Sonic Adventures
It’s an odd thing to remember so vividly, but it sticks out in my head: New Year’s Eve, 1998. I was four-years-old and was being dragged to a family friend’s house for a party. Since my older sister wanted to go because her friends was at the party, I couldn’t be left home alone. Because of my age and the small height that came with it, all I saw at eye level were the legs of grown-ups and occasional reminders of how cute I was. But that came with perks, since the teenage son of the family friend called me over to where he and his friends were gathered around a TV. In one of the first moments of feeling like a big kid, I cautiously walked over and he asked an interesting question:
“Have you ever heard of Sonic?”
I had not and with that, he showed my what everyone was gathered around: a Sega Dreamcast plugged into a TV that showed a spunky blue animal fighting a blue mutant alien to some awesome rock music playing in the background. I was sold then, and 17 years later I’m still sold.
Sonic Adventure was like Super Mario 64 for hyper action junkies. Whether you were cruising around Station Square and the Mystic Ruins or bouncing off the walls of Windy Valley and the Egg Carrier’s Sky Deck, you were always in motion. It’s the simplest of game structures (get from Point A to Point B), but it moves with such vibrant energy. It’s like the perfect sugar rush with its bright colors and 3D graphics. Everything about it was a joy to play.
The same goes for its sequel, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, released two years later. It follows the same story and level format while expanding the level design into something truly awe-inspiring. I’m not ashamed to admit I got lost in the design of Pumpkin Hill, Sky Rail, White Jungle and Radical Highway. The sequel also adds to its capability by being able to hunt for emeralds or charge through with giant robots. Hell, I even got sucked into using the Chao Garden.
And that soundtrack…good golly god that soundtrack. What other soundtrack has early-2000’s alt-rock, girly R&B and dope rhymes ALL TOGETHER?!?! I’ve paid money on iTunes to hear those songs in daily rotation in my iPod with Drake, Aerosmith, New Found Glory and Kendrick Lamar. Who wouldn’t?
Advertisement
The Sonic Adventure games have a special place in my heart because they were simple games that expanded the imagination of a game. Sure graphics in games have improved and Sonic is more of a walking punchline these days, but I’ll be damned if anyone tells me both Adventure games aren’t timeless classics. LET’S GET ‘EM!!! -Jon Winkler
Advertisement
