This isn't just another Sonic game, but probably one of the best. Read the review, and you'll see what I mean.
Now, if you've played Sonic Rush, you'll notice the gameplay is very much the same. Simply use Sonic to try to reach the end of the stages as fast as possible, performing tricks, destroying enemies, collecting rings at Sonic speeds. Takig damage will cause your rings to scatter for you to pick them up again, while taking damage without a ring will kill you. You still have your tension guage which you can fill up to 300% by getting special items, destroying enemies, and most efficiently, doing tricks. You can press and hold the Y button to unleash your ultimate speed instantly, thus sending you in the direction you are facing at an incredible pace. While doing this, you'll instantly destroy any 1-hit enemy you come in contact with. This game also keeps the good old mid-air tricks which were introduced in Sonic Advance 2 on the GBA. You can use the D-pad and the R Button to boost in any direction after being launched off of a gimmick such as a spring or ramp. The R Button jump-dash/homing attack is also back, making enemies more fun to destroy quickly, and can also be used to travel across a trail of airborne foes. Now, Blaze the Cat is pretty much the same as using Sonic the Hedgehog, only she's a little slower on her feet, but can reach greater distances with her R Button mid-air tricks. And the R Button still lets her hover for a short amount of time. So, you've probably guessed that taking shortcuts with her is much easier at times. And you'll want those shortcuts when you go to race players across the world via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Now, earlier I mentioned Tails needing materials, and fetching them for him sounds like a tedious task, but acuaally, it's quite fun. All you need to do is reach the end of the stage, and get a good rank. "C" ranks will reward you with one material, and an "S" rank will yeild four matrials. So, if you have done horribly in the stages and have not bothered to locate and complete the Secret Island stages, you'll find yourself coming back to the same stages again, to pick up more matterials. But this isn't really a bad thing. Why? Because the stages are so fun to play. Their fluid design, branching paths, and interesting gimmicks are sure to keep you entertained as you travel through them. You can return to any stage you've previously visited via the stage select screen. Lastly about the stages, there are tons of new gimmicks, as well as old ones returning, but with improvements. So the levels don't feel like the same old thing, but with a new coat of paint. Some of them include speedy mine carts, catapults, snowboards, and even some fun-to-ride dolphins.
Now, as tradition goes, you must play in a Boss Act after clearing the stage's 2 normal Acts. These bosses are alot more interesting and fun than the ones you'll find in Sonic Rush. First off, the bosses have a life bar on the bottom of the screen, instead of a display showing how many more hits it needs until its defeat. So, instead of 8 hits, you'll need.... I'm guessing 40 hits to kill a boss. But the fact that you can now attack a boss rapidly makes this fun istead of boring and tedious. Gameplay during the boss stages are in 2D, but the graphics are 3D. The only bad thing about these boss battles is the constantly slower than normal framerate. Now, it isn't a terrible problem, just a little one. But since the framerate is mostly steady, you'll quickly get used to this, and it shouldn't bother you anymore, especially since boss fights are so fun. I must say, they are some of the best sidescroller boss battles Sonic has ever had to fight.
Last to be mentioned here, but certainly not least, are the online and local VS modes. Remember how the VS mode on Sonic Rush had slowdowns that really hampered down the multiplayer fun? Well, tha's not the case anymore. You can play via local wireless multicart or download play, or go online via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and play against strangers or friends from all over the world. About a year ago, I wanted to play my Sonic Rush with my online buddies, but I couldn't. Nowdays, Sonic Rush Adventure changes that. The gameplay over the internet is very smooth, just like in 1 player mode. The difference is now the items are different, and can be used to hinder your opponent's progress during the race to the finish, or race to collect the most rings. This type of VS mode is one of the game's most enjoyable features for me. There are also leaderboards which can be found at the official Sonic Rush Adventure site. If you've got a really good time in Time Attack Mode, you can decide to upload it to the site, and brag to the world about your "mad skills".
Graphics 8:Although it doesn't try to look realistic like Metroid Prime Hunters, it's definitely one of the better-looking DS games out there. The graphics are every bit as crisp and clear as they were in Sonic Rush. Sonic and Blaze's movements are incredibly fluid, and the graphical effects and details added to boss battles and cutscenes will catch any gamer's eye. The stages keep the vivid, semi-fantasy charm that most Sonic games have to them. There are even some brief 3D segments added to the stages, which make it look very interesting, and add to the fun diversity of each stage. With sevral gimmicks in the game, you'll see your character either jump out at you or be thrown into the distance, thus spicing the game up with more graphical effects.
Sound 8: The sound quality in this game surprised me, since alot of DS game miss their chance to make sounds and music as nice as this. The music sounds somewhat like the first Sonic Rush, only more adventurous, rather than trying to sound cool and fun. The tunes match each stage and event perfectly, and makes excellent use of instruments that Sonic Rush did not. The music sounds very nice, yet it's still upbeat and catchy like a Sonic game should be, although something about it doesn't quite feel like the Genesis and GBA Sonic games did. When you go underwater, the music sounds muffled, yet very nice. Almost if you were to actually hear music with your ears covered by water. The sound effects are all still here, and are used to bring more detail and life into the cutscenes as well as make the gameplay more amusing. One thing I liked is the fact that the character voices don't seem to jump out at you so much, but rather, they seem to blend into the game, which is nice. Sonic and Blaze still have their old Sonic Rush voice clips used in this game. Captain Whisker and Johnny have pretty bad voices. But fortunately, you don't have to listen to them very much at all.
Value: 8
Tilt: 10
Result 8.6: Now, I know I've probably led you guys to believe this is one of the best Sonic games, but that's only because it probably is! Although no game is 100% perfect, Sonic Rush Adventure comes close enough to appeal to newcomers with its solid controls, brilliant sound, and crisp graphics. This game is easy to reccomend to anyone, not just Sonic fans. Even if you like Sonic just a little, this game is worth a good try. If Sonic games improve more than this, our blue hero will most likely regain more of his dignity which he lost last year. This game was worth every penny.