History tells of a time when an entire civilization was wiped-out by a monster. This fluid, water elemental was known simply as "Chaos." Chaos, guardian of the Chao creatures, is normally a peaceful being; however, he was driven insane by the hatred in society. It was a time of war, greed, and mass killing, and the final straw came when the violent echidna civilization made their move on the Master Emerald. Chaos went on the offensive, destroying everything in its path. Tikal, the peace-loving daughter of the echidna chief, saved the world by trapping the souls of Chaos and herself within the Master Emerald.

   Jump to present day, when Dr. Robotnik discovers ancient writings while surveying Mystic Ruins. As everyone knows full-well, the Eggman can make a world-domination plot out of pretty much anything, and Chaos is just asking to be used as a weapon of mass destruction. (Hey, at least he's given up on that whole Death Egg thing...) The Doc sets his sights: use Chaos to attack Station Square, and convert it to his personal base, Robotnikland. But first, he's got to free Chaos, who is sealed within the Master Emerald. Well, only one way to do that...

   For his latest plot, Robotnik unleashes his most recent line of robots. A team of highly-accurate shooting mechs, the E-100 series: E-101b, E-102g, E-103d, E-104e, and E-105z. E-101 is easily defeated by his younger "brother" E-102, and is sent back to the drawing board for some...alterations. The rest of the group gather on Egg Carrier -- Robotnik's latest high-flying HQ -- for their first assignment: capture a certain frog who has swallowed a Chaos Emerald. This frog just happens to be...

   Froggy, lifelong companion of Big the Cat. Usually, Big and Froggy live a quiet life at the Mystic Ruins, taking things one day at a time (and spending most of 'em fishing). Recently, however, Big notices Froggy acting very strangely. On top of that, the little amphibian's grown a tail! Why does Froggy keep trying to run away from his best friend? The situation's further complicated when E-102g lays the snatch on Big's "polliwog pal." Of course, this is all way too much for the simple-minded fat cat to figure out. He just wants his best friend back, and nothing's gonna stand in his way...

   Over on Angel Island, Knuckles has his own problems. One night while contemplating his destiny as guardian of the Master Emerald, the very object of his services is shattered before his eyes. In its place stands a bizarre, liquid creature. Before Rad Red can get any answers, though, the beast morphs into a puddle and slips away. Well, we all learned in Sonic 101 what happens to Angel Island without the power of the Master Emerald keeping it afloat: it falls. This time, a crash-landing straight into Mystic Ruins is made, disrupting and generally scaring the crap out of the archaelogy team surveying the area. Shards of the Master Emerald have scattered around the vicinity, and it's up to Knuckles to put the pieces back together.

   So where do Sonic and Tails fit into all this? Our little fox buddy has just finished the preliminary model of his latest project: the Tornado 2! A couple of features seperate this latest bi-plane from the original, not the least of which is the ability to change shape to suit the occasion. Moreover, the Tornado 2 is fueled by the ultimate energy source: a Chaos Emerald. The test flight, however, doesn't turn out quite so well...Tails crashes along with the prototype plane smack into Emerald Coast. This catches the attention of Sonic, who is taking in some sun at a nearby pool. Bad Blue dashes across the beach to check on the status of his fox friend, who has emerged unharmed from the crash. After revealing that the Tornado 2 is powered by a Chaos Emerald, Tails convinces Sonic to visit his workshop in the Mystic Ruins. Having nothing better to do, his Hedgehogness obliges...when they get there, however, they find they've got a guest waiting. Robotnik gets the jump on 'em in a vie for Tails' Chaos Emerald. When it seems they've beaten him, he puts on an oppossum act and manages to snatch the Emerald literally right out of Tails' hands. It's then that the cool duo are introduced to the Eggman's latest tool of destruction, this time one he didn't create. Chaos slips onto the scene and munches the Emerald like an after-school snack...at which point he grows in size and strength. The Doc makes a hasty escape with the chaotic waterboy, but the secret's out. Sonic and Tails race to get the remaining Emeralds before Eggman can get a hold of 'em.

