{"id":124401,"date":"2022-04-30T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-30T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/#article-130561"},"modified":"2022-04-30T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-04-30T17:00:00","slug":"soapbox-please-please-please-release-sonic-advance-trilogy-on-nintendo-switch-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2022\/04\/30\/soapbox-please-please-please-release-sonic-advance-trilogy-on-nintendo-switch-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Soapbox: Please, Please, Please Release Sonic Advance Trilogy On Nintendo Switch Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/f4612fb7f1ace\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/f4612fb7f1ace\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<figure class=\"picture strip\"><a title=\"Sonic Advance GBA\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/f4612fb7f1ace\/sonic-advance-gba.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/f4612fb7f1ace\/sonic-advance-gba.900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" alt=\"Sonic Advance GBA\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em>Image: Nintendo Life \/ Zion Grassl<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><em><em>Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they&#8217;ve got on their minds.<\/em><\/em> Today, Stuart pleads with the powers that be to get a certain trilogy on Nintendo Switch Online&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>Game Boy Advance is coming to Switch Online! Maybe! Almost certainly, anyway! Hopefully. <em>Ahem.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Look, it\u2019s not confirmed, but it\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2022\/04\/it-looks-like-nintendos-game-boy-emulator-for-switch-online-just-leaked\">as good as<\/a><\/em>, which was enough to prompt me to write a diatribe imploring Sega and Nintendo to work out their age-old differences and bring back a nearly-forgotten series of Sonic classics. A renaissance era for 2D Sonic fans. Yes, I am of course talking about the venerable Sonic Advance series. Three games, one tangentially-related fighting RPG thing (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gba\/sonic_battle\">Sonic Battle<\/a>) and some pinball (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gba\/sonic_pinball_party\">Sonic Pinball Party<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Those last two don\u2019t figure much into this, though that\u2019s not to say they have nothing to offer \u2013 Sonic Battle has a shockingly emotional story for a Sonic game, and Pinball Party is a genuinely good time. It\u2019s the mainline games, though, that I desire most \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gba\/sonic_advance\">Sonic Advance<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gba\/sonic_advance_2\">Sonic Advance 2<\/a> and\u2026 er\u2026 (checks Wikipedia) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gba\/sonic_advance_3\">Sonic Advance 3<\/a>. I mean, come on! They haven\u2019t been re-released \u2014 besides an appearance on the Japanese Wii U eShop \u2014 since their original bows on GBA cartridge back in 2001, 2002 and 2004 respectively. Yes, I can feel some hardcore Sonic fan poking me in the back about the 2003 N-Gage version of the original game, <strong>Sonic N<\/strong>. I know, buddy. Believe me, I\u2019m obsessed too.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, the games would be a perfect candidate for the rumoured Switch Online service and I pray to the various gaming gods that it happens. While the Sonic Advance series isn\u2019t perfect, I do think it\u2019s a bit brilliant and I\u2019d like to take some time to explain exactly why each of the games are specifically worth your time, effort and energy.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"Sonic Advance\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/0b03a2718c508\/sonic-advance.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0NTAgMzAwIj48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/0b03a2718c508\/sonic-advance.450x.jpg\" alt=\"Sonic Advance\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"Sonic Advance\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/73d3383825d46\/sonic-advance.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0NTAgMzAwIj48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/73d3383825d46\/sonic-advance.450x.jpg\" alt=\"Sonic Advance\"><\/a><\/div><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\">Images: Stuart Gipp<\/em><\/figcaption><\/aside>\n<p>Sonic Advance kicked things off with the first 2D Sonic game since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/megadrive\/sonic_and_knuckles\">Sonic &amp; Knuckles<\/a> back in 1994. Wait, no, that isn\u2019t strictly true \u2013 the brilliant <strong>Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure<\/strong> for Neo Geo Pocket Color hit that ill-fated system in late 1999. Alright, it\u2019s the first &#8216;high-profile&#8217; 2D Sonic game and the first Sonic game on a Nintendo system (alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gamecube\/sonic_adventure_2_battle\">Sonic Adventure 2: Battle<\/a> which launched the same day, December 20th 2001). This was <em>seismic<\/em> at the time, a true \u201csnowball in Hell\u201d moment for gaming.<\/p>\n<p>But that\u2019s not the point; the <em>point<\/em>, dear reader, is one that must be expressed as eloquently as possible: Sonic Advance slaps. My friends, this is one heck of a game; it\u2019s not a match for the Mega Drive classics but it\u2019s closer than anyone would dare to admit. The ability to play as Tails and Knuckles with their familiar skills make things feel even more vintage. Best of all, you can now play as Amy Rose with her Piko Piko Hammer, fresh from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gamecube\/sonic_adventure_dx_directors_cut\">Sonic Adventure<\/a>. It\u2019s more than just a novelty inclusion \u2013 she transforms the game, making it far more difficult and forcing you to approach it much more cautiously. She can\u2019t spin dash and isn\u2019t invulnerable when jumping \u2013 but a brace of new hammer-based moves go some way toward making up for that.<\/p>\n<p>The sequel came next year, creatively titled Sonic Advance 2, and is most notable for introducing the disgustingly-named Cream the Rabbit, the latest of Sonic\u2019s pals and a defacto \u201ceasy mode\u201d for an already pretty easy game. Her ability to throw her little Chao companion \u2013 the also disgustingly-named Cheese \u2013 at enemies from almost anywhere on screen made her a cute little death machine.