Sonic Advance

Developed by Sonic Team/Dimps and published by Sega, Sonic Advance was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2001/2002. This was the blue blur's second appearance on a Nintendo console and his first original title on one. Sonic on Nintendo. Still crazy in the minds of some, I'm sure! However, Nintendo have become his most adoptive home without doubt.

Sonic approves.

Sonic games used to be absolutely brilliant. The original Sega titles are undoubtedly among the greatest of their genre but in more recent times, the hedgehog's outings have been less well received. I'm glad to say that Sonic Advance is really very good. 

You can play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles or Amy. Having the choice of different characters is fun and certainly gives the game great replay value as each character possesses some different moves. Of course, you'll also want to collect rings and finish zones in the shortest time possible so there are a few good reasons to want to play this game again.

There's plenty of speed, as you'd expect.

Sonic has his modern look here, which is something I have gotten used to but I do wish he was never so dramatically redesigned. The characters don't speak though, which is a good thing! Despite his appearance, this game does feel like classic Sonic. The level designs are nice and actually rather large. Visually it's really impressive and everything is vibrant and colourful,  from pinball machines to snowy peaks. Each zone has two acts and a boss at the end of each. As usual, Dr. Robotnik (I refuse to call him Eggman!) is up to no good. Also, the music is glorious.

Knuckles the Ace-chidna. I'll get my coat.

On top of the sleek platforming action, there's an additional game feature called Tiny Chao Garden, in which you raise a Chao. It features two mini-games and you use rings from the main game for purchasing fruits and a few other things to keep your pet Chao happy. I guess it's a nice little touch and a way to kill a bit of time between turns at the main game, and you can connect to two of the Sonic games on Gamecube if you wish to.

My copy of Sonic Advance. I love the Sonic Team logo!

Going back to Sonic and co. now, this game really is a joy. If it had been called "Sonic 4" I don't really think too many people would have complained at the time (Of course, we have Sonic 4 now, but that's a different story.). It's a challenging yet fun experience. Thankfully you gain a life when you collect 100 rings and you can find additional ones in power-up boxes scattered throughout the game. You'll be needing them!

This is a strong game and a worthy addition to the collection of any fans of Sonic and his pals. I look forward to getting my hands on Sonic Advance 2 & 3 in the future.

Oh, and here's a little trick. On the character select screen, highlight Sonic (He should be the default selection.) and press - up, right, down, right, L, right, R, right, A. You should hear the sound of a ring being collected indicating correct input. Enjoy!

Gary

Metroid: Zero Mission

The Metroid series is a strong favourite of mine. I was first introduced to the dark, mysterious world of Metroid in probably around 1991, when I played the original NES title. Metroid: Zero Mission is an enhanced remake of that original game, and what a wonderful experience it is. 

Incredibly colourful screens make
Zero Mission highly attractive.

Released in 2004 on the Game Boy Advance and develeoped by Nintendo R&D1, Zero Mission acts as a look back to the past. The game opens with Samus Aran, the heroine of the series, telling of her mission to planet Zebes in order to destroy Mother Brain, who is commanding the Space Pirates. The Space Pirates are planning on farming Metroids for certain mass destruction and the bounty hunter has been sent to put an end to this.

Zero Mission plays more like Super Metroid than it does the original, which is certainly not a bad thing. The controls are perfect and while it's a relatively easy game to pick up and have a go at, mastering it is another story.  You'll learn a little more about Samus Aran as a character as you go along, too. There are some wonderfully animated sections detailing important plot points at various parts of the game.

Kraid does not look happy to see Samus.

As Samus, you begin your adventure with a basic version of the power suit. Collecting different weapons, upgrades and abilities, you will unlock the skills needed to traverse the tunnels of Zebes. There are many hidden items to be found, too. On my most recent playthrough I only uncovered 65% of the items. I also clocked Zero Mission in under five hours, which does bear a slight problem. This game is rather short, considering I got the ending for the slowest completion time.

The Metroid series knows how to do epic bosses.

It's not something which bothers me, personally (No, not getting the ending for slow completion!) but I can see why it may put off others. Don't be put off by that figure. This game has tremendous replay value. Upon completion on Normal mode, Hard mode is unlocked. Enemy damage is increased and item effects are reduced. There's an option to link up with a copy of Metroid Fusion for some bonus features. Also, completion of the game once on any difficulty will unlock the original Metroid for play! Perhaps the best thing about Zero Mission is the added game content. Where the story of the original game ends, Zero Mission continues. This new section of the game also marks the first appearance of a playable Zero Suit Samus. It's brilliant.

My copy of Metroid: Zero Mission.

