Back in 2002, Sonic Advance was not only the first Sonic game to ever appear on a Nintendo console, it was also a welcome return to the blue hedgehog's 2D platforming roots. Sonic had been meandering around in 3D adventure games for too long, so it was nice to see him going back to what had ... Read review
Advantages: No real challenge, looks a bit ugly, won't last long Disadvantages: Good characters, quite cheap, good for a quick fix
Back in 2002, Sonic Advance was not only the first Sonic game to ever appear on a Nintendo console, it was also a welcome return to the blue hedgehog's 2D platforming roots. Sonic had been meandering around in 3D adventure games for too long, so it was nice to see him going back to what had made him famous. Available exclusively for the Gameboy Advance (GBA), it was promised as a brand new slice of platforming action, the evolution of earlier classics ... ...the hands of the legendary Sonic Team and into those of Dimps - the people behind the Dragon Ball Z games - so, to be honest, its success was never guaranteed.
If there's one thing that can be guaranteed, then it's Sonic Advance's loyalty to the earlier Mega Drive games. The gameplay style and plot stays the same, although the roster of playable characters is expanded. The point of the game is to stop the evil dictator Dr. Eggman from ... more
Back in 2002, Sonic Advance was not only the first Sonic game to ever appear on a Nintendo console, it was also a welcome return to the blue hedgehog's 2D platforming roots. Sonic had been meandering around in 3D adventure games for too long, so it was nice to see him going back to what had made him famous. Available exclusively for the Gameboy Advance (GBA), it was promised as a brand new slice of platforming action, the evolution of earlier classics such as Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Sonic & Knuckles. But its production was outsourced from the hands of the legendary Sonic Team and into those of Dimps - the people behind the Dragon Ball Z games - so, to be honest, its success was never guaranteed.
If there's one thing that can be guaranteed, then it's Sonic Advance's loyalty to the earlier Mega Drive games. The gameplay style and plot stays the same, although the roster of playable characters is expanded. The point of the game is to stop the evil dictator Dr. Eggman from roboticising all of the world's animals and taking control of the all-powerful Chaos Emeralds. He can do some damage with those!
Levels are broken down into 'zones', with each zone containing two 'acts' each. At the beginning of each level, you will be placed at the far left of the world, and it will be your job to navigate your character all the way through to the far right, via a combination of running and jumping. Obstacles will stand in your way in the form of enemy robots, spikes, pitfalls and logic puzzles. Helping you out are a variety of spring-based contraptions to fling you around, collectable power-ups (speed boosts, protective shields, invincibility etc) and rings. Collecting rings provides you with some defence against the dangerous environments you'll be running through - get hit once and your coins will scatter. Get hit again without picking up any replacement rings and you'll bite the bullet. Oops. The player has a ten minute time limit for each act. Making it through to the end of the zone will reward you with a boss battle, which generally involves having to attack one of Robotnik's war machines.
There are six zones in all. Maybe there might be some more hidden away somewhere, but this is a review, not a guide. The levels are typical Sonic fare, but if it's not broke! They each have a theme, and they are...
Neo Green Hill Zone - Sun, sand, green hills and giant loop-de-loops for your characters to run through.
Secret Base Zone - With some cool searchlight special effects, this is a dank and moody level, full of uninviting architecture and deadly devices.
Casino Paradise Zone - A reimagining of Sonic 2's Casino Night zone, this one packs in all the thrills 'n' spills of an evening in Vegas. Anticipate lots of neon lights and gambling.
Ice Mountain Zone - Boring name, boring zone. There's lots of snow, ice and related traps. Expect to be slowed down a lot.
Angel Island Zone - Knuckles' home, this is a strange, slightly old-fashioned world full of mystery and history. Quite interesting.
Egg Rocket Zone - Despite sounding like a delicious sandwich, this spaceship is dangerous. It's also absolutely huge and very tricky. This is the only Sonic level where I've actually run out of time!
And there might be others. Find out!
There are four playable characters available in Sonic Advance. They're not all unlocked at the very start (with only Sonic playable), but progressing through the game with Sonic will swiftly make them available. Each character has to play through all the zones themselves, but the game will remember which levels you have beaten so there's no need to go through the whole game in one sitting. The four characters are: -
Sonic The Hedgehog - Sonic's the most all-round character, capable of high speed runs and high jumps. By pressing down and a jump button, Sonic can charge up a spin attack, leading to greater speeds. Tails and Knuckles can do this too, but I thought I would put it under Sonic's section just to bulk it up a bit! Sonic can destroy opponents with a jump or a spin.
Miles "Tails" Prower - Sonic's best friend, Tails is a cute fox with two tails. By double-jumping, Tails can fly for a brief period of time, which can help him cover longer distances or save himself from a perilous fall. He can destroy enemies by jumping on them, spinning into them, or catching them with his tails while flying.
