Platform: Gameboy Advance

Date: 3/9/03

Rating: E

Review (Thanks to darth_korbo)

The Sonic Advance series has been a nice return to the blue blur’s 2-D roots, especially for those individuals who decided to steer clear of his recent dive into the 3-D world of gaming. This game is a sequel to the popular Sonic Advance for the GBA, and it shouldn’t disappoint any Sonic fans one bit.

Story: 7/10
Once again, the evil genius Dr. Eggman is following through on another plan on creating his Eggman Empire and conquering the world, capturing helpless animals and trapping them in robots. This time around, Tails and Knuckles have been captured, sending Sonic on another adventure to save his friends and stop the deranged scientist. This game also marks the first appearance of Cream the Rabbit!

Not much of a storyline in the game, I’m afraid. However, this has little to no effect on the final score, as the storyline isn’t exactly what will spur gamers on to blast through this installment.

Gameplay: 10/10
Here’s where the game really shines. Running through loops, bashing through enemies and blazing past checkpoints… It’s all classic Sonic. With the GBA’s superior technology over the Sega Genesis, however, this experience is magnified. The player will be able to take control of up to five different characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Cream, (for her first appearance) and an unlockable bonus character, each with their own style of gameplay that will add some diversity to each time the game is played. I found Sonic’s game to be hardest out of all of them, since he’s the only one who can’t fly or glide. (Besides the bonus character.) Some tweaks to the original game have been made, and for the better.

First of all, each of the levels are huge. Almost twice as big as the first game, to be exact. With this addition, gamers will find Sonic Advance 2 to be more difficult than Sonic’s first trip to the GBA, but also plenty more fun. Also, the addition of boost mode is a real blast. The characters will be running to the point where all that’s left of them is a blur, allowing the player to run at speeds that are only summed up as… well, incredible. A third change, which can be quite useful, is a new set of mid-air moves that are executed using the R button in conjunction with any direction on the d-pad. These tricks can help you reach high places and attack air enemies, helping improve the experience.

While this is all good, some areas of the game may be hard enough to invoke frustration in some players. Some of the bosses, for example, you’ll end up loathing for the rest of eternity, at least until you figure out a less painful way to beat them. That said, overall the game has a great sense of speed, a sweet return to Sonic’s 2-D universe, and plenty of moments to be had.

Graphics: 10/10
The visuals are nothing to sneer at. Quite the contrary, Sonic has evolved way past the Genesis days, and this installment provides the player with beautiful sprite animations (boost mode is amazing) and excellent backgrounds: from the lush greenery of Leaf Forest, to the snowy peaks of Ice Paradise, to the bright, peppy colors of the Music Factory, the environments are great to run through, and you’ll look good doing so.

Sound: 9/10
The game has plenty of the classic and more modern sound effects of the Sonic universe, and of course, we’re fine with that. (One minor gripe… some sound effects may feel repetitious, but it can be overlooked.) The music has evolved as well: gone are the catchy Genesis tunes, but the soundtrack of SA2 is nice. Every level is normally a high-energy, peppy tune that fits the game quite well. Really, this game sounds great.

Entertainment: 9/10
The single-player experience is fun in and of itself, and multiplayer support can keep you and a few friends entertained for a few hours or so.

Replay Value: 8/10
Sonic can run really fast in this game. So fast, in fact… you may beat the game quicker than you may expect, maybe in the timeframe of a weekend. A bit of a disappointment.

Fortunately, Sonic Advance 2 is packed with a few extras that can keep you playing after you beat it with all four characters. A tiny chao garden, time attacks for levels and bosses, and an unlockable bonus character are a few examples of extras.

To unlock these extras, you must collect all seven chaos emeralds with each character. What really irked me about this game was how you collect them: you have to go through each level and collect seven special rings, usually stuck in a hard-to-reach, high spot that can be bypassed all too easily because the levels are so big. After that, you have to complete a special stage challenge, which was rather unique in my opinion. While I may have disliked finding the special rings, most gamers may find it enjoyable to explore the vast acts and discover ways to grab all seven rings. With that, the game has plenty of extras and secrets to keep you entertained for a while longer.

OVERALL: 9.25

Sonic Advance 2 is not just “Sonic on the go.” It’s an experience that all Sonic fans should enjoy for quite a while. While it will certainly please fans of Sonic’s old-school gameplay, newer fans may find this title to be enjoyable, as well. Most importantly, it reminds us that Sonic is all about breakneck speed. If you have a GBA and a need for speed, then by all means, go ahead and buy this game.

BREAKDOWN:
Story: 7/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 9/10
Entertainment: 9/10
Replay Value: 8/10

OVERALL: 9.25