One little detail I love about these games is the continuity in Tails' act 2 clear animation between games 1 and 2. He pumps his fists up in the air then spins in place in both games, only in this game when he spins, he ends up falling on his butt and rubbing his head in embarrassment. In Advance 2 however, he successfully lands on his feet after the spin, and upon realizing this, proceeds to jump up and down in excitement. It's a pretty darn cute touch.
Its already a bit old but advance 3 has something similar. In both advance 1 and 3 will Tails while ideling point the player to move forward. But in adv 1 is Tails really shy about it. Where as in adv 3 Tails first scouts ahead and than points with confidence.
Maybe you can't say that it isn't the real Sonic 4, but MAYBE you could say it's the "Sonic Mania" of the early 2000s. Just a love letter to classic Sonic but modernized.
I wouldn't really say Sonic 4 needs to be better than the classics anyway (which is a tall order that even Mania arguably doesn't accomplish just because of how good 3K is). If it's a great 2D Sonic game that actually builds on the previous 2D Sonic games then it's Sonic 4 imo.
I've never commented on anything before, according to TH-cam but I had to give praise to your channel and the energy you put into it. I can't express how much I love watching your videos. You nail the nostalgia and voice my own feelings towards these games so well that every video is like stepping into a time machine. You cover every angle - 'how I felt playing this then' vs now, the lost history and controversy around Sonic 06 and Sonic being on Nintendo, and provide an honest, insider's perspective of growing up a 90's gamer. You gather and enshrine all the minutia of those days as if you were teaching a class on gaming history. Hearing your videos is like being a 12 year old geeking out with his friends over an impending new Sonic release all over again and I hope you never stop making these videos.
I still wish I had consistent income so I could subscribe to your Patreon. But until then, I will continue to watch and rewatch all of your videos. The passion and effort that goes into your work is abundantly clear.
I am so glad that my dad bought Sonic Advance for his GBA many years back. When he wasn't here, I'd secretly play the game for hours and I have to say it's the reason why I am into this franchise for so long. Let's hope that informative videos like these will spread the word about this heavily underrated series.
As an owner of the original GBA. The beginning of the video is incredibly relatable. And also brings nostalgic/traumatic memories back. Thank you for reminding me of that awful screen.
I've always thought that, overall, the original GBA is a nicer, more comfortable design. It's just a huge shame about the lack of lighting. Although it does lose coolness points for not looking like a tiny laptop, which made the SP the absolute coolest thing in the world at the time of its release!
I really want to learn how to mod systems because I want to mod a backlight into an original gba just because I prefer it's form factor over the sp so much, and dear god not even the melee pad's triggers can compare to the gba's shoulder buttons
I think I cracked the code regarding that "Speed Shoes" music problem. Since the music in these games are all MIDI-based, when the music speeds up, the instruments playing them don't. So if the notes are playing fast enough, there's going to be a ton of grating overlap between the instruments. The classic Sonic games seem to avoid this by only speeding up the music to 1.25x, while "Sonic Advance" speeds the music to an insane 2x.
Finally had time to watch this - THANK YOU! I was given Sonic Advance for my 15th Birthday, as well as a GBA to TV adapter so I could play it on the screen. Playing through a new 2D Sonic game is one of my favourite childhood memories. Your review really did this game justice!
Haha, I'm pretty sure I got a Game Boy Player just to play this on the TV. And yeah, it was awesome to finally have a game like this. Glad you enjoyed it!
Sonic Advance... I have a soft spot for this little gem. I have been a Sonic fan all my life and this was the very first Sonic game I bought with my own money, I was 10 years old, it was my Birthday so my mum took me in to town to spend my birthday money and I bought a few things, and with my last bit of money my mum noticed my local game store had Sonic Advance on sale in the window and suggested I buy it, I agreed because I thought “why not”, took it home and I played it... like a lot! I remember the first moment I played it, when I took it on a trip to Disney Land Paris and played it all the way, taking turns with my brothers beating levels and so much more. I really do love this game and I know it is not perfect but to me it feels like the perfect “Classic Style” game for me at the time and still holds up today.
