is a 1998

platform game A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...

for Sega's

Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Nint ...

and the first main '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' game to feature 3D gameplay. It follows Sonic the Hedgehog,

Miles "Tails" Prower , better known by his nickname , is a fictional character in Sega's '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. Tails also appears in his own spin-off series, comic books, cartoons, and films. He is the second character to consistently appear by Sonic's sid ...

Knuckles the Echidna is a fictional character in Sega's '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. He is a red anthropomorphic short-beaked echidna who is Sonic's best friend and former rival. Determined and serious, but sometimes gullible, he has the ability to punch enem ...

Amy Rose The '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the game '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic against a rotund male human villain named Doctor Eggman (or ...

, Big the Cat, and

E-102 Gamma The ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game franchise began in 1991 with the game ''Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game), Sonic the Hedgehog'' for the Sega Genesis, which pitted a blue anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic the Hedgeh ...

in their quests to collect the

Chaos Emeralds is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedg ...

and stop

Doctor Robotnik Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. Eggman was created and designed by Naoto Ohshima as part of many design choices for Sega's new mascot. After the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, Ohshi ...

from unleashing

Chaos Chaos or CHAOS may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional elements * Chaos (''Kinnikuman'') * Chaos (''Sailor Moon'') * Chaos (''Sesame Park'') * Chaos (''Warhammer'') * Chaos, in ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy'' * Cha ...

, an ancient evil. Controlling one of the six characters—each with their own abilities—players complete levels to progress the story. ''Sonic Adventure'' retains many elements from prior ''Sonic'' games, such as power-ups and the

ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

-based

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

system. Outside the main game, players can play

minigame A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than t ...

s like

racing In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific go ...

and interact with Chao, a

virtual pet A virtual pet (also known as a digital pet, artificial pet, or pet-raising simulation) is a type of artificial human companion. They are usually kept for companionship or enjoyment. People may keep a digital pet in lieu of a real pet. Digital ...

Sonic Team is a video game developer owned by the Japanese video game company Sega as part of its Sega CS Research and Development No. 2 division. Sonic Team is best known for the long-running ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series and games such as '' Nights int ...

began developing ''Sonic Adventure'' in 1997, after the cancellation of the Sega Saturn game ''

Sonic X-treme ''Sonic X-treme'' was a platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute from 1994 until its cancellation in 1996. It was planned as the first fully 3D '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' game, taking Sonic into the 3D era of video games, and the firs ...

''. Led by director

Takashi Iizuka , better known by his ring name , is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his 33-year career in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion. He has also worked for Pro Wrestling Noa ...

and producer

Yuji Naka , credited in some games as YU2, is a Japanese video game programmer, designer and producer. He is the former head of the Sega studio Sonic Team, where he was the lead programmer of the original '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' series on the Sega Mega ...

, the team strove to reinvent ''Sonic'' for the 3D era of video games. ''Adventure'' features a stronger emphasis on storytelling and

role-playing Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing a ...

elements in contrast to previous ''Sonic'' games, while

Yuji Uekawa is a video game developer owned by the Japanese video game company Sega as part of its Sega CS Research and Development No. 2 division. Sonic Team is best known for the long-running ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series and games such as '' Nights int ...

redesigned the series' characters for their transition to 3D. Sonic Team attempted to demonstrate the technical prowess of the Dreamcast with realistic graphics and drew inspiration from locations in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and Guatemala. The soundtrack was primarily composed by

Jun Senoue is a Japanese composer and guitarist who works for Sega, known for his various contributions in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game series. He is also the songwriter for the band Crush 40, which has also contributed to many ''Sonic'' games. B ...

