Format: Advance
Genre: 2d platformer
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega

Sonic Advance is the first second-generation Sonic title that is 2d. That is, it's the first original 2d Sonic content from the Sonic Team since Sonic Adventure, when Sonic the Hedgehog underwent a dramatic recreation and became the new, sleeker, green-eyed wonder we know today (whew, say that five times fast!). To that end, the zones are aesthetically more stylistic than the old 2d Sonic titles, and gone are the days of the 3d-rendered characters, and in are the solid shaded, cartoonish protagonists. This new look really refreshes the franchise, and brings it up to date, while making use of the Gameboy Advance's pixel-pushing and palette capabilities.

The sound effects were clearly aimed at simply maintaining the Sonic status quo of chimes and buzzes. Some voice overs ala Mario Advance would have done nicely, but alas, there are none. The music is another story, as it is very good, although probably a notch below most of the music from the original Sonic titles, especially the truly obnoxious "I'm rupturing my eardrums so I don't have to hear it" Chao song. A reasonable effort here, but not much if any above par for the Gameboy Advance.

To start, this is, hands down, the best Sonic engine to ever grace a handheld. It is almost 100% true to the original, and every little trick and nuance that hardcore hedgehog lovers have mastered over the years can be put to use here, and taken on the road no less! The level design is where the disappointment is. It's not bad, or annoying like Sonic Pocket Adventure, but it's nowhere near the caliber of creativeness or funness that Sonic 3's maps attained. That said, the second-to-last map in the game is the best level in any Sonic game, period, but unfortunately it's a diamond in the rough. Despite the average map design though, the gameplay is easily the best of any Sonic handheld game to date, and is really good fun.

The game starts off very well, and the first 3 zones, along with their bosses, are exceptional for a handheld Sonic title. Unfortunately, the game quality, especially the map design, drops off severely from there. There are four playable characters however, and the game's decent graphics and extremely faithful engine make this one of the best platformers on the Gameboy Advance, if not the best. A hardcore Sonic fan will really love this one, but to everyone else, it might be a tossup between this title and Crash Bandicoot as to which one is the most cherished GBA platformer.