Video Games : Sonic Advance 3

from: THQ

Price: $16.50

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Binding: Video Game
Brand: THQ
EAN: 0785138321585
ESRB Age Rating: Everyone
Label: THQ
Manufacturer: THQ
Model: 785138321585
Number Of Items: 1
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Publisher: THQ
Release Date: September 08, 2006
Sales Rank: 4966
Studio: THQ

Features:

Pick from 5 characters -- Sonic and one of his friends will team up for action in 7 game worlds
Exciting new platforming adventure, as you collect all 7 Chaos Emeralds
Use Chaos Control to undo Dr. Eggman's mischief -- and gain new abilities based on your partner's skills
Link up GBA systems to play with up to 4 players in awesome 2 on 2 team battles

Accessories:

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Editorial Review:

Product Description:
Sonic Advance 3 lets you save the world as the world's fastest hedgehog. Sonic's archenemy, Dr. Eggman, has used his Chaos Control to break the world into 7 pieces. While Tails and Sonic work with friend to put the world back together, Dr. Eggman builds the ultimate fighting robot to stop them once and for all.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- An incredible Sonic game, probably the best of all 3, if it were replayable.
Yet again, another Sonic Advance in which replay value is practically zero if your trying to collect all 7 Chaos Emeralds. Other then that, it's a Sonic game your sure to come back to again and again.

This Sonic game is probably the best of all 3. All zones are hold some sort of appealing design to it, with a decent challenge, and the bosses have gotten even more interesting then the last game. This time Dr. Robotnick has his new fighting ultimate fighting mech Gemel to aid him in battle and fuse with Dr. R's ships. The game has a particularly neat partner system in which 2 characters get to tag team in a level (not 2 player mind you) and combine their abilities to proceed through the level, or to collect all 7 Chaos. The leader gets effected differently depending on the partner, while the partner remains a bot with extremely low A.I. Also, note that the game now holds a new map style, in which you are in a side scrolling map. You get to walk around, jump, etc. and go into these rings with a number on them, signifying an act. There are 3 acts in all, and there's a boss room as well.

Visuals are gorgeous and colorful, no complaints. There's a somewhat reminder of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles that this game presents that I can't quite put my finger on.

The Music is great, as well as the boss music. It's even particularly enjoyable to just sit down and listen to the music via sound test.

The storyline is more elaborate then the last 2 Sonic Advances. Instead of your usual "Dr. Robotnick has a plan to rule the world and he persues the Chaos Emeralds", it's more of a wholesome story. This time around Dr. Robotnick has his hands on a single Chaos Emerald. Using the power of Chaos on Angel Island he permeates Chaotic energy around the world, transforming sections of the world into a Robotnick empire. And this he has a new creation, Gemel... the ultimate fighting robot who bares a striking resemblence to Emeral from Sonic Battle. Sonic and company must stop Dr. Robotnick before he completely changes the entire world eventually becoming it's new ruler.

Now... last, but certainly not least, the Emerald hunt. Yet again, another annoying, and tedious task to collect all 7 Chaos Emeralds, possibly more aggrivating than Sonic Advance 2, but that's up for debate. Your just this time is to find 3 lost chao in all 3 acts in order to unlock the ability to collect a key in an act, and unlock a segment of the map that brings you 2 a special stage. Slightly less annoying because if you fail, you can just get a key, and they're easy to find, but finding the chao is debatable.

Indeed, this can get quite frusterating, but there's something more appealing to it then collecting all 7 special rings like in the last game. It's challenging to say the least. The Special Stages are alright. This time your in a plane with either Sonic or Tails controlling it. You stand on it, and collect rings without getting hit. Sort of like Sonic The Hedgehog Triple Trouble. They're not too hard, except for the infamous SP 7. Now THAT was torture.

All in all this is a VERY good Sonic. And, like it's predessesor Sonic Advance 2, challenging. My suggestion, again, get a second copy, because this game doesn't have multiple files.

And now.... I am off to buy a second copy lol.

Rating:

- Recommended
I wish there were more levels in this game. The game is fun, as is, but I personally wish it was more challenging.

