Yeah the gameplay is a step down from 3&K- half of the playable characters are simply not fun to play- but Sonic himself plays remarkably well (so do Tails and Gamma) and there's so much heart in this game that I don't care.

There's something about this game. The early 3D graphics, the great soundtrack, the goofy-ass voice acting, the semi-open world, the plot that's goofy but so earnest in its execution and a final level that goes really hard all add up to make Sonic's first foray into the 3rd dimension a classic.

I'm surprised at how well Sonic's gameplay translated into 3D on the first attempt. Speed is translated in a way that feels surprisingly natural and the addition of a homing attack means combat isn't ever too much of a hassle.

If I played this game when I was a kid I would have adored it to pieces. Now that I'm older the flaws in it unfortunately show themselves, like Knuckles, Amy and especially Big just not being satisfying to play and the best non-Sonic stories ending too soon, but Sonic Adventure is a great translation of a classic series into 3D. Sonic's golden age is coming to a close, but the Blue Blur has one more banger left in him before a deep dive into mediocrity.

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