72 replies to this topic

[Saint Nathan]

Hey! I like Sa3. Except Sunset Hill, that was shit. My only real gripe with the game (except sunset hill) is Amy & Cream/Cream & Amy combo. For one of the few combos actually given a name, taking away the spindash was a completely utterly god stupid move.

Of course, I generally really enjoy Sonic games. I only really can't enjoy two, and that's '06 and CD.

[mikeblastdude]

030...whoa man, I never knew this was the '06 of the handheld games to people. I always just thought everyone liked all 3 of the advance series by default.

Haha yeah I had no idea either until recently, which is kind of why I made this topic because I had no idea why people hated it so much. Unlike Sonic '06 though, Sonic Advance 3 was more or less well-received by the critics, so I assumed that it was in pretty good standing with Sonic fans.

Ah well, I guess as the saying goes, haters gonna hate. :P I actually played through the game a bit after making this topic, and I still have a lot of fun running through zones like Twinkle Snow and Cyber Track.

Hey! I like Sa3. Except Sunset Hill, that was shit. My only real gripe with the game (except sunset hill) is Amy & Cream/Cream & Amy combo. For one of the few combos actually given a name, taking away the spindash was a completely utterly god stupid move.

I totally agree with everything you just said. It's kind of a shame about Sunset Hill though, because I really like the look and music of it, but when it comes to that zone I can't deny that the level design is just awful. >_< And yeah, the Amy/Cream combinations are pretty lame.

Edited by mikeblastdude, 03 February 2011 - 07:27 AM.

[The-Master-Board]

I loved Sonic Advance 3, defintely alot better than 2 and I think better than 1.
I like it mainly for the levels, they were fun and cool themes. I liked the two character thing but I actually barely use the second character. My main reason for liking the game was the levels, they are so cool!

I especially loved Chaos Angel which (while I know Sonic Advance 3 didn't really have much of a story it did say something along the lines of Eggman spliting the world apart)) I always assumed was Angel Island Roboticised somehow and the surrounding land broken into pieces floating around it, I just loved the concept of a Roboticised Angel Island and it was a cool level!
That's another reason why I always HATED the shit game that was Sonic Unleashed cuz it acted as if Eggman had never split the world apart before (that and the game being utter shit)

I personally don't see where all the hate for Sonic Advance 3 comes from, but then again I try not to understand these random fans these days as I loved Sonic Heroes and consider it my favourite 3D Sonic game of all time yet it seems the most hated Sonic game ever for some reason. I just don't understand people.

[Metal Gear (sting)RAY]

Sonic Advance 3's level design wasn't particularly memorable, but I don't see what makes it so horrendously bad. I don't see how it's any worse than, say, Pocket Adventure or Rush Adventure. It's not like Sonic Unleashed where it occasionally throws things in your path or Sonic Advance 2 where it doesn't present any obstacles at all. I mean, it's not very memorable, but I don't see how it's anything worse than harmless. Hell, some of the level ideas are pretty novel for a Sonic game like Cyber Track and Toy Kingdom. And the Team system's a lot more interesting than in Heroes since it gives you the option to mix things up rather than play the same game with the same controls four times. It didn't exactly add much to the experience, but I thought it was pretty cool. Bosses were very hit and miss, though. But in the end, I'd rank it Advance 1 > Advance 3 >>>> Advance 2. Advance 1 really had great and memorable level design- not Sonic 2 standard, but it was enough to make each one unique and interesting. I especially liked the vertical twist in Egg Rocket Zone.

Can't say I'm a fan of the music in the Sonic Advance series though. Except maybe 2. The melodies are good, but the instruments are annoying as hell after a while. Still, I blame the hardware limitations more than the composers.

Edited by SuperStingray, 03 February 2011 - 10:02 AM.

[eboni]

I adored everything about this game. Really. When I played it my first thought was, "Holy crap, it's like Sonic Heroes but done CORRECTLY." I loved the levels, save Route 99 and Ocean Base, and the music was fantastic. I'm not a midi lover, but I have fond memories listening to the tracks via headphones on my gba. Only Route 99 and Toy Kingdom had bad music if you ask me. Now Sonic Advance 2 had some shitty music. If it's not Music Plant Act 1, it's gotta go!

I never understood the hate either for this game either. Everything about it was just perfect to me....

[Tornado]

It's not like Sonic Unleashed where it occasionally throws things in your path

It is actually exactly like that...

Spoiler

Where is Tornado? Certainly not on SSMB.

[ChikaBoing]

I thought the Physics felt really slippery,and the acceleration was too slow. Even tough Sonic 4 may had really rigid controls, at least it was playable and you don't die because of it.
The Level Design is highly forgettable(like most Dimps games),and gimmicks and layouts are repeated far too often and half the time you wonder where the fuck you actually are.

[Azookara]

Onoes bad rep!

But really, this game is pretty dang bad. I didn't care for Sadv2 all too much, but this game (to me, mind you) makes Sadv2 seem like a godsend. For ultimate awesome however, look towards Sadv1. The real Sonic 4, bros.

