Sonic Advance - Sonic Was Always Good

Surprised myself that I had this much to say about this game. It's really just a Sonic game. But I guess after playing all those 3D games that is a breath of fresh air.
And before anyone mentions, I know about the weird backflip thing Sonic can do. But it's pretty useless so I opted to not mention it. And this game does have the Tiny Chao Garden. And I don't care.
In case you haven't realized by now, I totally sometimes pad out the time attack section of these videos to show off as much cool gameplay as possible. So few people play Sonic games like that, so I want to show how much fun they're missing out on.
You can support me here if you want. ko-fi.com/pariah695

[@elmark3550]

I really wish they had added the GBA and 8 bit games to origins. Having widescreen would really benefit them

[@EWOODJ]

8-bit games I agree, but why would the GBA games be added to Orgins? They're not from the classic era.

[@elmark3550]

@@EWOODJ ok but why do a pure classic era collection for the 6th or 17th time? Gameplay wise pocket adventure to advance 3 play very similar and would fight right in alongside 3&k but apparently sonic having green eyes suddenly makes them completely different according to sonic team

[@ghosty2548]

​​@@EWOODJ They are still classic sonic games. I don't care about the art style. Espeacilly the first advance and pocket adventure simply are classic games

[@EricMKgamer]

Advance is technically modern, but they should get an Origins treatment

[@elmark3550]

@@ghosty2548 I still don't get why it is classified by the color of sonic's eyes instead of the gameplay and structure

[@jxr_ed]

My favorite Sonic content now 100%. Love every single one of these vids, and even your non-Sonic related videos. Can't wait to see you go through the rest of the Sonic series and others, Pariah.

[@Laekith]

Amy's gameplay in this game is the most fun thing in the world for me. Also I hate giant springs

[@MetaKnuxXbeats]

Sonic Advance is very underappreciated and I am glad you are putting the spotlight on these games as well.

[@DonutSwordsman]

Man, the attack button to stop on a slope I feel i did that but never thought about it as a mechanic, thanks for allowing me to see that aspect of game design in that light.

[@wusstunes]

Advance might be one of the best looking games in the series, period. Also love that you immediately go into talking about movement tech right away. Very fitting. And yeah, pits are pretty light in this game until you are near the end at angel Island zone. The thing with dash pads is they're not really any different than horizontal springs, just easier to embed in the flow of gameplay.

[@Pariah6950]

Totally agreed. While I prefer the classic art style, the GBA Sonic games have hands down the best sprites in the whole series. The characters look so good. And the environments are nice too.

[@wusstunes]

@@Pariah6950 I don't know if there's anything as visually impressive in advance 1 as the water in hydrocity zone or the parallax layering in Sonic 2, but God damn if the characters don't look perfect.

[@thajocoth]

I enjoyed the Advance series. I like a lot of the things they did with it mechanics-wise, and these do make it feel like the design continued to Advance from the Genesis games in all the ways I wanted them to... (Especially some of the later ones.) For some reason though, there's just something less memorable about them... They don't stick with me like the Genesis and Dreamcast games have. I suspect that the small screen space has something to do with that, plus the art style is the same as what a LOT of GameBoy Advance games had, so it stands out less. Put NES Mario and Genesis Sonic next to each other, and they're more clearly different. Same for Adventure Sonic and 64 Mario. Put Advance Sonic and Mario & Luigi Mario next to each other and they could just be in the same game. You can toss in Minish Cap Link too. They all just have this homogenized look to them across all of these games. Very few Advance games seemed to escape this effect. As a developer who's worked on Nintendo DS titles, I absolutely understand how and why this happened. It's the fault of the underlying systems, not of the game's creators. I have this problem with a LOT of the GameBoy Advance games I've played, not just the Sonics. All of the handheld Castlevanias, for example, just blur together into one memory (and like the Sonic Advanceds, I enjoyed all of those as well).

[@Pariah6950]

You're totally right. But I actually love that GBA look. The specific style of sprite art on that console really does it for me for whatever reason. And hey, it's thanks to that homogenous look that we got Super Mario Bros Z.

[@wusstunes]

As much as both games coexisted in the sprite comics and flash animations of the day, I don't really think those titles are very similar looking. Yes, they both prioritize strong outlines and big primary colors, but they have a pretty different vibe otherwise. And given that the actual average GBA game is full of prerendered 2.5d assets, they both stand out against the average GBA game.

[@donovansantaella7861]

I have to say, it was interesting hearing about some of the other applications for Sonic's air dash and the B button attacks can have for advanced movement. I have made use of the air dash plenty of times before as a form of jump correction. Whether I accidentally undershoot or overshoot a jump, an air dash could make the difference between stuff like landing on a platform or not, or even avoiding landing on an obstacle like some spikes. Then for the B attacks, my usage of them is slightly more superfluous. Like say when I run into an item box next to a wall without rolling, with the three choices of spin dashing into it, jumping on it, or using the B button attack, I just opt for the attack since it's the best feeling way for me. I've never actually tested if that'd be faster, although I could see it being an incredibly niche usage of Sonic's backflip that you mentioned in the description. Even then it sort of depends on how much you even bother with item boxes. But I do like to go for them, and in the cases when they're against a wall, that's how I take care of them. Otherwise a spin dash would certainly serve to be much more useful. But anyways, the point is that in my latest playthroughs of Sonic Advance I've been implementing some of this more advanced movement into my gameplay, and it's been great using these to spice up the gameplay even further. Like I already thoroughly enjoyed Sonic Advance, but I love it so much more now being able to chew even further into the depth of these mechanics. I mean heck, that's a big point of your videos. Just explaining deep mechanics so that other people can understand and enjoy them. It's certainly working for me here. I also really appreciate showing off just how fun Amy can be. It's certainly a take that's become more prevalent over time, but I remember a time when people just wrote her off as the worst character to play as. So I'll always take that praise for her here whenever I can get it. Anyways, I can't wait to hear about your thoughts on the rest of the GBA games, and I hope you have yourself a fine day!

