The "Retro Game Reviews" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
This thread has been linked to the game 'Sonic Adventure'.
Over the years I have experienced a wealth of consoles each offering their own selection of unique, exciting titles. While I will have played a long list of games, it’s the first one that I play for the console that usually sticks with me. Super Mario World on the SNES, Luigi’s Mansion on the Gamecube, Rayman for the Gameboy Advance or Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast. They’re like strong opening speeches for the new console that try to entice and captivate you. They attempt to give you assurance that you’ve made the right choice and fortunately to date I haven’t come across a launch title that I didn’t enjoy. So surely Sonic Adventure, a game I played and loved all those years ago should still technically remain just as awesome?
The Basics
Originally released on the Dreamcast and later ported to the Nintendo Gamecube (which is actually the version you get here) Sonic Adventure took the blue mascot into the third dimension for the first time. The fast paced action from the Mega Drive games translated fairly well and along with it Sega tried to implement some other newer gameplay styles and gimmicks for the supporting characters. Not unlike a certain red plumbers quest you’ll access playable stages through a hub world (technically three.) These provide a sort of narrative as you venture between each point. Once finished levels can be replayed to tackles harder challenges that included collecting a certain amount of rings or beating a specific time. It all sounds like a nicely wrapped up package however...
Flattened Hedgehog
Sadly Sonic Adventure is littered with ugly bugs that at times can make it feel like the game just wasn’t ready for release. Take for example the odd occurrences where Sonic suddenly decides to fall through the environment to his death or the moments where he gets stuck on some scenery. Using Tails and Knuckles to fly and climb can also prove troublesome thanks to some less than helpful camerawork. Little by little these incidents raise the frustration as they can often be the difference between passing some of the later goals and failing them.
Having become somewhat of a landmark in the Sonic series, bad voice acting and storytelling are present and accounted for here with perhaps the most cringe-worthy in the franchise yet. I knew Sonic Adventure wasn’t exactly Shakespeare, but playing through it again it somehow feels even worse than before.
The adventure itself can also seem a little disjointed and confusing. Unless you’ve played this game before, chances are you’re going to get stuck at several points. With little help it can instead be a matter of looking in every location until you trigger a cut scene or find a playable stage. Sure the hub area keeps things tied together, but the execution is nothing compared to say Super Mario 64.
Throw in the fact that it seems Sega haven’t even bothered to improve or update anything at all. The visuals look very dated and a brush of paint could have set this aside from being ‘just another port.’ There is even a running total of rings collected throughout the game (taken from the DX version) that serves no purpose since Sega cut the content you use them for. It seems very lazy and for a game that remains in the eyes of many fans as ‘the best 3D Sonic yet’ it should have been handled a lot better.
Blue Blur
Sonic’s music has always split the audience down the middle with its cheesy rock style. I for one love the music and my appreciation started with this game. The catchy tune from Emerald Coast or the heart pumping beat on Sky Deck, in fact the whole game is littered with memorable tracks. Sure Mario has his classical, orchestrated melodies in Galaxy, but with Sonic rock is what suits him best.
I know it may seem like I’ve truly hated playing this game, but Sonic Adventure really does feel like a fast paced, fun platformer when it gets going. Of all ten of Sonic’s stages there wasn’t really any that lacked in delight. From the stellar opening stage of Emerald Coast to the long winding roads of Speed Highway, the game is full of set pieces and genuinely challenging gameplay. It’s never so fast that it controls itself all the time, nor too bogged down with too much precision based moments. In fact it’s the perfect blend of the two and perhaps the closest 3D attempt at that classic Sonic formula we’ve seen even after ten or so years. Since Tails’ stages take a similar style of play his five were great fun too. Even the exploration based gameplay of Knuckles’ adventure was streamlined enough to prevent it becoming a trying, massive treasure hunt all the time. Taking these three adventures into account there is actually a good time to be had here.
This Just Isn’t Sonic
Unfortunately not every adventure in the game is a worthwhile one. Amy’s tries to combine tricky platforming sections with hammer wielding battles while E-102 Gamma’s throws guns and targets into the mix. The two just feel clunky and out of place. However it’s Big the Cat’s adventure that boggles the mind with you slowly moving around stages trying to catch fish with a rod?! What this is doing in a Sonic game I don’t know. Luckily these adventures are optional so if you want to stick with the Sonic, Tails and Knuckles then you can.
