Sonic Rush Adventure

[RivaOni]

One word describes this...

aaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvvvvvvveeraaaaaaaaage.

Why? Well, it doesn't offer anything new over Sonic Rush, aside from you can play a mode very similar to the Special Stages in Sonic The Hedgehog 2, albeit on water vehicles.

UYou have to do levels to get to a treasure chest with items in at the end which are used to build said water vehicles, and depending on what rank you get at the end of the level, you get varying amounts of items with which to build your craft.

Sonic Rush, I felt was above average, we hadn't had a decent Sonic game since the first Sonic Adventure, which was pretty much passable, so it felt kinda like a treat.

But when we have the vastly superior Sonic the Hedgehog 2 available at a fraction of the price both on Wii and XBox 360, this feels very meh.

[DANGERMAN]

I'm going to look such a fanboy leaping to sonics defence like this but I think this is something I'm going to have to play myself. Far too many people have hated recent sonic games only to go back to them and realise they liked them once they'd got their head around them. Rush was the same, and this has had some good reviews.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but Rush and Secret Rings had the same said about them and people changed their minds. That said an average sonic game wouldnt be earth shattering news would it

[RivaOni]

I'm not saying its an average game really, just that its an average Sonic game, its Sonic 3 compared to Sonic 2 really

[Hendo]

Average?

I do believe we've both been playing different games, Riva!

Firstly, let me say that contrary to what some people (read: Centy) think, I'm no SEGA or Sonic fanboy. The only Sonic game I've really enjoyed was the original, but I stopped trying to enjoy one as much as that years ago.

"it doesn't offer anything new over Sonic Rush"

Apart from the Adventuring (see the title) then?

Roaming around the map on your vehicle is great fun and adds loads of depth to the game.

The adventuring around the map is similar to the map sections in StarFox Command but done much better, the whole fog of the map is great and I spent at least an hour just wandering round looking for new islands without actually going through the game properly. Basically, this is Sonic Rush but with more depth, better level design, huge levels, great inventive bosses and what seems to be a much bigger game.

While the jet ski gameplay is kinda similar to the bonus round of Sonic 2, it's actually more involving and when you build the boat and play that, it's a completely different kind of gameplay.

The touch screen controls are well implemented and don't feel forced or tacked on in any way.

And I've only unlocked 2 vehicles, there's 4 in all so there should be 2 more styles of gameplay left to try.

Rather than be an average Sonic, this is actually a better version of Sonic Rush!

Let's put it this way - I bought this only by chance as I was hoping to pick up Super Paper Mario before I went to work but it wasn't in Tesco (found it after work in ASDA though) so I picked this up and Worms 2.

I was in work with little to do so fired this up to check it out, and then I'd put Worms in - I also brought a small collection of DS games (including Phoenix 3 which I'm loving) as well but Sonic never left the DS.

The only thing I can't comment on is the sound or music as you can't hear diddly in a loud factory, but as the DS isn't that powerful a machine, I'm hoping they'll be no singing in the music.

However, it's not perfect - when will SEGA stop putting annoying characters in Sonic games? That main one that follows you around (no, not Tails) is screen punchingly annoying. Also, who gives a fuck about a story in a Sonic game? Fair play with the title Sonic Rush Adventure you expect it, but it's still fairly dull tapping A to skip all the crappy dialogue.

Still, doesn't take away from the fact that this is a great game, and due to it being released on the same day as SPM it's depressing that it may already be an overlooked classic.

Average Sonic? Hell no.

If you don't like this, you'll be in one of two camps:

1. You're an old school Sonic/SEGA fan who pines for another Sonic like the original, 2nd or 3rd.

2. You're a relic from the Sonic vs. Mario days and you sided with Mario, and you just don't like Sonic games.

If it's the first, I feel bad, but you have to let go.

If it's the second, there's not much I can say really. :dry:

My verdict? If you liked Sonic Rush, buy it. If you didn't, don't.

[RivaOni]

The leves arent that well designed, you come off something at high-speed, not even having room to land and your hit by an enemy, no warning. And dont get me started on the levels in Sky Babylon with those frikking baloon things you have to pilot. I lost 12 lives on one little section because you cant see whats coming properly, Id not lost a single life upto that point.

The exploration is very similar to Star Fox Command on the map yes, and while I enjoyed that at first, I eventually grew to really dislike that section of the game (as you said I would Hendo).