[@Pariah6950]

The uses for the air dash and attacks you mentioned do crop up to me as well. But they are pretty rare and minor. Still, good to bring them up. Thanks. Glad to hear my videos are helping you enjoy these games more. That's exactly what I want.

[@JustJohn43]

Wow, I really appreciate your detailed explanation of how Sonic's new moves in Advance add new possibilities to the gameplay. Never seen it explained this way before. Great Vid!

[@ibitejawbreakers61]

I'm so glad you enjoyed playing as Amy in this game. Sonic Advance Amy is my favorite classic sonic experience. It's like hard mode but in a really fun way, I really wish other 2D sonic games had (specifically this style of) playable Amy 💕

[@unknownwill4th549]

These games deserve a wide screen remaster

[@AlexYardZone]

Great video! This has given me much more curiosity to play more of this game, I've played it plenty in the past and thought it was "mostly OK", but even just the Sonic moveset tweaks you pointed out have me really excited to experiment. It's really cool that the Amy moveset is so different and gives you a totally new way of experiencing the levels, yet is still balanced in its own indirect ways. Looking forward to a potential Advance 2 video! I've always liked that one a bit more than 1.

[@kenn_k]

10:05 Cut it out Fantastic video, as always. I love that even after years of countless other videos that have analyzed all these games over and over, you somehow always bring a fresh take to the table. Truly impressive, I personally really appreciate your work

[@sanglish18]

Nice video. The only thing that bothers me in the Advance is the screen size, that's something that I've always disliked about 2D sonic as a kid, especially since I played 3D ones first I've always felt so pissed off when suddenly stopping or taking damage because It's impossible to react to obstacles when a spring launches you in the air (looking at you, emerald hill and those stupid monkeys) and you have to pray for the gods that you won't land on an enemy or spike or fall all the way down, in 3D you can easily see obstacles and pits from the distance, in 2D Sonic games I just can't feel the same safety and that just killed my desire to play 2D Sonic as a kid. I can totally see the appeal, when I'm playing 2D games most of the time I'm just blindly following forward with no care in the world since there is no rank, reward or anything that really makes me want to be that careful other than Special Stage requirements. I already suffered with the Genesis ones with the screen size, I could only imagine the pain of the GBA screen being worse. Since you've said Advance punishes you for passive play, I guess I really should try playing it again, I think it would make me love 2D Sonic if that's the case. As far as Sonic 2 and 3 are concerned, I played them mostly just passive without a care in the world, it didn't seem to have major punishment. And Sonic 1 I see more as a normal platformer than a Sonic game, so much so that I actually enjoyed more than the former mentioned lmao

[@Pariah6950]

This game definitely does have a larger amount of blind jumps than previous 2D games. Screen size has indeed always been an issue in 2D Sonic. They wanted to have a large enough sprite to make Sonic look good in the Genesis games, so the screen had to be very zoomed in, and that's just stuck. Pulling things out would do so much. Look at a game like Donkey Kong Country Returns and such. Most of the time you are so tiny on the screen, giving you tons of room to see what's around you. It makes fast platformers play so much better.

[@MasterDisaster64]

@@Pariah6950 Freedom Planet 2 is a 2D Sonic-like game that zooms out like that and it does wonders. Would really like to see Sonic itself do that. Sadly Sega doesn't seem to be that interested in new 2D Sonic, and fangames tend to stick very close to Mania's formula.

[@Pariah6950]

@@MasterDisaster64 Bruh. Freedom Planet is da bomb. You can be sure videos on those games are coming after Sonic.

[@sanglish18]

@@Pariah6950 Yeah, I wouldn't really care about screen size if the game wasn't fast, I mean, that's pretty much why I have much better time playing Sonic 1 instead of the rest of the series. I find a bit odd that the decompilations doesn't have a built-in feature to zoom-out the camera (maybe there is a mod for, but I don't know), and I don't even need to say how much the portable games would benefit from zoom-out ultra wide stuff

[@ayrtonjoga]

That's one of many issues I have with most games made by Dimps, they had to work with portable devices that has small screen, and already makes the issue of visibility from the Genesis games (Which I don't have major problems) even worse

[@jacobdean5065]

Dude, you deserve sooo many more subs. I love how you go so in depth about every game and how you can view them objectively and put your bias aside. Keep up the great work

[@RUIZSTUDIOZ]

I really appreciate these videos my man. Its kinda crazy but out of like a billion youtubers I honestly think youre my favorite. I greatly enjoy your stuff! Thanks for the effort.

[@Sonicmid]

This game actually does have a tiny bit of story. you have to use the environmental design to figure it out. Basically the plot is that Eggman plans to launches his egg rocket using launch base on Angel Island and Sonic has to stop him.

