![[Update] If You’re Prone To Seizures, Maybe Don’t Play Sonic Colors Ultimate On Switch Right Now](https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/06/sonic-colours-ultimate-switch-flashing-light-glitch.jpg?quality=75&w=640&h=360&crop=1)
Update: Nintendo Australia has responded to the issues surrounding the Switch version of Sonic Colors: Ultimate and encouraged anyone who’s experiencing the examples detailed in this article to contact their customer service team.
If extreme flashing lights and constant bugs doesn’t sound like your idea of fun, then you might want to steer clear of Sonic Colors: Ultimate on the Switch, according to some concerning user reports.
Over the weekend, players who bought the Digital Deluxe Edition of the game were able to access an early access version. Soon after, they began sharing videos of Sonic Colors: Ultimate gameplay that featured a number of glitches and bugs.
While Nintendo World Report said their reviewer only experienced glitches “after cycling through the world maps” and loading a level, others seem to have experienced it more frequently.
In the videos below, you can see the game frequently cuts from Sonic dashing through a level to startling cuts of flashing lights, bars of colour all over the screen, and greyed-out backgrounds. It’s extremely concerning, particularly for players who might be prone to epileptic seizures.
This game costs money…. #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/uiSxZl6Fug
— MiN (@MiNado_Meta) September 3, 2021
Our review of Sonic Colors Ultimate isn’t ready yet, but we can confirm that the glitches being discussed on Twitter can happen on real Switch hardware with the 1.0.3 version of the game installed.
The following video was captured from our review copy. See replies for details. pic.twitter.com/8xad5LjlNy
— Nintendo World Report (@Nintendo_NWR) September 5, 2021
If you must pick up Sonic Colors Ultimate, please don’t buy it on Switch. It’s even missing the Eggman firework. #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/Yf2nCzURVL
— CallieMacN (@CallieMacN) September 3, 2021
According to Twitter, some of these glitches were allegedly captured on a Yuzu emulator rather than real Switch hardware. Yet, users on the Nintendo Switch Subreddit say they’ve experienced seizure-like flashes on their devices. The clip below is a good example and was captured on a Nintendo Switch.
“Honestly, if you showed me this footage with no context, I would have assumed it was a modded version to make it cursed, including a creepypasta storyline,” wrote one Reddit user.
“One of the funnier failed game launches I’ve seen, hopefully, it’s just a big oversight that they can fix easily.”
“The bug that happened on Yuzu was not the seizure bug but a t-pose bug. The seizure bug DOES happen on real hardware and is reproducible, it’s caused by swapping quickly between planets,” said another user.
Some people in that same Reddit thread say they’ve heard reports that Nintendo is offering refunds for the game. When Kotaku Australia asked Nintendo to comment on this, they said: “If an Australian or New Zealand consumer has concerns about a product they are encouraged to contact Nintendo Australia Customer Service.”
Shortly after these cursed clips began to go viral, Social Media Manager for Sonic the Hedgehog at Sega of America, Katie Chrzanowski, said that the team at Blind Squirrel Games “are listening and assessing for an upcoming patch”.
Hey everyone! Appreciate all your feedback on Sonic Colors: Ultimate, and the teams are listening and assessing for an upcoming patch. Thank you all for your patience as we dig into this!
— Katie – MiniKitty (@KatieChrz) September 5, 2021
However, it’s worth mentioning that she said that people who are playing the game through an emulator are experiencing “some graphical issues” when it’s clear that Nintendo Switch players have had the potentially seizure-inducing bug above.
“Quick aside: we’ve seen some graphical issues that were caused by an emulator which is unfortunately outside our control,” she said.
“Trying to figure out what bugs are legitimate can really slow down the QA process. If you’re having issues, please do flag them here.”
Last month, diehard Sonic fans came together at an appropriate blue hedgehog speed to show off their fan-made Sonic games at the Sonic Amateur Games Expo.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a remastered port of the original Sonic Colors, which was released on Wii, PS4, Xbox One, DS, and PC in 2010. The remastered version is scheduled to release on September 7, 2021.
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