Downloadable Content
If you’re willing to part with an extra 400 points, then you’ll unlock more of the original Sonic Adventure DX content. This includes fifty or so extra missions and the option to play as Metal Sonic. While the idea of tackling some more objectives sounds appealing, they aren’t nearly as much fun as the original stage based ones often involving simple fetch quests or searching for balloons. As for Metal Sonic he handles exactly the same as regular Sonic and you can’t even play as him till you finish the game 100%. Overall it seems like a quick cash in method and you’re better off just sticking with the main game should you buy it.
Bottom Line
I could go on and on about how Sonic has lost his way since his 2D days but you’ve probably heard it all before. Sonic Adventure at times has the same feeling as the Mega Drive titles and retains that simple yet fun nature but after all these years it hasn’t aged well at all. The glitches, bugs, terrible cutscenes and questionable additions can feel too much and had the graphics been touched up, glitches removed and more care been taken in updating this title then it would have been a different story. It was fun to play through again, but at the same time it was also a bit frustrating. One for the fans only.
6/10
The Basics
Originally released on the Dreamcast and later ported to the Nintendo Gamecube (which is actually the version you get here) Sonic Adventure took the blue mascot into the third dimension for the first time. The fast paced action from the Mega Drive games translated fairly well and along with it Sega tried to implement some other newer gameplay styles and gimmicks for the supporting characters. Not unlike a certain red plumbers quest you’ll access playable stages through a hub world (technically three.) These provide a sort of narrative as you venture between each point. Once finished levels can be replayed to tackles harder challenges that included collecting a certain amount of rings or beating a specific time. It all sounds like a nicely wrapped up package however...
Flattened Hedgehog
Sadly Sonic Adventure is littered with ugly bugs that at times can make it feel like the game just wasn’t ready for release. Take for example the odd occurrences where Sonic suddenly decides to fall through the environment to his death or the moments where he gets stuck on some scenery. Using Tails and Knuckles to fly and climb can also prove troublesome thanks to some less than helpful camerawork. Little by little these incidents raise the frustration as they can often be the difference between passing some of the later goals and failing them.
Having become somewhat of a landmark in the Sonic series, bad voice acting and storytelling are present and accounted for here with perhaps the most cringe-worthy in the franchise yet. I knew Sonic Adventure wasn’t exactly Shakespeare, but playing through it again it somehow feels even worse than before.
The adventure itself can also seem a little disjointed and confusing. Unless you’ve played this game before, chances are you’re going to get stuck at several points. With little help it can instead be a matter of looking in every location until you trigger a cut scene or find a playable stage. Sure the hub area keeps things tied together, but the execution is nothing compared to say Super Mario 64.
Throw in the fact that it seems Sega haven’t even bothered to improve or update anything at all. The visuals look very dated and a brush of paint could have set this aside from being ‘just another port.’ There is even a running total of rings collected throughout the game (taken from the DX version) that serves no purpose since Sega cut the content you use them for. It seems very lazy and for a game that remains in the eyes of many fans as ‘the best 3D Sonic yet’ it should have been handled a lot better.
Blue Blur
Sonic’s music has always split the audience down the middle with its cheesy rock style. I for one love the music and my appreciation started with this game. The catchy tune from Emerald Coast or the heart pumping beat on Sky Deck, in fact the whole game is littered with memorable tracks. Sure Mario has his classical, orchestrated melodies in Galaxy, but with Sonic rock is what suits him best.
I know it may seem like I’ve truly hated playing this game, but Sonic Adventure really does feel like a fast paced, fun platformer when it gets going. Of all ten of Sonic’s stages there wasn’t really any that lacked in delight. From the stellar opening stage of Emerald Coast to the long winding roads of Speed Highway, the game is full of set pieces and genuinely challenging gameplay. It’s never so fast that it controls itself all the time, nor too bogged down with too much precision based moments. In fact it’s the perfect blend of the two and perhaps the closest 3D attempt at that classic Sonic formula we’ve seen even after ten or so years. Since Tails’ stages take a similar style of play his five were great fun too. Even the exploration based gameplay of Knuckles’ adventure was streamlined enough to prevent it becoming a trying, massive treasure hunt all the time. Taking these three adventures into account there is actually a good time to be had here.
