The loveable little blue hedgehog with the red sneakers has been keeping fans of platform games busy on various consoles from the Sega Genesis to the Nintendo GameCube, but where Sonic really seems to be at home is on the palm of your hand.  Yes, Game Boy Advance gamers, the platform goodness is back with Sonic Advance 2.  But is this a new revamped sequel or is this just the same game GBA gamers have played before again and again?  Let’s take a look, shall we? 

Sonic the Hedgehog finds himself up against his old enemy, the dastardly Dr. Eggman who is set on building his evil empire by kidnapping animals and transforming them into robotic versions of their old self.  The first of Dr. Eggman’s victims are Sonic’s old pals Knuckles the Echidna and Tails the Fox, thus setting the adventure in motion as Sonic attempts to rescue his friends and putting a stop to his old nemesis once and for all.  This is pretty much the set up for the Single Player mode that has you choosing the character you wish to play (you start off with Sonic and can unlock five others) and advance through a series of locales or Zones.

The game basically uses the same platform formula it always used since its old Sega Genesis days--that is, the basic running, jumping, directional movement and high-speed antics.  Gamers familiar with the series will find no shocking surprises in this front, but gamers will be grateful for how responsive the controls are even while zipping through an area.  Like any classic 2D-platform game, you’d do plenty of collecting (e.g. gold rings, Chaos Emeralds and power-up items such as Invincibility or Shield.  There’s even obligatory boss fight that is fought while in full motion.  There are even Special Stages set in a 3D environment.

To mix things up, you can play as characters you managed to unlock (by defeating level bosses in the single player mode) and each individual character has his or her own useful abilities.  Amy Rose, for example, has her Piko Piko Hammer that really does some damage.  New to the series is Cream the Rabbit who can fly by flapping her ears.  You can use these characters during the Single Player mode or other modes such as Time Attack mode.  There is also a mode called Tiny Chao Garden where you can just spend the time raising beings known as Chao or play mini-games like the Memory Game (where you match similar cards).  The most innovative feature about this mode is that you can transfer Chao to Sonic Adventure 2: Battle on the GameCube.

The problem is that all of this has been done before and gamers that have played their share of Sonic games will find that this game will not hold their attention for very long because of it.  Unlike Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced, this game’s single player mode is filled with stages that don’t change radically.  However, the heart of this game is its multiplayer mode that allows up to four players (using the GBA Link Cables) to play VS Mode (you can even just use a single game pak with this mode) or the Multi-Game Pak Mode (to play a Time Attack game mode). 

The Sonic games have always showcased some really colorful characters that stand out nicely against some wild-looking backgrounds and Sonic Advance 2 manages to continue the tradition.  Each Zone has a number of interesting backgrounds filled with beautiful blue skies, various full-motion obstacles and classic Sonic ramps.  And, of course, the colorful characters that look so good you’ll wish the GBA’s screen were a lot bigger.  Even during full speed motion the characters aren’t just colorful streaks; rather you can make out their tiny individual features as they move. 

And speaking of traditional, the game’s sound hasn’t really changed much as well.  You’ll find all the bells and whistles that make up a classic platformer and there’s even that satisfying chime when you collected enough rings to add up to an extra life.  The music found here is standard rock riff as well, but strangely enough it works well enough here that you won’t mind it at all.  In fact, the soundtrack does change throughout the zones and even one area will have you putting on some headphones just to listen to the musical notes Sonic is able to change by bouncing on a series of musical instruments.

Sonic Advance 2 is a great game, but it’s limited platform fun is still not able to keep gamers glued to their Game Boy Advance for very long.  Still, you have to love a game that piles on extra game modes, new playable characters and a four-player multiplayer feature that, alone, is worth the price of admission.  If you love Sonic, chances are you’ll find this game mildly amusing for a limited time.  Multiplayer gamers, however, will have plenty to enjoy here.

Gameplay: 8.5
The controls are smooth and responsive enough that the game will have you performing all of Sonic’s old school tricks such as spinning along the ground or a double spin attack in no time.  This is a really fast moving game that doesn’t really allow much room for exploration and sometimes the speed itself makes it pretty difficult to really watch where you’re going.

Graphics: 8.2
The visuals are crisp, clear and colorful and GBA gamers will surely appreciate how many things this game piles on the small screen at once.  Unlike the Super Mario games where you have a chance to admire the scenery and colorful characters, Sonic the Hedgehog’s universe is seen in a blur.  You can, though, slow down enough to check out the vibrantly lush backgrounds with misty mountaintops or forests with billowing white clouds.

Character-wise, Sonic and his friends look great even when racing through the area at high speeds.  Each character has his or her own little gestures and their own abilities that are reflected visually.  Cream the Rabbit, for example, flaps her ears comically and takes flight.  There are a few cut scenes after boss fights that introduce each character through a few animation screens.

Sound: 8.0
You can’t go wrong with classic platformer sound effects in things such as jumping and ring collecting.  Gamers that have been playing Sonic games since it first came out will feel right at home with the collection of old-school sound effects.  Musically, the rock riffs featured here are nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, but the tune does change as you advance from level to level.

Difficulty: Medium
The biggest challenge your little heroes will face come in the form of boss stages and the occasional whoops-I-missed-the-platform due to the speed in which your character moves.  Boss stages are fought while in motion (e.g. you’re running to catch up to them while attempting to give them a good throttling at the same time).  There are also obstacles such as spikes and cliffs, but rarely do these things pose such a horrible threat.

Concept: 8.6
There’s nothing new here that will set this game apart from other Sonic games, thus pretty much sticking with the traditional basics.  Sonic Advance 2 does, though, adds things to the mix such as playable characters (five to be exact) as well as some new game modes such as the Tiny Chao Garden that comes complete with more mini games.  The big surprise here is that you can link your GBA system to the Nintendo GameCube to transfer Chao characters for the GameCube’s Sonic Adventure 2: Battle game.

Multiplayer: 9.0
The game’s real main attraction comes in the form of a multiplayer mode that can keep things simple between two players or a four-player game (using the GBA Link Cable, of course, as well as up to for other GBA systems).  You can play the game using a single-game pak or a multi-game pak depending on the type of multiplayer game you would like to play.  Regardless of the setting you chose this is a great multiplayer game that will have you and a group of friends challenging each another using favorite Sonic characters.

Overall: 8.0
Sonic fans take note: While this game is a great improvement from the last one, Sonic Advance 2 does run out of steam pretty quickly. You’ll feel as though you played this game before, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t have a good time playing it.  The multiplayer feature, though, is where this game’s strength really shines through.  If you’re into four-player GBA fun, this is really the game to buy.