Metareview: Sonic Rush Adventure
Despite one very silly trailer, Sonic Rush Adventure is racking up some decent scores on the review circuit so far. Most reviewers seem to find it more enjoyable than 2005's Sonic Rush, but that's certainly not a universal opinion. Since when is 72% indicative of a bad game? According to NGamer, it's fitting when there are at least a few game-saving features in a pile of crap. Despite the fact that current review scores fall within twenty points of one another, actual opinions differ wildly on the title.
IGN -- 80%: "Dimps and Sonic Team continue to prove that 2D is the perfect canvas for the Sonic the Hedgehog design. Sonic Rush Adventure is an improved and worthy sequel to Sonic Rush, definitely the game to get if you haven't already made the leap with the original title. It's a lot of great ideas in fun package...but Sonic Rush Adventure just doesn't hit the market with the same amount of "oomph" as the first game did simply because it recycled a lot from the original title."
EuroGamer -- 80%: "It may be a bit repetitious, then, but in contrast to the likes of Mario games, which were always precise harmonies, that's actually something of a boon. Sonic was always jazzier, and one of the criticisms you could level at it was that the older games sometimes did a poor job of harnessing the inherent replayability that really stood them apart from their genre-mates. Rush Adventure comes up with the best way in a while to encourage and capitalise on that, proves less harsh than the first Rush did (the midair dash doing a better job of mitigating against bottomless-pit death), and, apart from a couple of duff watercraft bits, does it all satisfyingly. All in all, a bit of a must-have."
NGamer --72%: " ... we'd have thought Sega would relish the chance to iron out Sonic Rush's flaws. To be frank, they haven't, though. Your first clue should be in the name; not Sonic Rush 2, but Sonic Rush Adventure. You already know what this means - so let's give a warm welcome to the return of all that extracurricular nonsense ... Adventure is a step backwards because it seems ashamed to be a Sonic game. You'll find yourself on stupid bouncy platforms, your momentum broken by dodgy 3D mini-games and participating in extreme sports that ceased to be 'rad' when Timmy Mallett was top of the pop. It's saved only by an excellent multiplayer and bits that, despite Sega's efforts, are unmistakably Sonic."
