Our favorite blue hedgehog is back and this time he’s here to stay. Sonic Adventure is Sonics resurrection from the slums and back into the spotlight.

Many thought we would never see a quality Sonic title again after many tries with the Sega Saturn and 32X, but the Sonic Team was determined and only God knows what they can develop.

Sonic Adventure brings back all the memories of our younger years, setting in front of our TV’s and watching our friend Sonic fly through the loops of the Emerald Coast and battle Dr. Robotnik. This time, Sonic has brought all his friends and even made a few to finally destroy Eggman once and for all. The characters making a come back are Sonic, Tails, Amy Rose, and Knuckles. The gang has made a few friends along the way and are both available to play just as the rest of the group, E-102 and Big the Cat.

Each character has gained new moves that allow them to defeat the Eggman and save all the animals with flying colors.

The game also features several sub-games to make the whole experience a lot more fun and exciting. The Sonic and NiGHTS pinball games available in the Casino are a blast and even hint towards a possible sequel to the loved NiGHTS game. The air attack games with Tails plane the Tornado is fun the first time you play it, but quickly gets a bit boring. The bumper-car race in Twinkle Park is my favorite, although there is only one track, it’s long enough to keep your interest for a long time, until you finally perfect the coarse.

And let’s not forget our little Chao friends. These little things are the cutes blobs of, umm, stuff you’ve ever seen. You can put them on your memory card and take them for a “Walk” or you can let them race in a Chao race. The Sonic Team has done a great job with these little things and I’m sure this is not the last time we’ll see them.

Overall, Sonic Adventure has everything needed to put the Dreamcast on the charts: great graphics, mind-boggling speed, cute characters, and even a few hard puzzles. The Sonic Team has done a good job of cleaning up the Japanese version and bringing it to the US where it will be a sure hit.

- Matt Gudehus
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