Sonic Adventure - Sega Dreamcast

Product Description

Amazon.com After several years in video game retirement, Sonic the Hedgehog returns as the star of a graphically stunning 3-D adventure game that blows away every other game in the genre. Sonic is joined by five of his friends in a massive quest that spans over 50 game levels filled with remarkable visuals and a pulsating soundtrack. Taking full advantage of the unprecedented processing power of the Dreamcast, Sega's development crew, Sonic Team, has designed several gravity-defying game levels that will keep gamers hooked. Our favorite level is Windy Valley, which requires you to survive the stormy perils of a tremendous tornado. This tyrant of nature chases you relentlessly before ultimately sucking you into the air and up through its eye. During the chase, the tornado manages to tear up just about everything on the screen. This dizzying visual spectacle moves so fast that you will literally hold on to the game controller for dear life. Assuming you survive the tornado, there are several more challenging areas to conquer, including a level that requires you to snowboard directly in the path of a fast-approaching avalanche. During the Emerald Coast level, you will race across a precarious dock as a killer whale attacks from below, destroying the wood planks underneath your feet while you attempt to outrun the crazed creature. We also liked the numerous mini-games scattered throughout this title. When you least expect it, Sonic Adventure tosses in some old-fashioned arcade action, such as pinball or bumper car racing. In between, you can raise virtual pets, known in the game as "Chao." These characters, which are saved using the optional Visual Memory Unit (VMU), can be combined with other Chao characters exchanged between friends or downloaded via the Internet. Gamers looking to show off the strong processing power of the 128-bit Dreamcast will definitely want to pick up this title. Simply put, Sonic Adventure's graphics surpass those of any other game currently available on any home video game system. Let the Sonic assault begin. --Brett Atwood Pros: Strong replay value Stunning graphics Bonus virtual pet game Six different game characters Cons: May be too fast-moving for some players Awkward camera angles can inhibit gameplay in some areas Product description Sonic is back to save the world in his biggest adventure yet. The mad scientist Dr. Robotnik has found a way to harness pure evil from the chaos emeralds and destroy the world. Joined by friends new and old, Sonic must keep Dr Robotnik from obtaining all seven emeralds and unleashing Chaos on the world. Sonic makes his debut to the Dreamcast in a full 3D world of visual splendour, providing a thrilling experience. Featuring signature high velocity action stages and adventure fields, Sonic's adventures are only just beginning! Review Every once in a while, a game comes along that redefines a genre and sends the gaming scene in a new direction for years to come. Sonic Adventure simultaneously is and is not one of these games. It keeps the linearity and structure of a 2D game and brings, for the first time, real speed to a 3D platformer. Yes - Sonic is back in classic form after an all-too-long hiatus. Having been failed time and time again by technology, Dr. Robotnik began to look elsewhere for world-conquering gear. In his journeys he stumbled on Chaos, the water-based God of Destruction. To reach his full destructive potential, Chaos must absorb the seven Chaos Emeralds. Robotnik begins scouring the world for the elusive gems, sparking the interest of Sonic. Five additional characters also become caught up in the fight against Robotnik and Chaos, and each character has his own agenda. Tails seeks to become more than Sonic's sidekick; Knuckles searches for shards of the shattered Master Emerald; Amy protects a small bird; Big chases his amphibious friend; and Robotnik's E-102 Gamma sets out to relieve the world of his robotic kindred. Several flashbacks are interspersed throughout each of the characters' adventures to explain the back story, but the whole picture is not revealed to the player until the game has been completed with all six characters. Sonic Adventure's levels come in two flavors - action stages and adventure fields. The action stages are, as the name implies, action oriented. Each action stage is entirely self-contained, with play mechanics varying from character to character. Sonic's levels play exactly as they did in the 2D Sonic games, but a 3D element has been added. Knuckles' levels, on the other hand, center around Knuckles' search through various levels for shards of the Master Emerald. The large adventure fields are more exploratory in nature and tie together the action stages. The field areas are inhabited by various people to talk to, and they contain no enemies other than the game's bosses. Finally, hidden throughout the field areas are items that enhance the characters' abilities, allowing them to access new areas.