Pros: Great diversity in levels, intuitive plot, cool sound
Cons: Not much replay value
The bottom line: Speed is almost everything in this game. A great adventure/action game with nifty characters and a grand plot makes this a great gift for almost everyone.
Ah. Sonic The Hedgehog. Sega's once trademark character. (For those confused on 'once', just FYI that a port of Sonic Adventure 2 will be on Gamecube in the next half-year or so.) Now, with the advent of the (now defunct) Dreamcast, Sega ships a very nicely-done Action/Adventure series.

It seems that the Chaos Emeralds do more than just make Super Sonic super and give Dr. Robotnik a hobby. One holds a water-like creature. A creature that, at its first form, isn't all that big and powerful, but can get much, MUCH bigger.

And it seems Robotnik did some searching. And found a mural in an Echidna temple proclaiming this being. It's name? Chaos. And the Eggman has it now, and is searching for the emeralds to power it.

As one of 6 (later, 7) characters, your mission is to go through levels collecting emeralds, beating bosses, and the so forth. This time around, though, it's not just zoom and grab- Oh, no, it can get much more complicated than that. First, not all of the action stages are just 'speed through' stages. Some require puzzles, like raising the water level and pushing buttons to open a door in Lost World for Sonic, searching for Emeralds, as is Knuckles' job, or even just fishing, as it evident by Big.

The game is split even further- now, you have Adventure Fields, and you have Action Stages (not to mention Sub Games)

There are three Adventure Fields- Station Square, Mystic Ruins, and the Egg Carrier. Each holds access to different levels. Station Square gets you into Emerald Coast, the Mystic Ruins hold the key and door to Windy Valley, and the Egg Carrier contains access for the Sky Deck.

Your job as the good guy is to stop Robotnik before Chaos can get all the emeralds and become Perfect Chaos.

As Sonic, you speed through levels to collect Emeralds or to gain access to certain places.

As Tails, you're job is to beat someone to the end of stages, either Sonic, or, in one level, Robotnik.

As Knuckles, the guardian of the Floating Island (called Angel Island in the game), you're job in each level is to find all three shards of the Master Emerald that broke off when Robotnik tried to swipe it.

As Amy, you have to protect a bird and escape a robot who is trying to capture you.

As Big, you have to save your friend Froggy from different levels, casting a rod to try and snag him. (I get the feeling that Froggy doesn't want to be rescued, though that may be because he's possessed by Chaos' tail.)

As E-102 'Y' (Gamma), you have to go through levels, first destroying a Sonic Doll, then defeat fellow robots to free the animals inside. (I wish you could watch the FMVs over without replaying the game- Gamma's was the best, in my opinion, and was so sad!)

There's also a secret character, but I don't want to give away the very cool ending. :)

Through each character's progression in the game, you'll run into obstacles, gain upgrades, and watch some spiffy FMVs. Each character, except Big and Gamma, have a sub or mini game, too.

For each level you beat, you get an 'emblem'. As Sega mainly shut down the Sonic Adventure CGI site, these have no use now (it was intended that you could use them to buy stuff from a Chao Black Market- explained later) but meet for a new goal after beating the initial game. Each level has 3 goals. The first is just get to the end. The second is usually get 50 rings and to the end. The third is a time goal. Big is the exception, as he has to get a fish of a certain weight before getting Froggy to get that goal. Sub games give emblems, too, as do Chao Races (jewel) (explained later). While this adds some replay value, it isn't much.

Then, there's the Chao. Also called A-Lifes (I assume the A means 'Advanced'), these too-cute-too-be-real creatures are like virtual pets. You can raise them and pit them in races, where they can win medals (and you an emblem). To make it more complex, animals you save from each level can be given to them to add to their stats and to give them a unique look. As they go, and the more animals they absorb, they evolve, too. As is known now, there's a 1st and 2nd evolution. There's a proposed subtle 3rd, and there are rumors of a fourth. The Chao (which is the plural for Chao) can also be transferred to the VMU to be used as a virtual pet and to go on a quest through some levels, which will help them gain stats quicker.

Each character even has their own Theme Song! I enjoy all of them, especially the main song (or, some think of it as Super Sonic's Theme- whoops! I gave away the secret! :X) "Open Your Heart". The sound for each stage is cool as well, even though some are recycled, such as Emerald Coast's first song, which also comes from the first stage of Sonic 3D Blast.

The graphics have some notches, but is a lot better than something for the N64. Many things have smooth textures, and Sonic Team even added some subtle effects, like Sonic's spines flowing in the wind. One thing that kinda dissolves expectations is that Sonic is REALLY fast, just not as fast as the comics make him to be.


Sonic Adventure has many things you'd want in an action/adventure game. Not to mention a spiffy blue mascot. For great gameplay, awesome sound, spiffy graphics, but just a little replay value, this game gets an 'Excellent' rating.

I'm awaiting the day I have the money for Sonic Adventure 2. :D