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Much like Nintendo has Mario, Sega has Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog originally appeared on the Sega Genesis, setting a high standard for this genre of game. Amazingly, Sonic failed to make an appearance on the Sega Saturn. Sonic fans rejoice! Sonic has arrived on the Sega Dreamcast, treating gamers to a fun experience in Sonic Adventure. Sonic Adventure is a title that truly shows off the graphical capability of the Dreamcast. Sure, since it is a first-generation title there will be future games that top Sonic Adventure graphically, but there is no denying that this game looks sweet. Take a popular game character, throw in the power of the Dreamcast, and offer a butt-load of entertaining levels, and what do you get? The answer is an undeniably fun action/adventure game.

Sonic Adventure is a hybrid game—part action game and part adventure game. Although it is advertised as a 3D-adventure game, Sonic plays more like a 2D game. Sure, the environments are beautifully rendered in 3D, but the gameplay itself has a linear feel. The exploration aspect in Sonic Adventure is fairly simplistic. The action sequences are where I found the most enjoyment. The control is above average, which makes the action areas a lot of fun most of the time. Unfortunately, while the control is good, the camera angles are not always the best. In fact, at times the angles are just plain awful and can keep the gamer from completing a level. On more than several occasions I found myself rolling along a level, but ultimately failed close to the end due to the camera abruptly switching angle on my character. I do not know if this occurrence is included in the game to make it more challenging, or if it is just an instance of poor execution, but in either case it adds frustration to the game. I love a good challenge, but I have a hard time accepting the feeling that I am “cheated” due to a switch of camera angle. I do not want to leave the impression that the occasional poor camera angles kill the gameplay, because they do not. However, it is a point worthy of mention.

In addition to the action sequences, boss battles, and adventure fields, Sonic Adventure is packed with a couple other features. First, there is a neat little feature where the gamer must raise creatures called “Chao.” These virtual pets will compete in races and perform other activities, but the gamer must “raise” the Chao appropriately. The Chao will develop different characteristics based on the manner in which they are raised. This element of Sonic Adventure reminds me of the PC game called “Creatures.” Second, there are several mini-games in Sonic Adventure, including Sky Chase, Sand Hill, and Whack-A-Sonic. The mini games are average, but do provide a nice break from the main story.

The visuals in Sonic Adventure are lush. The varying environments are highly detailed and offer some serious eye candy. From sand-covered beaches to scenic mountains, Sonic is loaded with pretty environments. In addition to the environments, there is a nice array of cinematic sequences. These sequences are pretty good, but it is not possible to eliminate them when desired. It can become a little annoying to have to watch every sequence, especially when the gamer has seen them once around. I was amazed at the speed of this game. Characters shoot around the environment at a dizzying pace in some levels. The only drawback for the times in which the characters start zipping around the screen, bouncing off of springs and boost pads, is that the gamer becomes more of a bystander than an active participant in the game. At times, I felt more like I was being treated to a demo of the power of the Dreamcast, rather than playing a game. This fact aside, the graphics and framerate are very solid and add greatly to the gameplay.

Sound is an important element in an adventure game. The soundtrack and sound effects have the ability to set the tone of certain areas and work with the graphics to set the mood. The sound in Sonic Adventure succeeds in setting appropriate moods during the game. The musical tracks correspond well with the particular levels. The sound effects and characters’ voices are “cutesy,” yet very appropriate. Some gamers may feel that the voicing is annoying, but folks need to remember the atmosphere of this title. As far as the sound quality is concerned, it is clean.

Sonic Adventure offers enough levels and mini-games to hold the attention of the gamer for quite a while. Gamers with a high skill level should have little problem in breezing through most of the levels. However, the average gamer will get more mileage from Sonic Adventure, especially if they take advantage of all the mini-games and other elements contained throughout the adventure. I enjoyed Sonic Adventure for the first half of the game. However, due to the overly-linear feel to this game, the game lost its fresh feel and I found myself playing it just to finish toward the end. Younger gamers may become more attached to the characters and enjoy the mini-games more than older gamers, so this point should be kept in mind when considering the purchase of Sonic Adventure. When the dust has settled, Sonic Adventure is not a truly great game, but provides an above average gaming experience that should satisfy most Dreamcast owners.