@@cubeman9766 how about we do a whole episode on the rush games counting sonic colors ds and then never do sonic colors on wii because that game's fucking shit
I didn't have a Game Gear or Neo Geo Pocket Color growing up, so this was my first experience of a portable Sonic game. That novelty alone made me look past Sonic Advance's rough edges.
It turns out that Josh was really just a camera this entire time. I love your style of editing and use of music. Bits that stand out to me are that Ice Mountain buildup at 2:26 and subsequent transformation to Boss upon Beth From 8th Grade, that whole bit at 4:02, and the Mega Collection tune at 7:39 when bringing up the whole "Classic Sonic" thing.
Nah, like it or not Sonic 4 is Sonic 4. Part 2 is playable. Decent in parts even. A game doesn't need to be better than it's predecessors in order to be an official sequel. The real question is: when will we get Sonic 5 and will they let Christian Whitehead be lead developer for it?
@@WreckItRolfe Direct sequel to Sonic 3K, classic 2D gameplay and physics, direct evolution in mechanics, graphics, modernized for new technology. It is basically Sonic 4 in all but name
Egg rocket act 1 is probably my favorite act from any 2D sonic game. It’s so completely unique and the first time getting to the 3rd major section and watching the rocket exit the atmosphere is something I’ll never forget. Level had quite a few flaws but there still isn’t anything like it.
Clicked this video on a whim, I've seen dozens of people revisit this game since mania, and well, I have a lot of nostalgia for MY first sonic game. And hey! This is honestly the best review of this game I've ever watched! Went back and binged all your sonic videos, and you earned yourself a new loyal sub!
0:00 That beginning admitedly gave me quite a bit of nostalgia! You do know that if you hold A + B + Start + Select when the GBA starts up, the Nintendo logo will disappear while making a sound and your game won't start until you press those buttons again...which will cause the logo to pop back up while making another sound... Really neat easter egg I don't hear many people talk about. (Apologies if the directions weren't 100% accurate, it has been a while since I played a GBA)
I don't remember the gba being THAT bad, albeit it much worse than the SP of course. Also didn't have the launch GBA. Makes me wonder, if they built in better screens between the OG GBA and the release of the SP 🤔 or if I'm just Being overly nostalgic
Screens in all original horizontal GBA are identical, there exists only one screen model custom made by SHARP. SP existed in two models with different types of screens. The common model uses a screen that is almost identical to the one used in GBA, but with front-light unit added and flatflex changes, the actual screen matrix is identical. The less common model released during sunset of the GBA had a backlit screen, and of course Gameboy Micro is also a kind of GBA that reused a mass-produced camera screen, backlit and smaller. The front-light unit was actually inspired by aftermarket accessories brought out by some inventive startups. Screen manufacturers weren't offering such technology at the time. Playing GBA outdoors is the best case scenario. I find it runs pretty well in direct sunlight, you just have to avoid a couple angles, but it does better on slightly overcast days where you don't have to fight the sun reflection and your own shadow quite as much at the same time as trying to collect a decent amount of light. I built myself a horizontal GBA recently from a pile of broken GBA parts and a fresh enclosure i got from China for $5 - the enclosure feels like a pull from an original but somewhat worn-out mould, the battery door feels entirely fake, but i was able to fix it up to my satisfaction by applying some gentle heat (soldering iron at 160°C and heating the lock hinge with the side of the iron), the buttons/d-pad aren't quite perfect so it's better to use original ones. The enclosure came with a plastic lens, so that's coming off and getting replaced with a glass one eventually (soon). I gave it a $10 fake Supercard MiniSD flashcart (of which now a microSD version exists since a couple months, with same software flaws but much more convenient) and while it's not perfect, it's better than nothing. I now wish i went for a better flash cart, but i can still do that eventually. Also i want to try making my own frontlight unit (polycarbonate + LOCA) or order one or retrofit a frontlit GBA SP screen, not sure