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LTTP: Sonic Adventure 2

E

ElTopo

Banned
I grew up with the NES and was lucky enough to have a SNES and Genesis back in the day. I preferred Sonic over Mario and even still I think the 2D Sonics have aged well and I still prefer them over the 2D Mario games.

I skipped the Playstation and the Saturn (having been burned on the 32X) and got the N64 and felt kinda' burned by Nintendo by the lack of mature rated or horror games available on the system in comparison to the Playstation. So I migrated to PC gaming around 98 or so.

Dreamcast came out and I took a "wait and see" approach to see if it had legs. At one point I did want one for House of the Dead 2, Sonic Adventure 1, and Code Veronica. But by the time Xmas was slowly coming around it looked like the Dreamcast was dead. I also skipped the Gamecube/PS2/Xbox era for other reasons but I did play a little bit of Sonic Adventure 2 and it was the level where you play as Knuckles and you have to collect things.

I bought that Sonic bundle many months ago largely for Sonic Generations (which I can't get to work without major FPS drops on my PC) and finally tried Adventure 2 again. I put about a half hour into it before I closed it and uninstalled it.

Pros:

Good music.
The Sonic levels are mostly fun
...

Cons:

Horrible camera
Being forced to play as Sonic's friends.
The levels where you play as Sonic's friends are incredibly un-fun (especially the Knuckles levels and I understand that the Rouge levels are basically the same).
Some janky controls.
A really bad story that isn't interesting and pops up too often.

It sucks because -at the very least- it doesn't have the hub world from Adventure 1 which I greatly despised. But it seems like for every good idea there's two bad ideas that made it through.

I have no desire to finish this.

It's astonishing when you compare the Adventure games to Generations and really all Sonic Team needed to do was: have tight controls, a GOOD camera, keep the action fast and don't make it a collect-a-thon or kill x number of enemies to proceed, and stop forcing the player to use Sonic's Friends. That's all. You'd have an all around good 3D Sonic game.
 
A

andymcc

Banned
It's a really bad game with a few decent sonic levels and a decent soundtrack that pales in comparison to SA1's.

City escape was cool when it came out, though.
 
O

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
Not as good as SA1 or any major Sonic game that preceded that (even 3D Blast, which I kinda like) but still not terrible. I'd put it above a lot of later Dreamcast games, particularly 3rd party offerings, but it's underwhelming as a swansong for the console.

Or maybe that's what makes it so appropriate?
 
P

Polioliolio

Member
Ick.. Even back when it was new, I felt the game was shit.

.. and that's coming from someone who actually liked Sonic Adventure 1.
 
T

TWrecks310

Banned
It's a mediocre game praised because of nostalgia.

And this is coming from a huge Sonic fan who has Sonic 3 & Knuckles in his top 10 games ever.

EDIT - Chao Garden was my shit though.
 
T

TheDanimal

Junior Member
Growing up, I absolutely loved this game. I even managed to put over 100 hours into the SA2:B.
Going back to the game, it's not so good, like you said. At least the Sonic levels are fun, and the game has that great, signature Sonic music.
Gotta love City Escape :D
 
T

The Adder

Banned
I like the Tails/Eggman stages. I honestly like them more than the Sonic ones as far as replayability goes. Upping my score is always fun to me.

Also, you're missing out on the best part of the game. The Chao garden.
 
J

James Scott

Banned
I still really like it more than a lot of modern Sonic games although Colors is technically better. I liked the story more than anything sonic has been in since though
 
G

Guri

Member
This game did not age well at all. I think it was good back when I played it, but I was 10 years old, I think. But yeah, every level that wasn't from Sonic or Shadow was crappy and boring. Maybe it would be better if someone modded out these levels, but I don't believe it is possible.
 
A

ArrrrghX

Neo Member
I adored SA2 when I was a kid. Not sure what it was but SA1&2 have a special place in my heart.

When I got PSO for dreamcast, I tore that package open and first thing I did was put the SA2 demo in. My most played demo of all time.

Also - first Sonic game on a nintendo console!!! That blew my mind and was a day 1.

Rolling around at the speed of sound...
 
U

UnlovedJew

Member
Personally, I really like the treasure hunting levels, though I can see why many don't like them. The shooting stages are mediocre because of the way the mechs control, but some of Eggman's stages can be pretty good.

I think the controls are very tight, especially in the realm of 3D platformers. The story stuff is generally bad and filled with plotholes, but the absurdity of it all at least endears itself to me. After all, if you don't like them, you can skip them.

Despite these issues I still love the game. The speed levels have some great design and I love the pace of treasure hunting (except Mad Space) and the music is god-tier.
 
Sub_Level

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
You only put 30 minutes into it OP?