   Amy Rose, meanwhile, has hit the shopping district of Station Square. Filling her head as she empties her wallet, Amy contemplates what she should do to get her dull life on the move. Recalling her glory days with Sonic, the pink hedgehoglet decides to search out her speedy blue idol and rekindle the flame. Fate has it in the cards, because the very next thing she knows she's smacked upside the head by a speeding Flicky. Moments later, she discovers why the little bird was breaking some speed limits: it's being chased by a robot! ZERO, to be precise. Amy takes it upon herself to protect the helpless Flicky, and in doing so puts herself smack into the line of fire. She is captured and held prisoner in Egg Carrier, where Robotnik's new favorite baddie E-102 is sent in lay the smack down. After refusing to hand over the Flicky, Amy appeals to E-102's sensitive side. One would think using this tactic against a lifeless robot would be akin to talking logic to a Democrat, but it turns out that E-102 does have a little something where his heart should be. Following some personal instructions that didn't come from his programming, Gamma releases Amy and advises her to escape as fast as possible.

   Alot of stuff happens (Robotnik dupes Knux again, Sonic & Knuckles fight, Sonic and Tails get seperated when the Station Square train workers go on strike, Tails encounters Big, Chaos eats some more Emeralds, everyone gets a guided tour courtesty of Tikal of the echidna civilization as it was in the past, blablabla...), but the next big meeting is on Egg Carrier. Sonic and Tails have arrived, and just when they get too close, ol' baldy sics the Gamma man on 'em. After a brief skirmish, Sonic prepares to send E-102 on a one-way trip to the Iron Ruin Zone, when the recently-escaped Amy dashes up to defend her newfound metallic friend. Knowing it is not at all wise to question a woman's motives, Sonic takes Amy's word and lets Gamma go untrashed. Some heavy-duty rumbling tips the gang off that the Egg Carrier might not be entirely stable. Sonic commands Tails to take Amy and escape in the Tornado while he heads off to set the rules straight with Eggman. He finds him atop a high platform, where Chaos version 6 awaits him...along with Big and Knuckles. Knuckles picked the final three shards of the Master Emerald off of Egg Carrier, while Big tracked his frog buddy to Chaos (whose tail had possessed Froggy, causing his strange behavior and probably explaining why he decided to munch on a Chaos Emerald). While Big fishes Froggy safely out of the liquid monster, Bad Blue and Rad Red do some freeze therapy on the mean water. The Egg Carrier is knocked out of the sky, but the fun ain't over yet.

   Sonic chases Eggman to his home turf in Mystic Ruins, Final Egg. The proverbial smacketh is laid down, and peace has returned to the land. Not. We all know what a persistent booger that Robotnik is, and he's just as much of a big baby. Deciding that if Station Square isn't his, it's better off in bits and pieces, he chucks a bomb into the heart of the city. Luckily enough, the boom ball turns out to be a dud, so the Doc gears up in the Egg Walker and moves in to take care of things himself. Unfortunately, Sonic's still slapping on Band-aids from his recent skirmish, and Station Square is left without a hero. But hey, what about Tails? Sure, that Prower boy has had a couple of his own adventures (and I mean outside of that thing with the music maker...), and it's either him or Amy. And so Tails moves in and in one fell swoop removes himself from the shadow of his hedgehog hero, becoming a celebrity among the residents of Station Square. Way to go, Tails! Yeah, we knew you had it in ya.

   E-102, since nearly becoming twisted metal (sorry...) at the hands of Sonic, has abandoned Robotnik and set out on his own mission. The recently-enlightened baddie is onto the game: he and his "brothers" are nothing more than prisoners, and he has taken it upon himself to liberate his comrades. Ironically enough, the only way to do this is to blow them to Kingdom Come. (Thus freeing the animals trapped inside, of course.) After unloading E's 103-105, Gamma frees himself by leaping gung-ho into the massive explosion caused by E-101b's destruction. This frees the helpless Flicky trapped within, but E-102 as we know him is no more. *sniffle* You won't be forgotten, Gamma. We'll be groovin' to your theme song for years to come, believe us.

   Amy Rose, while moping about her own uselessness, makes a discovery: the little bird she's been protecting all along has a family! One emotional reunion, coming up! After a pointless spin through Final Egg, she realizes that the little tweeter's folks might be held captive at Egg Carrier (which is now floating harmlessly in the ocean). As soon as she arrives, though, she's greeted by an old friend...ol' ZERO, otherwise known as the "Chase-master." Things get deadly serious, however, when ZERO makes the fatal mistake of belting one to Amy's Flicky friend. Bad move, dude. Like a mother defending her child, Amy snaps and wails on the pursuit-specialist Badnik with her trusty Piko Piko Hammer. ZERO is out her hair for good, and her Flicky friend is reunited with his folks (one of which, if you'll note, happens to be the Flicky freed from E-102). Aww...

   So the world's at peace and everyone is happy, right? Oh no, the best is yet to come. As we all know, you can't kill Robotnik. It just doesn't happen. Well, he's combing Mystic Ruins for Plan A: Chaos. Chaos, however, has its own plans...

