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Reviewer: IGN

Value Suppressed.

Reviewer: IGN

Let's face it. Once a top contender for the title of King of the Videogame Hill alongside a certain overall-clad Italian plumber, Sega's anthropomorphic, speed-obsessed mascot has missed a step or two in more recent times. Sonic's progression from the 16-bit era to today has been a bumpy road, leaving a lot of fans with lower expectations whenever a new title is released. And then, just when gamers are ready to give up hope, a great game like Sonic Rush Adventure comes along to stoke the fire again.What made the original Sonic Rush such a fun release was that it took the hedgehog back to his 2D roots. It brought back the classic feel of the original Genesis titles while updating just enough to make the series fresh again. Now, with Sonic Rush Adventure, fans get a second taste of that 2D excitement, but with some new 3D elements tossed in for good measure.Taking a break from the constant fighting with Dr. Eggman, Sonic and Tails have set sail for a relaxing vacation. Since that wouldn't make for a fun game, something has to go wrong. After getting sucked into a weird vortex, the duo finds themselves stranded on a mysterious island. After meeting up with a local raccoon named Marine, the heroes learn that the island is being terrorized by Captain Whisker, a robotic pirate with a short fuse. Joined by the returning Blaze the Cat, Sonic sets out to stop Whisker and rescue the island like any good game mascot would.The bulk of the game features the standard 2D side-scrolling gameplay we've all come to know. Sonic (or Blaze) speeds through levels taking up both of the DS screens, collecting the ever-present power rings. A returning element from the last game, players build up energy on a "tension gauge" by defeating enemies and pulling off tricks when catching air off of ramps and the like. Added to the mix this time around are a few extra 3D stages, which put the hero on the open seas on jetskis, sailboats and even a submarine. These stages drop the standard controls of the d-pad in favor of the DS touch screen. It takes a little getting used to, but the controls work out fine and these stages don't detract from the game in the least.Sonic Rush Adventure gives players plenty of ways to share in the high-speed hijinx. Battle Mode lets players compete against one another in simultaneous speed runs. Players can face off in single-card download or multi-card gameplay, or take the action online this time courtesy of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Single and multi-card play ran perfect with no issues. We did run into a couple of glitches in online play, though these issues were rare and could just as easily have been attributed to hiccups in the wireless broadband connection.Sonic Rush Adventure is a game that comes screaming out of the gate and doesn't take its foot off the gas. The high-speed excitement and classic gameplay never once hits a speed bump. Sega fans still clinging to the hope that their favorite blue urchin has a little more nitro in the tank should be suitably impressed by this latest outing. It's definitely worth a look for Sonic fans, new and old alike.