, who preferred

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

over the electropop of previous ''Sonic'' games. Following its reveal at the

Tokyo International Forum The is a multi-purpose exhibition center in Tokyo, Japan. The complex is generally considered to be in the Yūrakuchō business district, being adjacent to Yūrakuchō Station, but it is administratively in the Marunouchi district. Tokyo Int ...

in August 1998, ''Sonic Adventure'' was highly anticipated and was released in Japan in December 1998 and worldwide in September 1999. It received critical acclaim and became the Dreamcast's bestseller, with 2.5 million copies sold by August 2006. Reviewers considered ''Adventure'' a major technical advancement and praised the visuals and gameplay. Though critics noted glitches and camera problems, and reactions to the audio were mixed, they considered ''Sonic Adventure'' an exceptional game; some speculated that it could help re-establish Sega as the dominant console manufacturer after the unsuccessful Saturn. Journalists have retrospectively ranked ''Sonic Adventure'' among the best ''Sonic'' games, and it is recognized as an important release in both the series and the platform genre. Many characters and concepts introduced in ''Adventure'' recur in later ''Sonic'' games. A sequel, ''

Sonic Adventure 2 is a platform video game developed by Sonic Team USA and published by Sega. It was the final ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' game for the Dreamcast after Sega left the home console market. It features two good-vs-evil stories: Sonic the Hedgehog, Tail ...

'', was released in 2001. ''Adventure'' was

ported In software engineering, porting is the process of adapting software for the purpose of achieving some form of execution in a computing environment that is different from the one that a given program (meant for such execution) was originally desi ...

to the GameCube and

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ser ...

in 2003 with altered graphics and more challenges, while a high-definition version was released for the

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...

and

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...

in 2010 and for Windows in 2011. Reviews for these releases were less positive; critics felt the game had not aged well and ran at an inconsistent frame rate.

Gameplay

''Sonic Adventure'' is a 3D

with

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

and

elements. Players control one of six anthropomorphic protagonists as they venture to defeat

and his robot army, who seek the seven magical

and the evil entity

. Six player characters are unlocked as the game progresses, each with their own story and attributes. Sonic the Hedgehog performs a spin dash, homing attack, and light-speed dash;

flies, swims, and attacks robots using his tails;

glides, climbs walls, and punches;

can defeat enemies using her hammer; Big the Cat is slow and carries a fishing rod he can cast; and

can shoot laser beams. At the start of the game, the player is placed in one of three Adventure Fields, open-ended hub worlds inhabited by advice-giving non-player characters. The player character is guided and instructed by the voice of Tikal the Echidna. Through exploration, the player discovers entrances to levels called Action Stages, some of which must be opened using keys hidden in the Adventure Field. Once the player accesses an Action Stage, they are tasked with a specific objective, which is different for each character. Sonic must reach the level's end like in prior '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' games; Tails must reach the end before Sonic; Knuckles must find three hidden shards of the Master Emerald; Amy must solve puzzles and avoid being caught by a robot; Big must fish for his pet frog; and Gamma must fight his way through stages using projectiles as a defense. Some levels include

s separate from the main story. These feature different styles of gameplay, among them rail shooting,

, and

sandboarding Sandboarding is a boardsport and extreme sport similar to snowboarding that involves riding across or down a sand dune while standing on a board, either with both feet strapped in or while standing loose, without bindings. Sandboarding can als ...

. Some minigames can only be accessed with particular characters. Fulfilling certain objectives allows the player to obtain bonus items. Unlocked minigames and stages the player has completed can be accessed from a Trial Mode on the

title screen A title sequence (also called an opening sequence or intro) is the method by which films or television programmes present their title and key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often a opening theme song with vi ...

. Like previous ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games, players collect golden

rings Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

as a form of

: if the player character is in possession of rings when they are hit by an enemy or other hazard, they will survive, but their rings will scatter and blink before disappearing. Canisters containing power-ups, such as speed shoes, additional rings,

invincibility {{Short pages monitor As the first fully 3D ''Sonic'' platform game, ''Sonic Adventure'' was highly anticipated. It received critical acclaim, and '' Computer and Video Games'' (''CVG'') called it one of the greatest video games of all time. ''Sonic Adventure'' won a

Blockbuster Entertainment Award The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards was a film awards ceremony, founded by Blockbuster Entertainment, Inc., that ran from 1995 until 2001. They were produced each year by Ken Ehrlich. Formation and first awards The awards were first held on J ...

