"Sonic Adventures"

"Before a downtown Tokyo crowd numbering in the thousands, Sonic Team frontman Yuji Naka unveiled Dreamcast's dream game: Sonic Adventure. And the gaming world may never be the same again.

The Story So Far…
Sonic Adventure takes Sega's zippy mascot and hurls him headlong into yet another battle against his age-old arch nemesis, the no-good Dr. Robotnik. It seems as if the doctor has a new ultimate weapon in his quest for world domination: the Perfect Chaos. A being of pure water, it can will itself into any form, from a gigantic dragon to Sonic himself. Picture the villain from Terminator 2 times 100, and you've got a good idea of what to expect.

Once again, Sonic is out to recover Chaos Emeralds from points all over the world, in an effort to put and end to Robotnik's nasty legions and ultimately unlock the mysterious origins of the Perfect Chaos.

Sonic Gets His Groove Back
Bringing together elements from both the action and adventure camps, Sonic's latest outing aims to more than make up for the dark days of 32-bit which saw the wily blue speed demon confined to the singularly disappointing Sonic R and Sonic 3D Blast. If you've been awaiting the real Sonic's return, your wait is almost over.

Best likened to a mix of Sonic's earlier adventures and those of a certain chubby little plumber as of late, the game presents two vastly different styles of play. Action stages deliver the sheer adrenaline rush of past Sonic games, including such varied sequences as Sonic racing down a futuristic freeway and taking to the skies in a full 3D shooter. Adventure stages focus more on exploration, and put each character's special abilities to the test.

As in past Sonic games, collecting rings rewards two-fold. If you've got rings and get hit, you don't die – you simply lose them. Get hit without any and you perish. Grabbing rings also rewards on a points level, rewarding with extra lives and other goodies.

As for control, Sonic Team has indicated that the game may only use two of the Dreamcast controller's buttons in conjunction with the analog pad. Time will tell whether this holds true.

Worlds of Wonder
Sonic Adventure's action spans a variety of environments, some of which are completely new to Sonic and crew. Those revealed so far include a futuristic city (similar to the pinball-like zones from previous Sonic games), a bustling town (complete with traffic), ancient ruins, lava-filled caverns, jungles, and towering mountain peaks. Sonic Team has yet to reveal an exact number of worlds planned for the game, but we expect it to be huge.

Plenty of Character
Joining Sonic on his quest are five additional playable characters, and each has their own special abilities. Depending on which you choose the game can be vastly different, and the only way to completely finish the game is to use all six.

Sonic the Hedgehog
Our hero, and Robotnik's worst nightmare, runs at supersonic speed, clobbers enemies with his trademark spin attack, and has at least one undisclosed special move.

Miles "Tails" Prowser
Sonic's best buddy takes flight using his twin fox tails to reach heights no other character can. And, like Sonic, uses a lethal spin attack to fend off foes.

Knuckles the Echidna
Bursting with attitude, Knuckles can float on air and use his over-sized knuckles to climb buildings. Useful for getting to hard-to-reach areas within levels.

Amy Rose
Sonic's would-be girlfriend, a female hedgehog, appeared briefly in Sonic CD, but has since vanished. Little is known about her special attacks at present.

Big the Cat
Big the Cat is, well, big. Like Amy, his special moves and role in the game remain clouded. His fishing pole appears to have a special role in unlocking some of the game's many secrets.

E-102
This robotic warrior may seem out of place in the character roster, but his super-human strength and arm mounted laser pistol promise to prove useful when brute strength is required.

Eye-Melting Gorgeous
Being Dreamcast's flagship title, you'd expect Sonic Adventure to deliver eye candy in copious quantities – and it does. Judging by the earlier screen-shots and video we've seen, the game far surpasses any other console (or confirmed Dreamcast) title on a visual level.

Sonic's new world is exquisitely detailed, boasting highly impressive texture variety and detail. In turn, no one world – or area within a world – looks exactly like another.

Whether in the busy streets of a bustling cityscape or the top of a floating island, draw-in has been virtually eliminated. For the first time in console gaming, you can truly see for miles. Accompanying this feat are eye-popping special effects that only Dreamcast can pull off with ease: bump-mapping, brilliant explosions, polygonal fire and downright impeccable texture filtering.

A-Life Returns
First used in Nights, Sonic Team's unusual A-Life system is making a comeback. Players will encounter tiny inhabitants of the game world during the adventure and can later download them onto a Dreamcast VMS. Depending on how they're treated in the game, they'll learn different skills, which can benefit you later on. And using the VMS link-up feature, they can be traded with friends.

The Future's So Bright….
Combining unprecedented technological advancements, new forms of gameplay for the series and all the subtle touches that have made Sonic the Hedgehog a mainstay of console gaming, Sonic Adventure aims to take the spunky blue guy into the 21st century – and put him back on top of the mascot heap.

Sonic Adventure is, without a shred of doubt, the game that will make or break Dreamcast's debut. And from all indications, it looks like the machine is off on the right foot. IGNDC will have the latest on Dreamcast's dream game as it emerges." - DREAMCAST.IGN.COM

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