Knuckles The Echidna - Knuckles is a red echidna with an attitude problem. He is probably the most accomplished character of them all, providing the most skills. Double-jumping allows him to glide through the air, while jumping into a wall leads to him sticking his over-sized knuckles into it and climbing up and down. Sadly, his jumps are slightly weaker. He can slay his foes with a jump, a spin, or by catching them while gliding.
Amy Rose - The only girl, Amy is a pink hedgehog and has a different approach to gameplay to the others. Incabable of dispatching enemies by jumping on them, Amy totes a massive Pico hammer which can be used to crush them with a press of the attack button. This makes her a lot harder to use than the others, and demands a massive change in tactics for the player. Probably the weakest of the lot, I'm afraid.
If you're a particularly competent player, you'll be able to find the Special Springs dotted around the acts. This will hurl you up into the stratosphere, flinging you into a wacky bonus stage. The prize for success here is one of the six Chaos Emeralds (one available per zone). What happens when you collect all six? Complete the last stage with Sonic to find out...
The first thing that struck me about Sonic Advance is the quality of the graphics. It's not too hot. Granted, it's an old game now and there was never much capacity for top quality graphics on the GBA, but the illustration work looks vastly inferior to the Mega Drive games. The animation has been improved a lot and the characters have more personality, but it's only really Tails who actually looks good. Sonic and Knuckles both look a bit on the gangly side, and their new looks just don't sit right. The environments are detailed and pretty, even though the enemies and traps lack the imagination of the earlier chapters in the series. In fact, most of the major attractions are just dull repeats of what has come before (such as the Robot Knuckles, who you duel in a fight eerily similar to the Sonic Vs. Knuckles fight in Sonic & Knuckles). The soundtrack is acceptable for the GBA, combining remixes of old Sonic tracks and new, upbeat tunes. You'll keep the volume up for a little while.
There is not much longevity here, despite the various characters. The first few zones will fly by in a fit of sprinting and leaping, and you should only encounter some real trouble once you get to the 5th and 6th zones. In an attempt to add to the longevity, a Time Attack mode is included, but this is ultimately pointless. Allowing you to set speed records in each of the acts you have managed to complete, there is only value here if you're a high score freak. A 2P mode lets you share the fun with friends and go head-to-head with them, and this is a cool bonus.
Finally, the last bonus mode is the 'Tiny Chao Garden' - the virtual pet simulator gimmick spilling over from Sonic Adventure DX for the Gamecube. Sonic's friends, the Chao (cute little blobby freaks), can be raised and trained here, and transfered back and forth from the larger Gamecube version (which is kind of redundant nowadays). Coins you collect in the main game can be used to buy goods for your pet in the Garden, including toys and such. Limited heavily by the GBA's memory, this plays like a slightly more advanced Tamagotchi, and the mini-games you can play with the Chao (including Ro-Sham-Bo) are dull and time-wasting. To be honest, the Tiny Chao Garden was obsolete when it came out.
Sonic's been pretty popular on handheld consoles over the last few years, so there is a lot of competition out there for Sonic Advance. While its immediate sequels Advance 2 and 3 are only slightly better than the original, they are worth picking up over this. A better alternative would be Sonic Rush for the Nintendo DS, but avoid Sonic Rush Adventure. Finally, if you have a Xbox, PS2 or Gamecube, you might be better off with the Sonic Mega Collection, which bundles together all the older, but still more exciting, Sonic platformers. Sonic 2 still has more charm than this offering, and Sonic & Knuckles offers far more challenge.
What Sonic Advance does have going for it is its price. If all you want is a slice of brief, unremarkable, but slightly amusing old school Sonic action, I'm sure you can find this for pocket money prices. It has also been rereleased in a series of double packs, which are even better value for money. The double packs include Sonic Advance and either Sonic Pinball Party (average pinball sim), Sonic Battle (an Advance Wars-style Sonic strategy game) or ChuChu Rocket (classic mouse 'em up puzzle game). If you find them for a decent price, pick whichever one suits your style the best and go for it! Sonic Advance is not the best Sonic game, not even the best handheld one, but it could be a lot worse.
(A version of this review has been posted to dooyoo.co.uk under the same user name)
Advantages: Ahhh sonic, cant get enough of you Disadvantages: Its Robotnik not Eggman!!
...am a huge fan of Sonic and his games, and this one brings back memories of some of Sonic's older 2D adventures.
Gameplay - 8/10
This game faithful to the original in almost every way. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles all reappear in this game are given virtually the same moves as in Sonic & Knuckles and other Sonic classic (except that Knuckles has not gained a neat swimming ability). Amy Rose is also added to the playable cast, and she actually makes ... ...as some of the Gamegear Sonic games (Sonic Chaos for example), but there are some surprises. Egg Rocket Zone is one of the best zones, as you constantly have to make it tp certain points within a tight time limit. However, another problem is that most of the game is too easy, with the only difficulties being a few of the bosses. On my first attempt (playing as Sonic), I made it up to the fourth level without losing a single life, before being wiped ...