   Knuckles, having pieced the Master Emerald back together in its entirety, wonders why Angel Island isn't rising back into the air like it's supposed to. Just as he decides to check with Sonic on the issue, he notices Eggman kissing dirt on the ground at the foot of the Emerald's pedestal. The most info he can get out of him is some mumbling about Chaos, who also happens to be on the scene...with all seven Chaos Emeralds. Uh-oh.

   Sonic is chillin' in Mystic Ruins, thinking about how bad he is when Tails runs up and notes that Angel Island is once again ground-bound. Deciding that something must be up, the two head on over to scope out the situation. Knuckles, who is now also getting intimate with the dirt, fills Sonic in on just what a nasty puppy Chaos really is, and how he's headed for Station Square. At that moment, ol' Eggman hops into the Egg Mobile and makes a run for it, swearing vengeance on the way out. Sonic takes one last trip to the past, then he and Tails make for Station Square. NOW the party begins...

   Under the influence of all seven Chaos Emeralds, Chaos becomes Perfect Chaos, a massive liquid leviathan resembling the love child of a Panzer Dragoon dragon and a gargantuan morray eel. And he's pissed. By the time Sonic and the gang get there, the beast has already destroyed Station Square in a flood of Biblical proportions. Thankfully, Tikal is on-hand to explain what's going down. Just like way back in the day (all those flashbacks), the normally placid Chaos was driven insane by the hate around him. There's only one thing to do: call up Yuji Naka and the gang and tell 'em they'd better change the name from Sonic Adventure to "Sonic Finale." No, not really. Robotnik returns to the scene in the spare Egg Carrier he had lying around (...) and takes a shot at ol' PC. Well waterboy don't like that so much and blows Robotnik and his secondary Egg Carrier to the next dimension. Thanks for making him madder, Robutthead. We appreciate that. Oh well, down to business. Tikal says to trap that nasty puppy back in the ol' Master Emerald. Through his infinite wisdom, Sonic points out the Master Emerald tactic won't solve anything: Chaos' heart would still be tied down. Someone has to show this schnook that the world ain't really that bad. But how? Hm... Chaos, it seems, has only syphoned the negative energy from the Chaos Emeralds. Tails, Knuckles, Big, and Amy gather the fallen stones and return them to Sonic, who draws upon the positive juices of the gems. What happens next is one of the most awe-inspiring videogame climaxes ever to be witnessed: Super Sonic versus Perfect Chaos! What happens next? Play the game and find out, you ninny!

   Okay, so if it's so "classic", what's new with Sonic's first true 3D outing? Plenty. The biggest change is in the way levels are presented. The world is divided into three main areas, or "Adventure Fields." They are:

• Station Square, the city. Robotnik's target and all-purpose hang out for Sonic and Amy. Access to Emerald Coast, Casinopolis, Twinkle Park, and Speed Highway. Also serves as the arena for the high-speed climax, Super Sonic versus Perfect Chaos.
• Mystic Ruin, the secluded, pastoral area. Location of Tails' workshop, Big's hut, and crash site of Angel Island. Access to Windy Valley, Icecap, Red Mountain, Lost World, and Final Egg.
• Egg Carrier, Robotnik's latest high-flying headquarters. Designed with the ability to morph between neutral and attack formations (similar to Tails' "Tornado 2"), with certain areas only being accessible through one or the other. Access to Sky Deck and Hot Shelter.

   Taking the concept presented in Sonic 3 & Knuckles a step further, SA lets you play as all six of the main characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Big, and E-102. Each follows his/her own storyline, and meets up with the others at specific points. For instance: in Sonic's game, your first encounter with Knuckles is at Mystic Ruins, where he attacks you for no apparent reason. Play through as Knuckles, and you'll understand why you must attack Sonic at that point. Another example: Sonic and Tails arrive on Egg Carrier, where they meet up with E-102 for the first time. A brief skirmish ensues, and when Sonic's about to lay the smack down on Gamma for good, Amy Rose runs up from out of nowhere and begs him to spare the Badnik. You must play through as Amy before you understand what forged this friendship between she and Eggman's chief cronie; and, moreover, how she escaped from Robotnik's clutches. Each of the six characters' individual journeys are cleverly intertwined in this way throughout the whole adventure, and they all meld perfectly together into an engrossing story that's deeper than any yet seen in Sonic. One of the finer points of this method is the way each character's storyline is uniquely suited to his/her "aura." Sonic's story is fast and furious, there's always something new and exciting happening. Tails' story is charming and inspiring, you find yourself rooting for the little guy the whole way through. Knuckles' story is mysterious and intriguing, answering some old mysteries and introducing a few new ones. Amy's story is adorable in its simplicity; her altruistic drive to protect a Flicky and reunite it with its family is heartwarming. Big induces pity more often than anything else, and at the same time it's a scenario we can all relate to: a harsh, complicated world that denies us the simple life we really desire. E-102's tale is tragic and moving at the same time, and has many implications to the way we live. And even with such variety, all six tales are tied together with nary a seam. Truly, a masterwork of storytelling like only the Sonic Team could weave.

