Current Events > The first Sonic Advance is actually decent.

(+) Yeah! (+)

It's fairly close to the Genesis trilogy, physics and all. I don't care too much for GBA games, though; I feel like every handheld before the DS is too underpowered to really be interesting. If you went from Sonic 3K to Sonic Advance 1, you'd definitely feel like you've taken a few steps back. Still, I can consider it to be one of the few good Sanic games (Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3K, Sonic Advance and Sonic Mania).

Can you believe it's made by the same company that made Sonic 4?

---

Perhaps it is decent but it still isnt as good as a Sonic Generations with these as the zones:

1. Green Hill (from Sonic 1)
2. Chemical Plant (from Sonic 2)
3. Lava Reef (from Sonic 3K)
4. Windy Valley (from Sonic Adventure)
5. City Escape (from Sonic Adventure 2)
6. Hang Castle (from Sonic Heroes)
7. Sand Oasis (from Sonic and the Secret Rings)
8. Cool Edge (from Sonic Unleashed)
9. Starlight Carnival (from Sonic Colors)

---

SMAP- posted...

Perhaps it is decent but it still isnt as good as a Sonic Generations with these as the zones:

1. Green Hill (from Sonic 1)
2. Chemical Plant (from Sonic 2)
3. Lava Reef (from Sonic 3K)
4. Windy Valley (from Sonic Adventure)
5. City Escape (from Sonic Adventure 2)
6. Hang Castle (from Sonic Heroes)
7. Sand Oasis (from Sonic and the Secret Rings)
8. Cool Edge (from Sonic Unleashed)
9. Starlight Carnival (from Sonic Colors)

Terrible level list! Get ready for my next update @SMAP-

---

Lol this game is really only impressive when compared to Dimps' later Sonic games. Unlike them, it has accurate physics to the Genesis games, but the level design is unremarkable and especially bad in the later levels. And it's a little too slow-paced. Overall, it's a watered down version of Genesis Sonic that is just alright; you're not missing out on anything if you haven't played it.

---

I haven't played many Sonic games, but i played Sonic Advance 1 and i liked it a lot!!

---

It seems the point of the game was just to give you a basic Sonic game on the Game Boy Advance; no real effort was placed on making it stand out. The sequels should have aimed to make the levels more creative in both aesthetic and design, as well as a bit faster-paced. Not be a boring hold-right fest, or tack on sluggish team mechanics.

Also, I really dislike the sprites in the Advance games. They're so bland.

---

Played it again myself. The first five zones are pretty much a breeze, but they're bland and unremarkable. The sixth zone is basically where the game falls off and never recovers. 7/10 game

---

Sonic Advance is easily the best of the trilogy, almost as good as the Genesis games. Only thing I don't like about it is the game is way too short. I like the addition of Amy too, and I actually like how she doesn't have the same abilities as the others. It's almost like playing on hard mode.

Sonic Advance 2 is alright, but I really hate that they emphasized the speed aspect of the game too much. The level literally starts you out in a "on your mark" stance, in the level layouts are all designed like "press right and you win". Even the boss battles start you off in running position. They also ruined Amy by making her basically the same character as the rest of them. She no longer has her attributes. Not a terrible game, but definitely the worst in the series.

Sonic Advance 3 is interesting. Instead of changing Amy back, they basically came up with a system that allows you to pick how you want the characters to play. So Amy is available in both Sonic Advance 1 and 2 form. The whole team mechanic thing is pretty cool, and it's fun to play around and see what character combination works the best. They are so improved the level design from 2 so that it's not near as linear. This is a great game, but I still prefer Sonic Advance 1.

---

Advance 3 actually has some horrible level design.

Advance 1 is a 7/10. 2 and 3 are 5-6/10.

---

3 had a really fun idea with the partner mechanic, but the atrocious level design killed it

---

BlueBoy675 posted...

3 had a really fun idea with the partner mechanic, but the atrocious level design killed it

2 and 3 both had such dog shit level design. why are there so many random pitfalls fucking everywhere?

---

I take back what I said about Sonic Advance 1 being too slow-paced; that's a common criticism with the game, but I think Sonic's fast enough in it. I guess GBA games in general just feel "slow" to me because the console is too underpowered to impress me; still, that's only a personal gripe I have with older handhelds, so I won't hold it against this game.

It's just really basic and by-the-numbers. Totally acceptable for an early GBA game, but anyone who claimed it was true successor to Sonic 3K just because it had faithful enough physics was full of shit. The game is only what a 2D Sonic game should play like at bare minimum, which just happens to be what all subsequent 2D games before Mania failed at. There's ultimately no reason to recommend it when you can just play the far superior Genesis trilogy and Mania.

---

This topic inspired me to play Sonic Advance 1. I think I maybe played it once a long time ago and had no memories of it. I played as Tails which made certain exploring more enjoyable. Also made the ice boss which could have been a real pain a little easier. /bosses easier. For some reason I had trouble finding the special stages - and I only found it once.

Simple enjoyable game until you reach the sky level. That was a poorly designed level.

---

Its pretty good, the later levels are harsh lol

3 is a bit of a dud, but 1 and 2 were both good games IMO.

---

foxhound101 posted...

This topic inspired me to play Sonic Advance 1. I think I maybe played it once a long time ago and had no memories of it. I played as Tails which made certain exploring more enjoyable. Also made the ice boss which could have been a real pain a little easier. /bosses easier. For some reason I had trouble finding the special stages - and I only found it once.

Simple enjoyable game until you reach the sky level. That was a poorly designed level.

Angel Island Zone wasn't too bad. Yeah I died a few times in Act 2 but I'd chalk that up to me not paying attention than the design, although it was going a bit too far with the bottomless pits. Egg Rocket is really when the game goes to shit.

---