Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps

Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps

Original Release Date: August 19th and August 26th, 2021 

I'm going to be honest with you guys: I have no attachment to "Sonic Colors." The 2010 release is considered a classic among "Sonic" fans of a certain generation, with the Wisps having long since become established and beloved parts of the franchise. In 2010, however, I was too busy doing cool things like having my heart broken by a hipster girl with horn-rimmed glasses and sinking into a horrible depression that lasted years to pay attention to the new "Sonic" video games. By that point, I had completely divorced myself from that side of the series, barely being aware when a new game came out. When I finally did play "Sonic Colors," many years later, I thought... It was fine. Like most of the blue hedgehog games from this era, "Colors" struck me as perfectly functional and mildly fun without filling me with the effervescent glee the Genesis games did when I was a kid. Just Another Modern Sonic, in other words. 

For people who were kids during the Wii era, however, "Sonic Colors" seems to have made a similar impact as "Sonic Adventure" did for the generation before, defining the franchise in many fans' minds. I'm simply never going to have that nostalgic connection to it. To the point that, when the Wisps show up in the comics or merch, my response is not elation so much as a mumbled acknowledgement of "...oh yeah, these things again." (Quickly followed by the horrifying realization that 2010 was already fourteen years ago and I can hear the Reaper's scythe slicing through the air above my head.) I don't find the Wisps quite as out-of-place as the similarly beloved by everyone but me Chao, because at least they serve a game play purpose. Such cutesy, Emoji Movie looking motherfuckers as these still feel out of place in the "Sonic" franchise as I think of it. 

Simply put, "Colors" is another sign to me that "Sonic" is a multi-generational fandom with different definitive titles, spin-offs, and aspects depending on when you got into it. This meant that, eleven years after "Colors" first came out, I was confused when a remastered re-release was both announced and met with considerable excitement. As an old man hopelessly out-of-step with modern gaming trends, I'm still slightly baffled by the recent popularity of "remasters" of games that are only a decade or so old. And wouldn't a remake of a game that was generally considered to have been unfinished or mediocre, like "Sonic '06" or "Shadow the Hedgehog," have made more sense? However, a lot of people got hyped for "Sonic Colors: Ultimate." A glorified re-release it might have been, Sega still treated it like the big "Sonic" title of 2021. As was quickly becoming the tradition, that meant "Colors: Ultimate" got a flashy, Tyson Hesse directed animated short released to YouTube to promote it. Also following tradition, the remaster came out to middling or largely negative reviews, Sega quickly sweeping it under the rug to get fans and investors excited for the next thing. But the promotional cartoon, entitled "Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps," is still there, waiting for dudes like me to write too many words about it. 

"Rise of the Wisps" sort of tells a very abbreviated version of "Colors'" story while emphasizing the new additions made to the "Ultimate" remaster. Namely, a Jade Wisp that grants players a ghostly intangibility power and the presence of Metal Sonic. The short discards the whole "Eggman builds a theme park in outer space" set-up and the gimmick of multiple planetoids connected by a chain. However, the gist is the same. Sonic and Tails are recruited by the symbiotic alien Wisp race, via one of them communicating with Tails through a translator. (The Jade Wisp in this case, instead of Yacker.) Eggman has begun to use the aliens as a power source for his latest evil scheme. The various abilities the Wisps can grant Sonic prove useful in freeing them from the villain's control. Metal Sonic, also given some Wisps power-ups, is quickly sent to confront his organic counterpart. 

"Rise of the Wisps" more-or-less captures the tone I would expect from a modern, American-produced "Sonic" animated series. On one hand, it has a lot of action, the entire second half focused on Sonic and Metal battling it out. This is brought to life through some anime inspired action sequences. At the same time, the tone is kept largely light-hearted, with frequent comic relief and lots of joke-filled dialogue. In other words, it's a lot more serious than your average episode of "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" or "Sonic Boom" while also maintaining a generally safe and soft tone that is unlikely to ruffle the feathers of any kids watching at home. The story has big stakes but the approach is such that they are rarely felt. This clearly matches the writing style "Sonic Colors" had, which also includes lots of funny dialogue and a story without too severe a mood, no matter how serious things got. This is basically the tone that "Sonic Prime" and the live action movies have taken, with varying degrees of success. It is, in other words, the default tone for the "Sonic" franchise as it exists today. 

