Review: Sonic Rush Adventure
Ever since the game has now been out for a while, many of you will have already read reviews, or even played the game. So rather than doing a normal long review, I have decided to not go into too much detail on how the game works, but rather give my straight up opinions.
Ok so for those that don’t know, Sonic Rush Adventure’s story is basically that Sonic and Tails are flying in a plane, are caught in a storm and crash land on some random island somewhere. On the island they are greeted by a young female racoon, called Marine. Now I don’t read the Sonic comics or watch and shows, so I don’t know if she is new or just made up for the game.
Anyway, it turns out that the island they crashed on is in another dimension, where Blaze is from. Exciting stuff eh? So Sonic and Tails have to find a way back home, but at the same time, some evil robot pirates have stolen a special Sceptre that Blaze was supposed to be protecting, and naturally, Sonic and Tails, plus Marine, opt in to help Blaze recover the Sceptre and defeat the evil pirates.
That’s basically the story in a nut-shell. How does the game play out?
Well as you may guess from the title, Sonic Rush Adventure, is not a normal Sonic platform game, and contains some exploration and well… adventure. The adventure side, to the gameplay, involves sailing various water craft to islands, in a bid to find out where the pirates are hiding.
The idea of sailing the high seas in search of pirates sounds damn cool, the reality, however, is further from the truth where this game is concerned.
In order to sail around, you have to go to a map screen and draw a line, where you would like to sail, the length of your line/journey depends on the craft, as they have different ranges. You start with a jetski, which can’t go very far, but is very quick.
Once you are satisfied with you route plotting skills, you then go to the actual sailing stage. The sailing stage takes you on a set route, and differs greatly between each craft.
- The Jetski has you in a race (of sorts), you have to sail along, avoiding enemies, and performing tricks off ramps.
- The Sailboat has you manning guns, as you shoot cannon balls, bullets and fire at enemies. Tails is controlling the boat, and you just fire, from a side view.
- The Submarine has you also shooting at enemies, but in a fps view, and the shooting is a little different, and you need to follow harder enemies- dragging your stylus, before you shoot them.
- The Hovercraft is more like the Jetski, but rather than doing tricks, you can now shoot at enemies.
The different crafts, are kind of fun to use, but you don’t have total control of where you are going (that is determined when you draw the line), and each time you use them, it feels exactly the same as before, and can get boring, really quickly.
Once you have reached your craft’s maximum distance, you will either be forced to go back to your base island (Marines home), or, if you find something – like a new island – you can choose to land there.
Landing on an island, is basically as though you have selected a level to do. The game goes to 2D and becomes like a normal 2D Sonic game. Though there is something slightly different with the levels now, you have some islands which contain full levels for Sonic/Blaze, with 2 Acts and a Boss battle, but you also get islands which have just one very short act.
The full levels help to develop the storyline properly, while the mini levels help to obtain extra materials, and unlock extra missions. Each level you do will award you with materials, these materials are used by Tails, to help create new craft (you only start with the Jetski) and also some extra items needed for the main story.
This is where I, personally, feel the game starts to drag. Because of the DS’ limitations, Sega clearly couldn’t make it so you can actually explore the world properly, so instead, you have to try and uncover more of the world via sailing, which (as I said) get’s boring after a few times, and because Tails needs a certain amount of materials, you have to repeat levels multiple times to obtain said materials.
The actual 2D levels are fun, and pretty well designed, but once you are forced to keep repeating the levels over and over, the novelty of each level begins to wear very thin. Although, some levels with the snowboarding, never wears thin, (in my opinion) I really enjoyed that.
I also think the boss battles are fantastic, very original. Especially the last couple of big boss battles.
The graphics in the game are solid, but you can definitely feel something lacking. The levels are far too bland, really. It’s not like the original Sonic games, with the nice backgrounds and flowers that move. Everything feels ‘flatter’ (best word I can think to describe it). Comparing the visuals to the original Sonic Rush, there is no comparison really, Sonic Rush looks much better.
Though funnily enough, one thing people slate the DS for are its 3D graphics, yet I thought the 3D in the game was actually pretty sweet. Some of the cut-scenes are in 3D – and the animation is spot on.