which. Backlit GBA SP screen is not an option for me, because i need the system specifically to operate in sunlight, and backlit does not. Other things to make would be USB linker cable of some sort, maybe try to rewrite the Supercard software to be a less flimsy piece of shit, experiment with speedhacks for the Supercard. The PC application that patches the ROMs carries a lot of functional weight of the unit and exposes a lot of its inner workings, so in a way i'm happy i bought this piece of shit, i have learned a lot from it. Oh the MiniSD Supercard doesn't sit very well in the cartridge slot, because the knockoffs got the wrong type of miniSD socket. I protected the board temporarily with tape and filed down a protruding bit at the bottom of the miniSD socket, which exposed a tiny coil spring, which i epoxied back into place. Puh. And CRTs are kinda awesome, flawed but awesome. They're flickery but they're super fast, they have geometric issues but they have excellent colour and contrast. Depending on construction, they can have a pretty remarkable punchy brightness. In the later years and high-end models, a lot of progress was made with ARASC anti-reflection coating, it could almost completely remove light sources, reducing them mostly to a barely noticeable purple blob. I mostly had Diamondtron monitors that used to cost thousands, made by Mitsubishi-NEC and Iiyama.
Hey, I was wondering if you're going to make a samus returns geek critique, because I loved your metroid videos, and samus returns has been out for well over a year now
I miss when there was ONLY ONE SONIC. When I was 8, I got an Advance SP and managed to collect all 3 advance games. To me, Sonic was Sonic, like it's supposed to be. No classic or modern labels. And I wish it had stayed that way
Great retrospective as usual! Saying that this game was "the first Sonic Advance" rather than the 4th classic Sonic game pretty much sums up how I feel about this game as well, mainly since as a kid the first Advance game I played was 2. Once I went back to 1 from 2, it felt a bit rough around the edges, and I personally thought 2 was much more memorable, although 1 isn't bad by any means. Also hey, I think your pink GBA is pretty stylish! Although talking about the GBA's screen makes me realized how spoiled I was as a kid, as when I was in elementary school, I got a GBA SP and I didn't even know that the GBA's barely visible screen was a thing.
I'm gonna have to disagree when it comes to the music, while I can agree that it doesn't really sound like Sonic music and about the GBA sound in general being less than stellar, this OST is still one of my favorites of all time. The OST of the game brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it, and this is coming from someone who doesn't have nostalgia for it as I never played it growing up.
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO! I hardly got to play Sonic Advance (I did get Advance 2 and 3 however) so it's cool to see it talked about years later. Makes me want to try and search for a copy of the game every time I see another video about it, regardless of if somebody has good or bad things to say on it. Thanks for the video, looking forward to the next one!!!
This certainly wasn't the "real" Sonic 4, but it WAS a distinct positive in a series that so often has its negatives accentuated... like the games we DID get under the Sonic 4 moniker. Though I think a lot of us would agree that Mania finally met those standards, am I right?
I started watching your videos when you made the Metroid reviews and i inmediately marathoned your videos, hope you keep pumping them out man, amazing work
I might argue that the reduced enphasis in rolling into a ball and the more classic platforming might be a balancing issue because Amy is now part of the cast and she can't roll into a ball
The weird thing about Sonic 4, is that it actually uses the physics from the Sonic Rush series, even early builds of the game used the Sonic Rush model. Sonic 4 was not even meant to be Sonic 4, it was just going to be Sonic The Portable, a simple mobile game, there are left-overs of that title in-game that you can find in the background of the Casino levels. Seems that just take the opportunity of a 2D Sonic game being made and slapped the 4 logo on it. Some speculate it was a SEGA of America decision but that's a rumor.
Oh yeah, I remember when the JTAG leak happened, and it was clear what was going on even then. I'll talk about all that in the eventual Sonic 4 episode.
