Sonic Advance
From Sonic Retro
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Sonic Advance |
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System(s): Game Boy Advance |
Publisher: Sega |
Developer: Sonic Team / Dimps |
Genre: 2D Platform |
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Sonic Advance is the first Sonic game made for the Gameboy Advance. The game has four characters, Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, and, for the first time as a playable character in a classic-style 2D Sonic game, Amy Rose. Sonic can have Tails follow him, Sonic 2-style, by entering a special code at the character select screen. All characters have separate save-games which record their individual progress.
Some of the game's music is remixed from previous Mega Drive games. The remixed music includes the Options (Sonic 1's Scrap Brain Zone), Player Data (Sonic 1's Star Light Zone), 2P select (Sonic 2's 2P Emerald Hill Zone), invincibility (Sonic 1's Invincibility), and the first two bosses in the X-Zone (Sonic 1 and Sonic 2's boss musics).
This is one of several games to include the Tiny Chao Garden minigame. It is unlocked by default in this game.
Contents
Gameplay
The player must play through 6 normal zones, followed by the X-Zone and The Moon Zone if certain conditions are met. Each of the normal zones contains two acts. Act 1 is completed by passing a signpost and Act 2 is completed by defeating one of Dr. Eggman's machines and opening the capsule that subsequently falls from the sky, releasing the captive animals. Sonic Advance was the last game in the Sonic series to use end-level signposts and capsules and Sonic's leg spin animation, and the first 2-D Sonic game that allows your character to grind on rails.
The special stages are accessible from Special Springs, which are placed near the top in certain acts. Each normal zone contains one Special Spring, except for Ice Mountain Zone which contains two: one in each act. Chaos Emeralds can be collected if one passes the stage. The chaos emeralds are "shared" between characters. Once the player has collected all the Emeralds and completed the X-Zone with all four characters, they can access the Moon Zone by completing the X-Zone again with Sonic.
Controls
Controls are similar to previous 2D Sonic installments, and platform games in general. For all four characters, the button makes them jump. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all simultaneously spin attack when jumping as in previous games, however Amy does not, making her significantly more vulnerable in a number of circumstances in the game, effectively making her the most difficult to play as. While stationary, hold to look above. and to look below. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles can also all spin dash while holding and pressing , another classic feature, and can roll if running and pressing . Amy's behavior when these buttons are pressed is different, and is considered a special ability. Each character has their own unique abilities, which also help determine the game's overall difficulty for the other characters.
Each character's abilities are modeled after their special moves in Sonic Adventure. Sonic is the fastest character overall, Tails can fly and swim, Knuckles can glide and climb walls and Amy has her hammer. Each character's strengths and weaknesses particularly come into play when fighting bosses or trying to find access to the special stages.
All of the characters can perform an attack by pressing the button. These moves are most often less effective than a simple spin jump or Spin Dash due to their short range. Some characters can make combo attacks by pressing the button repeatedly. These and other special moves are explained below.
Sonic
- Double Spin Attack (also known as the W Kaiten Attack or Insta-Shield): Press after jumping and a flash shaped like lightning will cover Sonic for a split second, increasing his attack range and speed.
- Jump Dash: Press or twice in rapid succession after jumping and Sonic does a sudden jumping dash. This move leaves Sonic vulnerable, so use with caution.
- Somersault: Press twice in rapid succession. With the first tap, Sonic rolls into a ball less tight than his usual spin attack. This only lasts a moment. If you press again while he is in this rolling state, Sonic will perform a somersault, which can damage enemies in front of him. Sonic does a couple of somersaults, does a flip, then slides along the ground and stops.
- Skid attack: Press during a Somersault and Sonic will flip forward and skid along the ground for a moment, damaging enemies in his path.
- Backflip: Press during a Somersault and Sonic jumps into the air backwards in a light spin. Sonic is vulnerable in this state.
- Rushing Attack (Super Sonic only): Press . In a blaze of light, Super Sonic will speed up and attack.
Tails
- Fly: Press after jumping and Tails begins to fly. Gain height by tapping again repeatedly, using the D-pad to control what direction Tails is going. You cannot stop him from flying until he lands on something. You can attack enemies while in the air if you hit them with his tails. Tails can fly in the air for 8 seconds. When underwater, this move will cause Tails to Swim, which is identical to flight except you cannot attack enemies. Like flying, Tails can only swim for 8 seconds, and can only stop by landing on something.
- Tail Attack: Press on the ground or mid-air, while not flying or swimming, and Tails whips his tails around, damaging enemies immediately in front of him.
Knuckles
- Glide: Press and hold after jumping and Knuckles will glide sideways while slowly losing height. Press or to change what direction he's gliding. Enemies in his path will take damage on contact with his fists. If the button is released Knuckles will fall, and will be vulnerable. When underwater, this move will cause Knuckles to Swim, which is identical to gliding except you cannot attack enemies. You cannot gain height like Tails, you lose altitude at the same rate as gliding.