Speaking of cut-scenes, the majority are in 2D, and all they involve, is the characters standing on the spot, with writing appearing below, as they talk. This annoys me so much. No not having to read, it’s just that the cut-scenes are so damn boring and well… childish.
The majority of them have Marine, acting like a total plum, pretending to be brave, but actually being scared, and not listening to Sonic and co. But obviously Sonic, being a nice guy these days (whatever happened to his ‘Bad Attitude’ eh Sega?) doesn’t tell her to shut the funk up. Which means the player has to sit through all the drivel they spout out.
For me this is one thing that ruined the game. I’m usually quite a fan of Sonic games having a story, but I’d rather Sega scrap all stories and just have Sonic collecting emeralds and defeating Robotnik forever, than have to sit through more of this shit.
I also dislike the music. Yeah it’s fine. It’s similar to Sonic Rush – so fast, electric guitars, rock, a bit of rap sounds, which I am all for. But for a 2D Sonic game? I’m not so sure.
Here’s the thing, I can happily sit through the music, and I like it. But after turning off the system, I don’t think I could hum a single bar of it. Yet, ask me to hum the original boss music from Sonic 1, 2 or 3 and I’ll do it in an instant. Ask me to whistle the original special stage music, from Sonic 1, and you’ll hear my bird song. Or Green Hill Zone, Emerald Hill Zone, Star Light Zone, Casino Nights… well almost any from the first 2 or 3 games, I can hum along to.
My point is, that this new rock music, really doesn’t have the same impact that the original songs do. It just doesn’t make me think “Sonic” like the old ones do.
Summary:
If you could actually sail freely across the world, like Zelda: Wind Waker (only game I can think of with sailing), then this game would have been sweet.
However, I am going to go out there and say this. This is possibly the worst Sonic game I have played. Sorry guys.
The annoying thing, is that Sega had the levels all right, fun and fast, the boss battles are amazing. But the story is lame, the levels get boring, because you have to keep repeating them, the sailing gets boring very quickly, Marine is the worst Sonic character I have ever seen.
You could all think I’m being too harsh here, but I am one of the few people, who actually enjoyed Sonic 06’s story, and thought the levels were fun. I also enjoy Sonic Heroes, and I like all the characters in Sonic Adventure (yes even Big the Cat!). So it’s not like I just complain about extra Sonic characters or the stories, all the time, I’m usually very tolerant.
I actually don’t understand how this game got such high review scores, when other Sonic games get lower. The only thing, I think this game has over other Sonic games, is that the boss battles are some of the best in the franchise.
While the fun moments are brilliant fun, they are short lived, compared to the downsides, which seem to take up most of the game.
Score: 5/10 – Average.
~G~
Tags: Sonic RushRelated Stories
POSTED IN: G, Nintendo DS, Review, Sonic
20 opinions for Review: Sonic Rush Adventure
Dr. SEGA Monkey
Nov 1, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Wasn’t expecting that. I actually liked this better than Sonic Rush 1. The boating sections (particularly when you’re using the water bike) are very fun and addicting.
Kogen
Nov 1, 2007 at 4:59 pm
How are the levels “all right, fun and fast” if they get boring if you have to play them more than once? It seems like they’re as crappy as they look/sound.
Inertia
Nov 1, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Well, that’s actually kind of interesting! SRA, next to Sonic 2 on the Genesis, is probably the very *best* Sonic game I have ever had the pleasure of playing.
Guess it just shows how much opinions can differ, eh?
Aki-at
Nov 1, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Hm, I thought it was one of the better made 2D games from Dimps, to be honest, oh well!
Hudson
Nov 2, 2007 at 12:39 am
Hey, that’s what reviews are: personal opinions based on how much someone enjoyed a game. If you don’t agree with them, you can write your own! It’s a wonderful thing, this internet.
Graham
Nov 2, 2007 at 12:45 am
Kogen it’s not that the levels get boring after playing them more than once.
It’s that the game forces you to play them over and over - in order to collect materials for other craft/items.
It’s not like the other Sonic games where you play through the game, level by level. And then, after dying or finishing the game, you feel like playing through again.
