Sonic Rush Adventure

"Sonic Rush was fast, eh? Well, take a look at this."

It's safe to say that Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog has had a healthy legacy with him is his extensive selection of games. He's come a long way since his Genesis roots, and although there's been plenty of debate these days on the quality of his recent games, there always comes a time in a hero's life where something really extraordinary appears. Sonic Rush was Sonic's golden hour. It was easily one of the best Sonic games in a long time, and brought the side-scrolling series into a brilliant and new light. Widely recognized as a high-speed blast on the Nintendo DS, Sonic Rush was the rebirth of Sonic's side-scrolling roots in a beautiful and clever game. Sonic Team quickly devised a sequel for Nintendo's popular handheld, this time taking places on the high seas. Sonic Rush Adventure is Sonic's newest DS outing. Is it still a rush?

Sonic Rush Adventure picks up when Sonic and Tails hit some turbulence while soaring above the ocean. Their craft, the Tornado, is engulfed by a mysterious storm and crash lands in new and unknown territory. Sonic and Tails awaken on a village island, with its own spunky raccoon girl named Marine. Marine is a spirited, though naïve child who just wants to explore the sea herself. Later on, Sonic and his sailing pals meet up with old friend and ally Blaze, and there's sure to be some inter-dimensional confusion. Mix in a crazy robotic pirate captain named Captain Whisker and Sonic and Blaze are sure to show another fight to save the world. It's great to see Blaze again, who is definitely becoming a popular character with her recent appearances, and while Marine isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, she does bring a decent amount of comic relief throughout. It's a clever story with a few twists and turns to boot.

Sonic Rush Adventure mixes up the traditional side-scrolling roots with some high-seas ocean combat. The different levels are placed on different islands in the great ocean. No, it's not like Wind Waker. Instead, Sonic can select from a group of different watercrafts, ranging from a jetski to a sailboat. Each craft is controlled differently and has its own quirks to take out enemies. The different abilities are mildly amusing, but you'll be wandering and sailing for far too long due to sloppy mapmaking. You see, using the stylus you can draw a line to where your destination should be. After fighting off slew after slew of robotic enemies, you'll come to a stop with no island in sight. This is annoying, and it happens a lot. This island theory also breaks up the running sequences a bit, which can be quite frustrating when the original Sonic Rush was so serious about it. The high-seas action is pretty involving and Sonic Team does deserve some merit for attempting to break up the action a bit, but the sea sequences prove more annoying than creative, which is a real shame.

But never fear, Sonic loyal; Sonic Rush Adventure, at its core, is still Sonic Rush, and it retains nearly all the fun of its predecessor. Sonic and Blaze are still both along for the ride, and so is their Tension Gauge and Trick system. Like before, pressing B and R in mid-air or along grinds builds up Tension. Tension can be spent with the Rush command, a high-speed dash that offers invincibility, which is used by pressing Y. The Trick system is a bit more in-depth this time around. Sonic and Blaze can begin mid-air tricks by pressing B in mid-air, but to seal the deal, you need to press A. This does offer a more complex degree of tricks, so it narrowly dodges one of Sonic Rush's original problems.

Even better is the much more complex level design. There is rarely a moment where Sonic or Blaze isn't moving, and it's absolutely spectacular when the speed and design come together. The game offers in-game minigames throughout and the 3-D design aesthetic lets the designers throw in some incredibly nice quirks. Running through a lush forest or taking off in a haunted pirate ship are only a few of the awesome design elements in Sonic Rush Adventure. The levels are fluid and smooth at many turns, and the slick 3-D graphics show plenty of ways to get around. It's also much faster than Sonic Rush, which had its moments of annoyance and slowness every once in a while. Sonic Rush Adventure, on the other hand, is completely smooth nearly every step of the way. It was tough for Sonic Team to elaborate on Sonic Rush's incredible design, but Sonic Rush Adventure is a grand reminder of why we love Sonic.

Throughout the different levels, Sonic can battle the many bosses of Captain Whisker and his crew. The bosses, as in Sonic Rush, are fully 3-D, but Sonic and Blaze can only move along the 2-D plane. Regardless, the bosses are refreshingly creative. Whether it's tackling a giant kraken or facing a giant robotic whale, the bosses in Sonic Rush Adventure will always keep you guessing at what crazy creation will appear next. It's amazing how Sonic Team manages to create such clever Sonic bosses year after year, and it's great to see such new concepts pushed in Sonic Rush Adventure.

The main story will take you a while to complete, along with its intended Special Stages. As always, collecting the emeralds is a key task. Along the way, Sonic and Blaze can perform Missions from Marine. These can range from collecting rings, completing levels in a set amount of time, performing tricks, among others. The Missions tap out at 100, which is good for those who like to finish 100%. Even better is the new multiplayer options. Sonic Rush Adventure has the traditional race and ring collection stages with both multi-card and single-card download play, but the game connects with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Players can race against other players online or test their times in a ranking leaderboard. The game can be difficult, and doesn't leave a lot of room for error in online races, but it's a fun addition, including another reason to come back to Sonic Rush Adventure.

As with the original Sonic Rush, Sonic Rush Adventure is a great looking DS game. The mix of polygonal animation in the 2-D world is extremely well performed. There are the occasional graphical messes and some of the more extreme moments can create a tad of slowdown, but at full speed, Sonic Rush Adventure is one of fastest and smoothest DS games seen yet. It also has one of the best soundtracks as well. Upbeat hip-hop, tribal island tunes, or some excellent guitar rock and techno round out a solid list of excellent sound. The voices, on the other hand, are reused. Clips from Sonic Rush are okay, although if you played Sonic Rush, you may recall hearing them. A lot. Overall, though, Sonic Rush Adventure is an amazing looking and sounding DS game, rounding out the high-speed gameplay and top-notch replay value.

Pros
+ Level design is inventive and awesome
+ Trick system is much deeper than before
+ Levels pose a solid challenge
+ Online and local multiplayer
+ 3-D Boss sequences are plenty clever
+ Amazing graphics and soundtrack

Cons
- Ship sailing sequences are a bit too frequent
- Ship sailing sequences not all are fun
- Reused voice clips can be annoying

Sonic Rush Adventure isn't the grand revitalization that its predecessor was, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't bring another excellent adventure for Sonic and crew. The high-seas action is a clever diversion, but breaking up the different challenges with dull shooting and racing sequences isn't the wisest of choices on the developers' part, especially when the sequences are so frustratingly frequent. While the online multiplayer is definitely fun, it lacks room for error and doesn't provide the flexibility of other online outings. Regardless, Sonic Rush Adventure is a superb follow-up to the excellent DS original, including plenty of replay value for the competitive or completion-focused. The online mode is a great addition, and even if you aren't into the multiplayer, the deep and extensive Mission Mode and amazing level design will keep you coming back. Sonic Rush Adventure delivers a high-speed adventure with a ton of depth and options, and is well worth purchasing.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/01/07

Game Release: Sonic Rush Adventure (US, 09/18/07)