Sonic Rush Adventure

"A Great, Classic-style Sonic Title."

I picked this game up because I had some extra cash, and had, once upon a time, been a Sonic fan. By “once upon a time”, I mean during the classic Genesis days, when Sonic was in his prime, and when every Sonic game was a product of the utmost quality. The last Sonic game I really loved was Sonic and Knuckles. After that, the few titles I played seemed very much sub-par, and left me highly disappointed. But then I picked up this game and couldn't help but think to myself: “Well, Sega can still make a great Sonic title.” Here's the breakdown:

Graphics:
This game has both 2D and 3D graphics, which I will deal with individually. The vast majority of this game is 2D, in the classic Sonic side-scrolling style. The 2D aspects of this game look fantastic. The levels look bright, cheery and appealing, and everything is smooth. The framerate is constant. Sonic has never looked this good in 2D. The 3D portions, though they are but a small portion of the game, are not as pretty. There are no particular complaints here – these portions just don't seem as well polished. Overall, rather impressive.
Score: 8/10

Sound:
There is nothing like classic Sonic music. Unfortunately, this game doesn't have it. Gone are the incredible slap basslines, the fantastic synthesizer work, and the catchy old Sonic theme. The replacements are nowhere near as satisfying, or as well written. The game's theme song is pathetic and annoying at best. Some of the stage songs are all right, but none really stand out. A few of the more commonly repeated themes get tiresome to listen to, but none are outright bad. The sound effects are decent, but none are particularly memorable or impressive. They do serve to capture that classic Sonic mood, though, and that is definitely a plus.
Score: 7/10

Story:
Normally, I wouldn't rate a game like Sonic based on its story, and I'm not going to count the score of this section for or against this game. I just want to make it clear that this game is bogged down by long, boring cutscenes, unnecessary dialogue, and not-so-clever attempts at humor. Sonic was better before he spoke. Thankfully, you can skip cutscenes – I just feel so guilty doing it, like I'm insulting the writers.
In any event, my point is this: the story, the attempt at character development and the dialogue all slow this game down, and are completely unnecessary. This game would have been just as, if not more, enjoyable without them.
Score: 4/10

Multiplayer:
It's good. It's fun. It gets old fast. The online leader board for the time trials is a nice touch.
Score: 7/10

Gameplay:
This is the most important aspect of any game, and I always count the score to this section twice when compiling my overall score for any game. This is where this game really shines. The classic, side-scrolling stages are a blast, and very reminiscent of classic Sonic. Indeed, there are some improvements on the classic Sonic formula, such as the ability to do tricks and, thereby, to earn points. The stages are, for the most part, well-designed. There are some annoying areas where you'll find yourself dying simply by following the course of the level, or because you are going to fast after coming off a rail. But these are few and far between, and only an issue the first time you play a level: after that you can see them coming. The 3D portions of the game are enjoyable as well. Using the jet-ski is particularly fun. Driving some of the other crafts can get a bit tedious, but you'll never be doing it for very long, and chances are it will be enjoyable either way. In any event, the fun of the jet-ski more than makes up for any tediousness concerning the other crafts. The missions are fun as well, and range from absurdly simple to incredibly challenging – which is, of course, a good range of difficulty. The bosses are all very fun, and (though I don't want to spoil anyone's fun), I simply must say how much I enjoyed battling the final boss. It was amazingly fun, in a way that not even the classic Sonic games on the Genesis ever quite achieved. Overall, the game tends very much on the easy side, though, as I mentioned, there is plenty of challenge to be had in mission mode. Overall, this game is incredibly fun. Whether you want to play for fun or for stats, this game has it all.
Score: 9/10

My final score will be the average of the above scores (save that of Story), rounded up (I like to give games the benefit of the doubt). As a last word, I recommend this game to any who are fans of the classic Sonic games on Genesis, as well as to those who may never have played a 2D Sonic game before. It's an experience not to be missed.

Overall Score: 8.0
Rounded Score: 8.0
… well, that worked out conveniently …

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/17/07

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