Zero Mission looks stunning. As atmospheric as the Metroid games are, there is always room for beauty in the graphical style. The colours are vibrant with backgrounds changing as you explore the labyrinthine world of Zebes. Subtle details give the different areas great depth and it's a pleasure to kill aliens in this strange land. You'll need to remember where things are once you gain new power-ups. Of course, the added map feature makes this significantly less harrowing than the original version of the game.

Coupled with the amazing (And at times eerie.) soundtrack, Metroid: Zero Mission is undoubtedly one of the best games available on the Game Boy Advance. I'm not sure which I prefer though - this game, or the equally brilliant Metroid Fusion? Can I say both? 

You may find yourself playing time and time again, hoping to get that 100% game file or the fastest completion time. An absolute classic.

Gary

The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past & Four Swords

The Zelda series is one of my absolute favourites, without question. A Link To The Past is legendary. Originally released on the SNES to critical acclaim, this is the Game Boy Advance port which was released in 2002 in North America and 2003 in other regions. Some minor changes to A Link To The Past include vocal grunts and other sounds effects being added. It also included an extra game. Good stuff.

The beautifully coloured title screen.

Now, unfortunately I can't say a whole lot for Four Swords as I've actually never had the chance to play it. The reason for this being that I don't have friends who also happen to have a copy of this game. Four Swords is a multiplayer adventure which requires the link cable to play. Nintendo did celebrate the 25th anniversary of Zelda with a special version of Four Swords available for download which does enable single player mode, controlling two Links. I can't wait to get my own 3DS and finally give it a go! Interestingly, Four Swords was developed by both Nintendo and Capcom and it really does look like great fun.

I love the style of Four Swords and I want to play it!

As for A Link To The Past, I must admit that I've never played this game on the SNES. I did have access to a SNES but it was sold by an older brother when the next generation of consoles came around. I do plan on buying one in the future and getting stuck into lots of classics once again. However, the focus now is on the aforementioned title.

The game opens with a story telling of a dark force sealed away after it tried to utilise the golden power for evil. However, the seal has been weakened and a mysterious wizard named Agahnim has claimed the throne in Hyrule. He has sought descendants of the seven Sages who created the seal, and has just captured the seventh and final one - Princess Zelda.

Even the earlier dungeons will test your skill.

I love how the game begins. Link is in his bed, and Princess Zelda calls out for help. Link's Uncle goes to rescue her and Link follows him. Upon arrival to the castle, Link finds his mortally wounded Uncle and is entrusted with the task of saving Princess Zelda. Sword & shield in hand, your adventure begins.

A comparative look at Light World
and Dark World

It's excellently played out and really sets the mood. You are thrown right into the action and can truly feel that an epic quest lays ahead. A Link To The Past introduced some aspects which are still a staple in the Zelda series to this day, the Master Sword being an obvious one. The ocarina also makes its first appearance here, although it is called a flute in the game. However, the most notable thing is Dark World. Parallel worlds have since become a key element in the series, and it all began with A Link To The Past.

The game world really is very big thanks to this stroke of genius. In general, the Light World and Dark World look very similar but there are some wonderful differences. For example, trees have faces in the Dark World. Funnily, the trees instantly reminded me of Kirby's Dreamland. For uncovering secrets and progressing through the story, it's necessary to jump between worlds. It was a very clever trick on Nintendo's part. Even though the game could support 16 bit colours, much of the landscape tiles at times only use 8 bits and memory is compressed. This resulted in a lot of space for the developers to toy with, thus resulting in a whole world for you to get lost in.

My copy of the game and the ace manga.

As for the gameplay, it's sleek and fun. That being said, the dungeons offer a pretty steep challenge at times and you will certainly need to keep some Fairies in a couple of bottles. Secrets are well hidden and you'll be wanting to increase your number of hearts as best you can, because you will take hits.

A quicker way to cycle through sub-items would have been a nice inclusion but it's understandable that there isn't one due to the sheer number of items available. The system of assigning one to the A button from the menu works perfectly fine though, so it's okay.

Koji Kondo composed the soundtrack for A Link To The Past whereas Yuko Takehara took on the duty of writing the score for Four Swords. One of my favourite pieces of music in the main game is the theme tune of Kakariko Village.

The Zelda series really has earned its place as one of the best. Many people would claim that A Link To The Past is one of the greatest, if the not the greatest game of all time. It's certainly an essential game that I highly recommend, there's no doubt about that. Hearing that a 2nd game is in the works for 3DS is very exciting!

A light in the black, or just a fear of the dark? 

I'll leave it up to you to find out. Play this game!

Gary