in the "Favorite Sega Dreamcast Game" category, and it was a runner-up for ''GameSpot''s annual "Best Console Platform Game" award, which went to '' Rayman 2: The Great Escape'' (1999). The visuals and presentation attracted wide acclaim. ''Arcade'' magazine described it as a "quantum leap forward" in aesthetics and visual detail in video games, and ''Hyper (magazine), Hyper'' estimated they even exceeded what was possible on high-end personal computers. ''IGN'' called it the most graphically impressive platform game released up to that date, praising its cinematic sequences and describing it as "engrossing, demanding, and utterly awe-inspiring". ''GameSpot'' agreed and said only ''Soulcalibur (video game), Soulcalibur''s graphical quality surpassed that of ''Sonic Adventure''. ''Edge (magazine), Edge'' felt the graphical features showed off the Dreamcast's potential to the fullest and that the game was "perfect" as a showcase for the system. The audio received mixed responses. ''GameSpot'' and ''Game Revolution'' called the full-motion video (FMV) cutscenes and voice acting well-produced and fitting, though ''GameSpot'' noted poor lip-synching. ''IGN'' thought the cutscenes were repetitive and voiced strong disapproval of the voice acting, declaring it "a complete joke" and "downright awful". ''IGN'' had a particular distaste for Tails' voice, and retrospectively called it among the most annoying to feature in a video game. ''AllGame'' was conflicted; they appreciated Tails' portrayal but found Sonic's and Knuckles' voices unfitting. ''GameSpot'' and ''AllGame'' praised the rock-style music, but ''Game Revolution'' described the score as "absolutely horrible". The gameplay was generally praised. ''GameSpot'' admired the straightforward, linear approach to the 3D platform genre and particularly praised it for keeping the basic gameplay of the original Genesis games. ''IGN'' said the game would keep players busy even after completion, noting its internet connectivity and other extras. On the other hand, ''Game Revolution'' said apart from being quicker, it did not advance the platform genre's design. Retrospectively, ''1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die'' called its environments vast and twisted, stating it "brilliantly" captured traditional ''Sonic'' elements. The Chao minigame was noted as a major departure from the gameplay of the series. ''GameSpot'' wrote that "while really just a diversion", the Chao were an interesting, fun addition, singling out their internet functions as a highlight. ''AllGame'' said the Chao helped increase the replay value, although it was "strange", required patience, and did not provide bonuses in the main game. ''Game Revolution'' called the Chao "a neat addition" and praised its use of the VMU. Some critics compared ''Sonic Adventure'' to ''Super Mario 64''—Nintendo's "groundbreaking" 1996 game that propelled the Nintendo 64 and the 3D platform genre. ''Edge'' said ''Sonic Adventure'' was a worthy rival to ''Super Mario 64'', but ''AllGame'' wrote that ''Sonic Adventure'' was not as ambitious and that those looking for exploration would be disappointed with its linear gameplay. They compared it to the similarly linear ''Crash Bandicoot (video game), Crash Bandicoot'' but felt ''Sonic Adventure'' was more confined. Still, they praised the gameplay as varied and said its replay value was strong. Game journalists Rusel DeMaria and Johnny L. Wilson retrospectively wrote ''Sonic Adventure'' was not as strong as ''Super Mario 64'' and "failed to catch on with players in nearly the way that [''Mario''] had done", though it had fascinating features, such as "the use of the Tamagotchi-like memory card to incubate eggs for little pet creatures" and "some good action segments". The camera system and glitches were criticized by many reviewers. ''IGN'' called the camera "incredibly" frustrating and inconsistent, and ''GameSpot'' noted it caused problems with collision detection. ''Edge'' complained the camera sometimes goes behind walls. Authors from ''GamesRadar'' retrospectively wrote that ''Sonic Adventure'' was "horrendously buggy", singling out falling through floors and getting stuck, but also said the sheer amount of content made up for this. ''GameSpot'' thought ''Sonic Adventure'' redefined the possibilities of the platform genre, and according to ''CVG'', "many things you thought were impossible to see and experience in computer games are now here". According to ''Next Generation (magazine), Next Generation'', "Expert gamers may beat the game in only a day or two but, even then, the ride is worth the price of admission." ''AllGame'' wrote that the game was an impressive showing of the Dreamcast's potential and that it was among the best of the series. ''Edge'' said its criticisms such as scenery pop-up and instances of poor collision detection are "minor flaws in an otherwise very fine piece of work". ''Arcade'' and ''CVG'' speculated the game could save the Dreamcast, which had not sold well by the end of 1998. ''CVG'' also thought it could re-establish Sega as the dominant console manufacturer after the relatively unsuccessful Saturn.

