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"Entirely a pure fun gameplay, intense storyline that will get you gripped and tons of replay value - that's what an adventure game should have."

Sonic Adventure was released as one of the first batch of games and of course, SonicTeam’s five years on spending creating, designing and making this game turns out to be really outstanding. The truly perfect in-depth gameplay, truly huge and creative design on the graphics, good-sounding music and the overall replay value turns out to be great. If you’re used to 2D games like me, expect a little problem on getting used to the fully 3D environment but you should get easily used to it as there are many helpful hints and tips around that will help you along with this game.

Graphics – 10
Every single thing of this game are totally detailed, making a truly perfect 3D graphics environment with everything rendered greatly, not a thing is to be missed out. The characters themselves are very cute to look at, especially Tails and Amy. The characters models are in 3D so it’s really an amazing awe from me as I’m not expecting a truly realistic character models of those 2D memories brought back from the various Sonic games in the good ‘ol Genesis. The game also moves very fast and fluent but without a single slow-down or noticeable flaw in the frame-rates. But unfortunately, there are also several minor problems, like if you went to fast and ram into a side of a wall and other simple and miscellaneous problems.

The background are great, with those sky turning colour from time to time as this game has a built-in time to suit the story sequence of the story, meaning that you will see the sky transforming into cool, respective colours that looks extremely real, especially red and purple mixed up together at dawn. The stages are relatively huge and designed thoroughly with every single aspect not be missed like the tiny dandelions giving out their seeds, red mountaineering areas, roads that leads one way to another, hot bloody lava that could melt anyone that accidentally fell in there (well, sort of) and the aeroplane, Tornado that looks real cool when piloted by Tails.

Music – 10
The background music themselves are a great thing to hear, changing from various tunes that are great to listen and pleasant to the ears. Some can be real cool with rapping and all of that sort while some can get real quick into a fast mood to suit with Sonic’s characteristics. Not to mention that there are totally no eerie tunes as most action and adventure games will have, so people who can get scared easily will be safe with that aspect. And of course, the best things are the characters’ music theme that have lyrics in them and are sung by various people. These are cool to listen and those who love music will be enchanted by certain of them.

The voices, on the other hand, are one thing that I really like about them. All of the Sonic games are mute (well, no voices) and the only way you can hear them is to watch the three Sonic cartoons that appeared in the past and probably there are in few countries in the present, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog and the latest and newest cartoon, Sonic Underground. The voices really suit everyone, especially our three main characters, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles with a certain kind of ‘attitude’ in their voices.

The sound effects are just nice with every single action that you perform will result noises that suit in everything. Example, when Sonic spins, you can hear the original spinning sound but more enhanced and when Tails fly about with his twin tails. How you jump, rustling of leaves, horrid machinery created by Eggman, tons of enemy robots moving and shooting around and many more. Just great, to cap that.

Gameplay – 10
This is an action / adventure game so you have to expect things based on that, enemies and more enemies, destroying and more destroying, and more rap action that will grab everyone’s attention. This game is fast, with lots of Sonic attitude and in fact, too fast for you to control in the beginning. As you started the game as Sonic, you can admire the wonders that have been created here, as well as the storyline that grips you and makes you crave for more.

Most of the enemies are very simple to defeat, it’s only the stages that will give you a headache. Some stages are simply too hard and will make you throw your controller to the floor in frustration because of the stages’ design or you’re stuck in a particular point while others are relatively easy and straightforward. Other times, you're needed to solve a certain puzzle that will allow you to continue the game further.

Choosing different characters will let you enter different stages with different missions. Every characters will have their own respective missions which differs from one to another. Example, Sonic’s stages are pretty simple and what you need to do is to reach to the other end to break the capsule that holds animals to collect or collect the Chaos Emeralds or any other things. Tails’ missions are to race a particular character to the end of the stage and you’ll need to find shortcuts to get you through. If you ever need help, there will be a glowing red ball that will help you from time to time, inside the stages or even outside them to give you hints on certain puzzles.

To know better about these Sonic Adventure areas, there are few things that are separated from one to another. The Action Stages are what they are called, simply stages which you must complete in order to progress to the next stage. The Adventure Field is one big compound area which you can explore and complete certain tasks and puzzle there. There are not really any missions here but it’s basically like a city where you can wander about and access the Action Stages from these places.

Your freedom is released in here where you can do almost everything you like but only certain areas can only be accessed and only certain shops can only be visited. You can jump down from a high cliff in the Adventure Field and lose your life but if you want to go somewhere that does not allow you to do so, there will be an invisible barrier that holds you back, no matter how much you tried and jump and fly about, there will be no use.

If you have played any of the Sonic games before this great game, you’ll be pleased to know that some of the old features are remained intact. Collecting rings will be a common thing and getting all 100 of those gold things will gain you an extra life. You can also hit item boxes which are now redesigned into a transparent box and there is also even a loop-de-loop which can be found on some of the stages. Jumping from moving platforms are also available on the stages too, which are useful to get you across but you’re most likely to find yourself falling down to the bottomless pits with nothing at the end.

Of course, there will be bosses in certain stages and areas which you must really defeat. In the beginning, these bosses does not posses any threat to you (as most Robotnik’s robots are useless, or Eggman as all of the characters call him) and they’re easily defeated with a couple of hits. You’ll notice their patterns of attacking and you can easily dodge from all of their pitiful attacks. But nearly the end or in the middle of any adventure, these bosses and robots will be almost impossible to be defeated, until you know all of their ways and have managed to get used to these type of controls.