Oh god! I have been wondering why nobody talks a lot about these Sonic Advance triology on TH-cam until today! 😍 I'm frankly a 2000s gamer, and the Sonic Advance triology was my childhood. I absolutely LOVED the way you critically reviewed everything 💞 The nostalgia hits right on the bull-eye of my heart 🎶 I can't wait to hear more of the reviews of this game's sequels in the following seconds 😍 Thank you for making them! 😁
I really understand the "Cheap" enemy placement argument. On my first playthrough, it really discouraged progressing quickly as I always had to fear running into an unreactable enemy, so I always had to either roll or move slowly. However, I don't think the problem stems largely from the large character size compared to the very little screen, not faulty level design.
This was a fantastic video, mate! Really looking forward to this Advance series retrospective, as I grew up with them and can definitely identify with their merits and flaws.
That's wrong on both counts! It's true that some of the dev team at SNK who made Pocket Adventure would go on to found DIMPS, such a company didn't exist yet. And while Sonic Pocket Adventure may use assets from older games (most prominently Sonic 2 for its graphics and Sonic 3 for its music), the level layouts and most of the bosses are completely original. Gotta love that clicky stick!
If anyone tells you otherwise, pull up all the historical accounts showing that pink, tight, high heels, wigs and makeup all started as masculine fashions lol
14:25 The important thing is you recognized how different the stage design was & great the music was in both Egg Rockets. Seriously love how unique that stage is & I can't put my finger on why
Also, THANK YOU for showing Astro Boy: Omega Factor! I love that game! I hope you do a video on it one day! I loved your Tropical Freeze and Dreamcast videos, and I’m a little bit jealous of the fact that you got to play the last SEGA system ever!
One thing I like about this game is standing into the middle of where a metal capsule and seeing the characters gotten squashed in there but not loosing any rings. That was funny.
Sonic Advance was a delight to play back when it came out. It was the first new GBA game I had gotten with my GBASP in fact. Seeing this makes me want to revisit the game with the rest of the trilogy.
The translucent pink color looks awesome! Had the original purple one and always thought the translucent ones looked way better. Also I never noticed the display was so dark and difficult to look at and I played a lot on my GBA 😅
Sonic Advance-the only Sonic game I played as a kid, the only Sonic game I've played a meaningful amount of in my life, and...my introduction to how much I suck at platformers. I remember spending a lot of time trying to find something to do in the Chao Garden out of frustration at not being able to get anywhere in the main game.
no music credits :( does anyone know where he got the sweet cover/remix that plays at 12:04 ? there's another similar cover later in the video and i'm dying for the source
Haha, indeed it was. The closest thing we'd have now would be Mario appearing on an Xbox or PlayStation, which would probably be even more surreal, but not *quite* in the same way. Mario wasn't created to rival those companies, and Nintendo hasn't been competing quite so directly against them in a long time.
Spoilers: they didn't because outside of what a Lot of peaople say out of purê nostalgia, Sonic Advance 2 is a terrible game. Great Vid Josh can't wait to see the next one
I recently dug out my old GBA (I pre ordered mine so I have a manly blue one). I got an upgrade kit to put in a backlit screen and it is an incredible improvement.
The original GBA was like playing consoles in the pre HD era. At the time it, the visual issue was noticeable but easy to ignore. We were used to it. In retrospect it was horrible because we've seen so much better since then.
Sonic Advance 1 was the first of the Advance series I've played. It's not my favourite of the trilogy though (that would be nostalgia talking), that goes to Advance 3.
I don't think I've ever seen this pointed out, but this metal knuckles is actually based on 2 knuckles glitches. The disguise is based on the pallette error of knuckles in sonic 3, but the actual metal knuckles looks like they're based on the whechidna from knuckles chaotix.
I could have sworn you were going to at one point say "Well the physics aren't EXACTLY like the Genesis Sonic games, but they are close enough." Then again I've never played SA, only SA3. Is this game's physics that much more like the Genesis Sonic games or did you figure it wasn't a detail worth bringing up?