Rating:

- Yet, another "Advancement" on the Sonic Advance series (by Laura)
Sonic Advance 3 is a cool game. It does seem to be improved in some areas where Sonic Advance 2 wasn't, but there are pluses and minuses to this game as well. This time, I will start by listing the positive:

1. Cool music and voices. That's right, this Advance game has voices! You have to love how the announcer guy says the title, the pairing, and "congratulations" at the end. There are also voices to all of the characters in the game. It's cool, but nothing big. You aren't going to be hearing them voice sentences, just simple single words. As for the music, it's really cool. I love the Sunset Hill music, as well as Toy Kingdom, and many other of the catchy tunes.

2. The characters from Sonic Advance 2 come back for an encore, but in a whole new style! This time rather than controlling one character by his or herself, you get a partner. You use this partner to enhance your own abilities, and perform two basic team moves (one arial, and one ground) basic team move. This is way too complex to go into detail for this review, but believe me, it's cool! You only get to play as Sonic and Tails at first, but you can bump into other characters with Sonic to play as them. You bump into a new character once every other area after the boss. Also, there are some comical pairings like Sonic and Amy (the "Lovely Couple"). You should see Sonic's face! He's like "What did I ever do to deserve this?" with this most bummed look! Plus when Amy is his partner, she has hearts all around her, runs differently, and gives him a constant adoring look. It's cute and funny.

3. The levels are lovely. Either way, you will enjoy at least one of the levels graphic. Absolutely lovely.

4. The Special stages are fun. You are basically riding on top of a plane your partner is driving, and you are trying to collect enough rings to get the chaos emerald. You may maneuver your character left and right on the top, and when you move one direction far enough, the plane will move with you. Oh, and these stages are in 3D.

5. Omochao joins the series. You just pick him up for hints. This is good because he keeps you from being clueless in the game. He has no voice though.

Well that's the good about the game. The following I list are the flaws:

1. No Tiny chao garden. This is a first for the series, and it is actually rather disappointing.

2. Not much variety in the team moves, and maybe not enough characters. Unlike Sonic Heroes, another game that is team oriented, you can only use two team moves that require charging with the R button. Your team mate's biggest influence is the alterations on your own characters moves. Also, there are only 5 characters you can create teams with (unless you count a temporary one at the end. I would say more, but then it would become a spoiler). You can't make very many team combinations with just 5 characters.

3. Amy is sliding back into her old ways, and some combinations just stink! Whenever you team up with Amy, you should be admonished that you lose your normal jumping ability, and instead you get a jump that Amy had back in Sonic Advance. Which is not a good jump, so look out below. Otherwise, she is a good teammate. Also, the following team combinations stink, or have something that may be undesirable to you: Knuckles and Sonic (You lose Knuckles' ability to glide and climb. Instead you get a strange headbutt move), Cream and Sonic (Cheese loses his tracking ability), Tails and Knuckles (Just a warning that Tails loses his normal flight and swimming abilities. He gains gliding and breaststroke abilities, climbing not included)

4. Just a little thing Id like to mention, Tails can fly you underwater. That looks funny, as he shouldn't be able to move his tails like that at all underwater. I think it is a design flaw.

5. The special stages are hard to get into. First you have to find all of the chao, then you have to beat the final boss, then you have to find a key in one of the levels and survive while getting it out, then you have to find the special spring that will take you to the stage (which is not in the level). Oh, and the last Special stage is miserably hard like always. Good luck...

6. The characters could have been more expressive. I was hoping to see the feelings of what every couple thought of each other (you know, like Sonic and Amy). Sonic and Knuckles are "Fighting Buddies", Sonic and Tails have "An Unbreakable bond", and Amy and Cream become "Team Jubilee", but that is where it ends. Every other combo is just "OK". What does that mean, neutral? Anyway, I was hoping for more feedback from the characters.

That's about it. Before I close this review, here are some of the best team combinations you should try to make the game easier and more enjoyable: Knuckles and Tails, Cream and Knuckles, Knuckles and Amy (I have no clue, why Amy adds the extra moves), Tails and Amy, and Sonic and Amy (maybe that's not the best team, but you'll get a laugh out of it). One more thing, you have to beat the final boss, with the all of the chaos emeralds, while controlling Sonic, to get to the extra boss and see the extra ending. I recommend pairing up with Cream and borrowing her chao for the final boss. You will get a different teammate for the extra boss, but I am not telling you who... Want a cool adventure? Purchase this for your gameboy advance!

