November 2011: Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast)

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Gavvie
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November 2011: Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast)

Post by Gavvie »

When thinking about this month's entry, it felt appropriate to celebrate the game that came out for Sonic's 10th Anniversary, on the same month that the 20th Anniversary game comes out.

Sonic Adventure 2 was a much better game than the first title. Whilst the story, always a problem with Sonic games, was fairly poor, overall the title improved on the original. The levels were better and more varied (despite bosses frequently being recycled), each character had a specific musical style, and in most cases the game was fun.

Yes, I said most csses. Knuckles' stages, easily the worst in the original, are also bad here. I'm sure some of you enjoyed them, but for me they completely broke the pace of the game. If that wasn't bad enough, the fact that the Dark story featured characters who mirrored the Light stoty meant that there was MORE stages, thanks to Rouge. Great.

The story was fairly forgettable, and featured Eggman waking a hedgehog called Shadow as part of his plan to take control of a space station and destroy Earth. It's all fairly basic, and nothing worth worrying about.

Knuckles and Rouge levels aside, the rest of the game is pretty fun. Sonic/Shadow are all about speed, and the levels are good, even if level design is a little lacking. Meanwhile, Tails/Eggman take the E102-GAMMA template and apply it brilliantly here, with some of these levels being the best in the game. Again, personal opinion.

10 years on, should you pick up SA2? Yes, but not on Dreamcast. SA2: Battle on the Gamecube has a better multiplayer mode, and Chao Garden linkup with the first GBA title in lieu of the lack of VDU. It wouldn't exist were it not for the Dreamcast game, which is easily the best 3D Sonic offering before Colours came out last year. If you haven't played it, you should give it a go.
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Post by Reknoc »

So basically the levels are better but the levels are lacking? Okay then! Have fun with your long ass snore fest mech levels I guess!
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Post by TCB »

Gavvie wrote: The story was fairly forgettable, and featured Eggman waking a hedgehog called Shadow as part of his plan to take control of a space station and destroy Earth. It's all fairly basic, and nothing worth worrying about.

I repect your opinion wholeheartedly, but you have to admit the story was more complex than SA1 (and more focused on story than Colors was/Generations is), with government secrets and the tone being dark for a Sonic game at the time. Plus, the story single-handedly spawned one of the most infamous debuts of a character in the sonic franchise - Shadow the Hedgehog. And it was the 10th Anniversary, the story is a pretty memorable one to most Sonic fans.

The mech levels were fun,(especially in Cannon's Core). Sonic/Shadow levels were the highlight obviously, enjoyable and fast-paced platforming for it's time (if you can say that).
Emerald-hunting was soooo tedious...not going into that...

Annddd it was the height of the quality Sonic games before it all went downhill...(Heroes, Shadow, 2006...)

Comments? Criticsms? I really appriciate what you all have to say. Let's make this exciting.
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Post by Reknoc »

I think the story is the only thing I agree with Gavvie on!

It's not the height, if anything it's where it started to take on a downward fall, even though I'll admit I'm wrong about the Sonic sections being better in SA1 (the levels still were though).
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Post by RWDebara »

The story is memorable because its so silly and stupid. SA2 story is probably one of the worst in the hedgehogs history.

Sonic/Shadows levels were much better than SA1, improved in alot of ways but still had camera issues and glitches.

Tails/Robotnik are entertaining at first if you never played it before, then it just becomes too repetitive, and boring. Just spam your rockets.....WOO fun

Knuckles/Rouge ...

Major complaint is that the game FORCES you to play as the other characters if you want to move on.
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Post by Reknoc »

One of the worst may be a little harsh since that puts in on the level of '06, I will say it got the ball rolling a little more for terrible Sonic stories.
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Post by TCB »

Oh, this bombardment is satisfying...

Okay, so the levels were structured in a more linear way than SA1 levels were. For me, that didn't seem to be a problem (again, for me). I guess the stages were only set up in relation to the story, which according to what is said here, is silly and 'stupid'. But by golly, dis' 'ere is what stories in Sonic games is all /bout, dagnammit!

Really though, I see what you guys are saying...for its time I guess it was a well-rounded game. And besides, we were young - did we give a damn about the deep essence of story in a Sonic game?

Ten years didn't help it age well I suppose, but still a good game to play through nevertheless.
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Post by Reknoc »

The thing is though, it's locking behind the fun stuff behind the terrible stuff. To go all retro on ya asses it reminds me of Act Raiser, I just want to do the god damn town stuff, but I can't until I've cleared this insanely hard action sections.

Except that nothing in SA2 is hard, just bad.
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Post by Retrix »

Gavvie wrote:Knuckles' stages, easily the worst in the original…
Really? Worse than Big the Cat's?

The shooting stages were my least preferred in SA2. Still, overall this is a game I really appreciate, and it remains one of my favourite Sonic games.
There was an echidna from Vegas
Whose hairstyle was totally outrageous
When asked by the cops
Why the dreadlocks
He told them the idea was Sega's


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Post by Reknoc »

Retrix wrote:Really? Worse than Big the Cat's?
Easily. Big's were surprisingly well made.
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