[@themissingbits6375]

Which is basically “Eggman does a bad thing and Sonic goes to stop him”

[@DonutSwordsman]

My childhood, ah man. I remember playing this in the light of the sun in the car on road trips

[@AlphaOblivion7]

Your reviews and analysis on these games are all peak, I appreciate someone putting in the time and effort I really hope we get a GBA collection someday, with zoomed-out view so that Advance 2 & 3 can be more playable

[@gregtom3272]

finall , an other video with pariah 695 , always enjoying your analysis even when some of them seem quiet surprising which is some times due to them seeming like they had not been said by any one which is some thing i hear from quiet few you tube content makers , thanks for this video

[@JonyPlayz1]

Damn you made a whole book of the pros of the attacks and movset. Lol. This is an iconic one

[@johncruelty20]

Interesting views on the game, by the way. I never treated the game any different but I’m definitely gonna try to utilise the melee attacks

[@LightspeedAdventurer]

Nice videos! Your Sonic videos really make me appreciate Sonic games even more, and this video makes me want to play Sonic Advance 1 sometime.

[@VegitoTheBest]

I love advance that I’m one of the few that loves it over the classic

[@Legoluigi26]

Broke: Only the Genesis Sonic games are good because those are his origins Woke: Only the handheld Sonic games are good because Sonic himself is a blue hobo not tied down to a house. Yes, I do believe that Sonic games that cannot be played while running a marathon should be considered non canon, as home consoles create ludonarrative dissonance, how could you tell?

[@andrewdowell6474]

I didn't think much of anything of this game back then. I just sort of ran through it with all the characters once and that was it. Your analysis makes me want to try it again and really explore the nuances it has.

[@xiiiunmetal]

The moon was returned to normal by Sonic and Shadow using the supercharged Chaos Control at the end of SA2. The Sega Scourge did a great video on this, I highly recommend it

[@ALegendaryBlueHedge]

No it wasn't

[@CRAgamer]

I've learned alot about the nuance of the classics from this series. And it's nice to see you tackling the advance series. Advanced 2 used to be my favorite, but knowing what I know now and after approaching the classics this way in origins, I wanna give this one another shake. I haven't had this kinda fun with a 2d sonic game...well ever, it was always about going fast no matter what. Thanks for the vids.

[@niconexus5914]

18:36 "Maybe it's more of an issue in the later Advance games" Sonic Advance 2 is going to be fun with the bottomless pits oh boy.

[@igirjei3717]

Me playing sonic advance 2 and falling for deadass 5-10 seconds into a deathpit:

[@fuxksera]

This is my favorite Dimps game and you covered it pretty well. I too am an Amy speciation so I'm happy someone else feels the same lol.

[@aortaplatinum]

I never would have considered using the melee moves as a brake, that's really interesting. Now that I think about it, more Sonic games incorporating a dedicated brake button might make for some interesting game design. Maybe an upgrade in the 3D games like no-slip shoes that lets you come to a complete stop on the ground when you press a button, instead of having to slam the stick in the opposite direction and risk doing it slightly wrong and sending your character 180 degrees at the same speed. They could also negate ice physics, but if they're used as an excuse to put in ice physics, then maybe not... Edit: oh fuck I totally forgot Sonic and the Secret Rings did this, and it actually did aid the poor controls by letting you stop in one place instead of constantly moving forward on rails. Then you could go from holding brake to charging a jump, and braking was faster than going from running right to charging a jump as you slide, so it did add a bit of depth. ALSO, going back to this game after playing the shit out of Freedom Planet a few years back, Amy could be WAY more fun if not for the nonsensical fucking touch damage plaguing so many platformers- getting hurt by enemies when they're just standing there is fuckin stupid, Sonic Unleashed fixed this and then Colors immediately reversed it. It's fine with the other characters in Advance and the classic games because they can roll, but with Amy, unless you've straight up memorized some of these levels, you're gonna take hits thanks to the screen crunch.

[@ak47dragunov]

I always look forward to your uploads. Great vid as usual!

[@NobleGasHelium]

Classic Sonic fan here, I got introduced to the series through Sonic Advance and I really agree with everything you said here

[@JustinW332]

I think I remember an episode of Sonic x explaining how the moon got fixed. I think it was just that doctor eggman used some sort of tech to fill in the hole. And that turned into a whole story line of him using the technology to move the moon in front of the sun so he could sell artificial sunlight to people. But even when Sonic foiled his plan they didn't say anything about him removing the technology. Honestly he could have just remote controlled it so that the good half was showing. That's if you want to consider Sonic x canon.

[@RifeXD]

Great video, thank you for getting to the Advance games. Aside from some vague memories as a 4-year-old playing Sonic 3 and Knuckles at some friend's house and a few episodes of AoStH, my only experience with Sonic before using the internet a lot was the Sonic Advance trilogy. To me, this is all that Sonic ever was. Much later, I found that any discussion of Sonic usually involves slander around 3D vs 2D, classic only vs. the Adventure games, Shadow, and I don't seem to fit in any of these camps. I had no friggin' clue who this Shadow is or that Sonic had any 3D games at all or even what kind of stuff happened in the classic games, I only knew the Advance trilogy that few people seemed to care about.

[@Daniel-pm6nl]

The way pariah play those special stages I didn't think would be possible it's almost flawless like gosh I despise the sonic advance 1 special stages with a fiery passion

[@ChaddyFantome]

Ah, Sonic Advance. An awesome entry. Also home to Amy's best gameplay style imho. Only thing I would add is giving her the PeelOut from CD. I'm extremely glad you adressed the point about dashpads. It's not some fundementally bad mechanic. It all comes down to how it is implemented. If wall springs are fine, then so are dashpads. I also see the game criticized of overuse of bottomless pits. But then again, I feel its a complaint overly made of many games in the series. If i had to make a criticism of the game, I would say that the lack of Super is pretty lame, but the Special Stages themselves were fine. One thing i'd like to mention is how the sprites in this game for the characters and stuff are pretty detailed despite being smaller than the Genesis games. Especially given the limited GBA screen real estate. I also very much apreciate that last statement about the advance games continuing the legacy of the classics. Personally i would put Advance 1 above CD and even Sonic 1 frankly. Looking forward to your takes on the following games.

