Sonic Adventure

"Experience the adventure for yourselt."

Sonic Adventure was released on September 9, 1999 for the Sega Dreamcast; SA was one of the many launch titles released for the system, it was also one of the best. SA was developed by Sonic Team and was published by Sega. SA allows you to choose from six characters: Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, Knuckles, Big the Cat, Amy, and a rogue robot of Dr. Robotnik. SA marks a rather drastic change for the Sonic the Hedgehog series, this was the first time Sonic was in a 3D adventure, many fans were worried that the non-stop action of the Sonic series woud be lost in the transition to the third dimension; I’m happy to say, that, for the most part, Sonic’s classic gameplay remains intact.

The graphics in SA are totally mind-blowing. The characters are chock-full of detail, each character model was meticulously detailed, you can make out most any feature on any of the characters in the game. Even with all of their detail, the characters maintain super-smooth movements that move at a blistering 60 frames per second. The environments in SA are immense, they are some of the largest environments ever in a 3D adventure game. Not only are the in-game environments in SA huge, they are also lush, and extremely detailed. Even with all of these details, there is nary a trace of pop-up in the game. However, the graphics are not flawless, there are quite a few camera issues in the game that really should have been resolved, most of the camera issues are minor and don’t harm the gameplay, but some of them do, and it knocks the score down.

The music in SA has an upbeat tempo to it that really adds to the gaming experience. The music is used in such a way that it emphasizes the action-packed nature of the game. Most of the music throughout the game is amazing. The sound effects are old-school Sonic, and I love it. Everything, from the clank of the rings, to the buzz of the lightning shield sounds just right, with just enough of a change to get newer gamers impressed, and enough of the old-school sound to make older Sonic players teary eyed with nostalgia.

Now we have come to the meat and potatoes of the game, the gameplay. The gameplay in SA is multi-faceted. The Sonic levels are super-fast, white-knuckle, rides of pure excitement and insanity. These sections have some platforming sections, but most of the time you'll be destroying enemies and running through the levels at break-neck speeds just like the old days. Tails’ levels involve him racing against Sonic. Sonic is super-fast, so you've got to use every trick in the book to beat him. Knuckles’ levels are the most arguous in the game. His levels are glorified scavenger hunts, and I hate that. I’m glad Sonic Team had the foresight to limit the number of things you needed to collect; the saving grace of these levels is that they really compliment Knuckles abilties well. Knuckes’ abilities consist of flying, digging, and climbing, so he is perfectly suited to this type of gameplay. Amy's levels are spent running from a big robot while attacking enemies with a giant hammer. Big the Cat's levels involve him fishing for his missing fish. The robot's levels are spent fighting good, then fighting Robotnik's minions. Thankfully, Sonic Team has added a virtual life simulator called the Chao system as a nice little diversion for you, just in case you get bored of the actual game.

The control in SA is rock-solid. You can pull off a wide variety of attacks and maneuvers no matter which character you are; the best thing is, each and every attack can be done effortlessly, the control is just that responsive. The controls are flawless, the button configuration is spot-on, everything is just where it should be, you’ll get so attached to the control scheme in the game, it will seem like an extension of you.

The replay value of SA is off the charts. There is a ton of stuff to unlock. You will feel compelled to complete the entire game with each character, if you do this, you’ll be rewarded, handsomely. If you get bored with the main game, go fiddle around with the Chao game. You can play with your Chao on your VMU and take it anywhere.

The presentation in SA is one of the best ever. Everything in the game, from the menus, to the fonts used in the game, have an edgy, yet light-hearted look and feel to them. This really compliments the nature of the game.

Overall, this is one of the most complete packages you’ll ever find on the DC. SA has it all, amazing graphics, pulse-pounding music, rock-solid gameplay, and spot-on control The game has some of the most diverse gameplay you’ll ever see, the amazing thing is that it intertwines each type of gameplay perfectly, none of the gameplay styles feel out of place in a Sonic game, well, except for Knuckles’ levels.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/29/01, Updated 06/29/01