Does the Adventure series still stack up?

[Indigo Rush]

Alright, fine, Mario 64 is practically perfect in every way.

The camera control still sucks, though.

[RidersDX]

I agree. But i think that maybe the foremost reason why the Adventure games are so fun to play through again and again is because you get to experience their epic storylines from beginning to end every time you do.

I've gotta agree with this. Most people will always say it's all about gameplay and the story shouldn't matter. But storytelling really can make a game that much better. There are so many great games out there with great innovative stories that push people to keep playing the game. Everytime you replay the Adventure games, you get to basically relive the story. I know story isn't the most important thing in the world, but it really is a reason that the Adventure games are so much fun to replay over and over again. At least, if you enjoyed the storytelling. Likewise, I don't usually replay Sonic Adventure's storymode much, the story in it wasn't awesome. But I love replaying the storymode of SA2, it's a great story in my honest opinion. Sonic Colors lacks this, so I'm not really motivated to replay it over and over. The game is still fun whenever I decide to put it into the Wii though.

And I still standby my opinion that Mario 64 is an unenjoyable game. I really couldn't get myself to collect more then two stars.

Edited February 22, 2011 by RidersDX

[JezMM]

Afraid to say I find it very hard to take SA's "epic" storyline seriously anymore. Even at the time it was a bit dodgy, but just compare

"AWW YEAH THIS IS HAPPENIN' *mouth continues to move for a second after*"

To

"*insert Sonic Unleashed opening here - or even Sonic Adventure 2's for that matter*"

[SonikkuJeneshisu89]

I still believe the Adventure series are still awesome Sonic games that are fun and had a lot of better things happening in them then the other recent Sonic games. Playing them now I notice a lot of bugs, some slow gameplay and the ugly graphics are laughable. When I was younger Adventure 2 was my favorite but now that I am older I am leaning more towards Adventure 1 and liking it a lot more not quite sure why. But I still find playing them and the story very enjoyable, I enjoy running around City Escape singing along to the song which I still know by heart after all this time. I really love the music in Adventure 1 especially Sky Deck, man Sky Deck and Final Egg were my favorite levels along with Lost World.

I find all the extras in Adventure 2 plus its 2 player system really fun, the game still has a lot of stuff for you to do after you complete the story modes. Who doesn't love the chao gardens and baby sitting little baby chaos for hours? Noticing the bad lip syncing in Adventure 1 nowadays really is quite comical. But honestly after all the years I still find these games very enjoyable and still live up to the hype they get just like Sonic CD and Sonic 3 and Knuckles are still very loved and popular after so many years. Games like Colours, and Unleashed really let you enjoy the nice speed and updated graphics which the Adventure games now lack but other than that I still think they are awesome games and still very much fun to play.

[CanofEpicSauce]

If anything they've aged horribly over the years. They're not horrible by today standards but they're very meh these days and that's due to one thing: Bad design

I can forgive mediocore dialogue and sub-par voice acting but the overall design of the games just weren't that good. I never really encountered any camera problems though

Let's start with Sonic Adventure 1. Back then having the story play out Rashomon style with 6 different playable characters was a new thing, it was never tried before and therefore it got brownie points... back then. In terms of extra playable characters in SA1 I didn't mind it that much. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were fine, however the rest were UGH! Gamma's gameplay was very mediocore and repetive, Amy's gameplay was just badly designed, and don't get me STARTED on Big the Abortion. The Sonic stages were the highlight of the game and I feel that SEGA should combine the Colors and the Adventure style for their next game seen as how Sonic's gameplay wasn't fully utilized in SA. Back then it was a great transition in terms of gameplay, but now people just classify it as 'okay'.

Now I didn't mind the hubworlds because unlike Unleashed and 06 they actually added depth to the gameplay making it feel like something big was unfolding and didn't deter from the overall gameplay. Overall SA still holds up today as decent.

Sonic Adventure 2 on the other hand: BLEH! The game in my view is just mediocore. Even the Sonic stages were meh because they practically play themselves. There's not really a lot of depth or skeptical in the Sonic'Shadow stages and the overall level design feels dated. Knuckles's and Rouge's stages were meh too, they were practically collectatons execpt it didn't feel rewarding finding the pieces of the Chaos Emeralds and were not very good. Tail's and Eggman's gameplay were BORING playing them makes me nautious. The overall design of the game is worse than that of Sonic Adventure's. The story was overall decent but it's nothing to write home about.

