RTTP: Sonic Advance 1

[Solid SOAP]

I remembered I had this installed on my SNES Classic, so I decided I'm gonna replay it. Maybe just a few levels, maybe the whole thing, who knows.

Sonic Advance is a funny game, and it came at a funny time. This was during two pivotal moments for Sonic:

1) His debut on Nintendo consoles
2) Right when game critics began harping on the series for "not working in 3D"

Sonic Advance 1 is very faithful to the classic games, but had a (at the time) modern flair to it too. The characters resembled their Adventure-era designs, level motifs were a fun combination of the realism of Adventure 1/2 and heightened nature of the classics, etc. It's an interesting game to play under this lens, as SEGA are now very clear to seperate classic and modern as seperate pillars of the brand.

The first level in particular highlights that marrying of "classic" and "modern" in a way that feels very cohesive. It begins on a beach not so dissimilar to Emerald Coast from Adventure 1, but smoothly transitions to checker pattern hills ala Green Hill Zone. It'd be cool to see if SEGA could adapt a similar art style for their new games, cuz it seems these days they either play hard into cutesy classic, or more edgy modern visual flair.

The game controls surprisingly faithfully to the classics too. Dimps developed a bad reputation of automated level design after, well Advance 2, but this game and their previous Sonic Pocket Adventure both felt very in line with the classic games they were inspired by.

I don't have much more else to add. I'm on the snow level rn. Maybe I'll beat the game?

 

[onpoint]

I haven't played these games in probably 10 years. I remember liking this one the best, and the second one pretty OK. The third... not so much.

Glad to hear it holds up. Maybe I'll give it another run in 2023.

 

[Solid SOAP]

I haven't played these games in probably 10 years. I remember liking this one the best, and the second one pretty OK. The third... not so much.

Glad to hear it holds up. Maybe I'll give it another run in 2023.

Click to shrink...

The game itself is ok! I can't like emphatically recommend it or anything, but it's a solid nod to the classics that added a modern (for the time) flair.

 

[the magical kitsune]

I don't think it's the best in the trilogy but it does emulate the spirit of the genesis game in the best way. Love the unique (at the time) boss of Zone 5 and Egg Rocket Zone has banger music.

Trilogy's underrated in general, the games are far from "hold right to win" levels of automation, especially if you want to get the secrets (e.g. the emeralds) and the extra ending.

 

[Virtua Sanus]

I really like how they made Amy play so close to her Sonic Adventure style even down to how much higher she bounces if your hammer hits a spring (!), but it was ultimately probably a bad call because the level design is super uninspired and shallow likely to allow her to comfortably be able to traverse it. The zone art in general kind of is too, but the characters looked great at the time. I loved how if you revved up a spindash a lot the ball curved a bit.

 

[Solid SOAP]

I really like how they made Amy play so close to her Sonic Adventure style even down to how much higher she bounces if your hammer hits a spring (!), but it was ultimately probably a bad call because the level design is super uninspired and shallow likely to allow her to comfortably be able to traverse it. The zone art in general kind of is too, but the characters looked great at the time. I loved how if you revved up a spindash a lot the ball curved a bit.

Click to shrink...

The animation and spritework are amazing, imo. The game looks fantastic.

 

[MikeMyers]

I remember being blown away by playable Amy and did that first. Good game.

 

[Shiz Padoo]

I didn't like these on the GBA. Screen was too small. Couldn't see what was coming up in time.

 

[Solid SOAP]

I didn't like these on the GBA. Screen was too small. Couldn't see what was coming up in time.

Click to shrink...

A proper rerelease would be great, but you know SEGA will perpetually rerelease the classics and that's it.

 

[neoJABES]

I would LOVE a rerelease of the advance trilogy.

Only played the 1st one and feel like I missed out with the other 2.

I recall really enjoying it this game when I played it about 20 yrs ago..

 

[Kyari]

Sonic Advance was legitimtely a pretty solid 2D Sonic before the dimps formula took over and devolved into endless blind open pits and spike traps.

 

[Grain Silo]

Sonic Advance 1 is the true Sonic 4, for me. Well, besides Mania I guess.

 

[Solid SOAP]

I would LOVE a rerelease of the advance trilogy.

Only played the 1st one and feel like I missed out with the other 2.

I recall really enjoying it this game when I played it about 20 yrs ago..

Click to shrink...

Sonic Advance 1 was closest to the classic games, keep in mind. 2 onward is where they began to establish the boost formula, for better or for worse. This means while a much faster paced game, the level design is less thoughtful, there's more bottomless pits and it has a fait amount of bullshit in it. I never played 3, but I hear mixed things.

 

[Buttonbasher]

I didn't like these on the GBA. Screen was too small. Couldn't see what was coming up in time.

Click to shrink...

I may have completely imagined this, but I wanna say there was a fan project that was remaking the GBA games from a more zoomed out camera perspective.

EDIT: I may have been confusing it with this: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021...-games-lets-you-zoom-the-camera-way-way-back/

but knowing the Sonic fan-game community it's probably only a matter of time. They're always making cool stuff.