Sonic Adventure 2

The Good
The thing I loved most about this game is it introduced my all time video game character, Shadow. His levels, along with Sonic's, are so fast which is what I love about the Sonic games. The final boss is also one of the things I love. It's challenging and actually fights back, unlike other bosses in the Sonic games. The music in the game was, as always, great for the game.

The Bad
There were few things I didn't like in the game. One thing that I found disappointing is they took away the adventure fields. So far that's all I can think of.

The Bottom Line
Sonic Adventure 2 is a worthy sequel if ever I played one. It has all of your favorite characters and some new faces in the Sonic Team. If you still have your Dreamcast laying around somewhere, play this game and remember the fun times.

The Good
A massive improvement on Sonic Adventure in every way. Better graphics, gameplay, story line, enemies. Just a better game all round.

The Bad
Over too quickly.

The Bottom Line
Imagine Sonic Adventure and put right everything you didn't like about it and that will give you Sonic Adventure 2.

The Good
The one line summary of the game I wrote is an actual quote from IGN when they readily updated the Dreamcast portion of their website. It's interesting that the Dreamcast portion of IGN's own network was still active up until 2006 however that isn't what this is about.

This review is about Sonic Adventure 2. Is Sonic Adventure 2 the greatest, most refined 3D Sonic game Sega ever produced? The answer is yes. Why is this the greatest 3D Sonic game ever produced? Let's find out.

Riding on a wave of positive reception garnered by Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2 eliminates problems present in the original game and presents a streamlined format the speeds the game along at the pace of a V2 Rocket. The original Sonic Adventure was a brilliant but flawed experience. There were camera problems and the pace of the game was staggered by the inclusion of redundant characters like Big. Sonic Adventure 2 eliminates the wandering from Sonic Adventure and flows at a pace similar to the original Sonic the Hedgehog games.

The primary difference between Adventure 1 and 2 is the inclusion of Hero and Dark stories. Hero refers to Sonic, Knuckles and Tails and the Dark story refers to Shadow, Rouge and Eggman. The three styles of play are varied but carry over for each equivalent character. Sonic's levels are identical in play style to the original game however Sonic has more moves and some moves like the Light Speed Dash are far easier to pull off. Knuckles stages are identical to those in the original Sonic Adventure however the environmental detail and hint system have been overhauled. Finally Tails is fitted with a Walker and plays like E102 Gamma from Sonic Adventure. Shadow, Rouge and Eggman play like their Sonic, Knuckles and Tails respectively. Criticism has been levelled at the similarity between play styles of the characters however this was intended to make the game longer while providing narrative and locational variety. It essentially makes the game seem twice as long.

The length and detail in the levels has been vastly improved and the some of the level designs are pure genius. Sonic and Shadow feature the premiere stages in the game while Knuckles stages are nowhere as annoying as they were in Adventure. Tails' stages can be irritating however on the whole they are satisfying.

Speaking of detail the graphics in Sonic Adventure 2 are really something. The quality of the textures and general environmental design is commendable. Sonic looks and is animated fantastically and if it wasn't for some rough edges I wouldn't have anything negative to say about the graphics at all. There is no fog, barely any pop-in and I just can't heap enough praise on how clear and realistic the textures are. Eggman is one of the best looking characters in the game. He has real form now and a realized aesthetic. He looked very haphazardly put together in Sonic Adventure and seeing him so realized gives me warm fuzzies. Shadow is a great looking character, from the way his far out quills bounce around to the little jets of flame that push his shoes along. Rouge is another great looking character. Her form and mannerisms have had a lot of thought put into them from the way her ears wave around when she walks to...a certain body part of hers that...well let's just say it's noticeable.

The camera system, one of the biggest problems from the first Adventure, have been totally rectified...well, apart from a few select boss battles. The camera sticks tightly to your character at all times, never losing its way or getting stuck on things. It even works perfectly in tight spaces. This isn't to say the camera system is perfect, however for this particular type of game it couldn't get any closer to perfect.

The sound in the game is a big improvement over Adventure. An eclectic mix of techno, electronic beats, guitar riffs and hip hop music accompanies the varied styles of each level. While in Adventure the tunes were slightly overbearing they are well suited to the action in Adventure 2. Each character still has their own theme song however.