Also, Sadv1 and Sadv2's music were brilliance that were limited to the few instruments Dimps let them use.. Reminds you of a more recent game doesn't it? :V

[Too cool for school]

Sonic advance 3 was cool, all the advance games were, the only ones that hate the games are the ones who suck ass at it plain and simple as that. I beat all of them and unlocked there super sonic endings, yeah it was hard, but what game isn't. The advance series was a different spin on the sidescroller sonic games just like rush is, some sonic fans just don't appreciate that, they go on and on about so called "bad level design," ect; but just won't admit they suck at it, typical behavior/attitiude.

The game got good scores, so that's all that really matters, all of the advance games did.

Edited by Too cool for school, 03 February 2011 - 02:24 PM.

[Shirou Emiya]

The above post amuses me greatly, partly because it looks so much like a troll post.

The moment I saw "Sonic Advance 3" in the title, I knew Tornado was gonna post something really negative about this game. Personally, I didn't play much beyond the first two zones, even though I beat the previous two Advance games, which is rather telling, really, I must've found it boring. Actually, if I can't even remember how fun it was, it must've been seriously unmemorable. Classic signs of a bad game.

Edited by Masaru Daimon, 03 February 2011 - 02:47 PM.

[Saint Nathan]

Sonic advance 3 was cool, all the advance games were, the only ones that hate the games are the ones who suck ass at it plain and simple as that. I beat all of them and unlocked there super sonic endings, yeah it was hard, but what game isn't. The advance series was a different spin on the sidescroller sonic games just like rush is, some sonic fans just don't appreciate that, they go on and on about so called "bad level design," ect; but just won't admit they suck at it, typical behavior/attitiude.

The game got good scores, so that's all that really matters, all of the advance games did.

Oh wow . I like the game, but seriously you want to pull that card? Do you really want to do that?

I mean aside from it obviously being a really dick thing to say, you do know that Tornado will tear you apart with an entire PAGE dedicated to proving every single word you say wrong. Not even objectively wrong, he will prove you factually incorrect.

There are quite a few things wrong with Sa3, but I honestly love it anyways. Compared to Advance 2 and DS Colors it's just about a godsend, but it's still not the best game ever. (sonic 2/super mario galaxy 2)

[DarkLight]

The only thing I hated about this game was the Twinkle Snow boss. Everything/everywhere could have killed you if you weren't careful. You're going upwards on these platforms which were the only means to damage the boss and had to hurry as fast you can before Eggman brought out that spiked-ball which could cause you to plummet to your death. I probably died 20 or more times before I beat the boss and still find it one the most annoyong boss battles in a Sonic game.

[ChaosSupremeSonîc]

Sonic Advance 3 has some up and down moments that take in the best and the worst of the previous Advance games before it while throwing something new to it.

On the plus side:
-It has more platforming than Advance 2 (arguably)
-It's easier to get into the special stage than Advance 2
-Seemingly combines the speeds of the previous games before it
-Allows for the mixing of character teams
-Allows for said mixes to have unique moves

But on the negative side:
-It's level design is very unpredictable, especially as you go further into the game
-It has a lot of death pits than Advance 2 in later levels as a result
-The regular movesets from the previous games are only accessible depending on the character team

The negative parts take the biggest chunk of the game, as characters like Sonic have a much higher chance of dying from an unseen death than characters like Knuckles or Cream. And the platforming in this game is pretty much a guess of whether or not jumping from this ledge is a safe move, and if you repeat the stage again you may end up second guessing yourself as to whether or not the same jump is a safe jump unlesss you've really memorized the stage.

I find it a much better game than Advance 2, but that's not saying much.

[Glenn]

Sonic Advance 3, in my opinion, is a fantastic videogame standing alone... but as part of a trilogy, it ends on the lowest note. Which is a shame, but only to us hardcore Sonic fans.

To judge it on what came before is, however, a tad unfair. Like most Sonic videogames of the era, it tried something new for the 2D platform genre: this time, a buddy system that had (deliberately or not) echoes of Knuckles Chaotix, albiet without the rubber band. The first entry into the series, Sonic Advance, was a straightforward affair which still feels like the "first" Sonic the Hedgehog 4, and much the same can be said for Sonic Advance 2, too. I found it quite refreshing, therefore, that the third and final part was wildly different in areas. Once again, one of the biggest reasons I adore the Sonic franchise is on display... namely, variety, whether it works or not. It gets respect for not phoning in an identical ending to the series, to be sure.

The most obvious new addition? Hub worlds. The wonderfully-named Sonic Factory was the true main menu. It did make selecting zones a bit of a fiddle, but ultimately made it feel more like a complete videogame. Yes, the point of the handheld format is pick-up-and-play (for those boring ten minutes of bus in the mornings) but you definitely got the feeling Sonic was travelling to these fantastic new worlds through warp rings and teleporters. Considering they also managed to squeeze in a pair of really, really challenging minigames into each of the hub worlds, you can be forgiven for exclaiming "Really? On a GameBoy Advance?!" when you hear of the seven different three-act zones, seperate boss battles, additional ending, multiplayer and time attack modes. Wrapping all this in a tried and tested visual style which looks utterly gorgeous and flows smoothly makes a winner. That's before I've even mentioned the soundtrack, which references Sonic's past (Route 99 and Sunset Hill Zone) while also creating some truly brilliant new tunes (Chaos Angel Zone is the definition of epic).

