Introduction
Back in the early 90’s nobody would have ever believed that Sonic The Hedgehog would grace a Nintendo console, but through an odd twist of events in the gaming world the unthinkable has happened. Not only has Sonic appeared on the Nintendo GameCube but he has also had his debut on the console before Nintendo’s own mascot and Sonic’s long time rival , Mario...Sonic Adventure 2:Battle is an enhanced port of the Dreamcast original but with some enhancements. Some of these enhancements are multiplayer games and link up for Chao raising with Sonic Advance for the AGB.
So what exactly is Sonic and Co. up to on the GameCube? The same as usual , stop Eggman ( I miss the name Robotnik) from taking over the world. But this time Eggman has some help from a Black Hedgehog who is known as the Ultimate Lifeform,Shadow.
Presentation
The game itself does not present itself with anything too special, but what it does do is present a quick and easy way to just turn the power on , grab the controler and just play. Menus aren’t too detailed or flashy and aren’t as cool as some featured in other games recently.But there is one big negative with the presentation of this game and it is that the lip syncing in the game is horrible. So bad that I believe that localized Godzilla movies have better sync.
Graphics & Sound
Graphics : When I first saw Sonic Adventure 2 footage for the Dreamcasr I wasn’t too impressed back then, and I’m not impressed now either but the game is still a visual treat.
Sonic Adventure 2:Battle presents us with some not too detailed characters and areas but the title does utilize the power of textures to give the game that detailed look. Along with detailed textures, Battle gives us a true sense of Sonic’s speed by running at a constant 60fps with no slowdown in sight. The draw distance isn’t too impressive though.... I would’ve of loved if Sonic Team went the extra distance to make some more visual enhancements.
Sound:
It seems that Sonic Team and many other teams at SEGA love those those lighting fast crap rock guitar riffs. Surpirisingly these themes fit Sonic Adventure 2 : Battle very well . I just wish they would have excluded those horrible , horrible Knuckles themes from the game..... ***shudders***** The voice acting isn’t too terrific either , actually it’s horrible!
Gameplay
The gameplay is what makes this game just that damn good! Well that is if you exclude the Knuckles and Rouge missions err... and the Kart racing.In Sonic Adventure 2:Battle you are given many different modes of gameplay. Along with story mode you have gameplay modes such as Kart Racing, 2 player battle and the incredibly addictive and fun Chao raising.
Story mode is were the fun starts but it is not where the fun ends. In story mode you’re given control of six diffent characters , 3 hero (Sonic, Knuckles and Tails) and 3 dark (Shadow, Rouge, and Eggman), each character has his or her own opposite in either path. In story mode the fun is limited to a certain extent , you have the extremely fun and amazing Sonic/Shadow levels , the fairly decent Tails/Eggman levels , and then you have the downright horrible, horrible Knuckles/Rouge levels. Sonic/Shadow levels is were the game really shines, too bad there aren’t enough of them...
Multiplayer modes aren’t too great either and you will barely ever too them . Some of the modes are racing an opponent to the end of an area and acquiring the highest score , another is where you battle one on one against a buddy till the death. There’s one on more multiplayer mode and it is just a nightmare too play, it is Kart Racing. After experiencing many Mario Kart clones and rip offs I will say witouth a doubt "Nintendo and Rare are the kings of kart racing". If you can please refrain yourself from the Kart Racing multiplayer mode in this game.
Now for the mode that alone is worth buying the game, that mode is Chao raising. Build up your Chao stength , control his personality, bring him to school, watch him do stupid things with his toys, and then enter him into competitions against other Chao. To build up your Chao strength you must play levels in the game and acquire special tubes and animal traits you find in story mode or level select.
Two other modes of play can be found in Sonic Adventure 2 , One of these modes is level select which allows you to play any level you’ve completed in story mode at any time, as well as access to the Chao garden anytime you want. The other mode I will keep secret , but I will say this "It’s something old school".
Lasting Appeal
Even though story mode can be completed in less than 3 days the game still has tons of lasting appeal. Chao raising will keep you coming back day after day after day and earing all emblems will earn you special treats. One of these specials treats is that mode that I left undisclosed above...Conclusion
Even though it is a dater port of the Dreamcast original the game still kicks arse! With tight control and tons of lasting appeal Sonic Adventure 2 : Battle should not be passed by GameCube owners even if you’ve been anti-SEGA like myself for the past decade.It’s still an akward thought about Sonic on a Nintendo console...... the apocalypse must be approaching soon , more and more signs are making me believe so.
