Sonic Advance 2

"An awesome game! But a few minor flaws."

Sonic the Hedgehog has been a gaming idol for many years, and fans have always loved his games. Sonic Advance 2 is no exception, it features 4 playable characters (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Cream), tons of unlockables, and multiplayer, following the Sonic tradition.

Story: 8/10
Every Sonic game has roughly the same storyline: foil the demented scientist Dr. Robotnik's evil plan. This holds true for Sonic Advance 2. But there is a small twist that makes it different. One of the new characters, Cream the Rabbit, is trying to save her mother who was kidnapped by... guess who? Dr. Robotnik. So she has a slightly different story, which bumps this rating from a 6 to an 8.

Gameplay: 10/10
What can I say? This is good ol' classic fast-paced Sonic gameplay. The controls are easy to learn, and every character his his or her own special abilities, enabling them to reach areas the other characters can't reach. This also adds to the replay value. A cool feature improving from the first Sonic Advance is that every character can grind. Another new thing is that you can get an extra boost by holding R and pressing the desired direction. The speed is about 2 times faster than SA1. Heck, you might actually get dizzy.

Graphics/Sound: 9/10
The sound in this game is very good. The background music is suited perfectly for the level it plays for. It really sets the mood. The graphics, well, they haven't improved much. But they did a bit. The animations when you hold up on the control pad is sometimes funny. The level backgrounds are unbelievable. They are the best of almost every Sonic game.

Replay Value: 9/10
The replay value is pretty good. You'll want to go through the game with each of the characters, collecting all the 7 Chaos Emeralds, which can be gotten from the HARD Special Stages. Doing so will unlock... I won't spoil it. But yeah, this game will last a month or two if you're a casual gamer. But if you love raising the adorable Chao and you're an avid Sonic fan, it will last a year.

To sum it up:
With 4 playable characters, countless unlockables, the Chao, and trying to get all the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic Advance 2 turns out to be a great game for anyone to get. It continues Sonic Team's legacy of making great games. You will love it!

Rent or Buy?:
I would say ''BUY'' right off the bat.

FINAL RATING: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/15/03, Updated 03/15/03