This Just Isn’t Sonic
Unfortunately not every adventure in the game is a worthwhile one. Amy’s tries to combine tricky platforming sections with hammer wielding battles while E-102 Gamma’s throws guns and targets into the mix. The two just feel clunky and out of place. However it’s Big the Cat’s adventure that boggles the mind with you slowly moving around stages trying to catch fish with a rod?! What this is doing in a Sonic game I don’t know. Luckily these adventures are optional so if you want to stick with the Sonic, Tails and Knuckles then you can.
Downloadable Content
If you’re willing to part with an extra 400 points, then you’ll unlock more of the original Sonic Adventure DX content. This includes fifty or so extra missions and the option to play as Metal Sonic. While the idea of tackling some more objectives sounds appealing, they aren’t nearly as much fun as the original stage based ones often involving simple fetch quests or searching for balloons. As for Metal Sonic he handles exactly the same as regular Sonic and you can’t even play as him till you finish the game 100%. Overall it seems like a quick cash in method and you’re better off just sticking with the main game should you buy it.
Bottom Line
I could go on and on about how Sonic has lost his way since his 2D days but you’ve probably heard it all before. Sonic Adventure at times has the same feeling as the Mega Drive titles and retains that simple yet fun nature but after all these years it hasn’t aged well at all. The glitches, bugs, terrible cutscenes and questionable additions can feel too much and had the graphics been touched up, glitches removed and more care been taken in updating this title then it would have been a different story. It was fun to play through again, but at the same time it was also a bit frustrating. One for the fans only.
6/10
Thanks pb. The whale moment still brought back happy memories for me (even if the game takes over for that part) That and the lost world stage where you're chased by a giant boulder.
Nice review GK.
Came out on PSN today as well. Loved it on the Dreamcast and still have it on Gamecube but won't be getting it on the new formats as well.
Came out on PSN today as well. Loved it on the Dreamcast and still have it on Gamecube but won't be getting it on the new formats as well.
I have downloaded the trial but judging by this review I'll take my interest no further. I've still got the Dreamcast version and I remember the irritations well, it's a shame they have no tidied it up.
The game still had its moments though, the killer whale scene was stunning in its day.
The game still had its moments though, the killer whale scene was stunning in its day.
Over the years I have experienced a wealth of consoles each offering their own selection of unique, exciting titles. While I will have played a long list of games, it’s the first one that I play for the console that usually sticks with me. Super Mario World on the SNES, Luigi’s Mansion on the Gamecube, Rayman for the Gameboy Advance or Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast. They’re like strong opening speeches for the new console that try to entice and captivate you. They attempt to give you assurance that you’ve made the right choice and fortunately to date I haven’t come across a launch title that I didn’t enjoy. So surely Sonic Adventure, a game I played and loved all those years ago should still technically remain just as awesome?
The Basics
Originally released on the Dreamcast and later ported to the Nintendo Gamecube (which is actually the version you get here) Sonic Adventure took the blue mascot into the third dimension for the first time. The fast paced action from the Mega Drive games translated fairly well and along with it Sega tried to implement some other newer gameplay styles and gimmicks for the supporting characters. Not unlike a certain red plumbers quest you’ll access playable stages through a hub world (technically three.) These provide a sort of narrative as you venture between each point. Once finished levels can be replayed to tackles harder challenges that included collecting a certain amount of rings or beating a specific time. It all sounds like a nicely wrapped up package however...
Flattened Hedgehog
Sadly Sonic Adventure is littered with ugly bugs that at times can make it feel like the game just wasn’t ready for release. Take for example the odd occurrences where Sonic suddenly decides to fall through the environment to his death or the moments where he gets stuck on some scenery. Using Tails and Knuckles to fly and climb can also prove troublesome thanks to some less than helpful camerawork. Little by little these incidents raise the frustration as they can often be the difference between passing some of the later goals and failing them.