So in my view I think they haven't aged so well over the years. Sonic Adventure is decent but SA2 is mediocore.

Edited February 23, 2011 by CanofEpicSauce

[Sami]

Yeah, they've aged, but if it weren't for the NUMBER ONE GOD DAMN FUCKING IDIOTIC MIND-BLOWINGLY STUPID IDEA I'VE EVER SEEN IN A VIDEO GAME (read: "Alternate Playstyles"), I wouldn't care. Even then though, I think everything about them is overrated as balls, including the Sonic levels. They're a lot of fun, I love them, but people need to stop exaggerating them. Sonic Adventure didn't have free-roam gameplay guys, it wasn't even close to that.

The Sonic and Shadow (and Tails, in SA1) levels are fun to run through, but that's it. I absolutely hate everything else in both games. Even then, if I wanted some quick fun, I'd probably just play a level in Unleashed, and if I wanted to play through a game for fun, I would definitely just go for Colors.

[Kuzu]

The games are still fun for me, but I find myself severely turned off when I have to:

When I start a new file in SA1, I groan every time because I know I have to do those goddamn fishing stages, before I finish the game.

Playing Death Chamber, Meteor Herd, and Mad Space again always pisses me off.

If it weren't for the treasure hunting stages in SA2, or Big's stages in SA1 I wouldn't say they aged badly, but no, every time I have to go back and play those stages, the fun's over.

[Scar]

Yeah, Dissident reminded me of something.

Barring Speed Highway and Final Rush/Chase, the Sonic/Shadow stages were massively linear. It looked like you were exploring, but you were essentially following a single path set up by the designer. Its just the way the stages were designed.

In Unleashed, you were mostly in a beautifully designed corridor, and in Colours you were on a straight track suspended over a beautiful background. It felt more linear, because that's the way it was designed. In SA1/2, the levels were disguised as being wide-open, but in the end, you just went through a largely straight line to get there.

This is besides the point though.

Yeah, I enjoyed, SA1 and SA2, but I still think they are overrated. They are no better or no worse than Unleashed from an objective veiwpoint. Whether you prefer Adventure over Unleashed is really a matter of preference. When you break them down, they are very similar in approach. Both have a lot of padding for no real reason.

Colours is unique because it bucks the general trend. Yes it loosely follows Unleashed, but it has nothing extra. Nothing that starkly contrasts from the main gameplay. Yeah it could do with soem improvement, but hey, its a start. If the games from here on out are like Colours, if only in the way that they don't have anything that breaks the pace, then we should be looking forward to a time where Sonic is reputable once more.

[CanofEpicSauce]

Colours is unique because it bucks the general trend. Yes it loosely follows Unleashed, but it has nothing extra. Nothing that starkly contrasts from the main gameplay. Yeah it could do with soem improvement, but hey, its a start. If the games from here on out are like Colours, if only in the way that they don't have anything that breaks the pace, then we should be looking forward to a time where Sonic is reputable once more.

I agree so much with this.

[Badnik Zero]

But SA1 was much less linear. Speed Highway has a few paths like you mentioned, Twinkle Park and Windy Valley have short ones too.

There are two or three points in Emerald Coast where you can diverge a bit, run below or above the boardwalk, go behind things for lives and rings, run on the wall for a shortcut, fall a way to some springs or take the high path, and even the end splits between the jump pads and more springs. It's not a lot really but it keeps the level from getting stale.

There were also open areas (even if linear in nature) like the gravity wall room in Lost World that was huge, and the Sky Deck carrier surface with the guns, the cannon section, and the room that turns on its side. Speed Highway had the town section. Design or even open areas like this make sure it's not just the same thing each time you play the level.

Come to think of it, they used all those open areas for Knuckles' stages.

I hope what I consider their best design choice wasn't a mistake... SONIC TEAM.

