Round One

The game features a quartet of game modes (not to mention a few mini games for added enjoyment), which are exponentially more enjoyable if you engage in them with additional players. I have to admit that it didn't take long before I lost interest in the story mode, which is filled with a series of meaningless quests and dialogue.

"Oh no! Someone's in danger!" "Help ME, Sonic!"

Well, okay, it doesn't actually flow like that. The story centers upon a mysterious robot (Emerl . . . BAM!) initially unable to communicate or determine its original purpose. Naturally, for the sake of the adventure, there's a lot more to Emerl than meets the eye - as Sonic eventually discovers. And before you can even blink, our hero ends up going up against Shadow, Rogue, and a few of his own pals to boot (just to make things interesting). I doubt that even a younger gamer would want to sit through the heap of text-driven sequences that end up looking a lot like "Blah, blah, blah" after awhile. Personally, I gave up on the roots of a story during the heyday of the Street Fighter 2/Mortal Kombat era. These days, I am simply like: "Who cares what your incentive to fight is? Let's just get on with the smackdown!"

Moving on, Sonic Battle is relatively easy to pick up and get into. (After all, it's a handheld game, how hard could a fighting game on this scale be?) The L and R triggers rotate the 3D camera, tapping the A button causes your character to jump, and the B button used in conjunction with the D-pad executes various attacks. I like how each character's attack style (aerial, ground, defense) can be configured accordingly. Gradually, as you progress in Story Mode, additional attacks are unlocked and added to your battle portfolio. Moreover, combos (yes, combos - mild, but present) can also be unleashed in the air or on a ground-based opponent. Obviously, they aren't in the same league as the type of hand gymnastics which typically can be pulled off in games like Marvel vs. Capcom 2 or either version of Power Stone, but they get the job done.

Round Two

My only major complaint lies with the gameplay engine itself, which is simply dull and bland compared to the excellence featured in SSBM. Perhaps it's simply the fact that multiplayer games like that were meant to work solely on consoles. Or perhaps it's because Sonic Team chose to cut a few corners (like developing a 3D battle field, yet failing to toss in some significant background interactions like the ones featured in Power Stone). Every stage is devoid of personality, strategic value, and most importantly, the ability to keep your entertainment guage on High. If it weren't for the fact that I was playing a Sonic game, I would've traded this in without a second thought.

Yeah, I am tinge disappointed and rightfully so . . . Sonic Battle should offer a lot more. Clearly the potential was there, and perhaps, just perhaps, this game should've been considered for the GameCube. Can you imagine how great that could've been? For now, it's all but wishful thinking and we'll have to take what we can get.

A brief acknowledgement goes out to Sonic Team for its attempt to add some flexibility in the equation with the Emerl character. As you'll discover in the story, Emerl can mimic the abilities of anyone he encounters. In laymen's terms, Emerl exists solely as a customizable character in the hopes that you might possibly select him when you're bored with the other available characters. The idea is essentially to train him within Story Mode, develop his skills and capture new moves á la Pokémon. Gradually, each successful acquisition results in Emerl kicking it up a notch and evolving into a force to be reckoned with. Yawn. It's quite a mundane task if you ask me, and playing with him just isn't my cup of tea.

Minor quips notwithstanding, every character is absolutely impressive. Everyone from Sonic to Knuckles is fully animated in 2D and most are lifted straight out of the Sonic Advance titles. They're also very vocal - during in-game sequences, of course, but also before and mostly during actual battles. In other words, they talk - a lot, but thankfully, their dialogue is not nearly as heavy or annoying as that of Sonic Heroes. Man, I can only tolerate but so much of Cream's endless chirping.

Final Round

In the end, Sonic Battle remains far from being a bad game and it's given me another reason to spend some time with my GBA. However, I expect that only the most diehard Sonic fans will be truly willing to give it a chance. Without a doubt, this is one of the best multiplayer games to come along since The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. The ultimate circumstances for enjoying this game rely on the hope that you can find several other players to join up with you to have some real competition. And that shouldn't be too hard, because after all, we all have friends, right?

· · · Chris "Bahn" Scantleberry