I really wouldnt call it adventuring either, its all map based, you choose a route to take and shoot stuff, thats not adventuring, thats plotting a course for a shootem up (when in the bigger boat and hovercraft)

While its possible to "spend an hour just wandering round the map" the little games you play in the vehicles are incredibly tiresome, they feel tacked on in a poor effort to add depth to a 2D Sonic game. Sorry, this isnt what 2D Sonics about!

I do quite like the bosses, Ill admit to that (particular the pendulum, the skeleton and the whale).

The music in the games not bad, pretty standard modern Sonic style soundtrack and theyve chucked in some of the sound effects from the classic Sonic games.

I have to agree though, the worst part of the game is the new character (an Aussie Red Panda? Theyre from the region of Nepal and China).

I didnt approach this with any sort of expectation of wether it would be good or bad, I enjoyed parts of Rush, but some parts were stupidly awkward, as is the case with this. Theres alot I like about it, but theres also just as much that annoys me about it, the two balance each other out (more or less) hence why Ive deemed it average, at best its above average.

[Centy]

Hendo wrote:

Firstly, let me say that contrary to what some people (read: Centy) think, I'm no SEGA or Sonic fanboy.

I never thought you were a Sonic fanboy just you really enjoy remenising about the 16 bit days

I got review code for this and got very annoyed within a matter of minutes but i'm going to give it another chance and will report back.

[Hendo]

Sorry you feel that way, Riva - we've both had completely different experiences! My opinion on the levels is that they're very well designed, the only times I started losing lives is when I made stupid mistakes or just wasn't paying attention. The rest of the time I've been enjoying the ride.

Sorry, this isnt what 2D Sonics about!

But if SEGA released a re-hash of Sonic 2 (as loads of people seem to want) they'd get accused of raping the Sonic name by going down an easy route. I think this is a genuinely enjoyable and different take on a very old game-style.

I've just looked at the Metacritic scores and comments so far (click) and your opinion is definately the lowest so far, but I was drawn to the EGM comment "Like these guys say, the standard Sonic action is easily the main draw, especially when it gets more challenging--and satisfying--toward the end."

Maybe you need more time with it?

EDIT

There's also an online battle mode which no-one seems to mention. I haven't tried it yet as my router and my DS seem to have fallen out, but I shall give it a go.

[RivaOni]

I'm 2 levels away from the end of the game Hendo, then its just the 100 missions left to do.

I don't want them to release a re-hash of Sonic 2 personally, I want them to focus on making a great 2D Sonic platformer instead of feeling the need to tack on "adventure" elements. People don't buy Sonic for this reason, Rush was a step in the right direction, as were the Sonic Advance games, but this hasn't really made any steps towards a great Sonic game whatsoever.

I also can't play the battle mode as I've stilll not got my DS and router to co-operate.

[Hendo]

It's weird as I'm getting the same error code that you got, maybe the DS got lonely after the Wii and 360 took over and committed (online) suicide.

[Hendo]

I picked this back up last night and played a shit ton of it (until then Taiko and Phoenix 3 have been jammed in the DS) and I'm nearly at the end - I've built the last vehicle and have obtained 3 symbols.

Reading back through this thread I still can't see why you dislike this game that much, Riva. I've only just started to lose lives (I've had to continue due to losing all my lives only once) and they were genuinely down to my own stupidity.

Those balloon sections, I like 'em! I also like the 4 vehicle sections - once you've opened up a level you have the option of just zipping straight there without having to bike/boat/whatever there, but I've been mostly using the vehicle to get there because I enjoy those bits.

The only way I can see someone from having a real problem with this is that it's a bit confused in that it's half adventuring/boating and half old school Sonic, but with the title it's what anyone should assume.

I think it says a lot that I still haven't played Worms 2 yet once I started this it took a lot for me to stop playing or put something else in the machine.

[Sambob]

Two things here,

1 Hendo and Ben love sonic (which isnt a bad thing, id love a star wars game even if it were shit - see the latter jedi knight games) and dont have a very objective view of the game.

2 Nobody wants the newer format of Sonic games over the older format, given the straight choice on what youd want to see on the DS it would without a doubt be the old style of game over sonic rush and rush adventure. The fact that theres not been a follow up to the old sonic games (sonic 3 and knuckles) on DS or PSP is baffling.