I haven't played them in too long to say if they differ within the Advance series, but they definitely aren't the same as the MD games (or even anywhere near close enough, imo).
The bad screen on the intial GBA model is such a shame, because aesthetically I love the chasis of the console. It just screams early super late 90;s/super early 2000's consumer electronics, almost a similar look and feel to what the dreamcast itself had: Put up the default, frosted transaprent blue GBA with the transparent Hello Kitty dreamcast and you have a hell of a pair.
I initially got all the "chao" emeralds during my San Diego vacation in 2004. The sunny weather made it to where I could actually see the screen okay, when I should have focused more on my actual trip.
One little detail I love about these games is the continuity in Tails' act 2 clear animation between games 1 and 2.
He pumps his fists up in the air then spins in place in both games, only in this game when he spins, he ends up falling on his butt and rubbing his head in embarrassment.
In Advance 2 however, he successfully lands on his feet after the spin, and upon realizing this, proceeds to jump up and down in excitement. It's a pretty darn cute touch.
Woooah, I never noticed that, that's awesome! :D
Its already a bit old but advance 3 has something similar.
In both advance 1 and 3 will Tails while ideling point the player to move forward.
But in adv 1 is Tails really shy about it.
Where as in adv 3 Tails first scouts ahead and than points with confidence.
Maybe you can't say that it isn't the real Sonic 4, but MAYBE you could say it's the "Sonic Mania" of the early 2000s. Just a love letter to classic Sonic but modernized.
I wouldn't really say Sonic 4 needs to be better than the classics anyway (which is a tall order that even Mania arguably doesn't accomplish just because of how good 3K is).
If it's a great 2D Sonic game that actually builds on the previous 2D Sonic games then it's Sonic 4 imo.
>Sonic Mania
>Modernized
Lmao it has the same gay 70s graphics that the original games had on the NES.
@@shupasopni Honestly I think mania is better than 3&K in pure gameplay alone
@@papermario6856 Then you're wrong
But Sonic advance is actually a good game,Amy gameplay aside
I've never commented on anything before, according to TH-cam but I had to give praise to your channel and the energy you put into it. I can't express how much I love watching your videos. You nail the nostalgia and voice my own feelings towards these games so well that every video is like stepping into a time machine. You cover every angle - 'how I felt playing this then' vs now, the lost history and controversy around Sonic 06 and Sonic being on Nintendo, and provide an honest, insider's perspective of growing up a 90's gamer. You gather and enshrine all the minutia of those days as if you were teaching a class on gaming history. Hearing your videos is like being a 12 year old geeking out with his friends over an impending new Sonic release all over again and I hope you never stop making these videos.
=•0
I still wish I had consistent income so I could subscribe to your Patreon. But until then, I will continue to watch and rewatch all of your videos. The passion and effort that goes into your work is abundantly clear.
Abundantly clear, unlike the screen.
I definitely agree.
Me too
Me 5th
Vlad Segundo
A new sonic review, *THATS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT*
Hell yeah
Aw yea this is happening.
But where is Samus Returns?
I wondered when he'd do this one.
Vlad Segundo
I am so glad that my dad bought Sonic Advance for his GBA many years back. When he wasn't here, I'd secretly play the game for hours and I have to say it's the reason why I am into this franchise for so long. Let's hope that informative videos like these will spread the word about this heavily underrated series.
Your love for this medium and specially for the Sonic series is trully inspiring.
Thank you for the amazing work; thank you for your amazing art.
TGC: A new Sonic review is out.
Me: Aww yeah! This is happening.
Vlad Segundo
As an owner of the original GBA. The beginning of the video is incredibly relatable. And also brings nostalgic/traumatic memories back. Thank you for reminding me of that awful screen.
Eyyy OG GBA squad
@@ephemera-noctourniquet AA batteries squad.
(One time they ran out when I was about to 100% a stage in Yoshi's Island, dearly...)
