Sonic the Hedgehog: Before and After

Sonic Advance 2 vs Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice

Introduction

Welcome to the third and last comparison of Sonic Before and After, where I take a look at a Sonic game before 2010 to one after. This time I'm looking at two handheld titles here, no port of either, this is a mono e mono match. Originally, I was going to use Sonic Rivals 2, but I ultimately decided to use a different title. Sorry for the late change, but the match up now is between Sonic Advance 2 and Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice, two Nintendo handheld exclusives. The theme is the same tho, I'm going to look at the latest (and possibly last) Sonic Boom title, Fire and Ice, the sequel to Shattered Crystal and Rise and Lyric. In which case, I'm comparing it to the sequel of another handheld title, Sonic Advance 2, which is a sequel and also features a certain Rose you can say. And since Rivals 2, was mainly a racing game, I recently decided to change it to Advance 2. The handhelds will be judged by Gameplay, Graphics, and Story. Who will win, which handheld will come out supreme, and will this Boom title shed a new light on a possibly dying spin off. Time to find out, spoilers are ahead, Let Move It!

Gameplay

The gameplay category, this is where I check their functionality, control schemes, collectables and unlockables, and the levels design. Which I mean the general levels, map, bosses, and anything else the game offers. This time I'm starting off with Sonic Advance 2, then look at Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice.

  Sonic Advance 2, the second Gameboy Advance Sonic title. This game is similar to the classic games, specifically Sonic 3 & Knuckles, which featured different characters that played similar. Here we have Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and introduced the newcomer, Cream the Rabbit. All five characters are fast (even Amy) and have a spin dash, in some form. Each character also bring their own abilities to the table. Sonic brings his insta-shield, skid attack/somersault, bounce, jump dash, and homing attack. Tails returning with his flying and tail whip, along with Knuckles bringing back gliding, climbing, punching, and drill claw. The newcomer, Cream, brings her friend cheese along for the ride as can attack with her and circle round her, plus she can fly similar to Tails, while not as far, it still FLOAT. Amy had a massive improved from the first Advance/N, she can roll and spin dash (which looks like she getting a running start), and brings back her Piko Piko Hammer with the mid-air hammer attack, mid-air hammer swirl, and hammer attack. They can also access a Boost Mode, tricks, and have stronger attacks. Boost Mode can be accessed by surpassing regular speed, dash panel, or horizontal spring, while active, you run fast, just know you're not invincible. While in this mode, you can do a stronger version of the normal attack: Sonic a super skid, Tails a super tail whip, Knuckles a spiral attack, Cream a step attack, and Amy a head slide. Tricks can be performed in mid-air, doesn't work for simply jumping, each character their own tricks. And the Special Stages, also makes a return, through they're a pain to access as you gotta collect seven special rings in a single life. They are placed at particular parts of the level meaning you'll have to play a certain way without dying to access it. Before I continue to controls, I should mention that you have to unlock Cream, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy before you can play as them, onto the controls. They're pretty simple and straight forward. You can move with left and right, roll with down, and appeal with up on the d-pad. Yup, press up on the d-pad, and the characters will pose, just like blue steel. Ok, with nonsense aside, you jump with the 'A' button and attack with the 'B' button. While in mid-air, pressing R and a direction on the d-pad will have the character perform a trick in mid-air. Spin Dash, or Amy Dash in Amy's case, is performed by pressing down on the d-pad and pressing the 'A' button, just like the other ones. The tricks can also give you a short aerial boost or push you forward/backwards, the tricks are helpful. Which leads me to the collectables, first off, like mentioned you have to unlock characters other than Sonic. Cream, Tails, and Knuckles are unlocked by beating the bosses of zones one, three, and five respectively as Sonic. And for Amy, you have to collect all seven chaos emeralds as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Cream, plus complete the game with them. This is pretty much a challenge, if you know where the special rings are located you'll be fine, else, good luck bud. And like the others, you can get an extra boss fight by collecting all chaos emeralds as Sonic at least, then complete the game with him, Tails, Knuckles, and Cream, luckily Amy is not needed for this. Tiny Chao Garden and Boss Rush (or boss battles in Time Attack) are unlocked by completing the game with all seven chaos emeralds with any character for Chao Garden and three for Boss Rush. Sound Test requires two. Those are the unlockables, now to the items you'll find in the levels. And the item capsules make a return with bonus rings, 1-ups, shields, magnet/thunder shields, power sneakers, and invincibility. Then you have check points and special rings, check points save your spot, and special rings are used to access the special stages, like mentioned before, all seven rings must be collected in a single life. This perfectly leads me into the level section. The level select is simple and straight to the point, select an act in an area, then get started. The levels have multiple paths to the goal filled with springs, grinding rails, spikes, and loop-de-loops. They are designed similarly to that of the classics, with the third zone and later having more deadly pits. Speaking of zones, there are total of nine in total. The first seven zones have two acts each followed by a boss fight, the eighth zone is a boss attack where you battle the previous bosses as well as a new death egg robot, with the ninth zone being the extra Super Sonic boss. The first seven bosses have you running endlessly until you defeat Eggman's machine being the Egg Hammer Tank II, Egg Bomber Tank, Egg Totem, Aero Egg, Egg Saucer, Egg-Go-Round, and Egg Frog. Through the first time you fight the Egg Saucer with Sonic, Knuckles is controlling it. They would later return in the eighth zone, now including the Super Eggrobo Z, which is pretty much the Death Egg Robot now with elements of the classic Sonic trilogy included along with spikes overhead. This bosses is cool and awesome homage to the classics, with arms that fire, laser beams, and pillars that'll push you up into spikes, he wasn't playing around. Then we have the Extra Zone with it boss, you soar through space as Super Sonic having to dodge energy orbs, ice beam, and push missiles at it. The fight is cool and shows Sonic's heroics perfectly. More on that later, and then there the special stages. They are similar to that of Sonic CD as you collect enough rings before time runs out with Zero trying to rob you of rings. The stages are fun to play, but sadly it downside is accessing them. You have to find all seven special rings, in a single life, then collect the rings to earn a chaos emerald. I see reason to hate them, if accessing them were easier, they would be better received, but as is. They are hard to access. One more thing, each has their own gimmick, such as fans, launchers, cannons, and gravity switches. With that said, let's move onto BOOM.