Having become somewhat of a landmark in the Sonic series, bad voice acting and storytelling are present and accounted for here with perhaps the most cringe-worthy in the franchise yet. I knew Sonic Adventure wasn’t exactly Shakespeare, but playing through it again it somehow feels even worse than before.
The adventure itself can also seem a little disjointed and confusing. Unless you’ve played this game before, chances are you’re going to get stuck at several points. With little help it can instead be a matter of looking in every location until you trigger a cut scene or find a playable stage. Sure the hub area keeps things tied together, but the execution is nothing compared to say Super Mario 64.
Throw in the fact that it seems Sega haven’t even bothered to improve or update anything at all. The visuals look very dated and a brush of paint could have set this aside from being ‘just another port.’ There is even a running total of rings collected throughout the game (taken from the DX version) that serves no purpose since Sega cut the content you use them for. It seems very lazy and for a game that remains in the eyes of many fans as ‘the best 3D Sonic yet’ it should have been handled a lot better.
Blue Blur
Sonic’s music has always split the audience down the middle with its cheesy rock style. I for one love the music and my appreciation started with this game. The catchy tune from Emerald Coast or the heart pumping beat on Sky Deck, in fact the whole game is littered with memorable tracks. Sure Mario has his classical, orchestrated melodies in Galaxy, but with Sonic rock is what suits him best.
I know it may seem like I’ve truly hated playing this game, but Sonic Adventure really does feel like a fast paced, fun platformer when it gets going. Of all ten of Sonic’s stages there wasn’t really any that lacked in delight. From the stellar opening stage of Emerald Coast to the long winding roads of Speed Highway, the game is full of set pieces and genuinely challenging gameplay. It’s never so fast that it controls itself all the time, nor too bogged down with too much precision based moments. In fact it’s the perfect blend of the two and perhaps the closest 3D attempt at that classic Sonic formula we’ve seen even after ten or so years. Since Tails’ stages take a similar style of play his five were great fun too. Even the exploration based gameplay of Knuckles’ adventure was streamlined enough to prevent it becoming a trying, massive treasure hunt all the time. Taking these three adventures into account there is actually a good time to be had here.
This Just Isn’t Sonic
Unfortunately not every adventure in the game is a worthwhile one. Amy’s tries to combine tricky platforming sections with hammer wielding battles while E-102 Gamma’s throws guns and targets into the mix. The two just feel clunky and out of place. However it’s Big the Cat’s adventure that boggles the mind with you slowly moving around stages trying to catch fish with a rod?! What this is doing in a Sonic game I don’t know. Luckily these adventures are optional so if you want to stick with the Sonic, Tails and Knuckles then you can.
Downloadable Content
If you’re willing to part with an extra 400 points, then you’ll unlock more of the original Sonic Adventure DX content. This includes fifty or so extra missions and the option to play as Metal Sonic. While the idea of tackling some more objectives sounds appealing, they aren’t nearly as much fun as the original stage based ones often involving simple fetch quests or searching for balloons. As for Metal Sonic he handles exactly the same as regular Sonic and you can’t even play as him till you finish the game 100%. Overall it seems like a quick cash in method and you’re better off just sticking with the main game should you buy it.
Bottom Line
I could go on and on about how Sonic has lost his way since his 2D days but you’ve probably heard it all before. Sonic Adventure at times has the same feeling as the Mega Drive titles and retains that simple yet fun nature but after all these years it hasn’t aged well at all. The glitches, bugs, terrible cutscenes and questionable additions can feel too much and had the graphics been touched up, glitches removed and more care been taken in updating this title then it would have been a different story. It was fun to play through again, but at the same time it was also a bit frustrating. One for the fans only.
6/10
The Basics
Originally released on the Dreamcast and later ported to the Nintendo Gamecube (which is actually the version you get here) Sonic Adventure took the blue mascot into the third dimension for the first time. The fast paced action from the Mega Drive games translated fairly well and along with it Sega tried to implement some other newer gameplay styles and gimmicks for the supporting characters. Not unlike a certain red plumbers quest you’ll access playable stages through a hub world (technically three.) These provide a sort of narrative as you venture between each point. Once finished levels can be replayed to tackles harder challenges that included collecting a certain amount of rings or beating a specific time. It all sounds like a nicely wrapped up package however...
