Sonic Advance 3

"Third time's the charm!! Big time!"

My first review, and what a game to do it on! I've been a fan of Sonic games for as long as I can remember. However, even I would admit that Sonic Advance 1 was bad and Sonic Advance 2 really wasn't that great either (definitely better though). If you are a Sonic fan as well, you MUST get this game! Excuse my heresy but...this game is at least as fun as the genesis games and that is saying a lot. So anyway, on to the scoring.

Graphics: 10
Beautiful. This game isn't pixely like some other Game Boy Advance games are, it's really good looking. The characters are nice and detailed and the backgrounds are stunning, and I mean stunning. I was very impressed by them. In fact, there has been a couple of times when I simply waited a moment just to look at these backgrounds. Simply incredible. So incredible, you'll have to see it for yourself. The stage designs are also very pleasing to the eye. Some zones felt very much like the good old genesis games. This really helped it feel much more comfortable for an long time fan like myself. And after you return from the hospital because your eyes were burnt out by the games beauty, you will probably notice the also decent sound...

Sound: 9
Sure, not as good as the graphics, but still fine. This is really the only part of the game where it is slightly lacking. Notice, however, that I still gave it a nine. So that means I still think it is good. Sure it won't blow your mind but the music is still pretty nice to listen to. One pleasant surprise is the music from the second zone. It's a remixed version of Green Hill Zone, the very fist stage of the very first Sonic the Hedgehog. A very nice piece of music in my opinion. The music in the rest of the stages, menus, and other areas is good as well. Again, it isn't quite as good as the old genesis games, but I think this is really more the Game Boy Advance's fault. Sound has never really been one of it's strong points. Many of the sound effects are the same as usual. The jumping sound effect, spin dashing, knuckles climbing, Amy's hammer, Tails' tails, and all the rest. Everything there is still up to par as well. And for some reason I always get a kick out of the hidden chao when they say, well, "chao." What little you hear of the characters voices (also something the Game Boy Advance doesn't have much of) is good as well. So, to sum all that up, the sound is great for the system's capabilities and still manages to put even more of the series' old life into this new game...as weird as that sounds... and now for what you will be doing while hearing this sound...playing the game!!

Gameplay: 10!!!
This is where it gets really, REALLY good!! The gameplay in this game is, in some areas, pretty different when compared with the classic Sonic games. But, it has all of the old as well as all new abilities! Same fast paced jumping, rolling, flying, climbing action plus... *drum roll* "Tag Actions!" Now, again, I've always been a Sonic fan and probably always will be. The additions to the game play only improve the game's depth and replayability and take nothing away. How this whole partner system works is: you select your main character and then you select one of four other characters for a partner. The partner you select will not only affect you normal abilities, but each character has their own "tag action" which is used with the R button. You hold down the R button and after a short charge time (the charge time is not a problem either) your main character will be holding your parter character in a ball (like they are rolling). Once you let go of R the ability will take affect. There are two tag actions for most characters as well, one in the air and one on the ground. For example, if Tails is your partner, when you use your tag action on the ground he will launch you high into the air. If you jump and use Tails' tag action he will fly you around just like in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. These abilities are good for reaching new areas and finding the hidden chao which are necessary for unlocking the special zones where you get the chaos emeralds. Other characters will grant or modify other abilities as well. Knuckles will change your B button attack to a more powerful move. Sonic will slide attack farther and will be covered in flame. He can now also do his bounce attack by hitting down and B in the air. There is an extremely wide variety of abilities in this game due to all the various combinations of characters. This is what makes the game so fun. You can choose the combo you like or whichever one you want for the current situation. A combo that is good for speed if you want to dash through the stages or maybe one that is good at exploring stages or even a type that has powerful attacks and is good for fighting bosses. The gameplay is new but it still feels like a classic Sonic game. Playing as Sonic with Tails as your partner is very nostalgic because you have all the abilities you did before as well as the fact that Tails is following you around just like he was in the old games. Trust me, the game play is really good.
The way you select stages is different as well. Once you enter a zone you will need to go find the "Act Rings" when let you go to the three different acts of each zone then you can access the boss teleporter. The neat thing about this is that they also added two minigames in each level. These are good for getting extra lives if you need to fight a difficult boss or are just having trouble with a certain stage. There is also a large ring that lets you go to the "Sonic Factory" where you can check how many chao you have found, change characters, and travel to different zones. I really like this set up, personally.

Final Score: 10
Even if you didn't like the Sonic Advance series you just might like this one. Sonic Advance 3 is, quite possibly, the best 2D Sonic game. No joke. If you like Sonic games, especially the 2D ones, I would recommend buying this. If you aren't really a fan but don't hate Sonic, try it. Rent it or borrow it. If you don't like 2D Sonic games, please try it. This is different from the other ones you may have played and you might end up liking it. Sonic Advance 3 is a great addition to any Sonic fan's game collection and it might just make some new fans as well. Hopefully Sonic will continue to improve and grow for years to come.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/13/04