Wow. This game amazed me- in both ways, unfortunately. This could have been an incredible game, but it was messed up.
Graphics: 7/10 (For the GameCube, anyway) This is one of the better-looking games on the GameCube. If you look, the trees actually have leaves, etc. Most of the animation is great, except for the freaking horrible camera. It tends to swing around to focus on the other side of a wall while you're trying to fight some boss or other; I've died too many times because of that.
Sound: 7/10 At least the songs have lyrics. But the characters' voices, especially Tails's... "Now, So-nic, we. Will... fight Doc-tor Egg-man! We... have to. Beat him, or... he will de-stroy the, pla-net!"
Difficulty: 7/10 The camera and tiny platforms make some levels nearly impossible, but, for the most part, it's.
Gameplay: 8/10 This is excellent, except for the shooting levels (why? Honestly). The Chao garden, though, is excellent.
So, basically, you use the joystick to move, A to jump, and B to attack. There are three types of levels, but beware- one is absolutely terrible (shooting). You can jump about three inches into the air, and the entire level can be beaten by mashing the B button nonstop and moving occasionally, although the jumping parts add some intense frustration when you get to a part where you need to jump four inches.However, the traditional running levels are fun, and the treasure hunting levels are good for a more relaxed pace. And, best of all, you collect rings and then use them to dote on your cute little chao. Chao are cute little creatures with big, teardrop-shaped heads. You can give them small animals found in the levels to change their appearance, and you can always try to turn them into the legendary, immortal Chaos Chao.
This game, while far from perfect, has something for everyone, and if you don't own it, you should.