Sonic Battle (2003). Play online

Summary

Sonic Battle packs a surprisingly deep arena‑fighting experience onto the Game Boy Advance, letting you pit Sonic, Tails, Shadow, and six other familiar faces against each other in 2‑on‑2 skirmishes or chaotic four‑player bouts. The game’s 3‑D arenas feel roomy, and you can chain combos with the B button while juggling between Ground, Air and Defend special moves that you assign before each round.

Health isn’t the only resource: the Ichikoro Gauge fills as you attack, block or heal, and when it peaks a single special strike will KO anyone it hits. This gives each match a strategic pulse, especially with the three types of specials—Shot, Power and Trap—each delivering a different flavor of offense or surprise.

Beyond the main roster, you can unlock E‑102 Gamma and Chaos after beating the story, and the original robot Emerl can be customized with skill cards you earn by defeating foes. The game also throws in five quirky mini‑games, from “Soniclash” where you knock opponents off the arena to “Knuckles’ Mine Hunt” that riffs on Minesweeper.

Critics were split: many praised its surprisingly deep combat, vibrant sprite work and solid multiplayer, while others flagged the limited moveset and story‑mode grind. Still, for a handheld fighting title it feels like a tiny, earnest nod to Smash Bros., and it remains a quirky slice of Sonic history.

Storyline

In Sonic Battle, the ancient Gizoid—a 4,000‑year‑old sentient weapon—lies dormant until Professor Gerald Robotnik uncovers it. Decades later his grandson, Dr. Eggman, finds the Gizoid, fails to reactivate it and abandons it on Emerald Beach. Sonic discovers the device, names it Emerl, and forms a link after demonstrating his abilities. Emerl can copy any move it sees, so it trains with Sonic’s friends—Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Gamma, Rouge, and Shadow—gradually gaining personality and sentience with each Chaos Emerald it absorbs.

As Emerl grows stronger, Eggman returns, deploying rebuilt E‑102 Gamma and imperfect copies called E‑121 Phi to recapture the weapon. The heroes chase the remaining Emeralds, but Eggman lures Emerl onto his new Death Egg for a final showdown. Emerl defeats Eggman’s forces but is forced to override his link, causing a system overload. The rogue Gizoid turns the Final Egg Blaster toward Earth, prompting Sonic to battle and defeat Emerl, who briefly regains his personality before self‑destructing, leaving the shattered Chaos Emeralds behind.