Obviously, Sonic's vast world now has the added luxury of a third dimension, which is certain to add a whole new aspect of depth and gameplay to the traditional formula. The most recent screenshots display Rings, Monitors, and other classic Sonic items in fantastically detailed 3D environments. Not all of the Zones have been revealed yet, but here's the list so far: the IceCap Zone (first seen in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, last seen in Sonic Drift 2), the Red Mountain Zone, and the Speed Highway Zone. (The Speed Highway Zone looks particularly impressive at this point in development.) There are other levels, but those are still too incomplete to make anything solid out of.

Aside from some of the most gorgeous (if not the most gorgeous) worlds ever seen in a videogame, they're also the largest. Quoting the great Yuji Naka himself: "I’ve put huge efforts into creating a big map. Of course, I have to focus on the details of the 3D world, but I have to create a vast huge scale map as well. This is the most difficult aspect of Sonic Adventure. If it were Mario or a slower character, I wouldn’t have to create maps quite as large as this. I created the huge world first for Sonic, but then thought, why not utilize these maps for other characters? Maybe I could add some variety to the game - not just running quickly through this huge world. That’s one of the key concepts in the game." Preach on, Naka-sama! On a personal note, one of my key complaints about 3D platformers so far is that the levels have all been far, far too small. To tell you the truth, as exciting as it is to hear that Adventure will sport the largest 3D worlds ever seen in a game, I would've been disappointed if I heard anything less. Sonic has always broken the size barrier for level-design (as well as the sound barrier), and I fully expected him to do the same in 3D.

Speaking of the sound barrier, it's logical to assume that Sonic's speed is back. Although with the innovative "intelligent" camera system (whereby the camera automatically shifts to give the player an idea of where to go next) in a 3D world, speed plays a bigger part than ever before in the gameplay. It was always fun to watch Sonic going super-fast along 2D planes, but with the third dimension, you actually feel the sense of speed, just as with the best racing games. The speed and rush of a racer along with the control and depth of a platformer should create a truly exciting mixture the likes of which only Sonic can provide. Add to this the fact that there is quite literally no pop-on, no fogging, and no pixelization or blurring, and you can just imagine the true experience that Sonic Adventure promises to be. On the downside, there were reports of some slight clipping and slow-down in the demos shown at the August 22 press conference, but at only 60% complete, there's still time to rectify that, and Sonic Team promises flawless performance in the final game.

One of Adventure's main features is the ability to play as any one of six Sonic characters, each with their own goals, routes, endings, and difficulty levels. Playable characters include: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy, as well as newcomers Big and E-102g. Each character also has his own assortment of special moves...some old ones (Sonic's spin, Tails' flying, Knuckles' gliding, etc.), as well as some brand new ones designed specifically for usage in the third dimension.

The game also sports six bonus rounds, although whether these take the place of actual Special Stages (in order to get Chaos Emeralds) is still not clear. The bonus rounds include a Panzer Dragoon-ish ride on the Tornado (Sonic & Tails' bi-plane, first seen in Sonic 2) where the game goes shooter; a "mole-smashing" game (with Eggman heads taking the place of the moles) starring Amy Rose and her Magical Hammer; a race; and air-cars; among others.

Remember the A-life feature first introduced in NiGHTS? Well, it's back for Sonic Adventure, Dreamcast-style. Taking the place of Nightopians are "Chaos" characters...kawaii, chibi versions of the giant water monster of the same name. They work almost exactly like Nightopians in the way that they grow, evolve, and multiply. However, unlike simple Nightopians, Sonic and company can actually interact with the Chaos characters. They'll give tips and advice on how to reach interesting places and other secrets. But these guys don't have to stop growing once the system goes off...pluck one out of the game and into your VMS unit, where he can continue to grow and evolve away from the system. Thus creating your own Tamagotchi...Sonic style! Of course, you can send him back in anytime, although it isn't known whether the changes made to the individual creatures on the VMS will be reflected in the actual game.

But Chaos creatures aren't the only characters to interact with. Coming in as one of the promised RPG elements, Sonic and friends can talk with people. Yes, real human beings, a Sonic first. As Sonic and pals talk with the local residents of the given Zones, actual recorded speech takes the place of standard RPG text. What does this mean? Another Sonic first -- the characters all have voices. That comes as mixed news if you don't understand Japanese. Good in the fact that we now know exactly what all of our favorite Sonic characters sound like...bad in the fact that importers won't be able to understand what is being said, and there's always the dreadful possibility that SoA will hire no-talent voice actors to do the English version. I'm crossing my fingers that Sega will go the extra mile when recording the English voices, and hopefully hire some professional talent. Maybe even Hollywood actors; this is their biggest game ever, and Sonic deserves no less.

And then there's replay value...something the Sonic series has always been particularly strong in with massive levels, branching paths, and numerous characters to play as. Adventure promises to take all these ideas to a whole new level, but aside from that, Naka-sama has also promised something extra to keep you playing even once you've completed the game. He wouldn't say exactly what, just that he has some "nice ideas". Are you going to doubt him?

On a final note, the game's last level (a flying fortress...the Death Egg, maybe?) reportedly morphs as you're playing it! When technology allows for an entire shifting level in a videogame, we're getting dangerously close to the point where games simply won't get any better...

At the time of the Sonic press conference on August 22, the game was reportedly 60% complete. Even at 60%, Sonic Adventure is shaping up to what may well be the most visually impressive game ever. If Sonic Team can successfully evolve the classic 2D gameplay into the third dimension (and I, for one, have no doubts whatsoever in their ability), then Adventure could well shape up to be the best videogame ever made. Am I excited? Words cannot describe...

Livin' in the city, you've got to keep the dream aliiive...

Sonic, is that you behind me?