And the new buddy system wasn't terrible, either. Some special combination moves took a while to charge up, but they were only really needed in places where you had the luxury of time. Calling on Tails to throw Sonic sky-high, for example, never really happened while standing on retracting spikes. That said, some of the combinations were decidedly weaker than others. Given the size of the videogame on the cartridge, that's entirely understandable, but nevertheless it does make you wish they'd kept the character roster smaller. That's people covered... places? The usual fare is obviously there, but with a few twists: the first zone is a city, Route 99, and there's another novelty zone, Toy Kingdom. Instead of the blatant insanity of Music Plant Zone, at least you can suggest Toy Kingdom Zone is a large toy factory somewhere, although that's a stretch. And granted, they all include some dead ends that bring Sonic screeching to a halt... but then, what 2D Sonic videogame doesn't? Props to Chaos Angel Zone, too, for bravely including an act entirely devoted to a moving platform. Shades of Sky Chase Zone that I fully appreciated seeing, there!

Actually, the more I think about it, there isn't much to hate about Sonic Advance 3, really. My personal opinion is that the previous two videogames were better (Sonic Advance, simple and straightforward and very much a continuation of the classic MegaDrive series; Sonic Advance 2, insanely fast and insanely exciting, with the best soundtrack) but that isn't to say I hate the third and final entry in the trilogy. Perhaps it all does come down to those hub worlds, and that getting past the "packaging" of the experience and playing the core zones themselves just takes a little longer than before. As I said, in a handheld title, that's key because you're usually not sitting down to a marathon handheld gaming session. At least, not as you would be on a home-based console.

Personally, I don't understand the hate, either. Since playing them all through, and considering the time at which they were made, I think the entire trilogy is perhaps Sonic's strongest triumph of the period!

[Too cool for school]

The above post amuses me greatly, partly because it looks so much like a troll post.

How so? your just being stupid, and what i said is the truth.

@ GalaxyMan

And i can careless of what the hell tornado says, at the end of the day it's his opinion, no matter who says otherwise, learn to tell a difference between a decent game and a bad game, sonic 06 was a bad game.

So he can type a 10 page essay for all i care, everything he says and feels is still gonna be moot, not only that, i'm not gonna waste my time arguing with the kid.

Edited by Too cool for school, 03 February 2011 - 06:26 PM.

[DarkLight]

How so? your just being stupid, and what i said is the truth.

And i can careless of what the hell tornado says, at the end of the day it's his opinion, no matter who says otherwise, learn to tell a difference between a decent game and a bad game, sonic 06 was a bad game.

If I had a facepalm picture right now, I'd use for this.

[Too cool for school]

Do as you wish, the truth is the truth

You can't really point out flaws in what i said, cause it's true, it's his and anyone else's opinion that the game sucks, including mine that said it is good.

Any of you can say how the level design should be etc, but it doesn't make you right cause : 1.) Sega didn't lend you the task of making sdv3, and 2.) you aren't the ones with the vision of how you wanted sdv3 to be/designing the levels/turn out, Dimps were.

And besides, i'm pretty sure the fans that liked the game out weighs the fans that don't and that's all that really matters, is that sega made a profit.

Edited by Too cool for school, 03 February 2011 - 06:42 PM.

[DarkLight]

Even if it is your opinion, that doesn't prevent others from finding flaws with it.

[Ekaje]

And i can careless of what the hell tornado says, at the end of the day it's his opinion, no matter who says otherwise, learn to tell a difference between a decent game and a bad game, sonic 06 was a bad game.

So he can type a 10 page essay for all i care, everything he says and feels is still gonna be moot, not only that, i'm not gonna waste my time arguing with the kid.

Do as you wish, the truth is the truth

You can't really point out flaws in what i said, cause it's true, it's his and anyone else's opinion that the game sucks, including mine that said it is good.

What are you even saying? You're defending your stance as an opinion, while at the same time saying that the opinions of those who dislike Sadv3 are invalid because they "suck at it"? Hell, I like SatBK, but I'm not going to go off insulting the people who hate it saying they don't know how to mindlessly flail their arms right.

Also, judging from your attitude and typing, I don't think you have any right to insult someone else as a "kid".

[Too cool for school]

@dragonsoul

That's another thing that's wrong with this fanbase, is that some people just try to find every little flaw within the game's and complain about it, i wish people like that would just disappear.

@ Ekaje

They must have sucked at the game, cause there is no glicthes that's like sonic 06 to make you fail, there are no glicthes to make you fail really, its all on your own merit.

There are some thats trying to find excuses to say the game sucks.

Edited by Too cool for school, 03 February 2011 - 06:58 PM.