   Naturally, aside from having their own individual stories to follow, each character controls differently. And unlike previous Sonic games, the design difference doesn't just boil down to having Sonic and Knuckles journey through different parts of the same levels that are inaccessible to the other. Here's a complete description of each characters' gameplay goals:

• Sonic the Hedgehog -- The only character playable from the get-go, Sonic's game is traditional Sonic through and through. It's all about speed, with your only object being to get from one side of the level to the other. Everything inbetween the start and finish is classic high-speed meyhem like only the almighty Blue One can provide. It goes without saying that Sonic is the fastest of the cast. Moreover, his game is the longest, encompassing all but one level in this order: Emerald Coast, Windy Valley, Casinopolis, Icecap, Twinkle Park, Speed Highway, Red Mountain, Sky Deck, Lost World, and Final Egg. Valuable treasures for the collecting include the Light Speed Shoes, Crystal Ring, and Ancient Light.
• Miles "Tails" Prower -- Once upon a time, Tails merely followed Sonic around all over the place like a misguided groupie. Ah, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Tails has but one goal in each level: beat Sonic to the end (except in Speed Highway, where the race is against Robotnik). Good thing our little fox buddy's flying maneuver gives him access to innumerable shortcuts that Sonic can only dream of taking. Tails is given access to the following five stages in this order: Windy Valley, Casinopolis (sewer area only), Icecap (snowboarding area only), Sky Deck, and Speed Highway (Act 1 only). It also seems as though Miles has discovered another handy uses for his twin butt appendages outside of flying: a Zelda-esque spin slash, with which you can slice through bushes to obtain items. Be sure not to miss the Rhythm Badge and Jet Anklet.
• Knuckles the Echidna -- As usual, Rad Red will rarely be found socializing with Sonic and the gang. Knuckles' game is almost entirely his own; his storyline only crosses over with the other characters at a few key points. Control remains similar to Sonic and Tails, although his goals are entirely different. Those SA Zones are so big and beautiful, it seems like kind of a waste to dash straight through them as Sonic. Luckily, Knuckles isn't in as much of a hurry. His goal is to locate shards of the shattered Master Emerald, which have scattered, conveniently enough, around the Action Stages. See, it's like a grand-scale Easter egg hunt. (Except the irritating Emerald detector he uses would probably be considered cheating in an egg hunt.) You get to play treasure hunter in the following levels: Speed Highway, Casinopolis, Red Mountain, Lost World, and Sky Deck. Keep an eye open for the Shovel Claws and Gold Gloves, which add some handy moves to Knux's inventory.
• Amy Rose -- Guess who's back in her first starring role since Sonic CD! If you don't count StF, R, or Drift and its sequel, this is Amy's first playable appearance. Presumably, control is quite different from her speedier comrades. She's the second slowest character in the game (not to mention the fact that she's got the shortest trip), but she's got one thing the others don't: a really big mallet of looove! Er, well...it's the colorful Piko Piko Hammer she made good use of in StF. It goes without saying what she uses it for. Anyway, Amy's primary goal is to keep one step ahead of ZERO in order to protect the Flicky its after. Which means as Amy, you'd be well advised not to hold still for too long (Amy strikes me as the type who wouldn't be holding still too long anyway). ZERO can be temporarily KO'd by a belt from the Piko Piko Hammer, but he eventually smarts up to that trick. Prepare for some "Exit Running" (Slayers reference) in Twinkle Park, Hot Shelter, and Final Egg. Her special items are the Warrior Feather and Long Hammer.
• E-102g -- Imagine Panzer Dragoon meets Sonic and you've got a very good idea of how E-102's game plays. Ironically enough, in order to free his "brothers", he's got to blast 'em to Kingdom Come. (Just so this doesn't sound completely perverse, it must be pointed out that, once destroyed [like all Badniks], a cute little animal runs free from the wreckage.) Anyway, first he's got to find the busybody baddies, and that means chasing 'em down through some Zones full of intense shooter-style action. But don't get too casual in your laser-firing meyhem...the clock is working against you. The more you blast, the more seconds are added to the countdown, so don't stop to smell the dancing flowers and keep a-firing. E-102's control is definitely very unique. He's big and clunky, but speedy nonetheless...the closest comparison is Eggrobo from R. Upon reaching max speed, E-102 shifts into "rolling" mode, where his legs morph into treads. In order to get back into "walking" mode, you have to jump or take a hit. Polish up the ol' rod (ahem) and prepare to do some property damage in the following levels: Final Egg, Windy Valley, Emerald Coast, Red Mountain, and Hot Shelter. Don't let Gamma get outdated: upgrade him with the Jet Booster and Gun Upgrade.
• Big the Cat -- Sonic's object is to run; Tails' object is to race; Knuckles' object is to search; Amy's object is to escape; E-102's object is to shoot; and Big's object is to fish. Yes, to fish. Better take a sedative and think about all the homework you have to do, because being antsy in Big's scenario will quickly result in your downfall. *slaps you* You impatient little knave. Think you're all bad 'cause you can whip through Sonic's game without losing a Ring. You aren't ready yet. You must throw everything you've learned up to this point out the window and play through your heart. Or your rod & reel, anyway. Once you cast your line, it plays like any other fishing sim. Wiggle the lure to attract a fish, and once you get a hit, reel it in without straining the line. Mainly, your only objective is to catch Froggy, but you've got to find him first. Prepare "Gone Fishing" signs for the following stages: Twinkle Park, Icecap (cave area only), Emerald Coast (Act 1 only), and Hot Shelter. Big's special treasures include: Life Belt, Power Fishing Rod, and four Fishing Lures.

