Sonic Rush Adventure

"Sonic rushes back to the DS, and this time he's on an adventure!"

Sonic returns to the DS in this new Sonic Rush title! Choosing either Sonic or Blaze, you sail across seas, race across islands, and fight the nasty forces of Captain Whiskers! The story in unveiled through various cutscenes, where Sonic and Tails experience some nasty weather while driving their bi-plane and crash into an unknown island. Only to encounter a hyperactive raccoon who dreams of exploring the seven seas.

The music in this game is impressive. Keeping the funky tunes of the original Rush, but at the same time causing reminiscence of classic Sonic tunes, with a few remixes that any fan could enjoy. The 2d sprites are gorgeous with gracious detail. The 3d graphics, while good for the DS, still look a little pixelated and blocky, but nothing too serious.

The stages are crafted with top-notch level design, something that was lacking in the original Rush. You will want to play the levels again and again. And you will. The game forces you to come back to old levels to collect "materials", tools needed to build more watercraft's for you to sail. This can get a bit repetitive at times, but luckily the levels go by fast so it doesn't take much time at all. The bosses are also some of the best in the whole series. With multiple difficulty settings, you fight the bosses across the two screens in and have to use timing and strategy to find the Bosses weak points.

The sailing in the game is also quite enjoyable. Searching for hidden islands, Chaos Emeralds, and missions almost never gets tiresome. It's a great distraction and makes the world in the game have more depth. With multiple sea carriers (including Water Bikes, Jet Skis, Submarines, and Hover Crafts) you can travel the sea in many different ways. While the Jet Ski acts like on of Sonic's special stage, the Submarine acts as a shooter, making you shoot missiles at upcoming objects. Certain carriers are also needed to reach certain islands and levels.

The game is also long. With over 14 levels, 16 islands, and 100 missions, there will be plenty to do before you complete everything. Which is good because lack of replayability was also a problem in the original Rush.

The Wi-Fi matches also add to the games depth, allowing you to race other players online or try to collect the most rings. There also is a Leader Board that keeps track of the top times Sonic fans have reached in the game's levels.

Ultimately, this game is a must for any fan of Sonic. It is just as good, if not better, than the Original Rush. Though it can be a bit repetitive with the same area being used multiple times, and a bit easy for the hardcore Sonic gamer, it is still a great title worth checking out. It reminds us why Sonic became so great in the first place, so fast.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/17/07

Game Release: Sonic Rush Adventure (EU, 09/14/07)