- Float: If Knuckles lands in a body of water he will rise to the surface and float, regardless of how deep he initially goes. Press or to move right or left. Press and to look up while floating; Press to sink. Press to jump as normal.
- Punch Attack: Press on the ground and Knuckles will let go a right hook, causing pity for the fools that can't avoid it. Press again to have Knuckles punch again, this time a left hook, and even more pitying of fools.
Amy
- Giant Steps: Press + while on the ground and Amy will take a giant step forward as opposed to a spin dash. This can be repeated so long as there is room. This move is good for getting up steep slopes; she can even get up slopes the others can't spin dash up!
- Hammer Jump: Press + on the ground and Amy smashes the hammer into the ground, launching her into the air.
- Hammer Whirl: Press + in the air and Amy swirls down toward the ground. If an enemy is hit Amy will bounce up again.
- Hammer Attack: Press and Amy swings her hammer, damaging enemies. If on the ground, press again quickly to have her swing it a second time, with farther reach.
Manuals
- Sonic Advance US Manual
- Sonic Advance EU Manual
- Sonic Advance JP Manual (no manual scans)
Also Released On
- SonicN (2003)
- Sonic Advance & Sonic Pinball Party Combo Pack for the Gameboy Advance (2005)
- 2 in 1: Sonic Advance & ChuChu Rocket! for the Gameboy Advance (2005)
- 2 in 1: Sonic Advance & Sonic Battle for the Gameboy Advance (2005)
Production Credits
Sonic Team
Executive Supervisor: Tetsu Kayama
Executive Producer: Hideki Sato
Producer: Yuji Naka
Director: Akinori Nishiyama
Art Director: Yuji Uekawa
Technical Director: Takahiro Hamano
Designers: Sachiko Kawamura, Kazuko Ito, Makoto Yonezu
Programmers: Yoshihisa Hashimoto, Takaaki Saito
Dimps
Producer: Hiroshi Matsumoto
Line Producer: Koichi Sakita
Planners: Yukihiro Higashi, Masaaki Yamagiwa
Programmers: Shinichiro Shibusawa, Hirofumi Kono, Hiroki Yoshitake, Katsuya Kuramoto
Designers: Kazuhiko Yamamoto, Yuko Yamanoue, Etsuko Hosukawa, Toru Nakanishi, Sadaki Matsumoto
Sound: Hironobu Inagaki, Atsuyoshi Isemura
Special Thanks: Masahisa Naganuma, Takayuki Sakamoto
Sound Created By: Wave Master
Sound Creators: Tatsuyuki Maeda, Yutaka Minobe
Scrap Brain Zone, Star Light Zone, Power Up, Boss From Sonic the Hedgehog
Emerald Hill Zone(2P), Boss From Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Music Composed & Arranged Remodeling: Masato Nakamura
Sega Corporation
Promotion Management: Masanao Maeda, Hiroyuki Miyazaki, Seijiro Sannabe, Hideki Yokaichiya, Yasushi Yamashita
Product Development: Yoshiki Ohka
Marketing: Yasunobu Masahiro, Naoko Ohka, Takayoshi Ohuchi
Publicity: Yasushi Nagumo, Mariko Takeda
Marketing Research: Tsuyoshi Sawada, Ayako Hino
Manual Production: Yoshihiro Sakuta, Chieko Nakamura, Makoto Nishino, Toshiki Yamaguchi, Satoru Ishigami
Test Team: Akira Nishikawa, Hiroyuki Miyano, Yutaka Kawasaki
Sega Of America
Executive Management: Peter Moore
Localization Producers: Osamu Shibayama
Test Lead: Brian Ivanhoe
Special Thanks: Takashi Iizuka, Rich Briggs, Noah Musler, Roxana Hui
Sega Europe, Ltd.
Executive Management: Yoshio Sakai
Diector Of PD: Kats Sato
Producers Manager: Aude Donnan
Localization Producer: Kuniyo Matsumoto
Lead Tester: Matt Brooks
Product Marketing Manager: Jim Pride
Product Manager: Mathew Quaeck
Resources
Scans
Artwork
- Advance sonic.png
Sonic the Hedgehog games for the following systems | |
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2001 Sonic Advance | Tiny Chao Garden 2002 Sonic Advance 2 2003 Sonic Pinball Party | Sonic Battle 2004 Sonic Advance 3 | Sonic X: A Super Sonic Hero 2005 Sonic Advance & Sonic Pinball Party | Sonic Advance & ChuChu Rocket! | Sonic Advance & Sonic Battle | Sonic Battle & ChuChu Rocket! | Sonic Pinball Party & Sonic Battle | Sonic Pinball Party & Columns Crown 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis Demos Sonic Advance 3
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