Sonic the Hedgehog: Pocket Adventure

"A Sonic 2 rehash...but still worth your time."

For anyone who has played Sonic the Hedgehog 2, this game certainly won't be anything new. This game rehashes many of the levels from the second installment in the series, but gives them all somewhat different titles (Secret Plant and Cosmic Casino are the first two that come to mind). So, if you're looking for something new -- some new twists on the same old formula, etc -- then look elsewhere, 'cause this game doesn't have what you want at all. If you're really looking for a somewhat different Sonic portable title, I'd have to recommend the Gameboy Advance series (1 and 2), as they attempt to be more innovative in gameplay.
For many of us however, there's nothing wrong with the same ole' Sonic, and if you're a hardcore Sonic fan like myself, then this game is certainly worth your time for the minute differences that it contributes to the Hedgehog series.
One of the coolest things about this game for me, were the boss battles against Knuckles and Sonic's robotic counterpart. These two battles were completely unexpected, and were a real treat, especially because that meant that Robotnik finally got to sit out a couple of times and let someone else take the spotlight.
The plot is pretty non-existent, although the Sonic series wasn't known for an amazing plot in the first place. It's the same old formula : Sonic must retrieve the Chaos Emeralds, and destroy Dr. Robotnik in the process. *insert yawn here* Yeah, it's the same old thing, but it's a minor element in a game that has really always been completely dependent on gameplay.
The controls are good, and Sonic has his standard ''dash'' and jump. No real differences were made in this department, in comparison to other Sonic games.
The graphics, in my opinion, while somewhat simplistic, are actually very good for the system that they are on. The Neo Geo Pocket Color isn't the Gameboy Advance, that's for sure, but the graphics in this game hold up extremely well, and things are quite detailed. Sonic even does his trademark foot-tapping if you leave him waiting too long.
The sound is also quite good in this game, although, once again, this is all rehashed from previous Sonic titles. Compared to the original tunes, the music in Pocket Adventure holds up quite well, although the music has been simplified a bit (understandably so).
The standard bonus levels, in order to retrieve Chaos Emeralds, have also returned -- and these are also, exactly the same in style as the bonus levels in Sonic 2. However, I found them to be a little bit harder to beat, but that might just be me.
Some features in Pocket Adventure that you might not have expected are 1) different difficulty levels, 2) an automatic save feature after every act (not just after each zone), and 3) collectable puzzle pieces that can be assembled into character puzzles. There is also a time trial feature for every act, and you receive different rankings depending on how long you take to complete an act. All of these things help the replayability tremendously, so, even when you've beaten the game once, you might just decide to plow through it again a couple more times.
However you choose to look at it, Sonic Pocket Adventure is a great game that everyone should play at least once, especially the hardcore Sonic fans out there. It's a fast and fun portable romp that you won't soon forget, especially if your experiences with the Sonic the Hedgehog series are limited.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/22/04