SONIC ADVENTURE | December 23, 1998

 

Sonic Adventure is a high-speed 3D action game developed by Sonic Team and released by Sega Enterprises on December 23, 1998, for the Dreamcast.

It is the first 3D computer graphics action game in the Sonic series. With the transition to a 3D game system, voice acting was added for the characters, and the settings and designs were changed, along with a shift in the background music from percussion-based to rock style. Although 3D titles (commonly referred to as "Modern Sonic") became the mainstream of the series, the existing 2D action series (known as "Classic Sonic") continued to be produced alongside.

On August 22, 1998, a production announcement for Sonic Adventure was held at the Tokyo International Forum, revealing the existence of the game. Producer Yuji Naka appeared and demonstrated gameplay of the developing Sonic Adventure, with the theme song "Open Your Heart" performed live.

The game features a structure akin to an ensemble drama, with stories prepared for six characters, including the protagonist Sonic. Each character has different abilities and game systems, allowing players to enjoy the game multiple times as if playing different games. This system was adapted in later titles, evolving over time. The scenario is more serious and intricate, based on a detailed world view and settings, contrasting with the simpler and more pleasant narratives of previous series titles.

On October 14, 1999, Sonic Adventure International, which supports five languages and network rankings, was released. On June 19, 2003, a renewed version titled Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut was released for the Nintendo GameCube. The Windows XP version was also released on December 18, 2003.

Additionally, on September 29, 2010, a port was made available online for PlayStation 3 (PlayStation Store) and Xbox 360 (Xbox Live Arcade) as the first title of the "Sega Dreamcast Revival Project." While it supports HD output, the video is displayed in a 4:3 aspect ratio through a pillar box.

This port was re-released on Steam on March 4, 2011. At the "Sonic Official Fan Meeting Tour 2023-2024 in Osaka" event held on December 16, 2023, it was announced that Sonic Adventure 2 would also be distributed on Steam in Japan in early 2024. Subsequently, it was announced that the domestic Steam version in Japan would be released on January 23, 2024.

The release of this game coincided with a period when the specifications of gaming hardware like the Dreamcast had significantly improved, greatly expanding the range of expressions possible. Consequently, character designs underwent substantial changes during development. Rather than pursuing novelty in refinement, the focus was on pure, traditional evolution, aiming for a higher head ratio and realistic texture representation. Additionally, the addition of dialogue allowed for a wider range of emotional expressions, leading to the creation of a completely new Sonic image now referred to as "Modern Sonic." As a result, it became easier to introduce new characters and collaborate with other titles, allowing for a more serious and hard-hitting story than previous works.

Takahashi Iizuka, the producer of the Sonic series, stated in a September 2016 interview that while the Sonic series was originally aimed at the American market, the scenarios for this game and its sequel, Sonic Adventure 2, were entirely written from a Japanese perspective, reflecting Japanese sensibilities.

According to producer Yuji Naka, at the time of the Dreamcast's launch on November 27, 1998, the game was not yet mastered, and he reflected on Twitter, "I think this might be the title that was shipped to stores in the shortest time after development ended. I apologize for the many bugs. However, it seems everyone worked very hard." However, just five days before the release date, on December 18, the episodes of Jungle Boy Zan: Side Story Tokibagu and Dreamnet PAPA were serialized, and Naka Yuji and Oshima Naoto delivered a favor to Ami Shibata, who was associated with Burning Rangers, which became an episode of Tokibagu.

Sonic

In the coastal metropolis of Station Square, Sonic, who was racing through the streets as usual, encounters a mysterious liquid creature and defeats it. After a night passes, while relaxing on the beach, Sonic witnesses Tails, who is piloting a new aircraft, crash onto the beach and rushes to rescue him. Following Tails' guidance, Sonic arrives at Tails' workshop in Mystic Ruins, a treasure trove of ruins and nature, where he confronts his arch-nemesis, Dr. Eggman, and the liquid creature Chaos he had previously defeated in the city. After a battle with Eggman, Chaos Emeralds are stolen, and Sonic is used to facilitate Chaos's evolution. To stop Chaos from evolving more powerfully with each Chaos Emerald, Sonic struggles to collect the emeralds before Eggman does.

Tails

While testing a new aircraft powered by Chaos Emeralds, Tails loses control and crashes onto the beach. After being rescued by Sonic, Tails invites him to his workshop in Mystic Ruins, but they soon encounter Eggman and Chaos. After a battle with Eggman, Tails loses the Chaos Emeralds and is used for Chaos's evolution. Tails joins Sonic in the effort to collect the Chaos Emeralds. During their journey, they pursue Eggman's flying fortress, the Egg Carrier, in their Tornado plane, but unfortunately, they are shot down by the Egg Carrier's attacks. Separated from Sonic during the fall, Tails vows to complete a new machine capable of confronting the Egg Carrier.

Knuckles

Knuckles, who guards the mysterious giant gem known as the Master Emerald on Angel Island, witnesses one night the Master Emerald shattering and the mysterious liquid creature Chaos emerging from it. Losing the power of the Master Emerald, Knuckles leaves Angel Island and embarks on a journey to find the scattered shards of the Master Emerald.

Amy

Living alone in Station Square, Amy is tired of her mundane life and reminisces about her past adventures chasing Sonic. Suddenly, she collides with a small bird fleeing from Eggman's flying fortress, the Egg Carrier. To escape from Eggman's robot "Zero," who is pursuing the small bird, Amy takes the bird and embarks on a new adventure.

Big

Living in the forest of Mystic Ruins, Big discovers one night that his close friend, a frog, has grown a tail. The frog swallows a charm (Chaos Emerald) that Big had previously found and disappears somewhere. Big sets off on an adventure with his beloved fishing rod to retrieve the frog.

Gamma

A robot created by Eggman. After winning a final training session against his senior robot Beta for a spot on the Egg Carrier, Gamma successfully completes a mission to capture the "frog with a tail." Although Gamma continues to follow Eggman's orders, he becomes disturbed after witnessing the fate of his expelled E-100 series companions and Beta, who was modified after losing to him. After meeting Amy on the Egg Carrier and battling Sonic's group, Gamma ultimately leaves Eggman to begin independent actions to "rescue" his E-100 series companions.

Super Sonic

The final scenario of the game, which becomes available after clearing all six character scenarios. The truth of a tragic event that occurred thousands of years ago is revealed, leading to a confrontation between "Perfect Chaos," who has absorbed the power of the seven Chaos Emeralds for a complete resurrection, and Super Sonic, who maximizes the emerald's power in a different way.

Players choose one of the six playable characters to progress through the story. However, initially, only Sonic can be selected, and as the story progresses, players will encounter other characters that can be used. Additionally, clearing all six characters allows players to access Super Sonic's scenario.

The game's fields are broadly divided into two types: "Adventure Fields" and "Action Stages." The goal in the "Adventure Field" is to gather information and solve puzzles to find the entrance to the "Action Stage," while the objective in the "Action Stage" is to meet the conditions set for each character. Players progress through the story by moving between these two types of stages.

The Action Stages feature three levels of missions: A, B, and C, with tasks such as "clear within a time limit" and "collect three emerald pieces without touching the red gems." Only one mission can be attempted at a time, and once a mission is cleared, it cannot be attempted again.