Rereleases

''Sonic Adventure DX''

In 2001, Sega announced it would transition from a first-party to a third-party software publisher, in response to the international failures of the Saturn and Dreamcast. Wanting to reach new players by creating an enhanced version of one of its older games, in June 2003 Sega released ''Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut'', a Porting, port of ''Sonic Adventure'' for the GameCube and

. While mostly identical to the original release, ''Sonic Adventure DX'' features updated graphics, including updated textures and more detailed character models, aims for a frame rate of 60 instead of 30, and sports a redesigned Chao-raising system that uses connectivity with the Game Boy Advance (GBA). It includes 60 new missions and the option to unlock Video game console emulator, emulations of all 12 ''Sonic'' games released for the Game Gear. Additionally, Metal Sonic can be unlocked as a playable character if all 130 emblems are collected. These features were added to appeal to players of the original game. ''Sonic Adventure DX'' received mixed reviews. ''GameSpot'' was disappointed the rerelease did not address the problems of the original version, irritated the graphics were only marginally different, and dissatisfied with its collision detection. ''GameSpot'' offered some praise for the extra features, such as the missions, but concluded players were better off playing the Dreamcast version. ''IGN'' agreed, calling it "a sloppy port of a game that has long been undeserving of its high praise." ''IGN'' noted its frequent frame rate drops and described its camera one of the worst in a video game. ''IGN'' said the connectivity to the GBA ''Sonic'' games added depth but concluded this was not enough to compensate for the port's problems. ''Nintendo World Report'' was more positive, praising the Game Gear games for retaining their Multiplayer video game, multiplayer support and finding Sonic and Tails’ gameplay enjoyable.

HD version

In September 2010, Sega rereleased ''Sonic Adventure'' as a downloadable game for the

and

, followed by a Windows release in March 2011 via Steam (service), Steam. This version is based on ''Sonic Adventure DX'' and supports high-definition video, high-definition visuals at a 4:3 aspect ratio. ''Sonic Adventure DX'''s additional content was removed, but the mission mode and Metal Sonic can be reimplemented by purchasing additional DLC. The game was also included in the ''Dreamcast Collection'' compilation in 2011 and is List of Xbox 360 games compatible with Xbox One, backwards-compatible with the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Reviews of the 2010 rerelease were generally unfavorable, with criticism directed at the perceived lack of effort put into the port. ''IGN'' called it "so fundamentally flawed that it borders on unplayable," observing that the sections that worked best required the least input from the player. ''IGN'' criticized the lack of widescreen support but offered minor praise for its steady frame rate. ''1UP.com'' lambasted the port for what they called its slapdash quality, criticizing its display, controls, and dated design, and saying it "feels like it wasn't even tuned for the Xbox 360 controller and its analog sticks." ''Destructoid'' was less harsh, writing that fans of the franchise would be able to enjoy the game but warned casual players that "all you'll find is a relic that was once considered greatness."

