]

The 2D sections never bothered me at all. I know it did for most people, but not me. I freaking love this game X3

[@KingMamzy]

Same

[@Nonxistent_J]

Same!!

[@brinst_ar]

They don't bother me, i just think they're not fun to go through, specially when i've gone into the game expecting Generations/Unleashed level design. Colors Ds has great 2D level design tho

[@TheJadedJames]

Sonic Colors is still my favorite Sonic game since the 1990s. But I think for some people, it has got to rub that SEGA has essentially given up on 3D platforming since Sonic 06, and the Sonic games from Sonic Unleashed onward have all used this hybrid boost formula

[@brinst_ar]

@@TheJadedJames which isn't bad, Colors just doesn't do a good job at keeping the pace.

[@Julliangg]

Jesus What an excellent Observation and Video, Very Interesting!! 15%of the game is not even played lol. Incredible Job!!

[@charlessegale6493]

Y'know, people have been giving SA2 a lot of flack for having uninspired 3D sections, but people like Zoom Zike have been proving that there is more nuance in those levels than people are giving them credit for. I know this isn't an entirely fair comparison since you are essentially rushing through both the 3D and 2D sections, but even so I can't help but notice how insipid and bland the 3D sections of this game are. The mere fact that you have 2 different categories for 3D (pure and restrictive) and I am unable to see *ANY* difference between the two types just goes to show that Sonic Team doesn't know what a 3D game even is anymore and hasn't for over a decade now. The 3D sections in Colors are more akin to liminal 3D Corridor games like the classic Crash Bandicoot games except those games still had more depth than any of the 3D sections of Colors. Also, every time I see a level that's purely 2D in one of your pie charts, I'm reminded of the Japanese flag. Henceforth, I shall dub every 2D level in Colors a "Land of the Rising Sun."

[@VampireA1056]

Astroid Coaster act 1 is my favorite level because there's more 3d than 2d.

[@divertedgamer1050]

An odd video but very informative.

[@gabelster3729]

Such a wasted opportunity from SEGA’s part, they could’ve made this into a very CHALLENGING and rewarding game if they’d just turned the 3D notch up a bit. I’m not saying colors is bad, I’m saying it could’ve been better

[@brinst_ar]

Yup, specially ahen you consider the zones were originally 2 acts each but were broken up to fill in the timer.

[@jasonnguyen1072]

@@brinst_ar, and it wasn’t even worth it. Considering the final game content barely filled over an hour of playtime on average.

[@brinst_ar]

@@jasonnguyen1072 i've heard that the whole split didn't add all that much to the clock anyways. They should've taken an approach similar to Ds' were you have the main levels but also have side missions that you can do, and those even include other characters you don't see in the main game.

[@Nonxistent_J]

This is the first time I watched a video that’s an hour long. You did an amazing job on this! really hope this gets a lot of views!!

[@ChingChong1098]

You are the goat. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

[@kao7143]

I would seriously love to see you do more Sonic games for this So informative

[@oh5079]

Very well made video 🙌🏾 I always wanted to know🔥

[@TheCarevi]

Cool video, really makes you think twice about the game

[@lootria]

Jesus, the dedication, well done

[@reverendfatheruncleruckus7059]

Really Good!! 👌🏾

[@bctalicorn809]

Wow, what an awesome video!! So glad to see someone finally actually did this. I especially love that you didn't just stop at 2D and 3D, but what kind of gameplay it is. I hate the 2D sections in this game because so much of it is spent waiting and trying to control a Sonic that feels like he's 500 pounds, and the 3D segments don't last long enough. If you like it tho, no biggie, glad you do. I used to love the game as a kid, but I just can't seem to have fun when I play it anymore, which is sad. Just to be clear, the 2D isn't the problem, because 2D Sonic can be just as awesome as 3D Sonic. It's what they have you doing and how Sonic controls in a 2D space that makes Colors stick out like a sore thumb. Unleashed and most of Generations still feels great regardless of the 2D or 3D sections.

[@hubcrow]

THANK YOU !!! Someone finally put it into words how i have been feeling with this game ! Everyone keeps complaining about unleashed or generations having sonic control like a truck in 3D But no one talks about sonic in colors moving like a truck in 2D And most of the platforming is fucking garbage that does not revolve around speed and momentum but just jumping on fucking blocks and waiting on top of a button or a platform (fuck you planet wisp) And even the 3D parts don't even feel like "parts" of the game They're so fucking short they feel like "segways" into the 2D parts

[@Nonehasthisnamekek1]

Great job!

