Sonic Adventure

Release Date - December 23, 1998 (JP)
Developer - Sonic Team
Publisher - Sega
Platform - Dreamcast

It’s difficult to convey just how much excitement was surrounding the release of Sonic Adventure in 1998.

While the 2000s and 2010s saw numerous releases of games featuring Sonic, in 1998 there hadn’t been a ‘true’ Sonic the Hedgehog instalment since way back in 1994! Not only was it a four year gap, but the last time we saw Sonic in a mainline title was the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis with no major Sonic games released on the Sega Saturn at all! This was a result of Sega seemingly looking to abandon Sonic the Hedgehog as one of their tent-pole franchises due to declining sales of the games after Sonic 2 (1992). As a result, Sonic Team developed a new IP for the Sega Saturn with NiGHTS: Into Dreams (1996), with Sonic fans having to make do with a somewhat lacklustre port of a 16-bit spin-off title, Sonic 3D Blast (1996). Sega eventually came around to discover that fans were clamouring for more Sonic, and put into motion a plan to bring him back to prominence.

*The iconic loop de loop returns in Sonic Adventure.*

Sega began ‘Project Sonic’; a plan to re-introduce Sonic to the gaming public with a series of game releases. The first was the Sonic Compilation Sonic Jam (1997) for Sega Saturn, being a collection of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994), and Sonic & Knuckles (1994), along with a teaser for things to come with a small but fully 3D mini-game called ‘Sonic World’. Phase two of Project Sonic was Sonic R (1997), a fully 3D and quite technically impressive Sonic racing game. Phase three of the project would be the long awaited ‘true’ sequel to Sonic & Knuckles, the first ever fully 3D Sonic action adventure game and a showcase of the Dreamcast’s power; Sonic Adventure.

*Sonic looks amazing in his Dreamcast debut! The opening cut-scene wowed gamers with Sonic’s long awaited return.*

Sonic Adventure was first revealed to the world with a live demonstration at the Tokyo International Forum in August 1998. The intention of the event was to impress everyone with the power of the new Dreamcast console, and it certainly succeeded. Much like the original Sonic the Hedgehog was a technical tour de force in 1991, Sonic Adventure displayed graphics that were unlike anything ever seen on consoles, and rarely matched by even powerful PCs or arcade machines. Here was a game to truly usher in the next generation of video games. Not only did the game have impressively detailed models for Sonic and his friends, but the game had amazing lighting, fast speeds and long draw distances that made even the most advanced console games on current generation consoles pale in comparison. A lot of effort went into making the game look spectacular, including Sonic Team making trips to South America to get inspiration and ideas for the jungle and temple levels that feature prominently in the game. Excitement was at fever pitch for the following months as the world would await Sonic’s triumphant return later that year.

Sonic Adventure is a large game that expands on not only the gameplay, but also by being the first time the main-line Sonic games had a strong focus on storytelling. Beginning the game, players are immediately presented with a cut-scene of Sonic running through what looks like a contemporary metropolis, confronting a very impressive transparent liquid creature in a stand-off with police officers. Quite a departure from the previous titles, and the beginning of what becomes a lengthy, fun and epic journey for our hero. Sonic confronts the creature and it is soon revealed that it’s known as Chaos, an ancient power that has been unleashed by recurring Sonic nemesis Dr Robotnik (or Eggman, if you prefer).

*Chaos’ design was very ambitious, being transparent and liquid. It really was something of a flex of the Dreamcast’s muscle!*

When first playing the game, you’ll only have access to playing as Sonic himself. As you meet other characters through the course of the adventure, you’ll start to unlock them for play, each with their own unique style of gameplay and their own campaign! All up there are six to play as; Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Big and E-102 Gamma. Sonic is naturally the lead character with the longest story and the most levels to play through. He plays like you may expect, with large, fast paced and action packed platforming levels! These levels really build on Sonic’s speed and agile movements, with the action never stopping and being interspersed with some amazing set-pieces. These include the now-famous killer whale chase across the piers and snowboarding down a mountainside to escape an avalanche. There’s also some fun diversions, perhaps most notably not just one but two fully functional pinball tables (one of which is based on Sonic Team’s Saturn game NiGHTS: Into Dreams!).

*Sonic’s old friend Tails is the first additional character you’ll unlock.*

Tails plays somewhat similar to Sonic, with the added twist of his levels being a race against an opponent to the goal. Of course, while Tails isn’t as fast as Sonic, he has the added ability to fly! Flight adds a new dimension to the gameplay and the level design to keep things fresh.

Knuckles is the first character you’ll come across with a more drastic change to the gameplay, with his levels being smaller but more detailed and intricate than Sonic’s or Tails’. The goal here is not speed but exploration, as you must search each area for hidden items, using Knuckles’ abilities to glide, climb walls and dig.

*E-102 Gamma is memorable for being a playable ‘baddie’. But is he really that bad?*

Amy’s levels are somewhat similar to Sonic and Tails but take on a slower, more obstacle and light-puzzle solving slant. She can use her mallet to attack enemies and perform extra high jumps to reach new areas.

E-102 Gamma is a robot with a laser mounted on his arm, and his levels consist of getting through stages with a strict time limit which can only be increased by chaining enemy kills for time bonuses. It plays like a ‘run n’ gun’ game, and E-102 has some cool transformations to compliment the action, with the ability to hover with helicopter blades switch out his legs for wheels to enable high speed movement.