   And now, a rundown of the Zones:

• Emerald Coast -- It's a beautiful island resort complete with towering condos, wooden docks, and (of course) palmtrees. It's pretty straightforward, you'd have to be pretty sad not to make it through here. (But watch out for the killer whale about halfway through. I think Willy's getting just a little too free.) As Big, look for a secret underwater entrance to the interior of a hollow rock for a prime fishing spot. Home to Kiki, Rhinotank, and those water-walking mosquito Badniks. Playable as Sonic, Big (Act 1 only), and E-102 (about one-half of Act 1).
• Windy Valley -- Strong winds blow around these hills...strong enough, in fact, to carry a fleet-footed hedgehog. Giant springs bounce you all over the stinking place, and the second half of the Zone is truly an awe-inspiring thing. The winds in the first half (I refrain from calling them "Acts" as they are not referred to as such during the game, but regardless of what they call them, that's what they are...) whip up a nasty tornado that you're gonna get sucked into no matter what you do. Home only to those giant caterpillar Badniks. Playable as Sonic, Tails, and E-102 (Act 1 only).
• Casinopolis -- Screw Vegas, I'm a-goin' to Casinopolis and play me some NiGHTS Pinball! Everything you'd expect from a classy casino is here: a fancy pirate ship show, a giant golden lion, and even a shower room (which Sonic never minds getting cleaned up in). If you manage to collect just over 8000 Rings as Sonic, you'll have a huge golden Sonic statue erected right smack in the center of the casino. (It's always there as Knuckles.) The object as Sonic is to get the requisite number of Rings (400) to be able to reach the Chaos Emerald. This can be done one of three ways: the Sonic slot pinball, the NiGHTS card pinball, or the sewers. The stinky sewers can only be accessed if you've run out of balls in one of the two pinball games and did not manage to obtain the minimum of 100 Rings. As Knuckles, you can bust the animatronic pirates...useless, but good mean fun. Home to Bladed Spinner. Playable as Sonic, Tails (sewer area only), and Knuckles (casino area only).
• Icecap -- Hittin' them cool slopes of Icecap once again! Sonic's had practice snowboardin' across these freezy peaks, but there's a new problem this time: an avalanche is right on your hedgehog heinie. As you travel down, you're also bombed by some air Badniks. Inside the frozen cavern, things are a bit quieter. As Big, you gotta break the ice by hurling boulders on the cracks. Home to some unnamed freezy Badnik and the giant caterpillars. Playable as Sonic, Tails (snowboarding area only), and Big (cave area only).
• Twinkle Park -- It's a dazzling amusement park of lights, and my personal favorite Zone in SA. There's a bumper car showdown at the beginning of the level, followed by a mini race course. Inside the park you'll find a very dangerous carousel, a roller coaster, and a funhouse (only as Amy). Home to Kiki, some unnamed bouncy Badnik, and the water-walking mosquitos. Playable as Sonic, Amy, and Big.
• Speed Highway -- Adventure's showcase level. It's an aerial highway over a sparkling nighttime cityscape, and the fastest Zone in the game. It's all about speed, so you can really cut loose (especially as Sonic). Act 1 finds you busting speed limits across a massive aerial highway while Act 2 takes you down into the city streets at the crack of dawn. Home to Spiky Spinner, Bladed Spinner, and those robot cops. Playable as Sonic, Tails (Act 1 only), and Knuckles (Act 2 only).