This is not to say that the sonic rush and rush adventure games are rubbish, I eventually enjoyed sonic rush, after id put my mind to it. Id just way prefer an old school style sonic game on the DS, different level design but thats about all id want changed.

[DANGERMAN]

sambob wrote:

1 Hendo and Ben love sonic (which isnt a bad thing, id love a star wars game even if it were shit - see the latter jedi knight games) and dont have a very objective view of the game.

Whoah, just because you're bored at work doesnt mean you should be starting forum fights

Something I've said to one or two people before, and it may even have been cut out of the last podcast is that; The only reason Hendo is seen as a sega/sonic fanboy is because so many people on the site are the other way and hate sega blindly. Really it's not his/my/Rivas fault if you havent played the better games Sega have made. If you read a few of the sega based threads there's been a few people who have posted just to say that they wont be buying the game, regardless of what's been said in the thread.

I fit the bill of fanboy more, but I dont really believe that I'm blind with it. All the sega games ive played since the death of the Dreamcast have been good, purely because I've avoided the bad ones, well bar Sonic Heroes. As far as Sonic goes, his games really havent been as bad as people seem to think (Rush, Advance, Secret Rings, and the first Adventure are all good games).

We did talk about Rush Adventure on the podcast but it got cut, and while I cant comment on it because I still havent played it, I do believe you can see the progression from the old sonics to the advance ones (via the NGPC version) to Rush. We likened the way people complain about Sonic to the way they complain about Mario Sunshine and Windwaker, just because it's not the same doesnt mean its bad

I swear, you're such a trouble causer :laugh:

[Sambob]

Thats exaclty the reply id have expected from such a fanboy, if sonic was a fourteen year old boy you two would be fighting over him like Ben and Hendo over a fourteen year old boy.

Nah, i was a being slightly mischeivious there but I wasnt entirely knocking the new games, like I said the last one for DS was enjoyable at parts. I stand by my second point though because the people making sonic games have made a rod for their own back by not releasing the classic megadrive format. Its all well and good having progression in games, but ive spent more money (more time,attention,enjoyment etc) on re-buying sonic games made ages ago than on the newer format games, and its not an uncommon trend I dont think. Its also not because im a massive retro gaming fan, its because I prefer the old format to the newer stuff - i just cant understand why theyve not just made the old style, a nice bit of wifi in there for competition on the stages.....is that too much to ask? Is it Ben, is that too much?

[DANGERMAN]

But it's not like they've completely got rid of the old format for the handheld games. A lot of the things people complain about (on rails sections, enemies appearing from nowhere, holding right being the majority of the gameplay) they were all there in the old games. The new games feel more different than they probably are, and i cant place why

One thing I have noticed about the old v the new, is how much bigger Sonic was on the screen in the old games. I dont know if its because of the smaller screen size of the handhelds, but he seems tiny now

Oh, and quick question. Does Mario's cock really taste of pasta sauce?

[Sambob]

Ben wrote:

Oh, and quick question. Does Mario's cock really taste of pasta sauce?

I dunno ask Sega's ass :laugh:

[DANGERMAN]

You mean while they're raking it in from the olympic game? I'll ask, but I'm pretty sure they'll be too busy counting their money to reply. They did want to know when Nintendo fans were going to thank them for making 2 of the 5 best games on the cube

This is like a filthy version of the 90's

EDIT: If only this hadnt turned into a Halo fansite. Now look whats happened because we're bored

[RivaOni]

2?

I count F-Zero GX, Billy Hatcher, PSO Ep I & II (online admittedly), PSO Ep III and Super Monkey Ball.... thats 5 of the 5 best games on the cube! (I kid)

[Sambob]

Ben wrote:

I love Sega

Okay enough, enough already, way off topic, my fault.

Sonic rush (and by association, adventure) is a good, enjoyable game but I liked it a lot less than the older stuff, I cant really explain why.

[DANGERMAN]

sambob wrote:

sambob wrote:

I love men

Okay enough, enough already, way off topic, my fault.

Sonic rush (and by association, adventure) is a good, enjoyable game but I liked it a lot less than the older stuff, I cant really explain why.

I'd agree with that. The newer sonics not being as good as the older ones, not your slightly unsurprising declaration

[illdog]

Whats any of this got to do with Halo? Shut up everyone and get back on your 360's.