No, it’s like you finish a level, and then realise that you need more materials, which that level offers, and so have to replay it.
Yes you find and unlock quite a few levels - but the majority of the levels you find, are really small - you can finish some of them in about 20secs. That 20 secs is fun enough, but if you need to repeat over and over, then that 20 secs starts to feel like ages.
So on their own, the levels are pretty sweet - if it played like a normal Sonic/platform game, I think it would be great. But as you have to repeat them alot, it’s just crap.
Bryan
Nov 2, 2007 at 2:08 am
I hated Sonic Rush, I hated it with a fiery passion. It was less a fun platforming experience and more a game of “Memorize where the pits are!” This one looks even worse… Sonic was better off without speed meters, aerial stunts, super max speed tricks, or any of this bull… Just stick Sonic in a well designed level without cheap kills at every corner, and you’ll have an excellent game. I’ll really never understand what critics see in these two games.
Have I made this rant before? Probably…
Kogen
Nov 2, 2007 at 5:30 am
I still don’t think that means good levels. I mean, I could play any act(do you just do one act to get the materials?) in Sonic 1, 2, CD, Advance, ect. (not S3/K, they’re too large) and still have fun doing it four times in a row as they’re usually about 4 or more ways to beat the level.
Machenstein
Nov 2, 2007 at 8:26 am
That review was… unexpected. Sonic Rush Adventure surpasses the original Sonic Rush in practically every way except the visuals (I agree, they do look flatter). The story is hardly memorable, and Marine is annoying (She’s supposed to be), but on a design standpoint, not only does Rush Adventure surpass the original Sonic Rush, it’s pretty much the best Sonic game this decade thus far.
Is there something you are have trouble on? Maybe I can make your experience much better since it seems from that review that you are having difficulty with something. You say the levels get boring because you are forced to repeat them to get new materials. All you have to do is score a B or an A (Or even an S) and the game will give you enough materials so you don’t have to repeat the level again. Since you get materials for each act (Including the boss), it shouldn’t be any trouble as long as you get a B or above. It really shouldn’t get boring either way because the levels do have alternate routes. Try exploring the levels more. If you don’t wish to do the sailing part again, just select the level at Marine’s house via the start menu.
That’s it for now. Hope you consider playing again.
Ben L.
Nov 2, 2007 at 11:16 am
Hrm. I loved the original Sonic Rush music.
And I usually don’t have a problem playing levels over and over again; I tend to do that anyway.
Scott M.
Nov 2, 2007 at 11:45 am
You seriously didnt like the original sonic rush music? are you crazy?? Wrapped in Black was some of the best final boss music ever both that and Jeh Jeh Rocket are on my mp3 player
Graham
Nov 2, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Mach- I found the game pretty easy. I completed the main story in about 3 days, (and I was at the TGS - so I wasn’t playing non-stop, it was like a couple of hours a day) and did alot of the bonus missions too.. Then I just gave up, I was too bored of the game.
As for ranks… I think I was getting Bs mainly. Can’t quite remember - and no way was that giving me all the necessary materials - especially not if you wanted to upgrade your Island and stuff.
As for sailing parts - I know you can select a level. But you do need to explore the seas in order to find new islands and Jack - whose races I found either piss easy or too hard (I cant get the last Chaos emerald).
As for repeating levels have any of you sat there and just repeated Green Hill zone over and over? If so - why? It’s a great level, but there is no need to keep repeating - you must either be dying a lot, or turning of the machine after you finish it everytime… what’s the point?
I could play through other Sonic levels a lot. But I don’t think I’d enjoy them much if I had to go back and redo the levels over and over, before I can move onto the next part of the game.
It feels like the game was getting nowhere fast.
It was a bit like Sonic and the Secret Rings… in order to progress through to a new level - you had to keep jumping back and forth between older levels, as new missions unlocked… It just didn’t feel like a real Sonic game.
I’d say, let you play through the mainj levels in order. THEN allow the players to choose to play the other mini-levels or repeat levels to unlock more things.