[@Pariah6950]

Definitely Amy's best gameplay. And the best sprites for the characters in the series, I'd argue. I'd even say the best the Uekawa designs have ever looked. And I'd also easily put Advance above 1 and CD.

[@themissingbits6375]

@@Pariah6950 in motion it looks kinda ugly if you pause when they move

[@rynobehnke8289]

If you think Advance 1 Amy is perfect except for missing a peelOut than what's your opinion on her in Advance 3 when teamed up with ether Cream (Literally Advance 1 Amy but with Advance 2's tricks) or Knuckles (Advance 1 Amy but bigger ground Hammer and peelout instead of hop)?

[@ChevySamk]

I can be a butt to you on technicalities in the comments but I think you're very thorough and intelligent with the way you go about these videos

[@radicallaruby]

I still come back to this one more than the other Advance games. I remember being confused to what the air dash function was, did it by accident as a kid many times. It really shines in Advance 2 for the bosses. I also originally disliked how Amy played, until I learned her style realized the game simply demands more platforming from her unique moveset. I love the moon idea, would have been a minor but very effective continuity nod, going back to how the emeralds restore natural environments.

[@AtJoee230]

I'll just leave a piece of knowledge that i don't think many people know: In most 2D Sonic games, if you jump while holding Down at the very left of the top of a loop, the momentum from the jump is carried into the spin, allowing you to gain some extra speed from any regular loop in the game (loops that end downward don't work, as far as i know). I'd say it's useful for time attacks if you end up losing speed while climbing a loop. But using it in Sonic 1 is more complicated because if you go too fast vertically, you can actually die due to the camera not keeping up with Sonic (a.k.a. the one loop before the S tunnel in Green Hill Act 1).

[@quasar4780]

Nice video, I had a Sonic Advance rom lying somewhere in one of my folders, I just didn't get far in it since I was pretty bad at it. I guess now I have no excuse to get back to it again!

[@descartesthehedgehog6064]

What is the best way of playing this game, though? I really appreciate the segments in your videos where you talk about that. Is there nothing beyond just playing it on emulator at a higher resolution? Looking forward to more progress on Sonic Advance Revamped, that'll be the best way to play the game if it ever gets finished. Anyway, I love hearing your takes on games, even the non-Sonic ones. Keep up the great work.

[@Pariah6950]

Yeah. There's nothing but the original release. If there was something to mention, I would.

[@MrApex-xz2ge]

There is Sonic Advance Revamped, which is a PC remake with new unlockable characters, but its latest demo from 2018 only includes includes 3 levels (Both acts of Neo Green Hill and Act 1 of Casino Paradise). The game is currently being developed in Game Maker Studio whereas the demo was made in the Sonic Worlds engine.

[@Pariah6950]

@@MrApex-xz2ge I am aware. But the project has been dormant for an extremely long period of time. I'll start caring when there's something to care about.

[@rynobehnke8289]

Unless you want to hack a WiiU to gain access to the Japanese WIIU EShop is there no good way to play advance 1 outside of the original GBA releases (all other releases that aren't GBA run terrible and are ether exclusive to bad selling gimmick phones like the N-gage port or are ones again Japan exclusive but run really really bad)

[@Kingbeat1]

I want Remake of the advance series

[@superchriminator8902]

I know. These games desperately need more screen real estate.

[@gleamingroses2952]

