Sonic Advance (2001). Play online

Summary

Sonic Advance was the first time Sega let Sonic sprint across a Nintendo system, a milestone that felt like old rivals finally shaking hands. The GBA version let you pick from Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, or Amy – giving her a proper 2‑D debut with her signature hammer. Sega outsourced development to Dimps, marking the studio’s debut on the franchise and letting them fuse the classic Genesis speed with the smoother, post‑Adventure character designs.

Critics praised the game’s bright, anime‑inspired graphics and catchy soundtrack, often comparing it favorably to the original Genesis titles and even to Super Mario World’s visual charm. Its multiplayer mode, which used the GameCube link cable for race‑type challenges, added a surprising layer of replay value. In the U.S. the title sold over 1.2 million copies, earning a place among the best‑selling GBA games.

A later port, renamed SonicN for the Nokia N‑Gage, showed how the formula could be adapted to entirely different hardware, though fans still consider the original GBA version the definitive handheld Sonic experience.

Storyline

Sonic Advance follows Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy as they dash across the zones of South Island to stop Doctor Eggman’s scheme. Eggman is attempting to seize the island’s animal population and convert them into evil robots, threatening the world’s balance. Each hero retains the classic moves from Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, but now sports a melee attack and a unique ability – Sonic’s splice shield, Tails’ flight, Knuckles’ gliding and climbing, and Amy’s Piko Piko Hammer, which replaces her Spin Dash. Grind rails, first seen in Sonic Adventure 2, make their 2D debut, and a hidden cheat lets players control Sonic with a CPU‑controlled Tails in a Sonic 2‑style duo. Gathering all seven Chaos Emeralds unlocks an extra boss battle, giving a final showdown against Eggman’s ultimate robot.