Kogen
Nov 2, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Up down left right ABC start allows you to play levels over and over. Just press start and hold A to go back to selecting another level(for sonic 1, anyway). I’ve actually done it a lot in GHZ and some others to see how fast I could beat the levels. It never got boring either. And as I said, the levels had multiple routes to follow anyway.
shadow1w2
Nov 2, 2007 at 5:04 pm
I have to agree with the music part.
Sonic Rush does have some cool tunes, but they are looped alot and dont really carry a full tune like older sonic games.
Plus the music doesnt really fit the scenery very well. They do a little, but not quite like the origonal sonic games did.
Jet Set Radio music is great, but sonic cant always be hyper go crazy all the time.
Especially without being able to play as Super Sonic.
Also Ive found Sonic Rush to be more of what Sonic Advance should have been. Infact the bland level design still feels like Sonic Advance (its made by dimps, they suck at level design >.
Machenstein
Nov 2, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Sonic Rush Adventure’s level design is a huge improvement though. Like I said, there are many alternate routes which can also prove to be very useful for speedruns. The amount of bottomless pits have also been reduced tenfold so you won’t have to worry about falling into them so often… well, with the exception of Pirate’s Island. Sheesh that was hard.
I guess our experiences really do differ after all. I mean there are even people out there that don’t like Sonic CD. Seriously.
Neal
Nov 2, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Am I the only one who didn’t have to keep repeating levels in order to get enough material? A good run through of any one act or boss fight could score you 3 of a type. The hidden levels were a bonus when it comes to earning material, they were short and paid off well if you did well. And the levels were well laid out and interesting. Pirate Island is one of the best levels I’ve ever played. Additionally, just about everything in the ocean was easy to find. It wasn’t random sailing, there were dark spots where islands were, or where Johnny was with the Chaos Emeralds, or the story told you which direction to go. Unless you don’t know your cardinal directions it shouldn’t have been a challenge. I’ll admit that the sailboat and submarine parts weren’t a lot of fun, but they weren’t terrible. The levels were well-done too. Great effects and layouts that made the trick system a lot of fun. This game is great. Easily one of the best sonic games of recent years, and a huge improvement over Rush 1.
Personally I can’t see how you prefer Sonic 06, a horrible buggy mess of a game with an over-dramatic convoluted story, awful load times and horrible production over a solidly built 2D game with tons of extra modes, a fun story that never takes itself too seriously, and most importantly exciting and fun gameplay that gets more fun the better you get at handling the gameplay mechanics.
Graham
Nov 2, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Yes you could earn 3 of a material - But I found that you needed way more than 3 in most cases.
Also because not every place had the same stuff - you had to redo levels you may not like.
…Actually I don’t know why I’m defending this so much. It’s my opinion. some levels/moments of the game I thought were brilliant. But the rest felt like I was playing a kids learning game- with the dreadful story, and childish conversations.
One thing everyone complains about are bottemless pits…. they don’t bother me at all. They actually make a game challenging. Plus they had a fair amount of them in Sonic 1 and 2, its not like they are new to Sonic.
Re: Sonic 06. I would agree that Sonic 06 was a travesty of a game. But I feel that most of it is down to the abysmal programming, and distinct lack of any form of testing.
Also the only character I liked playing as was Sonic.
-But I enjoyed the storyline, alot.
Aki-at
Nov 2, 2007 at 7:45 pm
“I guess our experiences really do differ after all. I mean there are even people out there that don’t like Sonic CD. Seriously”
Well, I can understand, while the game’s art direction was excellent and one of the best in Sonic games, I thought that the level designs could use a bit of improvement at times. Though, its still a good game.
“Also the only character I liked playing as was Sonic”
Yeah…and the funny thing, the games called “SONIC THE HEDGEHOG” and yet, his only in it for 1/3 of the game! Disgraceful!
CaptainUlt
Nov 4, 2007 at 9:26 am
My friend, I haved played this game, so I can’t tell you any arguements about your review, but even if I did, I won’t argue with you. Everyone has different strokes. Some people can’t play games other people can’t stand, and vice-versa.
pedrotheporcupine
Apr 8, 2008 at 11:23 am
Actually, xplay gave this a pretty good rating, and they hate sonic!
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