Review: Hedgehogs, and big cats, and robots, oh my!
Sonic, Sonic, Sonic; everybody's heard of him. He's a videogame legend. Sonic and crew have been appearing on Sega console's since the very beginning, and they were never a let down. The same is true in this 128-bit update of Sonic, for the most part. It isn't easy being the very first platformer on a next-gen system, but Sonic pulls it off nicely. Being the huge Sonic fan that I am, I expected this game to be no less than stellar. Let's see if I was right...
The visuals in Sonic Adventure (SA) are definitely first generation stuff, but that isn't necessarily bad, now is it? For being one of the first games on Dreamcast, the graphics are definitely top-notch. The game runs at a blistering 60fps and there is only minor slowdown when the game loads new parts of the level (which will hopefully be fixed in Sonic Adventure 2). The levels in Sonic Adventure are very detailed, even compared to non-first-gen titles. From the bridge being torn apart by the killer whale in Emerald Coast, to the tornado that sucks up your character in Windy Valley, to the Adventure Fields, SA never fails to amaze in the graphics department.
As for the audio in SA, it is above par for the most part. Let's start off with music. The music in SA is very good. The tracks have a more modern, up-to-date sound, however, they still manage to capture the classic Sonic feel. Each level has a unique score, and they fit perfectly to create a wonderful gaming experience. The sound effects are also updated, but capture the feeling of Sonic back on the Genesis. From the "poing" of Sonic's jump, to the "ping" of collecting rings, the sound is extremely well done. The main downfall in the audio department has to be the sub-par voice acting. It's obvious that Yuji Naka and the rest of Sonic Team were pressed for time to get this game out by launch. The lip-synching is out of sync; the voices are not done well at all for most of the characters. A big thumbs down to Sonic Team for this.
The gameplay in SA is very similar to the 2D Sonic games. The main difference is that this time Sonic and gang are rendered in full 3D. Basically, you must take Sonic and gang from Point A to Point B without dying. It sounds easy, but after you play through a level for the first time, you must play through it 2 more times. The 2nd and 3rd times going through a level require you to meet certain criteria in order to earn an emblem and effectively "clear" the level. Once you clear a level, there is a video sequence using a mix of FMV and the game's engine displaying an event and opening up a new level. The game is very easy to follow; the general format is: Adventure stage, event, action stage, repeat until game is finished. Even with an easy to follow format like this, the game is still very enjoyable.
Sonic Adventure is packed with features. You can play as 7 different characters, each has his/her own story and goals in each level. Returning characters consist of Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Knuckles, while the new comers are Big the Cat and E-102. You may be thinking, "I thought that genious Brandon said that there are 7 characters, when he only listed 6! What a dummy!" Well, if you were thinking that, you are wrong. There is 1 more character hidden deep in the depths of SA that you must unlock to really "beat" the game. Sonic Adventure also features upwards of 50 levels (that includes the same level for each separate character because each level is different for each character). However, one of the greatest features in SA is the exclusive "A-Life" system. The A-Life mini game consists of breeding, training, and racing (and loving ^_^) you "Chao" creatures. Chao are basically a mix between marshmallows and puppies. Everybody loves puppies and everybody loves Chao, too! And a message to all you Chao killers out there, look out, I'm coming for you!
The replay value in SA really depends on the gamer. If you are like me, and love Chao, then you no doubt will want to keep playing to raise your Chao's stats to their maximum value, but, if you are not a Chao person, you will probably shelf this game after obtaining most of the Emblems. I say most because there are some very tough ones out there.
