Neo Geo SonicOn December 20, 1999, Sega decided to do something that was almost unheard of back then. They released a Sonic game for a non-Sega system, the Neo Geo Pocket Color. That game is known as Sonic the Hedgehog: Pocket Adventure. The game received lots of praise from gaming websites, including IGN, who gave the game a perfect score. Is this game really worthy of a 10, or did IGN go too far with their score? I'll tell you right now by making this review.
Graphics: 10/10 As far as visuals go, Sonic Pocket Adventure is the most visually appealing Neo Geo Pocket Color game I've ever played. The character and level designs are the two main reasons why I feel this way. Sonic and friends look absolutely fantastic, even though they decided to use the modern Sonic look instead of classic Sonic. Even so, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Dr. Eggman look way better than they did on the Game Gear. As for the level designs, they to look fantastic. If you've played Sonic 2, you'll recognize a lot of the levels in this game, though here the levels have different names, such as Casino Night Zone being called Cosmic Casino. While it would've been nice to see some new ideas for level design, the attention to detail that was put into Sonic Pocket Adventure's visuals are absolutely stunning. For these reasons, I give the graphics a 10 out of 10!
Sound: 10/10 Like the graphics, Sonic Pocket Adventure has the best soundtrack I've ever heard in a Neo Geo Pocket Color game. The soundtrack is full of amazing 8 bit remixes of Sonic 3 music, such as the boss theme. Another example is the Aquatic Relix act 1 theme, which is a remix of Mushroom Hill Zone act one. There are many other examples of Sonic 3 remixes in this game but those 2 I mentioned are almost as good as, if not better than the versions from the Genesis classic. The soundtrack is one of the most amazing parts about this game, and for that, I'm giving the sound a 10!
Addictiveness: 8/10 Sonic Pocket Adventure is easily one of the most entertaining handheld Sonic games of all time. The gameplay is just as smooth and fast paced as the Genesis Sonic games. While the levels are mostly the same as those in Sonic 2, this game is still entertaining enough for me to say that all Sonic fans need to try out. While the levels are similar to Sonic 2, the bosses offer a fresh experience for those who've already played that game. The only boss that isn't different is the Silver Sonic boss battle. Other than that, you'll find that Sonic Pocket Adventure has some interesting boss fights. Overall, Sonic Pocket Adventure is entertaining enough for me to give the addictiveness an 8.
Story: N/A Sonic Pocket Adventure doesn't have a story, therefore I'm leaving this category blank.
Depth: 8/10 As far as this game is concerned, Sonic Pocket Adventure provides 6 different zones with 2 acts in each zone for you to complete, which is a good amount for a portable Sonic game. Also this game has collectable items known as photo pieces. In each level, there are photo pieces hidden in different areas, which are used to complete puzzles found in the puzzle room. The puzzle room is a unique feature I haven't seen in any other Sonic game. Overall, I feel like Sonic Pocket Adventure has a good amount of content, so I'm giving the depth an 8.
Difficulty: 3/10 This is the one category where Sonic Pocket Adventure truly falters. Even though a lot of the levels are based on levels from Sonic 2, this game is very easy compared to the Genesis classic. I found myself making it through many of the levels here without dying. I had a much tougher time making it through Sonic 2 than I did making it through this game. The only area that I had a ton of trouble making it through was the Aquatic Relix Zone, mainly because the bubbles don't appear as quickly as they do in other Sonic games. Other than the bubbles not appearing very often, I can't think of anything else that's super challenging in Sonic Pocket Adventure. Overall, I say the difficulty deserves a 3.
Overall Score: 9.2/10 While I don't think that the 10 IGN gave this game is justified, Sonic Pocket Adventure is still one of the best handheld Sonic games I've ever played. With beautiful graphics, an incredible soundtrack, and very addicting gameplay, Sonic Pocket Adventure is a must play game for any Sonic fan. If it hadn't been for the lack of difficulty, I would've been willing to give this game a higher score, but Sonic Pocket Adventure is still good enough for me to give the game a 9.2 out of 10.
Graphics
10 Sound
10 Addictive
8 Depth
8 Difficulty
3