Sonic Advance 3
Encyclopedia
is a platform game
in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps
, Sega
and Sonic Team
and published by THQ
for the Game Boy Advance
and the final installment of the Sonic Advance
series. It was first released in North America
on June 7, 2004, later in Japan
on June 17, 2004 and then in Europe
on June 18, 2004. The game uses elements from Sonic Advance
and Sonic Advance 2
, as well as allowing the player to choose an additional partner, who augments the player's actions. The Chao Garden mode from the previous Advance games has been removed, and the Chao Garden in this game serves to help the player view the Chaos Emeralds and chao they have collected.
Eggman tears the Earth apart when an experiment using Chaos Control
goes awry, and Sonic is separated from Knuckles, Amy, and Cream and is stranded with Tails. The two begin to search for their friends and the source of the trouble (which is the separation of the Chaos Emeralds). But like always, Eggman is making everything from doomsday devices to strange contraptions and is trying to vanquish Sonic once and for all.
Alternate Ending: (without all Chaos Emeralds)
After defeating the final boss, Eggman and Gemerl are defeated and try to escape, with Eggman swearing revenge. The heroes, chase him down to the edge of the temple, knocking Eggman to a deadly situation. Gemerl, stays and looks at the heroes as if to intimidate them, then jumps off the edge to follow his master. Peace is finally restored to the world. Then the game ends with all the playable characters getting their photo taken by Omochao. (The end credits also leave a message to players to collect any remaining Chaos Emeralds)
True Ending: (with all 7 Chaos Emeralds)
After defeating the final boss, Eggman and Gemerl are defeated and try to escape, with Eggman swearing revenge. However, Gemerl stops running & attacks Sonic, causing the Chaos Emeralds Sonic has to scatter. Upon seeing the 7 Chaos Emeralds, the bad code that caused Emerl to malfunction activates, and Gemerl uses the Chaos Emeralds to transform into a rogue, orb-shaped robot. Gemerl then grabs Dr. Eggman and throws him at Sonic before escaping into outer space. Using the power of the Emeralds as well, Sonic becomes Super Sonic and, with the help of Dr. Eggman, Super Sonic destroys the improved Gemerl. Eventually, Tails finds Gemerl's broken body on a beach and repairs the robot. The game ends with the new Gemerl playing with Cream the Rabbit at her mother Vanilla's house.
the character can pick up the teammate by holding R, and then release them to use special abilities. Certain pairings, such as pairing Sonic and Tails or Amy and Cream, give the player access to the trick moves from the previous game.
At the start of the game, only Sonic and Tails are playable. By completing certain levels with Sonic as the team leader, Knuckles, Cream and Amy become playable.
The games features seven main levels (Route 99, Sunset Hill, Ocean Base, Toy Kingdom, Twinkle Snow, Cyber Track and Chaos Angel), each with their own "Zone Map". These maps have three acts which can be played in any order, but all three must be played before the boss can be fought. These maps also contain two mini-games in which extra lives can be earned. The player can change between maps by entering the "Sonic Factory". Here, the player can also change characters and access the level's "Chao Playground", which contains all the Chao found in that level. The player needs to find 10 per level in order to access the Special Stage and earn Chaos Emeralds.
Two additional levels follow Chaos Angel - the final boss, "Altar Emerald" (The shrine of the Master Emerald) and the extra boss, "Nonaggression", which can only be accessed when playing as Sonic after all seven emeralds have been collected.
. Gemerl has the ability to "merge" with other machines, such as Eggman's boss vehicles. Unlike Emerl, Gemerl often uses his jetpack, either to fly or to tackle enemies. He can also teleport
, fire barrages of missile
s and create a red energy shield around himself. By his fighting tactics, he is like Mecha Sonic. By the means of Emerl's Design, Gemerl can absorb Chaos Emeralds to become as, or even more, powerful than the original Emerl. This makes him a "Force to be reconed with". Yet unlike Emerl, Gemerl can't adopt techniques like Emerl could. This is the reason for Eggman designing him to merge with his vehicle's.
had limited involvement in the development of Sonic Advance 3, and conceived of the two-player dynamic.
, 9/10 from GameZone
and 8/10 from Gaming Target
.
Sonic Advance 3 has sold over 1.5 million copies since its release.
The game won the award of best handheld game of 2004 at the Golden Joystick Awards
.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps
Dimps
is an Osaka, Japan-based video game development studio with an additional office in Tokyo, Japan. Employing a staff of 218 people, it is known for developing such games as the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai trilogy for the PlayStation 2, and the Sonic the Hedgehog games specific to the Game Boy Advance and...
, Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
and Sonic Team
Sonic Team
is a Japanese computer and video game developer established in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan in 1990, originally known as Sega AM8. The Japan-based division is also known as G.E. Department Global Entertainment. The studio has collaborated with several in-house Japanese studios as well as other American-based...
and published by THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and the final installment of the Sonic Advance
Sonic Advance
is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps, published by Sega , by THQ and by Infogrames for Game Boy Advance. It was released in Japan on December 20, 2001, in North America on February 4, 2002 and finally in Europe on March 23, 2002...
series. It was first released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on June 7, 2004, later in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on June 17, 2004 and then in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on June 18, 2004. The game uses elements from Sonic Advance
Sonic Advance
is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps, published by Sega , by THQ and by Infogrames for Game Boy Advance. It was released in Japan on December 20, 2001, in North America on February 4, 2002 and finally in Europe on March 23, 2002...
and Sonic Advance 2
Sonic Advance 2
is a side-scrolling platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps and published by THQ for the Game Boy Advance. The game was released in Japan on December 19, 2002, in North America on March 9, 2003, in Europe on March 18, 2003...
, as well as allowing the player to choose an additional partner, who augments the player's actions. The Chao Garden mode from the previous Advance games has been removed, and the Chao Garden in this game serves to help the player view the Chaos Emeralds and chao they have collected.
Storyline
Sometime before the events of the storyline, Dr. Eggman builds a robotic assistant based on and using parts from Emerl named Gemerl. Gemerl's designed to be a loyal, obedient copy of Emerl. As such, he can learn new attacks, and can meld himself seamlessly with any mechanical device.Eggman tears the Earth apart when an experiment using Chaos Control
Chaos Control
Chaos Control is a rail shooter developed by Infogrames and published by Philips Interactive Media for the CD-i, Macintosh, SEGA Saturn and PlayStation in 1995. The game may be recognised by its cutscenes, which are rendered in a style reminiscent of anime.-Gameplay:Chaos Control is a sci-fi themed...
goes awry, and Sonic is separated from Knuckles, Amy, and Cream and is stranded with Tails. The two begin to search for their friends and the source of the trouble (which is the separation of the Chaos Emeralds). But like always, Eggman is making everything from doomsday devices to strange contraptions and is trying to vanquish Sonic once and for all.
Alternate Ending: (without all Chaos Emeralds)
After defeating the final boss, Eggman and Gemerl are defeated and try to escape, with Eggman swearing revenge. The heroes, chase him down to the edge of the temple, knocking Eggman to a deadly situation. Gemerl, stays and looks at the heroes as if to intimidate them, then jumps off the edge to follow his master. Peace is finally restored to the world. Then the game ends with all the playable characters getting their photo taken by Omochao. (The end credits also leave a message to players to collect any remaining Chaos Emeralds)
True Ending: (with all 7 Chaos Emeralds)
After defeating the final boss, Eggman and Gemerl are defeated and try to escape, with Eggman swearing revenge. However, Gemerl stops running & attacks Sonic, causing the Chaos Emeralds Sonic has to scatter. Upon seeing the 7 Chaos Emeralds, the bad code that caused Emerl to malfunction activates, and Gemerl uses the Chaos Emeralds to transform into a rogue, orb-shaped robot. Gemerl then grabs Dr. Eggman and throws him at Sonic before escaping into outer space. Using the power of the Emeralds as well, Sonic becomes Super Sonic and, with the help of Dr. Eggman, Super Sonic destroys the improved Gemerl. Eventually, Tails finds Gemerl's broken body on a beach and repairs the robot. The game ends with the new Gemerl playing with Cream the Rabbit at her mother Vanilla's house.
Gameplay
The basic gameplay combines the traditional platforming elements of Sonic Advance, and the speed-orientated gameplay of Sonic Advance 2, to provide an experience similar to the original games. Sonic Advance 3 also introduced a new game feature called "Tag Action". Tag Action is similar to Knuckles' Chaotix: the player picks two characters and controls one while the other will just follow along controlled by the computer (or player two in multiplayer mode). Additionally, in a feature first seen in Knuckles' ChaotixKnuckles' Chaotix
Knuckles' Chaotix, is a platform game spin-off to the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Sonic Team, and published by Sega for the Sega 32X. The game was released in North America in March 1995, in Japan on April 21, 1995 and finally in Europe in May 1995. The game's only re-release since then...
the character can pick up the teammate by holding R, and then release them to use special abilities. Certain pairings, such as pairing Sonic and Tails or Amy and Cream, give the player access to the trick moves from the previous game.
At the start of the game, only Sonic and Tails are playable. By completing certain levels with Sonic as the team leader, Knuckles, Cream and Amy become playable.
The games features seven main levels (Route 99, Sunset Hill, Ocean Base, Toy Kingdom, Twinkle Snow, Cyber Track and Chaos Angel), each with their own "Zone Map". These maps have three acts which can be played in any order, but all three must be played before the boss can be fought. These maps also contain two mini-games in which extra lives can be earned. The player can change between maps by entering the "Sonic Factory". Here, the player can also change characters and access the level's "Chao Playground", which contains all the Chao found in that level. The player needs to find 10 per level in order to access the Special Stage and earn Chaos Emeralds.