After finishing Sonic Adventure 2 you have a plethora of options waiting to extend replay value for you. There is a vastly improved Chao Garden complete with Chao Kindergarten and various mini-games like Chao Karate and Chao racing to keep you occupied. The black market within the Kindergarten allows the player to buy hard to find items for the raising of their Chao and finding eggs and keys unlocks more options to customize your cute little buddy. You can still transfer your Chao to your VMU and play with and train it and it's still a reason to carry your VMU around with you. Further augmenting replay is a Time Attack mode, Kart Racing and downloadable events which are obviously unavailable now.

The Bad
Sonic Adventure 2 gets almost everything right and just about comes close to perfecting the formula the original Sonic Adventure is so famous for.

It is not without its issues however.

While the flow of the game has been streamlined it comes at the expense of a feeling of freedom. In Sonic Adventure you had the option of playing as each of the characters, you weren't obliged to play as Big or E-102 Gamma however obviously it meant you wouldn't be able to complete the game properly. Having to sit through several Knuckles and Tails stages just to play as Sonic is a little frustrating at times especially considering you might have to play 4 non Sonic stages in a row just to play as Sonic.

On the topic of levels while the level of genius in level design is typically very high it is a little inconsistent. Some of Tails' levels seem to have been designed by a sado-masochistic numb skull who enjoys making children cry. They will often throw enemies or drops at you out of nowhere wiping your score from the high 1000's to 0 meaning you either persevere and get a terrible score or are constantly forced to restart. The same can be said for Rouge's stages. Knuckles are generally painless and he gets one of the best boss fights in the game however Rouge's levels are nothing but a vague, frustrating grind.
Rouge's Security Hall level is nothing but a vague, cruel joke that will force constant restarts and her one boss fight is an inaccurate jump fest that will result in much frustration.

Speaking of boss fights they seem to use a completely different camera than the general levels. The camera will often struggle to keep up with the character you're using either flipping over and totally disorientating you or getting stuck on walls while you get pummeled. It's baffling considering the high quality during the actual levels that the boss fights could be so frustrating and incoherent.

The boss fights themselves are something of a mixed bag. While they are generally quite fun and inventive they are recycled within the Dark story, which you will invariably play second to the Hero story. The issue is, the characters that are forced to fight the recycled bosses in the Dark story are totally inappropriate for the arena's you fight them in. That isn't to say there aren't original bosses in the Dark story, the fact is they original ones are outnumbered by the recycled ones.

The Bottom Line
Sonic Adventure 2 is no doubt the last great game that Sega would end up releasing for the Dreamcast. It uses the hardware to give players an almost flawless Sonic game, addressing the issues that were present in Sonic Adventure while not compromising too much on the core gameplay ideals that made the first so popular.

The game looks stunning, with fantastic modelling and almost photo realistic texture work. Sonic and company have never looked better and being able to play as the flawed genius that is Eggman has finally been realized.

That isn't to say the game is without its own unique problems. Some of the stage designs are inconsistent with the level of genius shown in Sonic and Shadow's stages. Tails', Rouge's and Eggman's stages suffer from some flawed design that makes them feel like a grind more than anything else and while the streamlining of the game was a great idea having to play through 4 or 5 non Sonic or Shadow stages is just mean.

This is simply one of the must have games in any Dreamcast owners library and one of the best games around to show off the untapped power of our favourite little white box. Grab this if you can.

The Good
The graphics are brilliant and the characters all cool. The chao system has been improved and theres loads to unlock

The Bad
Finding myself being woken at 12 in the afternoon holding a clammy controller with pizza stuck to my cheek. Thats how addicted i got over this game

The Bottom Line
Really really really cool. Worth buying a dc for!!!

The Good
The wonderful, atmospheric and imaginative graphics. The cut-scenes are a vast improvement over those in the first Sonic Adventure. The Tails/Robotnik mech-suit levels are fun and have good replay value, as do some of the earlier Sonic/Shadow levels. Rouge the Bat is a much better character than Amy. Die-hard Sonic fans will probably find it rewarding to play, and it's certainly much better than Twinsanity on the PS2.