• Red Mountain -- The trees are dead and the grass probably never even existed in this ruddy canyon. There's also lots of giant blades spinning in the middle of nowhere, and Act 2 takes place inside a hot volcano with magma that can't decide how high its surface should be. It's worth noting that in Act 2, there are these crazy skull tombstones and these prison cells with some weird-ass tubey robots in 'em. (The sheer weirdness of this Zone is seriously under appreciated.) Home to Kiki, those flamey spinners, and Bladed Spinner. Playable as Sonic, Knuckles (Act 1 only), and E-102 (Act 2 only).
• Sky Deck -- You're hangin' on for dear life on the underside of Robotnik's Egg Carrier. Once you're on safe ground, it's all about guns, baby. Big guns, little guns, rapid-fire guns, all aimed squarely at you. It's also pretty windy and easy to fly off... As Knuckles, you take the controls of the cargo area and tilt the entire arena about in search of the three Emerald shards. Playable as Sonic, Tails (Act 1 only), and Knuckles (cargo area only).
• Hot Shelter -- I never understood what the song title "Bad Taste Aquarium" meant until I played Hot Shelter. There's a massive aquarium filled with some mean fish ranging from sharks to mechanical piranhas to the ugliest darn mother-kissers you have ever seen. As Amy, bust into the restrooms and search the booths for goodies (by which I mean item monitors, you sickos), but watch out for Kikis on the can! There's a secret fishing spot as Big, only accessible once you've pulled the plug on the upper level (which, by the way, prevents you from finishing due to a glitch that won't let you catch Frog or any other fish in the lower pool). There's a whole train chase scene as E-102. Home to Kiki and Leon. Playable as Amy, Big (aquarium area only), and E-102.
• Lost World -- I was quite pleased to discover that there are no dinosaurs to be seen anywhere around this level. You're inside a large, Indiana Jones-esque temple (yes, we even get to play the rock-chase scene only without the cool theme music). There's a huge pit in the center of the temple, filled with water and a "living" stone snake. Home to Leon, the flamey spinners, and the giant caterpillers. Playable only as Sonic and Knuckles (Act 2 only).
• Final Egg -- Robotnik's latest home base, and one big metallic mess. Check out the tubes at the beginning: one contains a mysterious black robot Sonic while the other contains our very own Metal Sonic! Home to Bladed Spinner, Leon, and Egg Keeper. Playable as Sonic, Amy, and E-102 (training area only).

   And goodness, what would a Sonic game be without item monitors?

• High-Speed Shoes -- Temporarily raise your speed
• Invincibility -- Makes you invincible for a short time
• 5 Rings -- Worth 5 Rings
• 10 Rings -- Worth 10 Rings
• ? Rings -- Worth 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, or 40 Rings
• Shield -- Protects you from one hit
• Magnetic Shield -- Protects you from one hit and attracts Rings
• Extra Life -- Gives you an extra chance
• Bomb -- Destroys all on-screen Badniks

   Once you've completed the game as each character (including Super Sonic), the only thing left to do is collect all the Emblems. An Emblem is attained each time a task is performed, and there are three different tasks to a level. The first is always simply to finish the level. The second requires that you make it to the end with at least 50 Rings in the bank, while the third is usually a time attack that'll have you memorizing shortcuts and becoming more intimate with the Zone that you ever wished to be. (There are variations on these rules when playing as Knuckles, Big, and E-102.) There are also Emblems hidden around the Adventure Fields, and five to collect from the Chao Races. There are 130 Emblems in total, and collecting them all achieves...absolutely nothing except bragging rights. Well...you can use Emblems to purchase exotic Chao from the Black Market at the online Chao Garden, but that's about the short of it.