Rating:

- totally AWESOME
This game is very fun. It has awesome replay value, and there's tons to do even after you beat the final boss! It is the perfect game for first time Sonicers, and Sonic fans will revel in it's tag-team action. Extremely easy to learn but hard to master, this game represents sonic at his best.

Rating:

- A 'Sonic Heroes' wannabe turning out to be good
The focus of 'Sonic Heroes' was simple. Pick one of 4 teams and play around with them in lush greenery and owerwhelming bases. But the teams sometimes had characters that just disn't fit for each other. The Chaotix together again? I like that. Shadow The Hedgehog and Rouge The Bat along with a murderous robot? Don't mind if I don't! Enter: SONIC... ADVANCE... THAREEEEE!!! You can now SELECT the teams. But due to limite dcharacters ('Heroes' had 12 this has... 5...) there is a possibility the team options could get shallow. Well they are. But they are fun! 7 zones, 3 acts in each and a boss (The seventh zone had 3 bosses. Regular, final and extra). Quite good. A good thing about the teams: You get a different set of moves depenting what character you are playing with.

My favourite teams are:

1. Amy & Sonic
Lovely Couple

2. Sonic & Knuckles
Fighting Buddies

3. Tails & Amy
OK

4. Knuckles & Amy
OK

5. Knuckles & Tails
OK

6. Knuckles & Cream
OK

The graphics are great for a GBA title. Though not running as smoothly as the Genesis titles, the graphics are extraordinary for GBA. After the steaming pile of cack that was 'Spider-Man The Movie' (The 3D stages were a nightmare), Sonic Advance 3 uses the GBA's graphics to full effect. The shading might be a complete crap, the animation very fake and details even worse than Sonic The Hedgehog 1, but overall, it's great.

The sound itself would fetch the game 10/10 in any magazine. Even with the crappy voices, the sound is outstanding. Talking about voices, almost every voice in the game sucks like a super-powered 500 thousand feet tall vaccum. Sonic sounds like a teenager playing an arcade game aimed at 5-year-olds, Tails sounds like an idiot (Wait... he always does.), Knuckles sounds... actually good but he has no emotion in his voice. Pick up a copy of Sonic Adventure 2: BATTLE and see him go all emotional and lovestruck. Hee hee. Cream sucks. Amy rocks. Eggman rocks. Gemerl is a mute. That sums it up. The music is great. From CyberTrack's techno beats to Sunstet Hill's excellent Green Hill remix and Route 99's upbeat and light-hearted GameBoy madness, the music rocks. The other music and SFX all rock.

The plot is simple. Eggman creates a terrifying robot of doom and uses it to take it over the world, blahblahblah, Sonic and his pals must stop him... yada yada yada... oh! Get this: Knuckles DOESN'T get tricked. Congrats Knux. You have gotten a real, authenic brain! YAY. He also didn't get tricked in 'Heroes' or SA2:B but... meh. There is a major plot-twist right at the very end of the game. If you don't want to hear it, then don't read more. If you want to know then keep reading:

-SPOILER WARNING-
Gemerl, Eggman's latest robot of DOOM *echoes* gets all mad and turns on Eggman (Déja Vu?) and absorbs the power of The Chaos Emeralds (THAT happend with Metal Sonic in 'Heroes' by the way) and becomes Super Gemerl. He looks ugly. Then Sonic goes Super Sonic and teams up with... EGGMAN? Sonic and Eggman then defeat Gemerl and save... well nothing. They just defeated him. Then Gemerl goes good and befriends Cream (typical). Sonic Advance 3 has arguably the worst ending in Sonic history. No Sonic 3 & Knuckles may have an abysmal ending but SA3 is quite worse.
-END SPOILER (that took long)-

Best new feature: The team-up system (Not quite new but still great.)

Worst new feature: Chao Playground. The CP is just stupid. Rescue Chaos then go to CP and watch them move around it. WOW!

Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 9/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Lifespan: 7/10

Overall: 8/10

A must-have for all GBA owners. Over and out! See what I did? Over and OUT!!! Like the announcer in the Advance 3 game would say: OVEER AAAND OOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUT!!!
Hee hee.


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