Another wonderful thing is that you can try and find those nifty power-up items that will enhance your power and give you cool new attacks and moves that will help you along your journey as well as defeat enemies easily. Every of all the characters will have at least one power-up items and most of them are hidden in places that you wouldn’t even guess. But as always, the glowing red ball will always be there to help you out and hint locations where the power-up should be.

And then, there is the cute, cute virtual pet called A-Life or better known as Chao. This cute things can be put inside your memory card as a mini-game or better still, you can feed it with foods and combine it with animals you will find in the Action Stages after you destroyed the robots to have it grow those animals characteristics and have the animals’ abilities. You can do almost anything you like ranging from carrying it about or even spin towards your Chao to hurt him and eventually die. And you’ll soon grow attachment to these things, and raise it where it will evolve. Taking care and understanding the Chao’s life process will be a great knowledge to you as you will then understand more and not to be worried on little things.

Raising your Chao both outside in the game and inside the memory card is crucial for your Chao’s health life and ever-growing abilities. Inside the memory card you can fight against computer enemies or connect two memory cards together and fight against your friend’s Chao. You can even name your Chao and store your personal details inside the memory card when your Chao asks for it. Even so, you can play a memory game that will gain you more food for your Chao to eat. These foods will add more points to the abilities where you can train your Chao to be perfect. These abilities are: Fly, Run, Swim and Power where the first three abilities are useful for the Chao Race and the Power is your Chao’s strength inside the game where you must have them to attack your enemies although the Power is also useful on one or two of the races.

The Chao Race are basically a place for you to race against your computer opponents to get a medal or you can even race against your friend’s Chao or your own Chao. If you have played Final Fantasy VII before, you’ll know that there is a Chocobo Race where you can race your yellow, fluffy bird Chocobo, based on what food you have give them will give them strength. If you have played it before, you’ll understand the basic concept of Chao Race. Your Chao will either lose or win based on how high the abilities are and how you have trained and raised your Chao.

Added to that, if you have bought a Dreamcast with modem inside it (which would be a European, US and Japan Dreamcasts), you can access the Internet where you can download lots of add-on files that will fiddle and change the appearances or any features in Sonic Adventure which is a nice change. Example, you can download the Christmas download where you will see Christmas trees appearing in every Adventure Field and snow raining down or a contest file where you must find something within the game or even submit your highest score when Sega held a contest to see whether you’re the fastest or not. Surfing the Internet has never been at all fun, until this game is released. The official website of Sonic Adventure that can only be accessed by Dreamcast will really get you hooked!

Controls – 10
There should not be any problem while playing this game because it’s got the simplest controls where even a six-year old can play this game. Just a jump and attack button and the D-pad controls will let you learn very quickly. If you are not comfortable with the controls, try and get used to them and this game should not pose any controls difficulty. Really. Just jump and attack and you’ll perform the move.

Story – 10
Possibly the best storyline ever as it’s deep in meaning and requires you to pay attention carefully to know what is actually going on. Basically this time, the story takes place in the planet Earth instead of Mobius. Dr. Robotnik (or Eggman as the characters call him) is back and works on his disastrous plans. He woke up the mysterious, liquid creature, Chaos and planned to give him the most powerful essence, the 7 Chaos Emeralds. Once he got all of them, he will ‘turn Station Square into rubble’ to build his so-called ‘Robotnikland’ (sounds more like an amusement park!). That’s where Sonic must try and make his plans fail by getting the Chaos Emeralds first!

Also, there is a mysterious connection between Chaos and the other echidna girl? What could it be? In every character’s adventure, there will a short story about them and it could be quite confusing if you don’t pay attention properly and as you progress, you’ll begin to understand more. So, find out yourself. You can take control of the available six characters with their own storylines and you’ll get to know their missions.

Replay Value – 10
There are simply so many things to do for goodness sake and six characters means six times the fun. The Chao virtual pet system will allow you to take care of the rest, meaning that you’ll lose your sleep and be totally addicted to the game. It requires lots of time (basically most of your time) and patience so if you’re up to the challenge, play this game and train your army of Chao. Furthermore, there are lots of stages which you can find yourself playing them all over again for fun and it’s worth the time spending them.

Thankfully, Sega has implanted the Emblem system, where you’re required to find them in the Adventure Fields and collect all of them in the Action Stages by reaching at the end of the level in the fastest time possible. Exciting, eh? To make a surprise shock for you, there are 130 Emblems all together; three in each of every character’s Action Stages and the rest of them scattered all over in the Adventure Fields. Getting all of them will let you boast to all of your friends as the Sonic Adventure master as getting all of them are difficult, real difficult.

Overall – 10
On top of everything I say, Sonic Adventure is a game not to be missed as it possessed everything that an action / adventure game should have, lots of fun, pure exciting gameplay and tons of replay value. As it is, there are simply too many things to do as you can roam about in this fully 3D world or play with your cute Chao, making you to lose sleep and be totally addicted to it. Nevertheless, grab this game and shell out your money and you’ll see that you’ve made a right choice.

Sonic
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+ Great graphics with full-roaming 3D world.
+ The cool A-Life (Chao) system will get you addicted!
+ Cool music, great storyline and lots of things to do even after you have finished the game!

Panic
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- Occasional graphical glitches…
- You’ll get addicted!
- You’ll lose sleep!



Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/19/00, Updated 11/19/00