The Bad
This is a far cry from the classic days of the Genesis 2-D scrolling platformers. One of this game's boasts is that it has six characters, but it looks to me as though Robotnik, Rouge and Shadow have simply been shoe-horned into levels that could easily have been intended for Tails, Knuckles and Sonic. The grind-rail sections are a total pain in the proverbial, were nothing but a gimmick to advertise some brand or other of trainers. The Knuckles and Rouge levels involve roaming around environments looking for three pieces of an emerald, helped only by a next-to-useless tracking device. Sound familiar? It should do to anyone who was bored senseless by the Knuckles levels in SA1. Another thing which lets this game down is the music. There are some atmospheric tunes in the Tails and Robotnik levels, certainly, but most of the rest are plagued by singing and rap, which quickly becomes irritating.

The Bottom Line
Anyone who played SA1 should be familiar with this. There are the tried-and-trusted fully 3-D Sonic, Knuckles and Tails levels (though the Tails levels now involve him riding a mech-suit, are similar to the robotic levels in SA1). You can also play an alternative game as Shadow (an evil hedgehog), Rogue (a female bat) and Robotnik. Make your way through 3D platform levels as before.

The Good
The fact that you could be either the Hero or the Villain is so cool. Plus, all the upgrades made the game even more fun. And the theme song to the game is off the hook, I play it every day after I get home from school.

The Bad
The fact that each character didn't have their each individual storyline. Their were too many emblem levels to beat. Plus, the prototype is too difficult to beat, it took me a week to beat that thing! And the theme music for each character was kind of cheesy except for Sonic and Shadow.

The Bottom Line
Graphic wise it was about the same and the music is below average. But, if you a person who loves a challenge like me, I would recommend this to them.

The Good
Basically, as far as Sonic titles go, this has the look and feel of an enhanced Sonic Adventure 1 but with the level structure of one of the side scrolling Megadrive titles. Gone are the rpg elements of the sonic adventure 1 and instead we have a more streamlined action title. The graphics are amazing and leave every other platformer on any system to date, for dead with high resolution everything and a solid 60 fps running speed which is essential with a game that is centred on speed. There are 2 main games, the first lets you play the story as the heroes, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles which each have their own game styles while the 2nd puts you in the shoes of the villains. Dr Robotnik, Shadow and Rogue whom are the bad equivilent of each of the heroes. Sonic and Shadows stages are high speed platform areas that we've all come to expect from Sonic games. They are easily the most fun to play and you'll want to go back and do so again and again. Tails and Robotnik have shooting stages with some mild platforming which is very similar in gameplay to the robot stages from SA1. Lastly, Knuckles and Rogue have treasure hunting stages where you have to locate certain objects within the stage to progress. There are loads of bonuses such as the go kart mini game and the Chao raising section from SA1, plus once you finish both games there is a final area and after that there is the monumental challenge of obtaining all 180 emblems throughout the game world. The emblem system also means that in order to obtain the later emblems, you must accomplish different challenges within each stage to gain the new emblem thus making the replay value skyrocket. The music is cheesy J-pop which usually suits the game very well and is often hilarious. Sound is solid and thankfully there is the option to have the original Japanese dialogue with subtitles for those of us who prefer it. Sonic Adventure 2 is a game certain to keep you occupied for weeks.

The Bad
The English voice acting is poor and the voices are very wrong for the characters. The music during some of the areas is enough to drive you towards the mute control on the tv (knuckles stages spring to mind.) Cameras can sometimes leave you blind, although they are much better than those in SA1 plus knuckles and rogues stages can grate a bit when you can't find one of the items you're after. It seems that in its transition from Japanese to English, Sega neglected to add subtitles to the pre-rendered sequences so if you prefer the Japanese voices with English subtitles, you may find yourself a little confused with the story. The final cutscene at the end of the whole game has quite a bit of non-subtitled dialogue so I'd advise braving the English acting when you get to this point.

The Bottom Line
Sonic Adventure 2 has its faults but they don't stop it from being one of, if not THE best sonic game ever made not to mention one of the best platformers ever so anyone who has even a passing interest in platform games would do well to get it. And those of you who didn't get a Dreamcast are just going to once again, miss out on yet another top notch title.

The Good
Graphically, it's still gorgeous in places, especially in terms of texture-mapping, which the DC has always excelled at. The Sonic/Shadow levels are a blast, though not as good as SA1's were.

The Bad
Well, everything else, really.