Amy in this game is honestly one of the most fun playstyles in a Sonic game. And I don't know why people say she's the worst. And I get it, it's not something they aren't familiar with, but at the same time that doesn't make the playstyle objectively bad, people in the gaming community have this annoying habit of if it seems off to them it's bad. This is literally a game where the level design favors vertical progression, and Amy has three ways to ascend vertically. So, I really want people to answer this question, what makes Sonic better than Amy in this game, and not because he can jump or spin, because with her playstyle here she objectively proves that 2D Sonic level design isn't about rolling or spinning but about momentum, the rolling and jumping are just extra tools for that, and Amy's moves act as substitutions for it. Like when people say Amy's hop is useless, yet people don't know that it gives her top speed instantly, even its situational yes, but it serves a clear purpose. I also don't see Amy being slow as a problem at all because the game never emphasis her being slow as a detriment. The reason it was hindering in say Sonic Adventure, was because of the bigger space, you are traveling on way more terrain where her speed (or lack thereof) is more apparent when played after the trio, plus her momentum stops when she has to turn for any reason or go up slopes. In Advance 1 it's not really that big of a difference since there aren't moments where her being slow is the problem, she's just slightly slower than the guys but fast enough to keep with the consistent pace of the game. I mean I don't think what's being shown here is any slower than how the guys would move. In fact, I'd argue Sonic is technically slower, or at the very least he has the slowest time finishing the game. Since a lot of the progression of the levels in Sonic Advance center around verticality and less instances of horizontal progression, Sonic in situations where the quickest path is to go up has to take a slower more straightforward path, which often consists of running into the game's more dishonest features the most since he doesn't have a way to abuse the level design in any way he can't really use a quick ascending tool that would allow him in any way to progress vertically not even a useful mobility tool like Drop Dash. So again, what can Sonic do with his abilities Amy can't? Because I literally prove how spinning isn't a valid strategy for getting around in this game, it's just an excuse to gain extra momentum and build up speed. Which Amy can already do without spin dashing. In fact, Ice Mountain proves this more than any other stage, because Tails can fly to avoid a lot of the level and even traverse quickly underwater which means he can use springs to up more vertically combined with his airtime, Amy can hit springs with her hammer to even reach places quicker than Tails and knuckles because their flight and gliding take a bit and Knuckles can glide and climb. Sonic has no useful extra ability other than a nerfed insta shield a forward dash that barely does anything but give Sonic faster horizontal momentum, which is very situational and not practical for progression and a useless summersault. Sonic is only fast when you consider run speed, which is what people judge in this case, but that alone isn't enough to be the fastest in this game, since the fact Tails, Knuckles and Amy can access different ways to progress the levels means they can find a faster way to finish a stage at a given path they want, meanwhile Sonic is just too honest and has to progress in a straightforward manner. There's not really anything different about Amy that makes her playstyle taboo from everyone, she interacts with the same Sonic tropes just fine, the only difference is she can't jump on an enemy, which doesn't invalidate her playstyle, just without a spin dash or ball jump. If you gave Amy a ball jump, what's the difference between her hammer and insta shield since you press the attack button to do both things? She's basically a Sonic character who focuses more on jumping that rolling. And is being hard really a bad thing though? Again, Amy is only hard if you don't know how she interacts with the level design. It's one thing to not like the gameplay style because it might not fit your liking, but to say it's objectively bad because of a bias or because you look at her surface level and decide "she's bad" is just dishonest criticism. Because if I am honest interacting with an enemy as Amy doesn't feel any different than the guys, I'd still run into enemies and lose rings regardless of who I play. Especially during sequences that force you out of a ball and collide with an enemy or cheap enemy placement, which even classic games did at times. Her weakness doesn't come up as taboo or really that big of a deal when I could get the same experience and it's just a matter or being more strategic where you want to land your attacks. I really wish people would stop doing the whole "I don't know what this does but it's useless because I assume it is" because every time they say or assume something is useless (like with Amy in Advance 1) they come at a point every single time where using said ability would be useful or its practicality is being put on the spot but they don't use it because they assume it's useless, so the go the whole game with a negative attitude about said thing based off surface level observations. Pretty much every time I see this mindset used it always backfires on the person or they are just wrong or base it off surface level. It's one of my biggest gamer grievances and I wish people would stop doing that, because it just makes their claims look dishonest, biased and lacking how the game or playstyle works. It's really stupid.

[@voltricity1942]

while i don't think the advanced games are quite as good as the classics, ( i still really like them though) what i really appreciate them doing over something like mania is, while mania is definitly teh better game, the advanced series was really trying to, well, _advance_ the classic gameplay constantly adding new mechanics such as air dashing, attacks, rail grinding, trick system, boost mode, ect.

[@voltricity1942]

to add on to this whenever the next 2d sonic game comes out, instead of it being "sonic mania 2" i'd rather it be "sonic advanced 4" (at least in spirit)

[@boblon8150]

Great Video, yet again. I couldn't help but notice you do not mention the music alot in these types of reviews. I have to ask because of your objective way you review these games that you choose to leave that out because of the nature of music being subjective. I was wondering if you like the music in most these games or it does not matter too much to you? I just was curious, keep up the good work on these reviews!

[@Pariah6950]

I'm just trying to focus on the gameplay with these videos. That's why I don't talk about the art much either. But of course, the music in nearly every Sonic game is excellent. Even if I did talk about it, there's not much to say beyond, "This Sonic game also has great music".

[@boblon8150]

@@Pariah6950 Overall, I’m really impressed with how you conduct your reviews on these types of games. Also, you’re actually really funny without really trying too hard. Namely, on the sonic games with a convoluted story structure. Your frustration is articulated in such a humorous way that doesn’t seem forced. I think the sonic series (especially the 3D games) are way too complex to simply call them good or bad. I think when someone approaches them with your critiques, you’re treating the series fairly for what the games are stand alone (and not this foreboding idea the series is just “bad, so all games must be bad”).

[@Inner_Phantom]

So about the complaint of the moon's continuity error that is mentioned in all the games surrounding SA2: The most logical theory as to why the moon was fixed after SA2 is seen with the Ark's animation as it falls to the Earth. During the final moments before the Super Chaos Control, you can see pieces of the Ark have been blown off when entering the atmosphere. After the Super Chaos Control, the pieces are back. While this could be a lack of attention, for the time being, it seems that the Emeralds have the ability to manipulate time, enforced by the fact Chaos Control exists and later emphasized by 06. The most reasonable theory of how Super Chaos Control works is that it reminds time on a certain area. A detail one could point out to prove this theory is that Super Chaos Control has been depicted to envelope an object with a sphere of energy and then teleport. However, normal Chaos Control has been shown to also have this effect but then later removed. Because of this removal, you can easily say the Chaos Emeralds can now affect a general area/user when it comes to Chaos Control. Because obviously the moon can move around in an orbit and isn't stationary, the implication here is that the moon was near enough the range of the Super Chaos Control. We haven't seen Super Chaos Control in a game or comics do this similar action again so this is the only logical explanation. Just a cool little theory of mine that I have been wanting to spread around.

[@Akai_Music]

9:10 What I discovered recently is that, to go on a rail, you need to be pressing down. Might have been that or, rather, the lack of that that made you feel it did not work properly? Because, otherwise, for me, it does work all the time (only in the edge of the rails, obviously, this does not let you start grinding from there either), for as long as I'm pressing down on the control pad.

