diff --git a/app/SymfonyRequirements.php b/app/SymfonyRequirements.php
index ed00a6f..25bc938 100644
--- a/app/SymfonyRequirements.php
+++ b/app/SymfonyRequirements.php
@@ -602,6 +602,12 @@ class SymfonyRequirements extends RequirementCollection
             'Install and enable the <strong>XML</strong> extension.'
         );
 
+        $this->addRecommendation(
+            function_exists('filter_var'),
+            'filter_var() should be available',
+            'Install and enable the <strong>filter</strong> extension.'
+        );
+
         if (!defined('PHP_WINDOWS_VERSION_BUILD')) {
             $this->addRecommendation(
                 function_exists('posix_isatty'),
@@ -662,7 +668,7 @@ class SymfonyRequirements extends RequirementCollection
         $this->addRecommendation(
             $accelerator,
             'a PHP accelerator should be installed',
-            'Install and enable a <strong>PHP accelerator</strong> like APC (highly recommended).'
+            'Install and/or enable a <strong>PHP accelerator</strong> (highly recommended).'
         );
 
         if (strtoupper(substr(PHP_OS, 0, 3)) === 'WIN') {
diff --git a/app/check.php b/app/check.php
index 91b826b..bb0a20e 100644
--- a/app/check.php
+++ b/app/check.php
@@ -2,61 +2,141 @@
 
 require_once dirname(__FILE__).'/SymfonyRequirements.php';
 
+$lineSize = 70;
 $symfonyRequirements = new SymfonyRequirements();
-
 $iniPath = $symfonyRequirements->getPhpIniConfigPath();
 
-echo "********************************\n";
-echo "*                              *\n";
-echo "*  Symfony requirements check  *\n";
-echo "*                              *\n";
-echo "********************************\n\n";
+echo_title('Symfony2 Requirements Checker');
 
-echo $iniPath ? sprintf("* Configuration file used by PHP: %s\n\n", $iniPath) : "* WARNING: No configuration file (php.ini) used by PHP!\n\n";
-
-echo "** ATTENTION **\n";
-echo "*  The PHP CLI can use a different php.ini file\n";
-echo "*  than the one used with your web server.\n";
-if ('\\' == DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR) {
-    echo "*  (especially on the Windows platform)\n";
+echo '> PHP is using the following php.ini file:'.PHP_EOL;
+if ($iniPath) {
+    echo_style('green', '  '.$iniPath);
+} else {
+    echo_style('warning', '  WARNING: No configuration file (php.ini) used by PHP!');
 }
-echo "*  To be on the safe side, please also launch the requirements check\n";
-echo "*  from your web server using the web/config.php script.\n";
 
-echo_title('Mandatory requirements');
+echo PHP_EOL.PHP_EOL;
 
-$checkPassed = true;
+echo '> Checking Symfony requirements:'.PHP_EOL.'  ';
+
+$messages = array();
 foreach ($symfonyRequirements->getRequirements() as $req) {
     /** @var $req Requirement */
-    echo_requirement($req);
-    if (!$req->isFulfilled()) {
-        $checkPassed = false;
+    if ($helpText = get_error_message($req, $lineSize)) {
+        echo_style('red', 'E');
+        $messages['error'][] = $helpText;
+    } else {
+        echo_style('green', '.');
     }
 }
 
-echo_title('Optional recommendations');
+$checkPassed = empty($messages['error']);
 
 foreach ($symfonyRequirements->getRecommendations() as $req) {
-    echo_requirement($req);
+    if ($helpText = get_error_message($req, $lineSize)) {
+        echo_style('yellow', 'W');
+        $messages['warning'][] = $helpText;
+    } else {
+        echo_style('green', '.');
+    }
 }
 
+if ($checkPassed) {
+    echo_block('success', 'OK', 'Your system is ready to run Symfony2 projects', true);
+} else {
+    echo_block('error', 'ERROR', 'Your system is not ready to run Symfony2 projects', true);
+
+    echo_title('Fix the following mandatory requirements', 'red');
+
+    foreach ($messages['error'] as $helpText) {
+        echo ' * '.$helpText.PHP_EOL;
+    }
+}
+
+if (!empty($messages['warning'])) {
+    echo_title('Optional recommendations to improve your setup', 'yellow');
+
+    foreach ($messages['warning'] as $helpText) {
+        echo ' * '.$helpText.PHP_EOL;
+    }
+}
+
+echo PHP_EOL;
+echo_style('title', 'Note');
+echo '  The command console could use a different php.ini file'.PHP_EOL;
+echo_style('title', '~~~~');
+echo '  than the one used with your web server. To be on the'.PHP_EOL;
+echo '      safe side, please check the requirements from your web'.PHP_EOL;
+echo '      server using the ';
+echo_style('yellow', 'web/config.php');
+echo ' script.'.PHP_EOL;
+echo PHP_EOL;
+
 exit($checkPassed ? 0 : 1);
 
-/**
- * Prints a Requirement instance
- */
-function echo_requirement(Requirement $requirement)
+function get_error_message(Requirement $requirement, $lineSize)
 {
-    $result = $requirement->isFulfilled() ? 'OK' : ($requirement->isOptional() ? 'WARNING' : 'ERROR');
-    echo ' ' . str_pad($result, 9);
-    echo $requirement->getTestMessage() . "\n";
-
-    if (!$requirement->isFulfilled()) {
-        echo sprintf("          %s\n\n", $requirement->getHelpText());
+    if ($requirement->isFulfilled()) {
+        return;
     }
+
+    $errorMessage  = wordwrap($requirement->getTestMessage(), $lineSize - 3, PHP_EOL.'   ').PHP_EOL;
+    $errorMessage .= '   > '.wordwrap($requirement->getHelpText(), $lineSize - 5, PHP_EOL.'   > ').PHP_EOL;
+
+    return $errorMessage;
 }
 
-function echo_title($title)
+function echo_title($title, $style = null)
 {
-    echo "\n** $title **\n\n";
+    $style = $style ?: 'title';
+
+    echo PHP_EOL;
+    echo_style($style, $title.PHP_EOL);
+    echo_style($style, str_repeat('~', strlen($title)).PHP_EOL);
+    echo PHP_EOL;
+}
+
+function echo_style($style, $message)
+{
+    // ANSI color codes
+    $styles = array(
+        'reset' => "\033[0m",
+        'red' => "\033[31m",
+        'green' => "\033[32m",
+        'yellow' => "\033[33m",
+        'error' => "\033[37;41m",
+        'success' => "\033[37;42m",
+        'title' => "\033[34m",
+    );
+    $supports = has_color_support();
+
+    echo ($supports ? $styles[$style] : '').$message.($supports ? $styles['reset'] : '');
+}
+
+function echo_block($style, $title, $message)
+{
+    $message = ' '.trim($message).' ';
+    $width = strlen($message);
+
+    echo PHP_EOL.PHP_EOL;
+
+    echo_style($style, str_repeat(' ', $width).PHP_EOL);
+    echo_style($style, str_pad(' ['.$title.']',  $width, ' ', STR_PAD_RIGHT).PHP_EOL);
+    echo_style($style, str_pad($message,  $width, ' ', STR_PAD_RIGHT).PHP_EOL);
+    echo_style($style, str_repeat(' ', $width).PHP_EOL);
+}
+
+function has_color_support()
+{
+    static $support;
+
+    if (null === $support) {
+        if (DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR == '\\') {
+            $support = false !== getenv('ANSICON') || 'ON' === getenv('ConEmuANSI');
+        } else {
+            $support = function_exists('posix_isatty') && @posix_isatty(STDOUT);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return $support;
 }