   But while we're on the topic...those kawaii Chao creatures present the coolest and most well-designed "virtual pet" game that's ever been seen. In each of the Adventure Fields, you'll find a Chao Garden hidden somewhere. Within each, you'll find two Chao eggs. Hatch one by hugging it, or be mean and give the little bugger a rude awakening by hurling it into the wall. Now the fun begins! Like Nightopians, Sonic has an "affection" rating with each individual Chao: if you're nice, they'll love ya. If you're a stinker, they'll treat you as such. (This also applies to all the other characters. For instance, one Chao can love Sonic and hate Knuckles at the same time.) Pop one of the chibi scutters into your VMU to access the "Chao Adventure" mini-game, where you take your Chao on a little journey through an inverted pyramid of environments (pictured below). On the trip, you can name him and pump up his stats by obtaining items found in random treasure chests or won from a little game of memory match-up. You can also can match him up against or pair him up with another one of the little drips in a friend's VMU. When you think he's strong enough, pop him back into your DC and enter him in the Chao Races for a chance to win Emblems.

   Once you've got the ropes down on raising a Chao, you can try your hand at all-out Chao breeding. Before you can breed a Chao, he must have evolved into an adult. (Trying to mate immature Chao will result in stillborn children. *sob*) To get him to evolve, you need some furries! Know those little animals that run free after you bop a Badnik? Collect 'em (keeping in mind you can only hold ten at a time), then bring the little dears to the Garden with the Chao you wish to enhance. By introducing an animal to the Chao, the little drip will attain the attributes (both physical and statistical) of the fuzzball. Statistically, this can be in the areas of strength (denoted by red), speed (denoted by green), flying ability (denoted by purple), swimming ability (denoted by yellow), or a random stat (denoted by blue). Their looks will also change to suit their occupation: a Chao enhanced with the speed attribute will evolve to look like Sonic, and one enhanced with the flying gene will take on the appearance of NiGHTS. This is the funnest part of Chao breeding: seeing what crazy combinations you can come up with (just like mixing Mepians in NiGHTS). You can get even more variety via the special Chao, which can be found hidden around the Adventure Fields: the golden Chao (Station Square), the silver Chao (Mystic Ruin), and the black Chao (Egg Carrier). The offspring of special pairings could also turn out unique. For instance, try mating a silver Chao and a black Chao. If you're lucky, one of the offspring will be a glossy black Chao! The fun and possibilities are hampered only by the fact that each Chao Garden can only hold eight of the blobby buggers (for a total of 24), and the fact that they do eventually die. (If you've treated one well enough though, it will reincarnate. Its appearance and stats will be reset, but its name will stay. After several incarnations, they morph into a rare and exotic Light Chao.)

   Before beginning development, the Sonic Team flew on down to Central America for some inspiration. After hiking treacherous mountains (during which some of the team got sick due to the thin air and had to retreat), exploring ancient temples (filled to the brim with vicious tourists and souvenir booths), and flying over ruins to get panoramic views of the breathtaking scenery, the Team returned home to Japan to put their experiences to silicon. Most of the scenery in the Mystic Ruin area was directly inspired by the Central American sights, particularly the Lost World temple.

   And so the groundwork was layed, and development began in the deepest, most secure regions of Sega Enterprises. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite secure enough. Just around the time the Dreamcast was unveiled behind closed doors at E3 '98, a blurry screenshot of what was allegedly the new Sonic game spread like wildfire across the internet. The shot was, in reality, of Sonic in an early build of Speed Highway. After some investigation, however, most sources confidently proclaimed the screen to be a hoax, or a shot of another game entirely (a motorcycle racing game was the most popular guess, as Sonic's blurry silhouette could be made out to resemble a man on a motorcycle). It wasn't until the game was officially unveiled that all parties realized the enigmatic screen was indeed genuine. The media is a funny thing, isn't it?

   Ah, but the story doesn't end there. Early in August of that same year, the announcement was made by the man himself: Yuji Naka revealed that he and the Sonic Team were hard at work on a Dreamcast Sonic game. A single graphic was revealed with the announcement: the infamous "Sonic face" image, which has been known to frighten small children and most self-respecting adults. The title and logo were revealed a few days later, but we would have to wait until August 22 for the full skinny. August 22, the fateful day of the "Sonic Adventure Press Conference", as it has come to be known. All was going well, when just three days before the conference, the gun went off prematurely...

   A French gaming site had posted four screenshots of what it claimed to be Sonic Adventure. The shots rapidly made the rounds through the gaming cyber-community, and were the cause of much debate...until Sega stepped in and requested that all the screens be taken down. This removed any trace of doubt as to the authenticity of the shots. According to the webmaster of the site, he had obtained the classified screens via a friend of his who wrote for a European gaming mag, and was unaware they were indeed classified.