[@sonicthehedgehog8638]

oh my god! I've watching sonic videos since I was a kid and I never in my life saw someone that has a high level of knowledge, skill, and understanding of sonic games, most of the reviews say Amy's gameplay is bad and that the attack is useless, but you just proved otherwise, I'm a huge fan of you and your videos and I'm a bit curious about where you got it.

[@AlexYardZone]

Perhaps Dimps' main contribution was the level design? As opposed to physics, art design, story.

[@Pariah6950]

Judging my how many more Dimps people are in the credits than Sonic Team, I imagine it's a situation similar to Smash Ultimate being made by Bandai Namco. Nishiyama from Sonic Team comes up with what the game is going to be, and Dimps makes it.

[@fgclash454]

I love all these videos, but after 06 I was REALLY hoping you would do “sonic was always good” with sonic unleashed and a story video, but it’s ok though, keep up the good work!

[@wildpalz714]

I love the thought about the true ending

[@icebergthegamer]

Downloaded the advance games on steam deck. Finally have the chance to play them.

[@deltacosmic5358]

Cant wait for you to cover generations that one is my favorite

[@thetbhresistance7042]

Great video, just one small correction. The airdash does have variable speed in the adventure games. The closer you activate it to the ground. The faster you go.

[@igirjei3717]

Does it actually increase your speed no matter what? Sonic adventure games speed cap so you gradually slow down once you're moving fast enough, sort of like air drag except it applies to the ground too, so I wonder if what you're describing just reducing air drag time because you're not in the air for as long

[@thetbhresistance7042]

@@igirjei3717 I don't think it's purely air drag as the speed at which you get launched by the air dash isn't really any faster than the normal running speed. While performing this action lets you go faster than your normal running speed for a while, this is also a thing in SA2 and Heroes. Also, even if this mechanic was unintentional. That doesn't change the fact that that mechanic functions the way it does.

[@Nic_2751]

This is the 2D modern Sonic style we genuinely need to return to

[@thisisdead124]

Tbh I want sonic advance 4 the first 3 wee good

[@maroonkennedy6213]

I really hope we get an Advance collection packaged with Sonic Battle for modern consoles

[@bigmanburg7160]

Any plans to cover the rush games?

[@climax90hero]

I didn't even think about the whole high, middle, and bottom tier parts of the level design. My first 2 playthroughs were usually at the bottom. Goes to show how much replayablity this game has besides having multiple characters to play as.

[@yona3271]

fun fact the game has the best camera since everything is smaller like characters spirite is like almost same size as the genesis if not smaller

[@yona3271]

which is a good thing and makes sonic advance 1 the sequal dequal to sonic 3&k although the game has no story but for the most part this game good

[@pogoacct8611]

I WANT THESE GAMES BACK!!!! WHY DO THEY NEVER RE-RELEASED THEM!!????

[@HydraBread]

Do you prefer this game over Sonic 2 or 3 overall? Or are they really just kinda even in your book?

[@Pariah6950]

It's really tough to say, honestly. I'd say it's at least on par with 2. But I'm sure I could put it at the top depending on my mood.

[@MrApex-xz2ge]

I really want a game that combines the storytelling of Adventure games with the gameplay style of the classics. The Advance games gave us the artstyle of the SA promo art in motion (which is my favorite artstyle), but as you established, story basically doesn't exist here. I personally have enjoyed the Adventure stories despite their flaws, especially what was done with Shadow in SA2, but I prefer the control and level design of the classics. However, I'm unsure if it would be possible for both aspects to mesh well.

[@sandudelcea6707]

So i recently played all the advance games and i sucked at all of them but then i remembered your words about passive traps and i WAS actually able to predict them, so thanks for that, i love the artstyle for all these games so im a little upset you didn't talk about this topic, im sorry but i don't agree with you on the sonic 4 thing.

[@mikeymittens2896]

the advance games look cool, wish i played em. i had sonic rush adventure on the ds

[@ultimateshadeofwar]

Yeah the first Sonic Advance it's amazing, it's a true following of the classic, but with this unrewarded masterpiece of time pass, we are arriving at what im waiting the most, Sonic Advance 2 & 3 plus the Rush games(Through Sonic Colors DS is basically the third Sonic Rush game... But well that can wait until you get to Sonic Colors).

[@Pariah6950]

I'll tell you now, I have some opinions about Advance 2 and 3. They should be interesting videos.

[@_mango_]

“A kid from Pallet Town, with a brand new world to see.” - Sonic Advance anime

[@heftyrumble]

*brand new world to see

[@_mango_]

@@heftyrumble FUCK

[@themissingbits6375]

I wanna make the very best, game that was ever made.

[@ZapBlaze]

i think the fight with mecha knuckles only happens if you don't have knuckles unlocked, but that might just be my brain playing tricks on me. i'm pretty sure that's the level you have to beat to unlock the red boy and he just gets replaced once you have him.

[@DannyBenS94]

This was my very first Sonic game. My original introduction to Sonic was one of the shampoo bubble games from the late 90s/early 2000s. But as 10/10 perfect as those "games" were, I don't count them (lol). So Sonic Advance was my first official Sonic game. I was interested in it after watching a friend of mine play it. I feel like this game is the reason I was able to equally get into both 2D Sonic and 3D Sonic. While overall, I prefer 3D games (it all depends on my mood, but I usually prefer 3D), I don't think 3D Sonic is better than 2D, nor do I think vice versa. I just enjoy a Sonic game when I think it's a good game and I have this game to thank for that. It feels like a classic Sonic game, but also has elements from the Adventure games, so I think that has a hand in why I enjoy both equally. I like the Genesis games, but I never truly loved them. I used to when I was younger, but I realized that's because I used cheats and/or save states. I'm not saying that without them, they're bad or just ok, I just think that if it's not the correct way to play them, then I ask myself if I really like them that much. I had a similar experience with the Gex games. Anyway, I think Advance 1 is great and it might be my favorite out of the Advance games, but I question that time to time. Great video btw.

