Times change, people
change and so does technology itself. While the world keeps evolving there are
still certain things you can count on remaining the same and one of them just
happens to be that Sonic the Hedgehog still feels right at home on the palm of
your hand. Sonic Advance 3 doesn’t push the envelope in terms of
bringing something new to the Game Boy Advance but then again sometimes change
can spoil a really good thing. I mean, why mess with a good thing, right?
Well, thankfully Sega and
THQ felt the same way and pretty much kept the things that worked outstandingly
for Sonic Advance 2, a sequel that was platformer heaven for fans of the
platformer genre. All your favorite characters are back and this time there’s
more emphasis on teamwork and if you loved the last game for its stellar
multiplayer option than you’ll love this one even more.
That no-good dastardly Dr.
Eggman is at it once again and this time he used a power called Chaos Control to
break the world into seven parts. In the splitting of the world, Sonic the
Hedgehog and Tails the Fox find themselves separated from their other friends
and its now up to them to put a stop to Dr. Eggman’s plot to turn each world
into seven different empires. In order to stop him, they much collect seven
Chaos Emeralds to reuse Chaos Control to undo the damage done. It won’t be easy
since Dr. Eggman is an evil genius when it comes to constructing robots but
teamwork is the key to your success.
You start the game with a
choice between playing as Sonic or playing as Tails (you can later unlock
Knuckles, Cream and Amy Rose and this changes the game almost completely).
Either character you choose in the game’s single player mode will keep the
unused secondary character as a partner. Controlled by the computer, your
partner picks up rings you might have missed (and trust me, as Sonic you’re
bound to miss more than a few) and also help you by giving you a boost. The
game allows you to perform a Tag Action, which has you performing certain moves,
in synch with your partner. For example, you missed a springboard and you’re
stuck on a platform, just call your partner and he (or she) will perform a jump
at the same time as you and this extra “boost” will propel you even higher. The
great thing is that the computer-controlled partner does a great job of catching
up to you so you can always count on your partner, especially when you need him
or her most.
The stages are designed
pretty much like the old-school Sonic classics and while it might seem a little
dated or have that been-there-done-that feel; the stages are just still so much
fun. You’ll find plenty of the things we love about the old Sonic games such as
springboards, loops, speed burst stations, trampolines and spikes that suddenly
spring up when you get near them. Sonic and Tails are practically defenseless
against spikes or hovering bombers but they are able to clobber enemies with
their own unique attacks. Since the world is separated, the levels are broken
into Zones with three Acts that must be completed in order to move to the next
Zone. There’s even a Sonic Factory that allows you to revisit past stages and
change partners so you can continue on your quest to stop Dr. Eggman. The game
also mixes the action by including Special Stages and a Boss Area.
Sonic Advance 3’s biggest
strengths come from its perfect blend of tag-team action and solid platforming
gameplay. Sonic and company move smoothly and quickly throughout the
environment without even the slightest hint of a hiccup or slowdown. The other
characters also bring their own special abilities to the game and thus add to
the replay value of the game. While I wish there was less of those unavoidable
spikes or unfairly placed enemies, these complaints hardly take away from the
flawless gameplay and addictively fun levels. Yet what really makes this game
pure joy is the fact that it once again brings us a multiplayer mode ripe with
plenty of action.
Ah, multiplayer mode, how
do I love thee . . . let me count the ways. First there’s Single Player mode
that allows another gamer to take up the partner role the game’s main mode
presents. While the CPU controlled partner really helps you out, there’s
nothing quite like having to come up with a battle plan with a friend during
boss battles. The cool part about this mode is that you can play with a friend
using a single game pack and two GBA systems (and using a GBA Link Cable, of
course). Then there’s the two Battle modes that can be played with up to four
players. And finally there’s Time Attack mode that will have you playing a
timed level to see who completes it the fastest. This is multiplayer action for
the GBA at its finest.