What first hit me was how utterly dire the music was. They've taken some of the greatest tunes from the original SA, remixed them, and destroyed them. Honestly, some of this stuff made me want to chop off my friggin' ears. Don't get me started on the rap crap...

The characters are next on my hit-list. Why in god's name have they expanded upon the worst elements of SA1? Sure, there's 6 characters, but since they all behave identically to their good/evil counterparts, it's basically 3.

As I said earlier, the Sonic/Shadow levels are fantastic in places, so what about Eggman/Tails & Rouge/Knuckles? Seriously, SEGA, I'm asking you, what about these horrible, horrible things? What possessed you to wedge crap into this game? The Eggman/Tails levels are an expansion of the E-102 (sp?) levels from SA1, which were short but fun. Here, they're just slow and hideous, with some truly yawn-worthy moments. They involve robots. big, hulking robots, something Tails looks really awkward in. Now, guess what the Knuckles/Rouge levels are based on? Yup, those horrible "find the jewel in the enormous level with only a really crappy sonar thing to help you" levels from SA1. Terrible. Truly awful beyond belief.

The Bottom Line
A sure-fire disappointment in your Sonic-loving life.

The Good
Shadow's first appearance in the Sonic The Hedgehog video games series. David Humphrey's voice matches Shadow's image and the main person that he is. The levels for both Sonic and Shadow are very fast. It's like they are travelling at the speed of light.

The graphics are much better in Sonic Adventure 2, then what they are in Sonic Shuffle. Rouge's flashy appearance makes me laugh. As she believes she will always get what she wants!

The Bad
The game is much more harder to play, then the original Sonic Adventure. It's that I wanted the storyline to end, but The Dark Side's storyline was finishing over so fast. Plus, Shadow only has four levels to complete, they were very easy.

The main point is, that they cut out the Adventure Fields. There is nothing to explore.

The Bottom Line
Sonic Adventure 2 is a worthy sequel. It features all of your favorite characters, as well as some new members in the Sonic Team gang. If you still have a Dreamcast console laying around, play this video game, and remember the good times!

The Good
Two Years after the release of Sonic Adventure, Sega hit Dreamcast gamers with Sonic Adventure 2. SOA 2 drops the adventure mode, why?

In Sonic Adventure 2, a black hedgehog Shadow, has been causing trouble leaving Sonic to be blamed, a armed group known as G.U.N., is gunning for the blue blur. Meanwhile Dr. Robotnik, aka Eggman, is up to know good, he wants to abduct Shadow, and use him against our favorite hedgehog.

The plot is not very well done. But more on that later. New to the franchise, is the ability to play as the villains. Dr. Robotnik, Shadow, and Rouge. This is a good idea, but it ultimately fails.

The Graphics are much improved over the original game. And better show off the Dreamcast’s power. The camera angles are better but far from perfect.

The Music is horrible. Who wrote these lyrics? The Eagles? The Sound effects are done well however.

The Adventure mode is gone. Now it plays more like the Sonics on old. Basically you play a level, watch a cutscene and than play the next often as a different character. You can no longer choose which character you wish to play as. And each one has a shorter game.

The Bad
The plot is bad. It is so clichéd. I mean an evil Sonic come on. What is this a poorly written cartoon? Plus the G.U.N. plot point is never resolved. And how the hell do the mix up Shadow and Sonic? Shadow is black, while Sonic is blue. Are they color blind?

Late in the game we learn about Shadow’s origin. Which is horribly written. We learn that Shadow was created to protect the human race, and somehow the jackass thinks he is meant to destroy it. WTF? And why is he like Sonic?

Playing as the bad guys is a good idea on paper, but in action not so much. There games play exactly like the games of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. They are not very satisfying either. I have waited years to play as Dr. Robotnik, but Sonic Team blew it. Sega Of America did not develop this contrary to what you may have heard.

The music is atrocious. Sonic Team needs to either learn how to write lyrics or fire the writer. This game just feels rushed. And unpolished. Sega probably rushed it out to have a game for Sonic’s 10th anniversary. But what did they do for the 10th anniversary for Phantasy Star? Or that of Streets of Rage?

The Bottom Line
Very poor effort from Sonic Team. Play Sonic Adventure and skip this one. It pains me to see such a weak Sonic game.