Edited February 23, 2011 by Dabnikz

[Tornado]

I have to say that I enjoyed the honesty of SA2's level designs at least. They were linear, they knew it, so they made everything into a spectacle. Compared to Heroes, for example, which basically just pretended to have alternate routes (usually by having a grind rail that went 10 feet to the left of the main path for 2 seconds and then rejoined back up), the attempt made to make the best of the level designs was quite nice.

Reports of my return have been greatly exaggerated.

Edited February 23, 2011 by Tornado

[Badnik Zero]

You're right though, the SA2 stages were fun too. Even though it was linear they made things for you to do. Each section had trick areas for you to hit on the way to the end of the level. It keeps you engaged. It's like instead of dots in a circle (paths on a map) it was dots on line (stunts to perform on the straight path), to get into visual metaphors.

I guess that's why I love Final Rush so much. It seems to combine two great design methods.

Heroes didn't really have hidden tricks in the levels.

Or do I need to play it again. I definitely do. Soon as my Chao are all good and raised.

Edited February 23, 2011 by Dabnikz

[The Weeb with No Name]

Having other playable characters was a new thing back then but is now just considered bad design today.

wtf are you talking about m8

Edited February 23, 2011 by Jayhawker30

[Kuzu]

wtf are you talking about m8

It should be noted that a 4th game is coming out too.

[Ebby]

Colors?

Well, after giving it another go (For the record this game was on my "Crappist Sonic Game I Ever Bought" pedestal and made me question my Sonic love), its not a bad game. Not at all. It's fun, but it doesn't do much for me Sonic wise.

I believe its only being given praise for its lack of alternate play styles which isn't a bad thing, but what we're presented with is completely average. Sonic Adventure 2 REMINDED me why I fucking liked Sonic games after a long absence. Unleashed's Day Time stages reminded me Sonic could be amazing despite Heroes, Shadow, Secret Rings, and Sonic 06. Colors makes me say, "Well... its not bad and its not amazing. It's good, decent."

If I can see any game becoming dated and simply not stacking up, it would be Colors. I'm sure they'll make a Sonic game that has more impact in the future.

Again, not bad... not amazing... just okay.

Also, I honestly believe that some people simply don't even try to ENJOY alternate play styles because they say, "THIS ISN'T SONIC!!! FUCK THIS SHIT!!!" I can relate to this! When I saw Unleashed, I thought Werehog was the end of the series. I shot it down before I could give it a chance. I happened to really like it when I played it!! Thing is with alternate play styles is that its fine as long as its fun. Sure a game where its only Sonic running is ideal, when I'm given boring to average levels then should I be happy?

Oh! Aaaaannnnnnd.... if the Adventure series wasn't so good people wouldn't be whining about Sonic Adventure 3.

[Krishaa]

Most of the people I know who say SA1/SA2 are the best 3D Sonic Games have never touched Sonic Unleashed or Sonic Colors before. When I end up telling them that the Sonic Adventure series was a buggy mess of a game that encompassed some of the most idiotic design choices a high-end developer could make, they can't argue with me, but they still find some way to explain how the games were so "good". If what I explained alone doesn't make a game bad, then what does?

I'm not going to bother talking about any other stages beside for the speed stages, because I would just be repeating what has already been said. I'm going to leave you with examples of my pain with SA1 instead. Let's begin with Emerald Coast; SEGA had managed to successfully install magnets under the sides of the track because there are certain moments where I will fall under the crevices on the sides of the track, even after trying to escape from the glitchy horror. My friend sat and laughed as I fell through the track (it was embarrassing). How about Lost World? Everyone knows how exhilarating it was to ride on the snake as the water pushed you back, so you always had to run to get back on, then when you rose the water back up all the way, you could never see where you were supposed to jump because of the atrocious camera. Those are just a couple of examples. I could go on forever, but I would just be repeating the point. Overall, this is absolutely unacceptable on any level.

Although SA2 fixed some of these issues, even worse design choices than the original plagued it, such as its unbalanced level design in the speed stages (yes, the Chao Garden was fun, but I'd rather just get a Tamagotchi instead).