*A definite change of pace for Sonic, Big the Cat is all about a relaxing bout of fishing! Well, not THAT relaxing, as you are trying to save your friend’s life, after all…*

Finally, Big the Cat is the most unique (and curious, no pun intended) of all characters; his gameplay revolves around fishing! Yes, fishing! Big is a portly, purple cat armed with nothing but a fishing rod. You’ll be revisiting some previously completed areas, but this time instead of running, shooting or flying about, you’ll find a tranquil pool of water and have a relaxing session of angling as you try to catch increasingly large fish and find your missing frog friend.

Each of the character’s stories are relatively self-contained, but each will tell a part of a greater, overarching plotline. There will be interactions with characters and story moments that will be mysterious until you’ve played through the other stories and fill in the blanks with multiple perspectives. There’s even a secret, final story to unlock when you’ve completed all the starting six!

With the story taking a much more prominent place in the game than previous Sonic titles, the presentation has been lifted to match. All the characters are fully voice acted, and the game contains a number of cut-scenes rendered in-engine using the game’s impressive graphics.

While each character has their unique levels to progress through, the game also contains several Adventure Fields, which serve as hub-worlds in which the characters can freely explore, interact with NPCs, and do some puzzle solving to unlock later action stages. These hub worlds also allow players to revisit previous action stages at any time to replay them. Finally, these Adventure Fields also provide access to areas known as Chao Gardens…

*In a stark change from the minimal and visual storytelling of the Mega Drive* Sonic games, Sonic Adventure featured fully voiced and detailed cut-scenes!

Chao Gardens are a much-loved feature of Sonic Adventure, and are perhaps one of the most memorable and well-received aspects of the game. Almost a game in itself, the Chao Gardens are areas in which you can raise virtual pets! Hot on the heels of the late nineties Tamagochi virtual pet craze, Sonic Adventure would let you raise little ‘chao’ creatures, and even had functionality to load them into the Dreamcasts’ Visual Memory Unit (VMU), allowing you to interact with the pet on the go! There was even a mini-game exclusively available on the VMU known as Chao Adventure. After hatching an egg in one of the Chao Garden locations, a little chao would be born. Players then could collect creatures freed from Robotnik’s robots in action levels, and take them back to the gardens. When in the gardens, the chao can interact with the animals you’ve rescued and will take on some of the animal’s attributes! For example, bringing back a rabbit will make the chao faster, bringing them a penguin will make them better swimmers. Not just increasing their abilities, the chao will also take on aspects of the animal’s look, so it may grow peacock feathers or ram’s horns! There’s endless amounts of combinations you can provide to create a unique creature with unique abilities.

Feed your chaos well and keep them healthy and eventually they’ll grow into stronger forms. When they’re ready, you can even enter your pet chaos into various races! This is where the interactions with animals become important, as your chao will need to race through obstacle courses, using all their skills. Winning races will unlock rewards, and training the best chao in the land is a compelling game in its own right! Indeed, the Chao Gardens were very highly praised on release by critics.

*An example of the variety of gameplay in* Sonic Adventure: *the spectacular bi-plane sky chase, with on rails shooting gameplay similar to Sega’s own* Panzer Dragoon series!

The soundtrack must be mentioned, and while just about every Sonic game has had a noteworthy and beloved soundtrack, Sonic Adventure has to be one of the most fondly remembered of all. A combination of instrumental tracks that perfectly suit each level and harken back to the upbeat tunes of the Mega Drive/Genesis games, through to tracks featuring vocals for character themes and key moments. Listen to the island beats of the Emerald Coast track, or the more sinister and industrial sounding tracks for Sky Deck and you can see how the variation and perfectly suited music enhance the game. Iconic sound effects also return, being at once familiar but also functionally useful with distinct sounds for jumps, collecting rings and destroying enemies.

Even when you’ve finished the story of Sonic Adventure, there is a lot of challenge left over for the determined player. Each level rewards players an ‘emblem’ upon completion, but replaying the levels can unlock further emblem challenges, such as collecting a number of rings or finishing within a strict time-limit. These challenges can be quite gruelling so will give dedicated players a lot to come back to. Beyond the level challenges, emblems can also be unlocked by completing things like the chao races, encouraging players to really explore every aspect of the game, and make no mistake, the game is large!

Just like Sonic the Hedgehog was a true showcase of the Mega Drive/Genesis’ potential for 16-bit consoles, Sonic Adventure introduced the world into a new generation of video games. The game was polished to an extreme degree, and wowed everyone with graphics and gameplay that was only possible on the Sega Dreamcast. The game sold 86,000 copies in the first five days of sales, and would go on to become the greatest selling game on Sega’s ill-fated Dreamcast console, with lifetime sales of 2.5 million copies! Sonic Adventure remains one of the most beloved games of the franchise, and one of the most iconic Dreamcast games of all time. It led to a sequel, Sonic Adventure 2 in 2001 and would serve as inspiration for future 3D sonic titles. Sega has re-released Sonic Adventure on PC, Nintendo Gamecube, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 over the years, and of course Sonic has never been absent for quite as long since. Sonic Adventure truly relaunched the Hedgehog into the hearts and minds of a gaming public, and was a jewel in the Dreamcast’s crown.

It’s difficult to convey just how much excitement was surrounding the release of Sonic Adventure in 1998.

Nick Thorpe’s 1998 - Part 2

Nick Thorpe’s 1998 - Part 1