Review: Sonic Adventure XBLA

[Staskala]

I think the controls in particular really haven't aged well.
I replayed it on the Dreamcast somewhat recently and part of it was downright infuriating.

As for the story...
Well, actually, it sucks. I'm not joking, it's awful.
But somehow I still liked it, even though it was so god damn cheesy.
Call it nostalgia, but I think it's one of those "so bad it's good again" things. In a certain way it's still entertaining, same for the hilarious music by Crush 40.

Though I wouldn't recommend it to someone who has never played it, by today's standarts it might actually be as bad as the current titles. Ok, maybe not that bad.

 

[Kaisharga]

Wow, that really was the worst video supplement voicing on the site. Sounds like a one-take-only Youtube editorial. Goddamn.

Sonic DX is indeed available, as has been mentioned in passing, but it takes an extra $5 to "upgrade" to it from the DC version. Any word on whether it's as glitchy here on XLBA (and PSN, I suppose) as on the GC?

Say what you will about Big the Cat and Amy, but this is the last game where Sonic got to go very, very fast, and get properly rewarded for it. Figuring out how to cut the corners you needed to cut in order to get those A-rank medals in Sonic's stages was one of the most fun things about this game, and it remains so. I won't be getting all the medallions this time, but this game encouraged you to go fast in ways that very, very few instances of the other games ever managed. Somehow. Even though Sonic's big thing is that he goes fast.

Go figure.

 

[CombiBlood]

Shadow is the lamest, one-note, unnecessary, game character ever

 

[TerribleAssassin]

I have bought every Sonic game released on the XBLA... and I will continue to do so.

I love Sonic, and replaying his glory days reminds me why I love him.

It's not without the expected 3D problems of camera angle and moving a bit too fast... but it's easily one of the best 3D Sonics made.

I hope to see Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic CD ported soon!

And maybe some Sonic R for good measure.

Ahh Sonic CD, fun times trying to get into the future time zone...



OT: Aahaahaa, this game, I remember the hours I repeat HOURS me and my freind wasted in this game trying to get the Big missions done just so we could get the Golden question mark story. It's definately worth the 800 MP, I thought it was quite cheap as well..


EDIT:

Currently waiting for a HD port of SADX or SA2, not a stupid, let's port because we can port port. Then SA3 assuming they don't screw it up.

Thank the lord Sonic The Hedgehog 06 wasn't the official SA3, that would have been suicidle.
(Had nice soundtrack though..)

 

[Buizel91]

What's the sonic game where on the first mission your using a bit of a plane as a sort of, surf board?

That was my favourite sonic game, i think it was the first to have Shadow the Hedgehog in it...

i want that on XBL

That may have been Sonic Adventure 2. That scene sounds familiar and it definitely had Shadow in it.

All i can remember is sonic had been framed, for something shadow had done =S but i didnt know cause i never finished it.

 

[Covarr]

This most certainly does NOT have the dated controls of the DC version. Rather, it has the similarly dated, more broken controls of the PC version. Play the DC version again, you'll find it controls more fluid, and is considerably better looking (no shiny Sonic).

P.S. Thanks

 

[luvd1]

Poor flippy. You'll have to Beat him later.

So many memories. And yea, the game is very dated. Get a dreamcast if anyone wants to play it. It will feel much better... And you get to carry your baby chao to work. Awwww.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Heh. I played through the PC version - Obviously, the controls on that suck an extra 1000% (especially since I was without the benefit of a gamepad)

Still, it was fun.

I do remember it on the dreamcast as well though - Funnily enough, the two things I remember are the orca, and... The dreamcast crashing and showing a very familiar windows error message in the process. XD

(the dreamcast ran Windows CE, believe it or not... So in a way, you could say it was the predecessor of the Xbox.)

 

[Goenitz]

For anyone who never played it, get it. It was Sonic's first great jump into the new generation. Any Russ, your voice is really good at showing that you have no interest in this game at all. Monotone, uninspiring. Alittle enthusiasm would assist in selling interest in the game. But given the words you used and the final score, maybe your voice had its purpose.

 

[Prof. Monkeypox]

He sounds like he's being forced to review this game

Agreed, after awhile his voice sounded so monotonous as to be painful to hear. Show a little emotion! I'm not asking you to be excited, just alive.

 

[Susan Arendt]

You know, I always kind of liked Big the Cat. Yeah, I know, he's a dreadful character, I'm not going to pretend he isn't, but there was something about his patheticness that I found oddly endearing. That and his affection for Froggy.

Also, Sonic Adventure 2 sucked canal water. Sonic Adventure started the "let's chuck extraneous characters in here" trend, but SA2 really ran with it. Rouge the Bat, people. That's all I'm saying. (Not as bad as Charmy Fucking Bee, but still pretty damn dreadful.)

 

[drisky]

Wow Russ this game was way more painfully boring for you then your words were letting on. It sounds more like "Good damn it...this is just...terrible? Do I really have to do this? Pffffffffff fine...I'll try. Uuuuggggg soooooooo boooooored, are we done yet? what do you mean its only been 2 minuets?

 

[LWS666]

that dead pan go flippy go killed me

 

[k-ossuburb]

Either Russ was sick for this review or he REALLY didn't want to do this one. What was up with the drab tone of voice and all those pauses halfway... through a sentence? Sonic is dead to me now, if no-one can get excited about any title released under the Sonic banner then it's obviously a dead franchise.

 

[Timbydude]

Russ, I love the site and what you've done with it, but...wow, that video supplement. You barely mentioned anything but the core basics of the game (very little time was spent on what was good or bad about it), and what was with the random trailing off and completely monotone voice?

Anyway, I'm still on the fence about this because I'm one of those people who has fond enough memories of this game that a retread might be worth it. But, who knows?

 

[ProtoChimp]

What's Russ talking about, apart from SA2 every sonic game has been different. Heroes had the team switching element, Shadow had the morality element, 06 had the shit element and Unleashed has the werehog. Even if you forget specific gimmicks that make them unique to themselves the gameplay was still different. Heroes you could constantly switch between characters to get through different parts, Shadow had mission objectives for the levels if you wanted to go down a certain route, 06 was... er... uh... okay it was AWFUL... REALLY AWFUL, but it had, okay it was SIMILAR to the character stories in SA1 you played through but the play styles were different, even if they did suck. And Unleashed had constant speed sections, kinda different to SA1, but then there was the werehog sections, which yes dragged on to long (half a fucking hour) were a nice change for me at least. But before someone mentions it, Eggman land can suck it. I'm not making up excuses because I'm a fanboy (even though I sort am) but I just wanted to point that out. Although yeah it has aged quite badly. I do however want to say that I always thought and still think that Russ is the only biased reviewer on this site (see unleashed and ODST review) which is weird considering he spawned such an epic site full of unbiased people. And well I've probably just signed my own death warrant for this site so I'm off.

 

[Legendeer]

I AM that sonic fan with more money than time!

 

[SageRuffin]

Here's my argument:

If you like Sonic or have played this game in the past and enjoyed it, you'll more than likely enjoy it again on Live. Be careful, as the controls, as stated in the written review, are a bit more wonky than in the original Dreamcast version (I know this is the PC port... eh).

If not, then there's no real reason for you to grab this and might as well wait for, say, Sonic 4 Ep.1.

As for me, I'm back to making my gangsta-ass super hyper ultra mega Chao (but not a Light Chao, I'm happy with these little monsters being just as they are).