It is without question that the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise was at its best when it was a 2D platformer, hitting its peak with the release of Sonic 2 in November 1992. That particular game is still my favourite from my childhood, the hours played before and after school were well and truly worth it. I still play it on my DS from time to time.When Sonic first burst onto our screens in 1991 most games were ponderous and slow. This was changed with Sonic the Hedgehog, the sheer speed alone was like nothing else on the market at the time, the levels were colourful and imaginative, the soundtracks impulsive, and as with all of the other 2D Sonic games, the levels became less linear and more of a challenge the further you went into the game. What also helped Sonic was the fact that he was a cool looking character, he was the kind of character you didn't mind having on your lunch box or T-shirt, which was very rare at the time for a videogame character, perfect for a mascot.
But since the glory days of the 2D Mega Drive games, Sonic's foray into 3D has been mixed at best, most have been average and forgettable, but one of the first, and was highly praised on release, and that was Sonic Adventure, which was released as a launch title for the Dreamcast. Although it wasn't anywhere near a Mario 64 beater everyone was hoping for, it was still a highly respected game that averaged scores into the late 80s mark by most critics.
So when I discovered my old Gamecube sitting in the garage the other day, I went out and bought a copy of Sonic Adventure DX. Playing it was a stark reminder of how much games have technically advanced in the last decade. Most obvious of these is the voice acting and movement of characters, most of which are pretty good in most games these days. In Sonic Adventure these are both terrible, the dialogue is cringe worthy, the voice acting is diabolical and doesn't run in tune with the characters mouths as they speak. The in game cut scenes are laughably bad, the designs of the main hubs within the game are static and motionless.
Of course none of these bad things get to the heart of the game, the heart of the game has some dynamic and very fun elements to it, some of which still hold up well today.There are five playable characters, the best of these is Sonic, of all of the levels he has the most exciting and enjoyable ones, this is because the gameplay is all about speed, and at their best they showcase what Sonic games are capable of in 3D, and they give off a similar experience to what it felt like when you played the old 2D games at their best.But there is still a problem, the levels do seem very short and linear, there are times when you could just hold down the up button and do nothing else, as the character goes through loops, with the camera fixed in front or behind you. The disparity in quality in some levels is also evident, while some are fun, others are just boring. Because the levels are set in the real world instead of Mobius, they lack any kind of imagination, none of the levels here are anything compared with Green Hill Zone, Marble Zone, Sandpolis Zone, from the 2D games.
There are certain set pieces within some levels that are memorable and still enthralling to play to this day, examples include the run away from a killer whale and speeding down a skyscraper. The other characters in the game have varying levels of quality, with Tails you have to beat Sonic in a race to get the emerald at the end of the level, it's okay but feels like a downgraded version of the Sonic levels. Knuckles and Amy are often ponderous and frustrating at times, although they still have their moments. Playing as the robot E-102 Gamma is actually very good, and feels like an old arcade shooting game. Big the cat is worst of the bunch, the game requires you to fish for the frog that he has lost, overall it's just boring and forgettable.
The game is still decent and worth going back to, there are some very good moments but too often it feels disjointed and too short, and when it is challenging it isn't in a way that wants you to keep playing, it's just frustrating.
That said Sonic Adventure still has its place in the Sonic the Hedgehog library, and is certainly a bright spot since the end of the 16 bit era.