[@dabluepittoo-aqua4213]

Hot take, but Advance 1 is the best of the Advance games IMO. I kinda wish SEGA uses the modern universe in classic 2D gameplay but adding elements of the 3D games. Basically an Advance 4.

[@TheRabbitPoet]

Damn, this video made me wish they've added Amy as a playable characters for Sonic origins even more

[@bobthebusbuilder2478]

Amy can't roll into a ball, proceeds to show a clip of her in a ball

[@Pariah6950]

She can when the level forces her to, but not manually.

[@bobthebusbuilder2478]

I know just think the footage doesn't fit the quote

[@antoniosipalo1671]

What is your thoughts on sonic boom version of Shadow the hedgehog.

[@aortaplatinum]

SNK & Dimps in 1999: Yo SEGA's letting us use Sonic to make our own Sonic game on the NGPC! This is gonna be great, we're going to help fix SEGA's image outside of Japan! Dimps one year later upon being handed down the order to begin developing a Sonic game for a Nintendo system: *oh my fucking god*

[@Stewwit]

This guy sounds like Donatello from Ninja turtles and I like to imagine him ranting about Sonic stuff while listening to your videos

[@peanutbutterrocket4500]

HELL YEAH!

[@lukegamerzw]

Well New Super Mario Bros. don’t need 2D pixel art. I noticed that in Sonic Advance got Speed Sneakers Boosters likewise in Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode 1.

[@MicadenTDCT]

I think that Advance 1 takes place before Adventure 1, for the tornado, fixed moon, etc. However I have this little idea of "if the Sonic games took place alongside Sonic X, wouldn't that mean Advance 1 & 2 takes place before Episode 1 where Cream & Sonic acknowledge they've met before?" Obviously 2 Worlds doesn't exist, but it would make sense considering the show had events that had Adventure 1, Adventure 2, & even Sonic Battle in it being referenced.

[@talesxavier5752]

But Sonic X is not canon for several reasons, such as Chris who was clearly only created specifically for the Sonic X universe (and also that he doesn't appear in games), Cream appearing in the Adventure 1 and 2 arcs, and she only appears in Advance 2, Shadow not appearing in the Sonic Battle arc, being that he appears in Sonic Battle and also characters like Cosmo and the Metarex never being mentioned in the games.

[@MicadenTDCT]

@@talesxavier5752 I mean in the sort of "sponsory" type of way, where the games affect X, but not the other way around. However Cream is flying in the Hub World, so her existance is canon in Adventure 1. Though she is missing in 2, guess they didn't have a place to put her due to lack of Hub.

[@talesxavier5752]

@@MicadenTDCT Her flying in the Hub was added to the ports, in the original Dreamcast version she is not flying in the hub, and this is just an Easter Egg, the developers only put her in the GameCube port of Adventure 1 because they thought it was fun, it's the same thing with the poster from Phantasy Star Online in Sonic Adventure 2, they just put it there because they thought it was fun.

[@MicadenTDCT]

@@talesxavier5752 I- you know what arguing over a Sonic game & it's continuity ain't worth it, this'll just go on for hours

[@gregtom3272]

ho ever there is some thing i discovered recently which is a you tube video named as "shadow the hedgehog the canon story " with that video maker saying in a comment that if you follwed through a path of "neutral , neutral , dark , hero , hero , dark , and then you can chose black comet " and many commenters seemed like they saw this path make far more sense as how events unfold in it , while i know that you don't thnik that there is a canon path in shadow the hedgehog spin off game , but may be you should try that path your self to see if you can unlock black comet stage and beat the final boss

[@overall_great213]

Basically the sonic adventure version of sonic two.

[@zebulan1485]

Technically, Wing Fortress would be the first level to use dashpads (of a sort) against the player, right? Those silver L-shaped launcher things are basically dash pads + some upward momentum, and there's at least one in that level which sends you flying backwards and off the ship if you're not paying attention.

[@MasterDisaster64]

I actually played Advance for the first time recently. I don't enjoy it as much as the classic games, BUT that might be because those games have modern versions with so many improvements over the originals (S1 Forever, S2 Absolute, S3 AIR). Advance doesn't have anything like that, but I'd really like to see it shine with more screen estate and such.

[@TheRealUnkn0wn_289]

There's some fans working on a sonic advance revamped with extra characters and widescreen

[@MasterDisaster64]

@@TheRealUnkn0wn_289 Haven’t seen news on that in years.

[@tenkenroo]

The first sonic advance was a nice adventure that didn’t take too many risks. Sonic advance 2 were alright and sonic advance 3 was amazing

[@somb206]

so I agree that the bosses in sonic have consistently been lame and the classic style games would be better without them. but what's your concept for better bosses that work for sonic's gameplay without being too easy and basically a waste of time? in an earlier video i recall you saying the casino night boss was one of the more fun bosses, so would you say utilizing momentum to damage the boss like in that zone is the key to fun sonic bosses? im curious. maybe it's a good video idea wink wink

[@Pariah6950]

I've thought about it. Personally, I would say ditch bosses entirely. But if we're going to keep them, here's what I think. Less bosses, that are more involved. Instead of a fight every zone that lasts 12 seconds, have a big boss every 3 zones or so that take around a minute or two to beat. These bosses would not lock you in a tiny room, but take place in large arenas with a lot of slopes and ramps and such. And the bosses should move a lot, so you have to chase them down using the arena's terrain while dodging attacks. Something along those lines. I've thought about maybe doing a video on what I would want to do if I could make a Sonic game.

