Sonic Advance

Although it will seem very familiar to long-time Sonic fans, Sonic Advance is an entirely new creation that's been built from the ground up. The gameplay, graphics, and sound borrow from the classic Sonic games on the Megadrive and are successfully translated to the Game Boy Advance. The game's single-player modes are relatively short, 2-D platform rounds--each run takes two to three hours--but replay value is added through the game's various characters. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy each have different abilities that make getting through the game a different experience.

The real star here is the game's link capabilities. The Chao Garden allows you to raise your little critters and upload them to the GameCube via the link cable and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. Having one cartridge allows up to four GBA players to compete in one mini-game; there are also two additional mini-games that can be played if each player owns a cartridge. Although the single-player game is quite good, the link options give the title tremendous value.

The only notable problem stems from the series itself: there are still entirely too many cheap deaths that are a result of the title's high-speed gameplay. You'll find yourself zipping along a level only to be hit by an obstacle you had little chance of seeing, let alone avoiding. Ultimately, the only way to get past these hazards is to memorise where they are. This minor flaw doesn't detract from the game's excellent value, though. Sonic Advance offers a very good single-player game and some of the best link options of any GBA title. --Raymond M Padilla