For people who have not played Sonic Unleashed are missing some of the most well balanced Sonic stages in ANY Sonic game. The pacing is flawless as you speed through levels with a virtually perfect camera system. My friend watched with amazement as I sped through the levels flawlessly, found best routes, and gained momentum without it being stopped by a set of platforms or a glitch. There is actually a strategy involved to Sonic Unleashed that makes it so much fun to compete with others for the best time and score. Same goes with Sonic Colors. Fine, I forgot to talk about the Werehog, but once you defeat those stages, you can replay all the Sonic stages you want.

I'll be honest, I used to love SA1 and SA2 because they were the best choices I had when it came to 3D Sonic, but my love for the game was crushed when I first sped through Apotos Act 2 in Sonic Unleahsed. If my friends would play Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors, they would realize what I'm talking about.

[Scar]

Colors?

Well, after giving it another go (For the record this game was on my "Crappist Sonic Game I Ever Bought" pedestal and made me question my Sonic love), its not a bad game. Not at all. It's fun, but it doesn't do much for me Sonic wise.

I believe its only being given praise for its lack of alternate play styles which isn't a bad thing, but what we're presented with is completely average. Sonic Adventure 2 REMINDED me why I fucking liked Sonic games after a long absence. Unleashed's Day Time stages reminded me Sonic could be amazing despite Heroes, Shadow, Secret Rings, and Sonic 06. Colors makes me say, "Well... its not bad and its not amazing. It's good, decent."

If I can see any game becoming dated and simply not stacking up, it would be Colors. I'm sure they'll make a Sonic game that has more impact in the future.

This. I love Colours, but its average. Then again, it was made by the people who gave us legendary titles such as Secret Rings and Black Knight. A lot of people are still surprised that the people who made Colours were the same people who gave us, what were considered to be the worst Sonic games outside of Sonic 06.

The mediocrity was perhaps because of insecurity. People's outlook on Sonic games is pretty dismal, frankly, it was wise of them not to be so flamboyant, and to play it safe. They could easily have made a much more eccentric and more exciting game at the risk of pissing people off even more.

What the franchise needed at the time was stability. Now that we have a lot of people actually enjoying Colours and looking forward to the next game, Sonic Team can be a bit more explosive. Let us not forget, that as of yet, Sonic Team HD, the ones that brought us the spectacle of Unleashed, have only made 1 game since they were formed. They've had nigh on 3 years to make a new one. We'll have to see what spectacle (I hope) they bring us now.

Also, I honestly believe that some people simply don't even try to ENJOY alternate play styles because they say, "THIS ISN'T SONIC!!! FUCK THIS SHIT!!!" I can relate to this! When I saw Unleashed, I thought Werehog was the end of the series. I shot it down before I could give it a chance. I happened to really like it when I played it!! Thing is with alternate play styles is that its fine as long as its fun. Sure a game where its only Sonic running is ideal, when I'm given boring to average levels then should I be happy?

I shouldn't have to enjoy the alternate gameplay styles. Yes the werehog wasn't that bad, and neither were the hunting stages, but they main problem was that they broke the flow. When playing through the game from start to finish (as most people would), the constant back and forth ruins the games pacing. Yes, the Day stages are brilliant, when you pick and play them after completion, but as an overall "campaign", the extra stuff only served to break the flow, both in Unleashed and SA2.

Not SA1 because each character had their own story so the flow wasn't forcibly broken.

Colours I personally enjoyed more because the pacing wasn't broken by something interrupting it. After having nearly beaten it, I don't really want to replay a level, because they were pretty average, but as an overall "Capaign", it was stronger, because there was nothing to break the flow.

This isn't an excuse to try and force yourself to like Colours simply because it was made with better gameplay decisions. It is still an average game, with nuances of Secret Rings/Black Knight style on-rails coming through (to be expected really, those were the team's previous titles). Colours is undoubtedly flawed. Its less spectacular than SA2 and Unleashed, and less bipolar, but its more stable and consistant.

If Sonic Team can maintain that level of consistancy, then we're in for even better games. I wasn't expecting Colours to be the epic return, but hey, its a start.

Oh! Aaaaannnnnnd.... if the Adventure series wasn't so good people wouldn't be whining about Sonic Adventure 3.

SA1 and SA2 were just as flawed as Unleashed. People just have rose-tinted glasses when it comes to SA1 and SA2, and that makes them seem better than Unleashed, when in reality, they are actually quite similar in terms of quality.

