Sonic Colors is a platform game set in outer space. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, whose goal is to save the Wisps, an alien race that has been enslaved by Doctor Eggman.[2] The game's main hub is Doctor Eggman's Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park, an interplanetary amusement park that consists of five small planets chained to each other.[3] Sonic must be guided through these planets to destroy the power source at their center.[4]
Each planet is split into seven parts: six main levels called acts and a boss level.[3] In each act, players must guide Sonic to the goal, whilst defeating enemies and dodging obstacles. In boss levels, players face one of Eggman's large robots, and must defeat it. Gameplay seamlessly shifts between side-scrolling and third-person perspectives.[3][5] Upon completion of a level, players are given a grade dependent on their performance, with an "S" being the best and a "D" being the worst.[6] As the player progresses through the game, more planets become available to select. Once each planet has been completed, a bonus seventh, which concludes the story, is unlocked.[7]
Players control Sonic using the Wii Remote (with or without the Nunchuck),[2] the Classic Controller, or the Nintendo GameCube Controller. Sonic retains most of his abilities from Sonic Unleashed:[8] he can perform a "Sonic Boost" which greatly increases his speed and allows him to smash through various objects;[9] a homing attack that allows him to destroy enemies from long distances;[10] and a stomp that enables him to quickly destroy objects below him. In certain levels, players are sent at high speeds and must perform a quick step maneuver to dodge walls and other hazards;[11] others see Sonic using a drift mechanic in order to make sharp turns. Sonic is also given a double-jump ability, which allows him to perform an additional jump in mid-air.[10]A major aspect of Sonic Colors is the ability to activate Wisp power-ups.[12] There are eight different types of Wisps, each with their own unique advantage dependent on their color.[2] Normal white-colored Wisps allow the player to get a speed boost at any time.[9] The "Cyan Laser" turns Sonic into a laser that can bounce off solid surfaces to change the laser's path and to travel through power lines,[12] while the "Yellow Drill" allows Sonic to drill through soft ground and water.[12] The "Orange Rocket" allows Sonic to blast upward to tremendous heights;[13] the "Pink Spikes" allows Sonic to bond to walls and ceilings and to perform a spin dash to gain velocity and to destroy objects;[12] the "Green Hover" enables Sonic to hover and to perform dashes across lines of rings;[3] the "Blue Cube" gives Sonic the ability to turn blue blocks into blue rings and vice versa;[6] and the "Purple Frenzy" turns Sonic into a berserker that chomps through anything in its path, increasing in size as it continues to eat.[3]Like previous games, Sonic collects golden rings,[3] which protect him from a single hit by an enemy or obstacle, though they will scatter and blink before disappearing. Sonic starts the game with a limited number of lives; if he is hit with no rings in his possession, he will lose a life.[2] If a player exhausts their lives, they will receive a game over.[7]