[@derps0674]

Wow I really just sat here and watched the entire thing😂

[@Nonxistent_J]

LOL Same!

[@Khyon521]

AMAZING

[@areakastudios6704]

Honestly, the 3d section are a lot of fun, so it makes getting past the 2d sections very rewarding. Take aquarium park act 6 for example.

[@bargtv9066]

My personal favorite stage in the game if not my favorite boost stage And i honestly found alot of enjoyment in the 2d sections Especially with the drill wisp in the stage

[@nachot6592]

The thing is the mechanics exclusive to colors only do make sense in 2D.

[@lilsoonerfaninmo]

Funny thing is, with the exception of Unleashed, this is true for all the boost games lol

[@melan8ed197]

10/10 thank u for the content

[@TheCarevi]

Hey can you do this for Sonic Unleashed and Generations? It would be so interesting to see how it compares to Colors.

[@stardustsdd]

The game is barely over an hour long without cutscenes, damn.

[@jasonnguyen1072]

Really tells you how much the efforts of the devs hastily and artificially extending the amount of acts was worth huh?

[@stardustsdd]

@@jasonnguyen1072 and a good chunk of it is automated, or might as well be (a lot of the restrictive 3d sections are almost pointless). It's kinda embarrasing how this is often considered one of the best 3d Sonic games, lol.

[@rynobehnke8289]

@@stardustsdd And you haven't even seen the laziest thing yet. The Game land stages are not only even more 2d heavy but a lot of them are just Sonic 1 stages replicated. I Believe even a few Unleashed stages were reused in Game Land.

[@stardustsdd]

@@rynobehnke8289 but mostly the 2d sections of the Unleashed stages I imagine?

[@rynobehnke8289]

@@stardustsdd Its been a while Since I played colors and never played all Game land stages but from what I heard was it a peace of Skyscraper Scramble that was reused.

[@xSoporific1]

W editing

[@Sonicfalcon16]

Can you do this also with Sonic 06 how much of it is automated and how much you're in control?

[@DemonDethchase]

If Colours is 3D Sonic then you might as well call Mania one as well, what with its 3D Special Stages.

[@geilogardine5600]

Great video, but what about Gameland?

[@Eclipsmon8421]

You know the one thing I always ask when someone says Sonic Colors is more 2D than 3D I ask them "Is it a bad thing though?". I mean by that logic every 2D Sonic games are bad and every 2D games are bad.

[@Eclipsmon8421]

@Sonic 2013 So first, advertisement doesn't make a game bad. Second, I strongly disagree, because Sonic Mania is one of my favorite games ever. I didn't even grow up with the classic games and it's one of my favorite games, so you can't even say I'm nostalgia biased.

[@Eclipsmon8421]

@Sonic 2013 Ok, so first I would like to ear why you think Sonic Mania is bad it might be interesting. Second though, let me tell you a story. My favorite video game genre is collect-a-thons, which include games like Super Mario Odyssey, Spyro the Dragon, Banjo Kazooie, etc. I just love trying to find everything in large, but contained playgrounds for the characters, with some challenges along the way. During the time I wanted to discover more games of this amazing genre, I heard of a certain game called a Hat in Time. I heard very good things about it, and that it was a great collect-a-thon, so obviously I had to play it. One of the first things I noticed when playing it though was that it wasn't exactly what I looked for in a collect-a-thon. Most of the collectables were based on episodes, meaning we had to collect the things in a certain order. Because of that a Hat in Time was for me less of a collect-a-thon, and more a 3D semi-linear platformer like Super Mario Galaxy. And you know what? Aside from Super Mario Odyssey, and Bowser's Fury, I like a Hat in Time more than any collect-a-thon I've played. The game is super charming, has an amazing soundtrack, has the best controls in any platformers I've played, great bosses, amazing platforming, and a surprisingly well realized story. So basically, despite the fact that we advertized this game to me has something that in my opinion isn't, I absolutely loved this game, and is one of my FGOATs (favorite games of all time). So I don't advertisement makes a game bad, because the important thing is not that the game ends up being what you want, but that the game ends up being the best of what it is. That being said, you could say that the problem with Sonic Colors is not that it has too much 2D, but that its 2D sections are bad, and if that's what you think, fair enough. I mean I didn't play Sonic Colors yet, so I can't really say if they are bad or not, I just think that saying Colors is bad because it has too much 2D to be ridiculous.