Jamix012 said:
Still the best Sonic game in my opinion. I knew people hated it but I'm kinda shocked people prefer SA1.
Click to expand...

Same here, but people love half assed Tails levels and Big the Cat fishing stages in addition to less overall polish and more camera issues.

I guess the story was better in the first Adventure game, but that's not a high bar.
 
S

SmithnCo

Member
I really hate being forced to play as Sonic's friends. SA1 did it right. Not only that but the friend levels are noticeably shittier than in SA1. Not fun at all.

The lame self-serious new characters didn't help either. Shadow is an abomination.
 
I

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
Live and Learn! Hanging on the edge of tommorow! Live and Learn! do do do do...


Man, great times with my dreamcast. the final battle was absolutely epic. And the time i thought they should have just kept Eggman as a decent fellow. Everytime after SA2 when i see robotonik i just wonder if he just forgot about SA2 and that ending.
 
D

Dunkley

Member
I've replayed and re-beat Sonic Adventure 2 at least 4 times, and I can honestly say that if it wasn't for the nostalgia I could not enjoy this game.

Both Sonic Adventures have aged incredibly poorly.
 
B

BumblebeeCody

Member
So many hours in the Chao garden. Great game and awesome soundtrack. People really should go back and play this though. It's aged pretty badly; especially the cut scenes.
 
Sub_Level

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
I am pretty shocked people prefer the first Adventure game.

The hubs in Adventure 1 were pointless. It was jankier game overall. 2 was faster and had better challenges.
 
L

Lijik

Member
Metal Harbor is a fun level that I replay every now and again but even back when it came out on the gamecube (which is where I first saw it, missed the dreamcast version somehow) i thought it wasnt that great of a game. Time has not been favorable to it.

Say what you will about SA1 but its level design never reaches the heights of bullshit SA2 dips into. I almost never wanted to grind a damn rail ever again after playing the final Sonic/Shadow stages.


Sub_Level said:
2 was faster.
Click to expand...
Until you were forced to play as anyone who wasnt Sonic or Shadow in worse versions of the equivalent stages in SA1 which is 2/3rds of the game.
Big sucks but at least his story is only like 40 minutes long and totally skippable.
 
A

Afrocious

Member
Chao Garden was enough to make me play through some of those shitty Knuckles/Rogue levels.

The music was good and I dug Sonic's and Shadow's levels.

That's about it though.
 
E

ElTopo

Banned
TWrecks310 said:
It's a mediocre game praised because of nostalgia.

And this is coming from a huge Sonic fan who has Sonic 3 & Knuckles in his top 10 games ever.

EDIT - Chao Garden was my shit though.
Click to expand...

Sonic 3 And Knuckes>>>>> All 2D Mario games.

Come at me.

Sub_Level said:
You only put 30 minutes into it OP?
Click to expand...

That's all I could stand. After the first level I was like "Oh, this isn't too bad." Then when I got to play as Knuckles I was like "Ohhhhh." And after I beat his level I said outloud "Well what was the point of that?"

I'd rather tweeze the hairs out of my ballsack than continue playing.
 
I

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
Going back to the, they are both pretty janky games...but i'll always have fond nostalgia for those days. I haven't been into sonic since then
 
G

Guri

Member
Sub_Level said:
I am pretty shocked people prefer the first Adventure game.

The hubs in Adventure 1 were pointless. It was jankier game overall. 2 was faster and had better challenges.
Click to expand...

I think that a mix of both (no hubs, secondary characters optional) would be even more interesting.
 
T

Trigonometrize.

Member
Everytime someone mentions the Adventure games I for like a minute think they're talking about the advance games, the ones I played as a kid. I really enjoyed them and have never touched the adventure games except for DX.
 
U

UncleSporky

Member
Everyone always talks about how awful it is to play as Sonic's friends.

I don't think it's "playing as Sonic's friends" that's the problem. I think it's that they come up with new shitty mechanics for their levels that makes them suck.

Because in Sonic 2 and 3+K, I loved playing as Sonic's friends...because they played just like Sonic, with a couple fun modifications.

It's not the friends, it's the levels and mechanics.

I still remember watching Game Grumps playing Sonic 06, and it came to the point where they had to play as Blaze, and they were like "holy shit, she's actually fun to play as!"
 
B

Balb

Member
It's the only 3D Sonic game that I actually like (SA1 was good in parts but it wasn't consistent). There was a lot to it and the Chao Garden was a great diversion.
 
Sub_Level

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
Best levels:

Security Hall (good level to weed out bad players)
Metal Harbor
Pumpkin Hill (the great Emerald's power allows me to feel!)
Sky Rail
Pyramid Cave
Meteor Herd
and the best of them all Crazy Gadget that had the weird gravity mechanics.
 