Visually, Sonic Advance
3 doesn’t change a thing from its last outing but that’s not really a
complaint seeing as the last game was nicely colorful and well detailed when it
came to environments and characters. The levels are designed with heavily
detailed backgrounds be it outdoors or in Dr. Eggman’s Boss Area. The
characters are also neatly detailed to the point that you can make out the
character’s tiny blinking eyes or expressions. There’s no cool visual effects
found here but that’s forgivable seeing as the game moves along as smoothly as
ever.
Remember the Sonic the
Hedgehog on the old Sega Genesis console? If you’re an old school gamer
like me, chances are you’ll remember the old-school tunes and classic jumping
and golden ring collecting sound effects. Not only does this game replicate the
classic tunes, but it also throws in individual character sound bytes. Sonic
shouts out “Let’s go!” while Tails chimes in with a “Right on!” It’s not overly
unique but it works great.
There are many Game Boy
Advance games that are just so good that they’ll have you playing for hours but
there are games like this one that are so addictively fun that you won’t want to
stop playing. Sonic Advance 3 just goes to prove that our favorite little
blue hedgehog is still at the top of its game when it comes to delivering
platforming goodness on our GBA. If Sonic Advance 2 didn’t make you a
fan already, this third outing will certainly win you over.
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#Review |
Gameplay: 9.2
Sonic and his friends just feel
right at home on the GBA and gamers will simply love the fact that the game
flows so smoothly and seamlessly on our favorite handheld system. While the
game still maintains the same traditional platformer level design and old-school
Sonic action, the game is designed around teamwork this time around and this is
handled superbly throughout the game. Your companion compliments your moves
excellently and has you using the other’s special ability for that extra and
much needed boost. This is even more fun when a friend takes up the role of the
companion.
Graphics: 8.0
There are no new visual improvements
in this sequel but Sonic Advance 3 is still very colorfully and heavily
detailed game. The levels are filled with plenty of detailed objects, platforms
and backgrounds and the characters themselves are fun to watch. There are no
spectacular special effects found here but it’s still impressive to see Sonic at
top speed.
Sound: 8.0
The game’s music will bring back
memories of Sonic’s classic Sega Genesis days and that’s actually not a bad
thing considering those tunes were pretty catchy. Top that off with the
occasional sound bytes for each individual character and you have a game with
impressive sound.
Difficulty: Medium
Whether your partner is controlled
by the computer AI or by a friend, teamwork not only makes a difference in
moving the game along but also in helping your character out when you really
need a helping hand. Still, even with a partner, the game provides plenty of
challenges that come in the form of bosses–like Dr. Eggman’s robot–and the
environment itself. Those springboards often put you in harms way rather than
just give you a safe boost.
Concept: 9.0
What’s not to love about a game that
just adds plenty of extras to unlock, an assortment of characters that add not
only personality to the game but their own unique abilities that set them apart
during the action and game levels that throw interesting new challenges or
special areas. Each stage has at least one special stage that have you zipping
through a 3D environment. In short, these are all the things that make Sonic
Advance 3 an instant classic.
Multiplayer: 9.5
Once again the good people at Sega
and THQ has given us multiplayer support for up to four players using a GBA Link
Cable. This multiplayer feature was one of the highlights of Sonic Advance 2
and thanks to some tweaking in the design front, the multiplayer mode this
time around is just pure bliss. We’re talking about playing the main mode with
a friend taking the role of the secondary character. We’re talking about two
Battle modes that can be played with up to four players using five different
characters. It really doesn’t get any better than this.
Overall: 9.0
There’s just way too much to love
about Sonic Advance 3 and fans of the platformer genre should definitely
not miss out on this game. With a robust multiplayer mode, dozens of extras to
unlock and plenty of great characters to use, this game has enough replay value
to keep gamers happy for a long time to come. Buy this one if you’re just
itching for a platformer that’s destined to be a classic.
