The Official Sonic Advance 3 Topic

Project Blue Gale

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Posts: 216

02/17/2004 3:32 pm

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Topic starter

1-Up

More screens provided at the above link. No information provided.

Shadow Hog

(@shadow-hog_1722585725)

Posts: 4607

02/17/2004 3:35 pm

Famed Member

Oh, Heroes 2D. Yay.

Well, maybe it'll work out even better in 2D. Maybe not. I would've preferred normal Sonic, though.

Very Crazy Penguin

(@very-crazy-penguin_1722585704)

Posts: 456

02/17/2004 3:36 pm

Reputable Member

REVENGE OF CHAOTIX!!

This looks pretty cool. Customisable pairs!

The categorisation is worrying though, hopefully we won't be stuck with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and a bunch of clones.

But one screenshot does show Tails with Cream, so I'm guessing they'll all have unique abilities.

At the very least there'll be power, flying and speed - and you only get to pick two - meaning that no single pair will be able to access every area of the level! That is if the levels are designed properly.

I imagine people will give this a lot of flack, but I for one love the premise.

And no Chaotix rubber band. ^_^

fizzycat45

(@fizzycat45_1722585759)

Posts: 32

02/17/2004 3:38 pm

Eminent Member

wa-was that OMOCHAO in the top pic?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

EVIL.EVIL.EVIL.

More useless infomation...NOW IN 2D!!!

ARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!

Project Blue Gale

(@project-blue-gale_1722585721)

Posts: 216

02/17/2004 3:39 pm

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Topic starter

The expression on Knux's face is...PRICELESS! XD

Sonic HQ

(@sonic-hq_1722585705)

Posts: 68

02/17/2004 3:40 pm

Trusted Member

*DROOLS IN PURE JOY*

*Hopes for Chaotix and other characters*

It looks like you can customize teams too! And you aren't restricted by formation - Tails and Cream are in the same team in 1 shot. Also notice the giant ring.

ChaosMaster DX

(@chaosmaster-dx)

Posts: 0

02/17/2004 3:45 pm

New Member

Wow.

The bandwagon rolls on, it seems. Looks like this is a test of a refined Team system before they put it to good use. Looking VERY nice, so far. ^^

Quote:

REVENGE OF CHAOTIX!!

Notice that you only see two characters in each screenshot.

Yup, you're right. (The characters' life icons have been improved, too.)

*reads the 1Up article*

Project Blue Gale

(@project-blue-gale_1722585721)

Posts: 216

02/17/2004 3:46 pm

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Topic starter

This is also from 1-UP

It's understandable that Sonic Team doesn't want to mess with a proven formula. The two Sonic Advance titles already available -- both done in the tradition of the Genesis games that built Sonic's name in the 90s -- were major hits on the store shelves, sure, but there really wasn't much that changed between the two carts. The blue guy and his friends were a little easier to control, they had an odd new special move or two, but that was about it. Even so, however, you'd be hard-pressed to find many people complaining about this -- the GBA Sonics are already a masterpieces of GBA platforming, after all.

Sonic Advance 3, due out from THQ and Sonic Team sometime later this year, may help shake up the formula a bit. The newest addition to this sequel is a "partner" system, not unlike what console owners saw in Sonic Heroes a month or so back. When you start a stage in SA3, you're asked to choose a player character and a partner character from the standard Sonic stable (no new characters this time around -- or, at least, Sonic Team hasn't revealed any yet). You only control one character in each level (the guy you chose as your player) , but your choice of partners has tangible effects on your avatar's abilities.

Case in point: if you choose Sonic as your player and Tails as your partner, then Sonic will inherit a bit of Tails' high-jumping capabilities. That sort of thing. This system can give you a fair degree of power over what your character can do -- and that, in turn, can open up new routes and access to hidden items in each level.

This partner setup is fully multiplayer-ready, too. Two players with two cartridges and a link cable will be able to play through the entire game in a sort of "co-op" mode, each exploring wholly different parts of each zone at the same time. This mode, of course, is in addition to the usual single- and multi-cartridge subgames that have historically been a staple of the series.

Another new feature (regrettably not shown in this batch of early screenshots) is the Zone Map, a heavily-enhanced version of the 2D maps you selected stages with in the first two Sonic Advances. In SA3, the Zone Map works like an actual, full-sized stage, where you and your partner run around and search for entrances to other stages -- a setup that hasn't been seen in 2D-land for a while. Think of it as a new zone, separate from all the others, and you have the basic idea.

More information on the new portable Sonic will hopefully come shortly, so be patient.

The Buzzbomber

(@the-buzzbomber_1722585708)

Posts: 202

02/17/2004 3:50 pm

Estimable Member

Heh. It's like an update of having Tails follow you in Sonic 2/3. Cool.

When I first saw the screenshots, I just thought it'd be a 2D Sonic Heroes, but I like this character/partner idea... Hopefully, it'll be what Chaotix should have been.

Negative Cow

(@negative-cow)

Posts: 0

02/17/2004 4:29 pm

New Member

So... no switching is involved? *Dies with Joy... then comes back*
This seems nice. Hopefully there won't be any 'categories' (ie- speed, power, flight). Only a large pool of characters that are all realitively unique. It looks like Cream took Big's umbrela, which already seperates her from Tails (unless, of course, they give him a parachute, or something, which would just ruin Cream's unique-ness). I don't know if I like the idea of inheriting character abilaaties, though. So if its Sonic&Knuckles, Sonic can punch, or something?
It seems every one can carry their partner, think Sonic Crackers. Hmm... interesting.