Flattened Hedgehog
Sadly Sonic Adventure is littered with ugly bugs that at times can make it feel like the game just wasn’t ready for release. Take for example the odd occurrences where Sonic suddenly decides to fall through the environment to his death or the moments where he gets stuck on some scenery. Using Tails and Knuckles to fly and climb can also prove troublesome thanks to some less than helpful camerawork. Little by little these incidents raise the frustration as they can often be the difference between passing some of the later goals and failing them.
Having become somewhat of a landmark in the Sonic series, bad voice acting and storytelling are present and accounted for here with perhaps the most cringe-worthy in the franchise yet. I knew Sonic Adventure wasn’t exactly Shakespeare, but playing through it again it somehow feels even worse than before.
The adventure itself can also seem a little disjointed and confusing. Unless you’ve played this game before, chances are you’re going to get stuck at several points. With little help it can instead be a matter of looking in every location until you trigger a cut scene or find a playable stage. Sure the hub area keeps things tied together, but the execution is nothing compared to say Super Mario 64.
Throw in the fact that it seems Sega haven’t even bothered to improve or update anything at all. The visuals look very dated and a brush of paint could have set this aside from being ‘just another port.’ There is even a running total of rings collected throughout the game (taken from the DX version) that serves no purpose since Sega cut the content you use them for. It seems very lazy and for a game that remains in the eyes of many fans as ‘the best 3D Sonic yet’ it should have been handled a lot better.
Blue Blur
Sonic’s music has always split the audience down the middle with its cheesy rock style. I for one love the music and my appreciation started with this game. The catchy tune from Emerald Coast or the heart pumping beat on Sky Deck, in fact the whole game is littered with memorable tracks. Sure Mario has his classical, orchestrated melodies in Galaxy, but with Sonic rock is what suits him best.
I know it may seem like I’ve truly hated playing this game, but Sonic Adventure really does feel like a fast paced, fun platformer when it gets going. Of all ten of Sonic’s stages there wasn’t really any that lacked in delight. From the stellar opening stage of Emerald Coast to the long winding roads of Speed Highway, the game is full of set pieces and genuinely challenging gameplay. It’s never so fast that it controls itself all the time, nor too bogged down with too much precision based moments. In fact it’s the perfect blend of the two and perhaps the closest 3D attempt at that classic Sonic formula we’ve seen even after ten or so years. Since Tails’ stages take a similar style of play his five were great fun too. Even the exploration based gameplay of Knuckles’ adventure was streamlined enough to prevent it becoming a trying, massive treasure hunt all the time. Taking these three adventures into account there is actually a good time to be had here.
This Just Isn’t Sonic
Unfortunately not every adventure in the game is a worthwhile one. Amy’s tries to combine tricky platforming sections with hammer wielding battles while E-102 Gamma’s throws guns and targets into the mix. The two just feel clunky and out of place. However it’s Big the Cat’s adventure that boggles the mind with you slowly moving around stages trying to catch fish with a rod?! What this is doing in a Sonic game I don’t know. Luckily these adventures are optional so if you want to stick with the Sonic, Tails and Knuckles then you can.
Downloadable Content
If you’re willing to part with an extra 400 points, then you’ll unlock more of the original Sonic Adventure DX content. This includes fifty or so extra missions and the option to play as Metal Sonic. While the idea of tackling some more objectives sounds appealing, they aren’t nearly as much fun as the original stage based ones often involving simple fetch quests or searching for balloons. As for Metal Sonic he handles exactly the same as regular Sonic and you can’t even play as him till you finish the game 100%. Overall it seems like a quick cash in method and you’re better off just sticking with the main game should you buy it.
Bottom Line
I could go on and on about how Sonic has lost his way since his 2D days but you’ve probably heard it all before. Sonic Adventure at times has the same feeling as the Mega Drive titles and retains that simple yet fun nature but after all these years it hasn’t aged well at all. The glitches, bugs, terrible cutscenes and questionable additions can feel too much and had the graphics been touched up, glitches removed and more care been taken in updating this title then it would have been a different story. It was fun to play through again, but at the same time it was also a bit frustrating. One for the fans only.
6/10