   Despite the numerous leaks in security, the Sonic Adventure press conference struck on August 22 as scheduled with plenty enough bang to send the gaming community on its collective ear. It was a sell-out event ("sell-out" used loosely considering it was free of charge), leaving many poor schnooks waiting hours in line after they'd missed the first showing. In fact, there were originally only two showings planned, but a third had to be presented at the last minute to accomodate the huge crowds. Some omake goodies were handed out to all attendees, and there were countless more goods to be bought from the many souvenir booths scattered about. Yuji Naka was, of course, on-hand for the show along with several other Japanese celebrities.

   After missing a couple of release dates, SA finally hit Japanese shelves on December 23 along with a downloadable VMU file that added Christmas decorations to a tree in Station Square. Although well-received in general (it scored an astonishing 38/40 from the ruthless Famitsu magazine), the game was widely criticized for being too glitchy. Collision detection problems and an erratic camera ran rampant, seriously hampering gameplay. This was due to the fact that the game was rushed along in order to make the holidays. Fortunately, starting as early as January, twelve members of the Team flew over to the states to oversee production of the domestic version. Their first order of business was to patch up the collision detection problems and tweak the problematic camera. Voice production and text translation ensued, and a demo of the improved version -- Sonic Adventure: Limited Edition -- was made available for rental on July 15 via the Hollywood Video chain.

   It didn't stop there, though. The finalized product includes an internet mode featuring Time Attack and Emblem World Rankings, special VMU downloads, hidden Chao, a message board, chat room, and plenty more goodies. On top of that, a language option was worked in to allow players to select between the English or original Japanese voice tracks; as well as sub-titles in Japanese, English, French, Spanish, and German. This Soniceriffic bundle launched right along with the Dreamcast console in the states to much fanfare. The improved version was released in Japan just over a month later under the title Sonic Adventure International.

   SA's roster of actors is comprised mostly of unknowns, as opposed to the seiyuu-filled cast of Burning Rangers. This was probably done intentionally so that the character voices would remain distinct and recognizable. Here's the cast list for both the Japanese and English language versions (although as to which characters they portray, your guess is as good as mine):

Chao Puzzle: At anytime during the game, insert a controller (with VMU) into slot 4. A mini Chao puzzle game will appear on the VMU screen! Win 5 in a row to see a little animation.

Snowboard Select: Just before entering the snowboarding event in Icecap, hit X to access Sonic's original blue snowboard. Pressing B accesses his new yellow one.

• Dredd Foxx, voice of Sony's PaRappa, also performed the rapping parts in Knuckles' SA theme, "Unknown From M.E."
• Here's the Sonic Adventure web page history of updates:

  09-09-99: Site launch; "Launch Celebration" download available 09-17-99: More character hints added, Chao Doctor updated 09-24-99: Character hints completed, Chao Doctor updated 10-01-99: Chat added, Chao Doctor updated 10-07-99: No new content 10-15-99: Emerald Coast as Sonic (Time Attack) World Ranking begins; "Tremble Park" download available 10-25-99: Chao Doctor updated, message boards temporarily closed 10-29-99: "Sonic2K Contest" sponsored by AT&T WorldNet and Dreamcast Magazine started (US only) -- Time Attack as Sonic in a modified version of Speed Highway; message boards reopened 11-04-99: Windy Valley as Sonic (Time Attack) World Ranking begins; Chao Doctor updated 11-15-99: Chao Doctor updated 11-19-99: No new content 11-24-99: Chao Doctor updated 11-26-99: Icecap as Tails (Score Attack) World Ranking begins; second "Sonic2K" contest started (US only) -- Locate four hidden treasures in Mystic Ruin as Knuckles 12-01-99: "Sonic Speed Challenge" sponsored by Reebok started (Europe only) -- Find the five hidden Reebok DMX shoes in Emerald Coast as Sonic 12-08-99: Chao Doctor updated 12-10-99: No new content 12-14-99: No new content 12-16-99: "Christmas in Station Square" download available 12-17-99: Red Mountain as Knuckles (Time Attack) begins 12-23-99: No new content 12-24-99: Third "Sonic2K" contest started (US only) -- Score Attack as Tails in Sand Hill 12-30-99: "Y2K Millennium Event" download available 01-07-99: Emerald Coast as Big (Weight Attack) World Ranking begins 01-20-99: Chao Doctor updated 01-27-99: Twinkle Park as Amy (Time Attack) World Ranking begins