E

ElTopo

Banned
Honestly, I wish that there was a Kickstarter for what looks like a GOOD 3D Sonic-like game with tight controls, good camera, you play as one character, it's challenging and there's no retarded story or voice acting and it had mod tools.

You don't even need a mascot to pull it off, just design a Flash-like Speedster character.
 
T

TWrecks310

Banned
AlexSA2 said:
Sonic 3 And Knuckes>>>>> All 2D Mario games.

Come at me.



That's all I could stand. After the first level I was like "Oh, this isn't too bad." Then when I got to play as Knuckles I was like "Ohhhhh." And after I beat his level I said outloud "Well what was the point of that?"

I'd rather tweeze the hairs out of my ballsack than continue playing.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, although I love SMB3

You should at least give it one more go. The Sonic/Shadow stages are a lot of fun. It's the rest of the game that drags it down.

Besides the soundtrack of course which is hilarious and amazing all at the same time.
 
G

Guri

Member
TWrecks310 said:
I agree with you, although I love SMB3

You should at least give it one more go. The Sonic/Shadow stages are a lot of fun. It's the rest of the game that drags it down.

Besides the soundtrack of course which is hilarious and amazing all at the same time.
Click to expand...

Yeah, use a video walkthrough for Rouge/Knuckles' levels. I love the Green Forest level (not sure if that's the name) for Sonic and Shadow.
 
T

TWrecks310

Banned
Sub_Level said:
Best levels:

Security Hall (good level to weed out bad players)
Metal Harbor
Pumpkin Hill (the great Emerald's power allows me to feel!)
Sky Rail
Pyramid Cave
Meteor Herd
and the best of them all Crazy Gadget that had the weird gravity mechanics.
Click to expand...

Your opinion is invalid because no City Escape.

I have a question though. Did anyone else get the shit scared out of them as a kid because of all the ghost jump scares? I think I subliminally hate the game in the back of my mind because of that.
 
A

AwayFromInfinityx

Member
I loved it and thought shadow was a cool character.
And the chaos garden was pretty dope.

Gave the game legs and you could actually unlock a Hero/dark garden if you raised them long enough.
 
M

Meffer

Member
AwayFromInfinityx said:
I loved it and thought shadow was a cool character.
And the chaos garden was pretty dope.

Gave the game legs and you could actually unlock a Hero/dark garden if you raised them long enough.
Click to expand...
It's pretty easy getting those gardens. Just raise a chao with either hero or dark character till the chao evolves to either respective one.
 
R

Roto13

Member
I don't get how anyone can prefer Sonic ADventure 1. Even the Sonic levels in 1 were pretty messy. The bad stuff in 2 is much worse in 1.

I kind of like the Knuckles and Tails levels, though, they do get in the way of the Sonic stuff. And a couple of the individual levels are just bad on their own.
 
T

trixx

Member
It's an okay game. Same with the first Sonic Adventure. Just okay 6/10.

And yes chao garden is the best part of SA2
 
F

Floridian

Member
Roto13 said:
I don't get how anyone can prefer Sonic ADventure 1. Even the Sonic levels in 1 were pretty messy. The bad stuff in 2 is much worse in 1.

I kind of like the Knuckles and Tails levels, though, they do get in the way of the Sonic stuff. And a couple of the individual levels are just bad on their own.
Click to expand...

The Knuckles/tails/Rogue/Eggman levels were the worst part of the game imo. Those levels just weren't fun, and I felt like rushing just to get them over with.
 
S

Seven Force

Banned
I hate that the devs seemingly went out of their way to make the shooting and hunting stages five times worse than their SA1 counterparts. The time attack system and the bonus time mechanic is what made the Gamma stages in SA1 fun. Now they're just boring levels, and outside of a few of Eggman's levels, none of them are even remotely fun. The hunting stages in SA1 weren't perfect, but the scale of the levels were reasonable, and it had a far superior radar to boot. SA2 throws a bunch of huge levels that are a pain in the ass to navigate, and the radar isn't as helpful as it was in the first game.

And even the Sonic stages are safe from stupid design decisions. Grind rails are some of the worst things to happen to the series. It's a lazy subsitute for actual level design.

SA1 hasn't aged well at all and has more than it's fair share of jank and general design silliniess, but at least some thought went into it's design.

I will say this though: Security Hall is the best hunting stage in the series. If the rest of the levels were as tightly designed as that, I'd have no problem with those levels.
 
K

KnockOneOff

Banned
Loved adventure 1 on dreamcast as it seemed better structured, maybe the open world type of level selection screen

I hated adventure 2 just as you said your kind of forced and the game didn't feel structured liked sonic adventure 1 did
 
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