[@hubcrow]

@@Eclipsmon8421 eh most of the sonic community will say that the game is good or whatever But i hate it not because it's 2D But because it lacks so much 3D that it doesn't even feel like a 3D game And the level design for the 2D parts is so fucking shitty it's painful and it rarely ever gets better And counting sonic's heavy movement , it's basically a clusterfuck Seriously , sonic moves like a fucking 5ton truck in this game that it's infuriating to go through with this game

[@Eclipsmon8421]

@@hubcrow I didn't play Colors so I can't tell if Sonic really controls badly in this game, but I will say that I played Forces, and in my opinion he controls rather well there.

[@hubcrow]

@@Eclipsmon8421 yeah he's sorta floaty in forces so it's you can't really compare But trust me , controlling sonic in colors feels like using a constroller made of hardened mud

[@arazseyfinezhad5444]

And those 9 perceny 3d is just liniar road basiclay 2d

[@XaiExtra]

wow

[@ShineSpriteGamer]

Do this for Unleahsed

[@melan8ed197]

I knew I fucked w/ terminal velocity the most for a reason😌

[@jackturner-bogdanzivojinov1385]

I assume this took too long to edit.

[@someonesomeone7423]

doesn’t the time depend on how fast you finish the level so you can never have a truly accurate anwser

[@brinst_ar]

I bet even if you speed run, 2D still a majority.

[@jasonnguyen1072]

Yeah, there will always be a good amount of error in this data due to this.

[@rynobehnke8289]

@@brinst_ar The funny thing it the 2d appears to be less present BECAUSE of how well he is playing. I mean you just need to see how many time traps he skips, damage boosts through waiting obstacles he takes and try over and over again breaking platforms segments/precision platform segments he nails first try with barely standing still. This way does he push the amount of 2d overall way down and makes it compared to a less skilled more casual play-though appear to be less time consuming than it would be.

[@brinst_ar]

@@rynobehnke8289 i guess, the 2D in colors appears to take longer than other 3D sonic games because of how much of pace breaker most 2d sections are.

[@rynobehnke8289]

@@brinst_ar That certainly does largely contributes to the feeling of there being much more 2d than 3d. But I think the fact that there are very few acts with more 3d than 2d while there are many stages that are entirely 2d (even if there are really short) does also help create the feeling of there being much more 2d. Also the 2d can also just generally take longer because many elements are "do the segment before the block is destroyed by Egg Pawn" which can take a few tries to get right making them last longer or are "to precision platforming over a bottomless pit" which most will do much slower and more careful because of the threat of the pit below making many people that can't or just don't want to rush through these sections take far more time the finish them.

[@TSMSnation]

This is like when your about to go down on your girl and she brings out a ruler. Like comon man. This is just dirty. Filthy even. But low key I want this dude to make videos on my games too. 👉👈

[@Zylo82]

Pretty much like Generations. Even Modern Sonic is half and half while Classic Sonic is pure 2d. If you're going to make a 3d Sonic game then make a 3d Sonic game. Don't force 2d just to scratch that nostalgia itch.

[@Zylo82]

@Federal Bureau of Investigation One game that did 2d sections perfectly with out over staying their welcome was Splatter House for the PS3. 2d came and went going back to 3d mindless beat-em-up. Perfect.

[@jasonnguyen1072]

No, Modern Sonic in Generations was more 1/3 2D. The reason why they felt like half the amount is because they are a singular long section, notably long because a noticeable amount of activities done in 2D are rudimentary tasks.

[@slwoo7432]

Federal Bureau of Investigation facts

[@rynobehnke8289]

I think the 2d is less for nostalgia sake and more a case of its less time and resource intensive to make.

[@mfhs2775]

Great video, it is really good to analyze these boost to win modern Sonic games to realize what SEGA is really selling to us, it would be great if you could do more videos of boost games like this so we can be more informed :D