Two additional levels follow Chaos Angel - the final boss, "Altar Emerald" (The shrine of the Master Emerald) and the extra boss, "Nonaggression", which can only be accessed when playing as Sonic after all seven emeralds have been collected.
Playable Characters
The game features a partner system, meaning the effects of one character will be affected by whom he's partnered with. For example, if Sonic is paired with Amy, Sonic can attack with a hammer, but has a jump instead of a Spin Attack. In contrast, if Amy has Sonic as her partner, she is able to use the spin attack.- Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog (character), trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
is playable from the start. he can perform a spin slash in mid-air. His Tag Action is to give the main character a speed boost, and can Ball up by Pressing Down during the Tag Action. - Miles "Tails" ProwerMiles "Tails" Prower, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
is playable from the start. He can use his tails to fly for a short while. His Ground Tag Action shoots the leader up into the air, while his Air Tag Action allows him to fly in the air with the leader, in a manner very similar to that of Sonic the Hedgehog 3Sonic the Hedgehog 3Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States by members of Sonic Team working at Sega Technical Institute, and was published by Sega, debuting worldwide in the first half of 1994... - Knuckles the EchidnaKnuckles the EchidnaKnuckles the Echidna is a video game character of the Sonic the Hedgehog game series, including spin-off games and comics. His first appearance was in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, released in 1994 to introduce a new rival for Sonic. He was presented as an antagonist who was tricked by Dr. Eggman into...
can be unlocked by completing Sunset Hill (Zone 2), Act 3 with Sonic as team leader. He can glide across distances and climb on walls. Characters he partners with have more powerful attacks. His Ground Tag Action throws him at enemies or items, breaking some objects other characters normally can't. His Air Tag Action is to glide with the main character. - Amy RoseAmy Rose, known earlier as Rosy the Rascal, is a video game character who appears in most of the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games developed by Sega's Sonic Team, debuting in Sonic CD as the third recurring protagonist. Amy Rose was created by Kazuyuki Hoshino and based on one of Kenji Terada's...
can be unlocked by completing Toy Kingdom (Zone 4), Act 3 with Sonic as team leader. Her abilities focus around her Piko-Piko Hammer. She can't spin without Sonic, and characters partnered with her won't be able to either without you pressing B in midair. Her Tag Action has her whacking down her hammer, launching the player high into the air. - Cream the Rabbit can be unlocked by completing Cyber Track (Zone 6), Act 3 with Sonic as team leader. She can launch a homing attack with her chao, CheeseCheeseCheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
. She also has flying abilities, although she tires quicker than Tails. Her Tag Action(Ground) gives the player a personalized Chao that he can attack with for a short while. Cream's other tag action (Air) is to lift the leader character up a little bit and gives the leader, Cheese for a while. - Dr. Eggman is playable in multiplayer mode for 2P in the "Nonaggression" stage. He can perform a tag action with the R button, and fly freely around the stage just like Super Sonic can.
Gemerl
A robot based on and made from the parts of Emerl's design, Gemerl is Dr. Eggman's henchman, until he betrays him in the final battle. He is later reprogrammed by Tails to be friends with Cream and her mom, in an allusion to Sonic BattleSonic Battle
Sonic Battle is a fighting game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega and THQ for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. It is the second fighting game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the first game being Sonic the Fighters...
. Gemerl has the ability to "merge" with other machines, such as Eggman's boss vehicles. Unlike Emerl, Gemerl often uses his jetpack, either to fly or to tackle enemies. He can also teleport
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
, fire barrages of missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s and create a red energy shield around himself. By his fighting tactics, he is like Mecha Sonic. By the means of Emerl's Design, Gemerl can absorb Chaos Emeralds to become as, or even more, powerful than the original Emerl. This makes him a "Force to be reconed with". Yet unlike Emerl, Gemerl can't adopt techniques like Emerl could. This is the reason for Eggman designing him to merge with his vehicle's.
Development
Yuji NakaYuji Naka
, is a video game designer and programmer, best known as the former head of Sonic Team, a group of Sega programmers/designers, where he was the lead programmer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog....
had limited involvement in the development of Sonic Advance 3, and conceived of the two-player dynamic.
Reception
Sonic Advance 3 was universally well-received, with scores including a 9.0 from IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, 9/10 from GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
and 8/10 from Gaming Target
Gaming Target
Gaming Target is a website covering video games and gaming culture that was founded on February 17, 1999 by Matt Swider.-History:When it launched in 1999, Gaming Target focused solely on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color...
.
Sonic Advance 3 has sold over 1.5 million copies since its release.
The game won the award of best handheld game of 2004 at the Golden Joystick Awards
Golden Joystick Awards
The Golden Joystick Awards, also known as the People's Gaming Awards are the world's oldest gaming award ceremony, awarding the best computer and video games of the year, as voted for by the general public...
.