Hyper Chaoko

(@hyper-chaoko)

Posts: 7

02/17/2004 4:30 pm

Active Member

Much more believable than all the Sonic Heroes 2d hoaxes popping up. Has anyone else here seen those? And the backgrounds look nice. Still, I'm not going to get too excited till it's announced on SEGA.com.

Emperor Omochao

(@emperor-omochao)

Posts: 8

02/17/2004 4:35 pm

Active Member

Well I predicted that Sonic Advance 3 would have some form of simultaneous gameplay. I just saw it coming, they'de have to do something different from SAd1/2, and Sonic Heroes was a new direction from SA1/2. Pretty lame pattern to go by, but hey, here it is, something totally new! (well not totally, but almost).

What I really want is depth. This time I'm not gonna get excited over the pretty graphics. Because it could just be 7 stages and a cheesy final stage with a few extras.

I hope this game breaks that pattern, maybe give it alternate endings or secret levels (not the extra final level). Well anyway the levels look really beautiful and varied.

I bet this will be like the Sonic Heroes fiasco where ALL of the info was leaked out months before the game was available!

Negative Cow

(@negative-cow)

Posts: 0

02/17/2004 4:40 pm

New Member

I doubt there's much info to leak. We already know that there is a partner system. And that there is the possibilaty of an unlinear pattern of stages, meaning you access them in pretty much any order. Did I understand that correctly? The zone map leads to other zones, or something. I doubt there's much story to leak, or any hidden characters. I also doubt Shadow, Rouge, the Chaotix, Omega, or any one else is gonna be in the game beside Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Cream, and Amy. Why? Because when they said 'no new characters', I understand that as no new characters to the advance games. Ah whatever. I don't have a GameBoy Advance, so chances of me getting to play this aside from ROMs (which I rarely use) or a friend are small. Maybe I'll break down and get that GBA for this, Metroid, Donkey Kong, MegaMan, Mario, and the slew of other games I want.

Emperor Omochao

(@emperor-omochao)

Posts: 8

02/17/2004 4:52 pm

Active Member

A good story would be nice. Another ancient legend? Why not...

Aslong as it isn't the same story as S1/SAd1 or anything too basic like that.

I'm being naive hoping there would be so many secrets to be leaked. We'll be lucky if they bother putting in secret passageways in the levels...

I wonder what the Special Stages will be like this time.

Negative Cow

(@negative-cow)

Posts: 0

02/17/2004 4:56 pm

New Member

Hopefully the Special Stages will be FUN and ENGAGING. The last two Advance games had horrid stages and equally horrid ways of getting them. I would love for them to go with the starposts, but it seems the keys are envolved again. -.-

Chaos X3

(@chaos-x3)

Posts: 19

02/17/2004 5:10 pm

Eminent Member

AAAAAAAAAAAAH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! O-O-O-OMOCHAO! HE'S BACK! OMG! KILL THE 'LIL F'ER!

liquid hedgehog

(@liquid-hedgehog)

Posts: 0

02/17/2004 5:42 pm

New Member

This is cool. FINALLY!!! SONIC/AMY TEAMS!!! (hopefully) Shadow!!! I know he's just a ripoff of sonic, but his battle sprites were awesome.

shane70764

(@shane70764)

Posts: 94

02/17/2004 6:26 pm

Estimable Member

My God, this game looks awesome....
So many friggin' cool aspects...[hopefully] unforced partner switching, independent multi-player co-op mode, a hub world ala the Adventure fields from SA (at least, that's what the article is making it out to be).

Oh, I'm definitely gonna keep an eye out on this....I just hope the learning curve is a bit more forgiving in this one (took me so long to get used to Advance 2 :P), and maybe it'll be a bit easier to get to the Special Stages (holding on to one key isn't nearly as hard as trying to get through an entire stage flawlessly with 6 of those stupid rings...).

Interesting looking levels, too...though that carnival stage looks a bit odd. Wonder what that is Sonic's carrying..

Psxphile

(@psxphile_1722027877)

Posts: 5772

02/17/2004 6:52 pm

Illustrious Member

Quote:

Another new feature (regrettably not shown in this batch of early screenshots) is the Zone Map, a heavily-enhanced version of the 2D maps you selected stages with in the first two Sonic Advances. In SA3, the Zone Map works like an actual, full-sized stage, where you and your partner run around and search for entrances to other stages -- a setup that hasn't been seen in 2D-land for a while. Think of it as a new zone, separate from all the others, and you have the basic idea.

HELL F-ING YEAH.

I approve (so far).

Alex Prowers

(@alex-prowers)

Posts: 0

02/17/2004 7:08 pm

New Member

*drools in complete and utter ecstasy*

THEY BROUGHT BACK OMOCHAO!!!*shot with machine gun*

But really...this is AWESOME! Passive teamplay that might actually allow for multiple paths and unique gameplay, overworlds to scamper around in search of levels, customizable teams...DID SONIC TEAM ACTUALLY LISTEN?! :eek

Very Crazy Penguin

(@very-crazy-penguin_1722585704)

Posts: 456

02/17/2004 7:12 pm

Reputable Member

Quote:

[hopefully] unforced partner switching

Just like Sonic 2/3/Chaotix your partner follows along, you don't actually switch like you do in Heroes. Your choice of partner does however affect your abilities.

Quote:

Wonder what that is Sonic's carrying..

That would be Tails.

Quote:

HELL F-ING YEAH.

I approve (so far).

As long as you don't get access to (virtually) all of the Zones at once then I'm cool with the "map" idea.

Unknown

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Posts: 110053

12/31/2004 2:00 pm

Illustrious Member