Legacy

With most contemporary 3D platform games focusing on exploration and collecting items, ''Sonic Adventure'' stood out with its linear gameplay. According to ''GamesRadar'', as one of the first Sixth generation of video game consoles, sixth-generation console games, it changed the Video game industry, industry "forever". ''Joystiq'' wrote that both ''Adventure'' and the original ''Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game), Sonic the Hedgehog'' had innovated—in 3D and 2D games, respectively—through effective linear level design and by feeling "good to play". In 2009, ''GamePro'' listed ''Sonic Adventure'' as the seventh-best platform game of all time, saying it had not aged well in certain aspects but its core gameplay remained among the best of the ''Sonic'' series. Several journalists ranked the game among the series' best, but ''Kotaku'' argued the addition of voice acting and greater focus on plot changed Sonic into "a flat, lifeless husk of a character, who spits out slogans and generally has only one personality mode, the radical attitude dude, the sad recycled image of vague '90s cultural concept". Many of ''Sonic Adventure''s designs and concepts were reused in later ''Sonic'' games. The direction, basic gameplay, and Uekawa's modernized character designs became series staples. The first level in the 2006 ''Sonic the Hedgehog (2006 video game), Sonic the Hedgehog'' reboot (fiction), reboot heavily references ''Sonic Adventure''s Emerald Coast stage. To celebrate the ''Sonic'' series' 20th anniversary in 2011, Sega released ''Sonic Generations'', which reused aspects from past games in the franchise. The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows versions contain reimagined versions of the Speed Highway level and the Perfect Chaos boss fight, and the Nintendo 3DS version contains a remake of Emerald Coast. Several characters that first appeared in ''Sonic Adventure'' appeared in later games. As well as appearing in ''Sonic Generations'', Chaos is an antagonist in the 2017 entry ''Sonic Forces''; it and Gamma are playable characters in the 2004 fighting game ''Sonic Battle''; and a recreation of its boss fight appears in ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games''. The Chao creatures also feature predominantly in later games. One of the characters introduced in ''Adventure'', Big the Cat, became infamous for his negative reception. ''Game Informer'' considered his gameplay painful and boring, while ''Destructoid'' decried his portrayal as a "mentally handicapped imbecile" and his voice actor's incoherent performance. Big is widely considered by video game journalists the worst character in the ''Sonic'' franchise, and was named one of the worst game characters in a poll conducted by ''1UP.com''. On October 4, 1999, Sega announced that a sequel to ''Sonic Adventure'' was in development. ''

'' made its debut at E3 2000 and was released in June 2001. The sequel was designed to be more action-oriented than the slower-paced, story-centric ''Adventure'' and to give all the characters equal playtime. Like its predecessor, ''Sonic Adventure 2'' received positive reviews. A concept for ''Sonic Adventure 3'' was reworked into the 2008 game ''Sonic Unleashed''. In 2017, Iizuka stated there were no plans for a third ''Sonic Adventure'' game, saying it would not advance the series' design. He did not rule out the idea, saying "If we can get the gameplay to evolve and get to a place where ''Adventure 3'' makes sense, then you might see an ''Adventure 3'' come out". In December 2018, Iizuka expressed interest in Video game remake, remaking ''Sonic Adventure''. The plot of ''Sonic Adventure'' was adapted in the second season of the 2003 ''Sonic the Hedgehog''

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

series ''Sonic X''. American licensing corporation 4Kids Entertainment hired a new voice cast for the English-language dub but the Japanese cast from the games reprised their roles in the original version of the show. Archie Comics also adapted the game in its ''Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics), Sonic the Hedgehog'' comic book series. The comic offered an explanation for the altered character designs and established that Station Square was hidden beneath Sonic's planet, Mobius.

Notes

References

External links

Official website

''Sonic Adventure DX''
at Sega's official website (archive) {{Authority control 1998 video games 3D platform games Cancelled Sega Saturn games Dreamcast games Interactive Achievement Award winners Now Production games PlayStation 3 games PlayStation Network games Sega video games Single-player video games Sonic Team games Sonic the Hedgehog video games Video games developed in Japan Video games produced by Yuji Naka Video games set in amusement parks Video games set on fictional islands Video games scored by Jun Senoue Video games scored by Fumie Kumatani Video games with alternative versions Xbox 360 games Xbox 360 Live Arcade games Video games scored by Kenichi Tokoi Video games scored by Masaru Setsumaru