Sonic Rush Adventure

The last time a good Sonic game was made available, it was in the form of the Nintendo DS platforming game Sonic Rush. Now, keep in mind that was two years ago, people. Since that time, we've had to endure the forgettable Sonic and the Secret Rings for the Nintendo Wii (yes, it sucked -- when's the last time you played it?) and the even worse Sonic the Hedgehog for PS3 and Xbox 360, a game so ridiculously underdesigned that it made you literally scratch your head out of sheer confusion. (What other game forces you to play a guessing game with a princess' commanding team while she's being kidnapped?!) Fortunately, the good Sonic action has returned in Sonic Rush Adventure, a worthwhile sequel to his 2005 thrill ride.

See, with the help of Tails, Sonic acquires these vehicles, which then lead to 3-D racing stages. Sonic doesn't control the direction of the boat, but rather directs it left and right on screen, while occasionally performing a boost to knock out an enemy or a touch-screen draw motion to perform a particular trick. These sequences work really well. Later stages involve shooting action, although they work just as efficiently. However, the real highlight are the 2-D platforming stages. These will remind people why they loved Sonic in the first place -- fast, "blast processing"-fueled stages with multiple paths and loads of power-ups and rings to collect. There are also some 3-D objects thrown in for good measure, to remind people that this is new fangled hardware they're dealing with and not the Sega Genesis.

While the graphics look very well done here, I do wish more was done with the in-game soundtrack. It sounds like a bunch of fun techno and hip-hop, but it doesn't have the same Sonic charm as previous soundtracks. In fact, the theme in general works off the beaten path, with the new pirate character and Marine the assisting pain-in-the-ass seal not coming off nearly as appealing as past Sonic characters. Fortunately, they don't get in the way of the adventure much, as it's still very maintainable.

Had Sonic Rush Adventure gotten some more charm in the character design department and a soundtrack on par with the Sonic CD Japanese song collection, we'd really be getting somewhere as far as this sequel is concerned. Overall, though, it's still a step in the right direction for the 'hog, especially considering where he's been lulling over the past couple of years. Getting back on the right path, even at a dwindled speed, is better than going the opposite way any day of the week. Take a trip on this Adventure, Sonic fans.