In theory, I have no problem with this. I didn't like "Prime" that much but not so much because it tried to balance universe-spanning melodrama with goofy jokes. I generally like the movies despite them being heavy on the schtick. However, "Rise of the Wisps" sticks out for other reasons. First off, this short makes sure you know what all the different types of Wisps are and what abilities they grant Sonic. The Drill, Spiral, Rocket, Cube, and Ghost power-ups are all given highlighted moments. The various special abilities are used to save the day in the climatic moments. This can't help but remind me of merchandise-driven shows like "He-Man" or "Power Rangers," where new characters or accessories are introduced to resolve whatever problem the heroes may have... Coincidentally, at the same time toys of these props are available for your parents to buy at all your local toy stores! I've enjoyed lots of kidslop made to sell toys over the years but this approach does feel a little mercenary, as if you are watching more of an advertisement for the video game than you are an independent story. Which, obviously, you are but the "Sonic" spin-offs are usually a little bit better at disguising their strictly commercial purpose for existing. 

Honestly, the way the merchandise-driven nature of "Rise of the Wisps" combines with another of the short's elements that truly rubs me the wrong way. Several scenes in this ten minute presentation focus entirely on the Wisps, brightly colored creatures made up of simple shapes that communicate through soft, gurgling noises. That kind of makes me feel like I'm watching a cartoon made for, ya know, babies. There's also two separate moments where Sonic is incensed because Eggman and Metal are acting like bullies. Okay, fair enough as far as motivations for the good guys go.... But the way the moment is delivered feels less like it's talking about a fascist trying to control creatures with free will and more like somebody is pushing you around on the playground. The conclusion also has Sonic delivering a not-exactly-subtle message about the benefits of friendship. Colorful and highly toyetic characters that communicate through pre-verbal babbling and childish themes that deliver easily understood, generalized lessons a young viewer can apply to their child-proofed lives truly makes "Rise of the Wisp" feel like its aimed squarely at the kindergarten crowd. And not one of the good pre-school shows that a parent can appreciate too, like "Yo Gabba Gabba" or pre-Elmo "Sesame Street." We are talking the kind of baby shit that talks down to kids and is mostly interested in distracting them with bright colors and fun toys. 

As a large adult man who willingly uses his limited free time to write extensively about cartoons and comic books meant for children, I have certainly encountered this feeling before when watching "Sonic" media. The most frustrating thing about "Rise of the Wisps'" writing is I don't think it had to be this juvenile most of the time. The earlier scenes feel like they could easily be from a "Boom" episode. The short begins with a dramatic rendition of Eggman loading some Wisps into a big, ominous machine before the mood is broken by the villain making a high-pitch, boyish cackle. Turns out Tails has been narrating Jade's description of events. Sonic takes over the role of Eggman, making many self-deprecating ad-libs before another meta joke about the wisp making its recollection more exciting. See, exactly the kind of good-for-all-ages wackiness you'd expect from the superior "Sonic" cartoon! This stands along other nicely silly gags, such as Cubot speaking only in video game announcer sound bites or a deeply underwhelming attempt from the bumbling hench-bots to combine with Metal Sonic. That so much of "Rise of the Wisps" feels like it was made for four-year-olds while also containing decent jokes like this suggests the cartoon didn't have to be quite so simperingly cutesy for more of its runtime. 

This is still a Tyson Hesse-directed cartoon, meaning the animation is at least good, right? Well, yes. "Rise of the Wisp" is colorful, with dynamic and fast-paced action. The aspect ratio closes in when Sonic challenges Metal to a race, a nice dramatic moment. The team of Wisps that attempt to free their brothers wear bandanas and little communication headsets, as if they are guerilla operatives. That's an amusing detail. However, the character animation isn't as vivid or entertaining as what was seen in "Mania Adventures." There was also the odd decision to add a sheen to the colors here that makes the entire short look a bit washed-out and muted. It's the kind of artistic decision that works well on, say, Nathalie Fourdraine's retail incentive variant covers for the comics but looks a little odd in animation. "Rise of the Wisps" still looks a lot better than the stiff "Team Sonic Racing: Overdrive" but certainly lacks the fluid motion and obvious creative vision of "Sonic Mania Adventures" or "Chao in Space."

If I had to guess, I would assume that Hesse and his team had a lot less time to work on this two-parter, compared to those latter two shorts. That would explain why the animation is merely very good, instead of gorgeous. Perhaps a tighter time frame would explain the weaker script too. (Which is credited to Hesse and an entity calling itself GGDG.) Perhaps the writing was pitched at a younger crowd in an attempt to emulate the game that introduced "Baldy McNosehair" to the list of fandom complaints. Whatever the cause, the tone remains off in "Rise of the Wisps" in such a way that it's hard for me to recommend it too much. Considering it was a short animation made to promote the release of a remaster that not many people seemed to have liked, I guess we should be thankful that this cartoon is as good as it is. Still, a few minor tweaks and changes in direction would have resulted in a far more satisfying whole. [6/10]