GavLuvsGA 16.07.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sonic Advance (GBA)
Advantages: Classic Sonic gameplay, now handheld! Disadvantages: A bit short.
...was a very skilled game, Sonic games threw the script for platform games out the window and opted for eye blistering speed instead. Sonic enjoyed great success on the 16 bit Mega Drive before being forced to move into the 3D era. Now Sonic is welcomed back for his new gme, the 27th in his career I believe, and there are two main shocks: 1) It's back to his 2D roots and 2) It's on an Nintendo console!!
OK, so this is not the first outing for ol' ... ...Sonic 2-remixed Sonic Pocket Adventure on the Neo-Geo Pocket a couple of years back. however, Sonic's new game is totally new, apar from borrowing traditional ideas from past Sonic games, the levels are totally unique to the game. and come on, SONIC ON A NINTENDO CONSOLE?? Eleven years ago, people would have laughed in your face at the very thought.
The game retails at most places for the standard GBA game RRP of £34.99, but shop around and it's ...
dingmeister_2k 01.07.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sonic Advance (GBA)
Sonic the Hedgehog on a Nintendo console? 10 years ago, if I'd of said that to a hardcore gaming fanatic, they'd have laughed in my face, then gotten all of their geeky friends to beat me up with their braces.
Now though, it's reality (Sonic on a Nintendo game, not the beating up story). Sonic has come out for the most hallowed of Consoles, The GameBoy Advance.
~ What’s it all about (Alfie) ~
Before Sonic, the now world famous Hedgehog, SEGA fans ... ...playable.
They first gave sonic the ability to pick things up, but this made it harder for first-time gamers to play, so they gave him his spike on his back, put a jump attack in the mix, along with a bottle full of attitude and a cheeky face and they’d created Sega’s biggest claim to fame ever.
Loads of sonic games have been brought out over the years with new friends being put into the blender ever so often.
Sonics Friends:
Miles ‘Tails’ Prower
...
Tribute 12.03.2002 (04.04.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sonic Advance (GBA)
Advantages: A classic Disadvantages: the special stages are incredibly tough
...you exchange your Chao between Sonic Advance and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle for Nintendo’s splendid GameCube!
Cool, or what?
Sega have pulled out all the stops- and it shows. Do you remember how tasty the first Sonic was on the Mega Drive? Well, believe it or not, Sonic Advance is even better looking, with more detail and some cool scaling effects. Of course, all the usual levels are there, from the Green Hill Zone- style opener to the super-steep ... ...in this game.
Naturally, Sonic wouldn’t be complete without the appearance of archenemy, Dr Robotnik. And it seems he’s been up to his old tricks again, namely swiping the Chaos Emeralds to harness their power for world domination.
In Story Mode you can choose to play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles or Amy Rose, then bash, bounce and blast your way through seven levels. Each of these levels contains a hidden Special Stage that sees your character ...
jiggyjunior 13.05.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Sonic Advance (GBA)
Advantages: Seven levels of pure fun Disadvantages: Not the most original game
Who would have thought, Sonic on a Nintendo console, 5 years ago, the prospect was unthinkable. However, Sonic Team have come up with an idea that has been used before in previous Sonic games and is still a very playful game. I have had the game now for several weeks and have not got bored of it.
The idea of the game is simple; the evil Scientist, Dr Eggman (Sonics enemy) has hatched another dastardly plot. He plans to build a Dr. Eggman empire ... ...Tails, Knuckles and Amy
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: Meant to be the world’s fastest hedgehog. Probably the worlds most popular Hedgehog as well.
He has no particular skills, although he goes fast.
TAILS THE FOX: Tails is Sonics friend and has two tails, which he can spin round to fly. His flying ability means, in my opinion, is the best character in the game.
KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA: Knuckles’ best ability is to glide which is useful for high ...
NIKNAKy2k2 04.04.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Sonic Advance (GBA)
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Advantages: A great game with new concepts and ideas. Disadvantages: None i can think of at the moment.
Sonic is back again! Yup, this is his third adventure on the GBA and boy is it good! With every new SonicAdvance game, the fun just seems to improve in linear progression and get better every time! This time around, the game has a brand new exciting twist to it which I shall describe in a moment so read on!
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Advantages: Replayability, you will be playing this for months Disadvantages: Not much really, though the story is a bit of a let down
Introduction
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Gameplay - 9/10
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Advantages: Faster More Polished Gameplay and Very Addictive Disadvantages: Boss Attack Levels
Continuing the legacy of 2D Sonic games,this game is sheerly fantastic,but as with any game there are at least a few gripes to contend with.
For those of you who have never played a 2D Sonic game before the basics of Sonic are these,you run around giant levels (acts) killing badniks with animals inside them,collecting rings and avoiding traps,running around loops,beating bosses and collecting chaos emeralds to stop the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik and all sorts of wholesome stuff which made the originals one of the most lucrative video games franchises ever,however unlike SonicAdvance (which basically had nothing new included) to this mix of classic platforming are several new extras,good and bad.
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