Just when you think Sega might be on the right track – going back to basics with Sonic The Hedgehog 4 – up pops another 3D Sonic game that threatens to ruin everything. Or, at least, that’s what the naysayers would have you believe. In truth, the Wii’s exclusive Sonic games (2007’s Secret Rings and 2009’s Black Knight) are pretty decent titles, far better than the atrocious Sonic Unleashed and nowhere near as bad as the moaners would suggest.

Glorious 2D, how we miss you

And from what we’ve sampled so far, Sonic Colours may well be able to leapfrog those two games and take its place as the best Sonic game on Wii. Created by Takeshi Iizuka, the man behind both NiGHTS games, and loosely modelled after Super Mario Galaxy, Sonic Colours has the right pedigree behind it, and it has the right intentions too. Like Sonic The Hedgehog 4, it promises to do away with guest characters altogether, putting players in control of Sonic and Sonic alone.

It also learns from the mistakes of the past, retaining the 3D/2D switching gameplay of Sonic Unleashed’s well-received daytime levels without feeling the need to throw in anything as ill-thought-out as a werehog stage. The standard platforming sections are exactly as you’d expect by this point, mixing in 3D lane-switching, traffic dodging gameplay, with 2D sections that offer more traditional gap hopping and loop-the-loops.

It’s the colours of the title that offer a break from the old though. Little coloured sprites can be found hiding around each level and can be picked up and used by Sonic, just like power-ups. Some are traditional in the abilities they grant, like a speed boost for example, while others are a little more unique to Sonic.

mmm...donuts

One, for example, allows Sonic to drill into the ground below him and tunnel through the earth, collecting rings. Without walls or platforms to contend with underground, he’s free to move in a much more fluid way, arcing through the soil a lot like the way NiGHTS might soar through the sky.

Another power-up pauses Sonic while you tilt him to aim and then fires him off like a cannon, a wave of laser light emitting from his trail. Both power-ups make Sonic even more fun to control, while retaining his classic speedy qualities, but also allow him to access previously hidden areas and, for the skilled of hand, enable him to reach alternative routes through each stage.

Taking inspiration from some of the greatest platformers in gaming history might not be the most original move for Sonic Team, but it is crucially resulting in a new Sonic title that’s fun and rewarding to play. Of course, this being a Sonic title, we have to wonder what Sega isn’t yet willing to show us, and what nasty surprises might await in the final, finished version. But for now, you can colour us optimistic