[@somb206]

@@Pariah6950 that sounds like a great concept and i like the video idea as well. love the channel and thank you for the reply. never stop creating because you are good at it

[@KayahandAidenKenall-qt2is]

The real Sonic 4

[@NoKuraiShin]

Imo sonic advance is sonic 2’s spiritual successor. Sonic Triple Trouble 16 is the real equal to sonic 3K change my mind

[@monkeystuff661]

Yeah fax

[@baldurofwrath]

What emulator are you using?

[@Pariah6950]

MGBA.

[@MGLpr0]

What GBA emulator do you recommend on PC ?

[@Pariah6950]

I use MGBA in Retroarch.

[@MGLpr0]

@@Pariah6950 Okay, thank you

[@ubercomrade]

What is roll lock?

[@maximumcrystal3562]

great review! also, it's actually supposed to be called the "double spin attack", not the "insta-shield". think you'll be covering non-game sonic stuff? like the ova, comics, stuff like that?

[@Pariah6950]

I'd like to talk about that stuff after the games.

[@maximumcrystal3562]

@@Pariah6950 awesome! i’ve been reading the fleetway comics recently, i’d love to hear your thoughts on those

[@igirjei3717]

The name for the insta shield changes literally every game it appears in except mania, idk why they couldn't keep it consistent but I suppose it's not invincible in this game

[@maximumcrystal3562]

@@igirjei3717 the "insta-shield" was just a shitty stupid localisation thing. in sonic 3’s jp manual, it’s referred to as the W (double) spin attack. another example of this is the double boost from sonic forces, which is called the "W boost" in japanese.

[@igirjei3717]

@@maximumcrystal3562 Wtf you're right, I still like insta shield better-it's an instant shield (just add another button press), but instant is cut off because it only lasts for a short time-but that's interesting that it was originally called the double spin attack

[@overall_great213]

“I am an advanced player” 🤓

[@brendanblair64]

I think a lot of Sonic fans are only so critical of those who only like the classic games because a vocal minority of them are so elitist about their opinions. Acting as if those games are just objective trash and you can only possibly like them because of nostalgia. Obviously it's still incredibly dumb and unfair to criticize anyone for their tastes because others with similar opinions are annoying about it, I'm just saying I think that's where this idea comes from. I see really similar things happen in other fanbases like Paper Mario.

[@igirjei3717]

Hey! Don't mess with us paper Mario fans, we hate Paper Mario and it's fanbase😡

[@hijster479]

I think you sort of glossed over the issues people have with the level design, I'd argue that Advance breaks the gameplay balance that the classics had. In the classics most "passive traps" simply put you on a lower path or dunk you in some water. This is a very mild punishment, it gives you a taste of that sweet speed and then rips it away. It encourages you to try and go faster next time. But in Advanced it's somewhat common to run into spikes or even a bottomless pit. This outright punishes beginners that want to go fast. It encourages playing the game slowly and methodically, and that's not a fun way to play sonic. And it doesn't help that some of the lower paths aren't just slower, in some later levels they're frustrating and borderline unfair. The classics levels were still somewhat fun for beginners and low-skilled players, the higher paths were simply more challenging and thus more fun for advanced players (no pun intended). The classics reward you for learning the level design on repeat plathroughs, Advanced 1 punishes you for not knowing the level design on your first playthrough.

[@Pariah6950]

True that Advanced does put greater punishment behind passivity. But that's something I actually like. And the original games would also uses spikes and death pits at times. The spring in Marble 1 that launches you back into the lava, or trying to rush through the underside outdoor section of Flying Battery are some examples. Oil Ocean also does it quite a bit. But that is one of the least liked zones, so I guess that makes sense. And again, I didn't end up on bottom paths too often playing this game. When I did, I didn't see a problem with the level design. So maybe I just missed the issue due to my experience with this game.

[@hijster479]

@@Pariah6950 Personally I don't mind this aspect of the level design. Advanced 1 was one of my first Sonic games, and my favorite of the trilogy. I don't think trial and error gameplay is intrinsically bad, especially since Sonic games are generally pretty forgiving. But the classics, and even the later Advanced games to a certain extent cast a wider net for players, and I can see why some of these players find it jarring when Advanced 1 forces them to sink or swim.

[@hecatia666]

Wait, didn't dash pads existed since Sonic 2? I remember them having them on Chemical Plant and Launch Base... What type of criticism is that?

[@Pariah6950]

To be fair, they were zone gimmicks in those games. Here they're a part of the whole game, as much as springs.

[@hecatia666]

@@Pariah6950 Ah, that's true...

[@sonicthomasgamer]

Sonic Advance could also be regarded as Sonic The Hedgehog for the game boy advance as opposed to Sonic the hedgehog on the game boy advance

[@lukegamerzw]

I have mixed thoughts about it.

[@joshhacker8503]

I loved all 3 Sonic Advance games. However, I hated all of the special stages. I would prefer if they didn't bother. Just have the emeralds be collected by defeating boss fights. Eggman finds a chaos emerald, Sonic smashes his machine, Sonic catches the emerald as it falls out of Eggman's possession.

[@themissingbits6375]

Then we Will live in the perfect world

[@thatitalianlameguy2235]

I didn't know about these tweaks to the spindash that's pretty cool. it's a shame that sega neglects all the great 2d games they made after 3 to please nostalgiatards and milk classic