[CanofEpicSauce]

wtf are you talking about m8

[Badnik Zero]

I believe its only being given praise for its lack of alternate play styles which isn't a bad thing, but what we're presented with is completely average.

[Ebby]

Sonic Adventure doesn't really have an 'epic' storyline. Atleast to me it doesn't feel epic maybe cause the bad or mediocre voice acting kinda ruins the experience for me and it just comes off really corny. I'm playing it now btw.

I could say that now it doesn't because that same plot was repeated in three other Sonic games (SA2, Sonic 06, and Sonic Unleashed), but when I first went through the entirety of Sonic Adventure, I was impressed. Though I prefer the sequel, the first Adventure had the better story.

The lip sinking isn't so amazing and the voice acting isn't the best thing around, but the other aspects, such as cut scenes and sub plots, really make up for it. Hell, the opening to the game is fantastic. It made me go, "I'M SUPPOSED TO SAVE THE WORLD FROM THAT!?"

The actual plot of the game is good, there's some characterization, actual character development (I swear that was the last time Tails had some development), and the subplots, for the most part, are good. Sure Big is stupid and Amy's story is fluff, but Gamma's story is the deepest thing I ever saw in the series and Knuckles' back story was totally unexpected. I'm actually not a Knuckles fan AT ALL, but if they dove more into his past, I'd enjoy it.

[batson]

I could say that now it doesn't because that same plot was repeated in three other Sonic games (SA2, Sonic 06, and Sonic Unleashed), but when I first went through the entirety of Sonic Adventure, I was impressed. Though I prefer the sequel, the first Adventure had the better story.

The lip sinking isn't so amazing and the voice acting isn't the best thing around, but the other aspects, such as cut scenes and sub plots, really make up for it. Hell, the opening to the game is fantastic. It made me go, "I'M SUPPOSED TO SAVE THE WORLD FROM THAT!?"

The actual plot of the game is good, there's some characterization, actual character development (I swear that was the last time Tails had some development), and the subplots, for the most part, are good. Sure Big is stupid and Amy's story is fluff, but Gamma's story is the deepest thing I ever saw in the series and Knuckles' back story was totally unexpected. I'm actually not a Knuckles fan AT ALL, but if they dove more into his past, I'd enjoy it.

I agree with every single word you said there. Sonic Adventure's story about an ancient monster being about to be unleashed into the world was something completely new to the series. And sure, that basic idea is something we had already seen a billion times before in other fiction. But what truly elevates the story in SA is, like you said, the more personal side of things; the fact most characters go through some sort of personal development (although ironically, the main hero is not one of them). I especially love Tails and Gammas stories with their themes of independence.

[ChikaBoing]

I hope what I consider their best design choice wasn't a mistake... SONIC TEAM.

Instead of fixing it, they went the lazy route and just removed open sections do avoid camera problems. That Trend continues in Colors, where instead of improving 3d sections, they mostly remove them. Kinda like Square-Enix didn't bother to make make the puzzles/plattforming sections in the first Kingdom Hearts better, but intead just remove them in the second game.Lazy Japanese game design is what I call it...

Edited February 24, 2011 by ChikaBoing

[Ebby]

I especially love Tails and Gammas stories with their themes of independence.

I think I actually had a few tears for Gamma's story.

It's proof that they can do deep.... I don't know what happened in Shadow's game!! XD

[Scar]

Instead of fixing it, they went the lazy route and just removed open sections do avoid camera problems. That Trend continues in Colors, where instead of improving 3d sections, they mostly remove them. Kinda like Square-Enix didn't bother to make make the puzzles/plattforming sections in the first Kingdom Hearts better, but intead just remove them in the second game.Lazy Japanese game design is what I call it...

Actually, in Unleashed HD, there are zero camera problems in the day stages. Don't beleive me? go to an open area in a level and toggle the camera. It works as it should.

[Tornado]

I actually was quite impressed with how well the Unleashed camera worked. It behaved almost all the time, and it was pretty easy to "fix" it. Which is quite a shame, because the "MOAR BOOST" bits that most of the day levels were made up with really doesn't show the advances that they had made in that area.

Who's that at the door?! It Secretariat!!!!!

Not Tornado.