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"Sonic Advance 2\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/cc8d76768aafc\/sonic-advance-2.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0NTAgMzAwIj48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/cc8d76768aafc\/sonic-advance-2.450x.jpg\" alt=\"Sonic Advance 2\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"Sonic Advance 2\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/956eac0bf3fe8\/sonic-advance-2.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0NTAgMzAwIj48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/956eac0bf3fe8\/sonic-advance-2.450x.jpg\" alt=\"Sonic Advance 2\"><\/a><\/div><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\">Images: Stuart Gipp<\/em><\/figcaption><\/aside>\n<p>There\u2019s also a new, and highly divisive, focus on speed. You know the common (and inaccurate) criticism of classic Sonic that it\u2019s simply \u201chold right to win\u201d? Well, Sonic Advance 2 is probably the closest the series ever came to making that little <em>bon mot<\/em> a reality. Of course, it isn\u2019t hold right to win, but you are encouraged to go faster than ever before with a prevalence of speed-boost pads, simplified grinding mechanics and the new ability to gain a burst of additional speed when running for an unbroken few seconds. Even the boss battles see you chasing down Robotnik as he accelerates away from you in his latest mecha monstrosity, taking potshots.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s difficult to truly love Sonic Advance 2, but if you do fall for its charms, it\u2019ll be your favourite one. The music and visuals are fantastic stuff and \u2013 for better or worse \u2013 this is probably the hardest Sonic game to get all seven Chaos Emeralds in. You\u2019ll need to, though, to unlock everything. You\u2019ve got to get all Emeralds with each of the four other characters in order to play as Amy, who unfortunately isn\u2019t really worth the effort as she\u2019s been made way less interesting than she was in the original Sonic Advance. <em>Boo! Hiss!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Moving on, then, to Sonic Advance 3, a game so strange that when its ROM file leaked ahead of release, a lot of people assumed it was a fake fan-effort of some sort. See, there\u2019s a lot about Advance 3 that\u2019s a little bit\u2026 off. The physics feel like they\u2019ve been tweaked and the game feels a touch weightless at times. It\u2019s also bizarre how the entire pacey structure of the first two titles has been overhauled with a weird, almost labyrinthine hub area that has you exploring empty, uninteresting enemy-free spaces in order to locate the \u201cAct Rings\u201d that lead to each zone; which also now have three acts apiece instead of two, with a fourth boss act found separately in the hub.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"Sonic Advance 3\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/e0e1f5c99a01c\/sonic-advance-3.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0NTAgMzAwIj48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/e0e1f5c99a01c\/sonic-advance-3.450x.jpg\" alt=\"Sonic Advance 3\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"Sonic Advance 3\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/c3e58db81937d\/sonic-advance-3.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0NTAgMzAwIj48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/c3e58db81937d\/sonic-advance-3.450x.jpg\" alt=\"Sonic Advance 3\"><\/a><\/div><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\">Images: Stuart Gipp<\/em><\/figcaption><\/aside>\n<p>So far, so odd, but it\u2019s still a pretty great time. The major new mechanic is team-up moves; at the start of the game you pick two characters from the same cast of five as the previous game, then send them out into the world. This is cool in the way that you can simply leave Sonic behind while, say, Knuckles and Cream go out on the adventure. Since many of the team-up moves (used by holding the &#8216;R&#8217; button) are based around propelling you into the air, the levels have an increased verticality and frankly feel absolutely vast. Finding the hidden Chao in each act, then, is a significant challenge to undertake, though it\u2019s more fun than gathering the special rings in Advance 2.<\/p>\n<p>It almost goes without saying that the music here rules; the final zone \u201cChaos Angel\u201d is ridiculously epic and foreboding at times. The story is sort of an all-over-the-place follow-up to Sonic Battle \u2013 ignore it. Treat it as the 21 2D Sonic levels that it is and you\u2019ll be hard pressed not to enjoy yourself.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"object object-youtube\">\n<figure class=\"youtube\" data-videoid=\"z_7af8tzGe0\">[embedded content]<figcaption class=\"youtube-sub\">Subscribe to <a class=\"external\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/subscription_center?add_user=nintendolife\">Nintendo Life<\/a> on <span class=\"g-ytsubscribe\" data-channel=\"nintendolife\" data-layout=\"default\" data-count=\"default\"><a class=\"external\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/nintendolife\">YouTube<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/aside>\n<p>So again, Nintendo \u2013 Sega \u2013 <em>whoever \u2013<\/em> I implore you to make this series available once again, and the Nintendo Switch Online service is the perfect opportunity. In fact, it would be best for everyone if you (Nintendo, I&#8217;m talking to you) would simply do as I say at all times.<\/p>\n<p>So, Sonic Advance series, yeah? Then the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gba\/klonoa_empire_of_dreams\">Klonoa<\/a> games. Then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gba\/kuru_kuru_kururin\">Kururin Paradi<\/a>\u2014 <em>[Snip! &#8211; Ed]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Image: Nintendo Life \/ Zion Grassl Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they&#8217;ve got on their minds. Today, Stuart pleads with the powers that be to get a certain trilogy on Nintendo Switch Online&#8230; Game Boy Advance is coming to Switch Online! Maybe! [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124401"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124401\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}