Sonic the Hedgehog: Pocket Adventure

"Blue Hedgehog Invades SNK's Pocket Console"

Sonic the Hedgehog has always been one of my favorite video game characters. Mainly because I loved his Sega Genesis games. Then the Saturn neglected him, the Dreamcast did a poor job of presenting him, and the N-Gage just plain screwed him. So when I saw this game for my NGPC I was more than a bit hesitant to pick it up. So why did I? Because it looked like the Genesis games. Did it play like one? Let's see.

Yes, yes it did. The gameplay is spot-on, and deserves a 10. The old 16-bit days are dark and (gasp!) dying or dead (depending on who you are)... but the 16-bit glory is all here in this port. There is no hit on performance here, the speediness of Sonic is translated beautifully, and flying through each level with the greatest of ease is definately an option, as you have solid framerates, and can find no noticeable lag whatsoever. The game moves along at a rapid, solid, stable framerate, Sonic is a blue blur of speed... and controlling him is very easy. I would compare this game to SonicN on the N-Gage, and frankly this game is light-years ahead of that version. I love the gameplay, it's classic Sonic.

Once again Sonic is out to defeat Dr. Robotnik, and save the animals of the land from the evil machinations of the evil Doctor. Classic Sonic storyline, works well...

The graphics are wonderful. The backgrounds are reminiscent of the best Genesis had to offer, and Sonic looks well-rendered, he is detailed nicely, and has cool animations when you refuse to press the d-pad long enough. Sonic just looks brilliant, the 16-bit flavor is back and works well in this game. The backgrounds are simple, but colorful and enjoyable. They really do look like exact translations of the Genesis backgrounds... the colors are vibrant, the characters are well-animated and highly visible. The graphics in this game are wonderful. I give it a 10.

The sound department gets an 8, because I really don't like the NGPC sound-hardware. The cool Sonic tunes are back with some new tunes, but really the NGPC is kind of a slacker when it comes to sound. The people at Sega brought back the 'Sega' announcement before the game, which is cool and takes me back to the old days... too bad it sounds as bad as the Genesis did.

Replay Value gets a 9. Playing Sonic repeatedly is enough to bore even the youngest and simplest of minds. However this game is cool because it allows for a duel mode between you and other NGPC owners. Collecting enough emeralds to become Super Sonic is kind of cool and a definate challenge that may keep you coming back for more. Really the game is top-notch and is good enough to warrant playing it through until the end more than two or three times. However don't expect the kind of replay value that some sophisticated sims give you... it's fun and a blast to play, but once you've done it all its hard to see yourself wanting to come back the very next day. However enjoying this game several times over when on long trips or simply sitting in school between classes (college kids) well this game has some solid replay value there.

Overall I recommend this game to any NGPC owner especially those who remember the Genesis Sonic games fondly. If you hate Sonic, then this may not be a good choice for you. However it is good enough to perhaps change your opinion about the blue hedgehog. This game is outstanding and is one of the best the Neo-Geo Pocket Color has to offer. I really enjoyed this title, and I think you will too if you give it a chance. It truly is Sonic in all his 16-bit glory, the speed, the control, the fun and excitement is all here. Great game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/15/04