OG GBA had the worse screen for sure, but the form factor is like 10x better than the SP. The SP was uncomfortable even when I was 10.
Vlad Segundo
Screen aside, the original GBA has the best shoulder buttons on any system. That is one aspect of the SP that I'd consider a major downgrade.
I've always thought that, overall, the original GBA is a nicer, more comfortable design. It's just a huge shame about the lack of lighting. Although it does lose coolness points for not looking like a tiny laptop, which made the SP the absolute coolest thing in the world at the time of its release!
@@Montymole_360 I was also very into the novelty, even at the cost of comfy shoulder buttons and the headphone jack.
I really want to learn how to mod systems because I want to mod a backlight into an original gba just because I prefer it's form factor over the sp so much, and dear god not even the melee pad's triggers can compare to the gba's shoulder buttons
1upjlt10 it’s actually super easy to mod an original. I’ve done it 3 times now
@@RedmoonStudiosYT oh nice, the hardest part now is finding an original gba for a good price. I used to have one but I traded it in for an sp
This is the first time I ever heard someone use "ephemera" in a sentence.
Wonderful.
Bumping this
Vlad Segundo
God bless the game boy sp for it’s beautiful screen
Me: I don't like pit falls and bad level design...
Sonic Team: *Laughs in Sonic Advance 2*
its rough and coarse and it slows the momentum down
Dimps: *Say sike right now*
Amy Rose is my absolute favorite character to play in this game. I was so happy when people modded her into the classic games. :D
I think I cracked the code regarding that "Speed Shoes" music problem. Since the music in these games are all MIDI-based, when the music speeds up, the instruments playing them don't. So if the notes are playing fast enough, there's going to be a ton of grating overlap between the instruments. The classic Sonic games seem to avoid this by only speeding up the music to 1.25x, while "Sonic Advance" speeds the music to an insane 2x.
It was not pink. It was fuscia!
I also had that as my only color option. I also later had a custom frontlight installed.
Finally had time to watch this - THANK YOU! I was given Sonic Advance for my 15th Birthday, as well as a GBA to TV adapter so I could play it on the screen. Playing through a new 2D Sonic game is one of my favourite childhood memories. Your review really did this game justice!
Haha, I'm pretty sure I got a Game Boy Player just to play this on the TV. And yeah, it was awesome to finally have a game like this. Glad you enjoyed it!
Dude, what the hell. I literally JUST checked your channel wondering when your next upload was coming. Psychic bastard!
illuminati?
Sonic Advance... I have a soft spot for this little gem. I have been a Sonic fan all my life and this was the very first Sonic game I bought with my own money, I was 10 years old, it was my Birthday so my mum took me in to town to spend my birthday money and I bought a few things, and with my last bit of money my mum noticed my local game store had Sonic Advance on sale in the window and suggested I buy it, I agreed because I thought “why not”, took it home and I played it... like a lot! I remember the first moment I played it, when I took it on a trip to Disney Land Paris and played it all the way, taking turns with my brothers beating levels and so much more. I really do love this game and I know it is not perfect but to me it feels like the perfect “Classic Style” game for me at the time and still holds up today.
That pink gba honestly looks AWESOME.
Nobody:
Me: Are we going to see Sonic Rush in this series?
I feel you.
@@shupasopni same (were not counting sonic colors (ds)
@@cubeman9766 how about we do a whole episode on the rush games counting sonic colors ds and then never do sonic colors on wii because that game's fucking shit
@@ephemera-noctourniquet Both Sonic Colors games are good, in my opinion.
@@ephemera-noctourniquet Will you explain why sonic colors wii is shit or can I just treat your comment as shitposting?
I didn't have a Game Gear or Neo Geo Pocket Color growing up, so this was my first experience of a portable Sonic game. That novelty alone made me look past Sonic Advance's rough edges.
It turns out that Josh was really just a camera this entire time.
I love your style of editing and use of music. Bits that stand out to me are that Ice Mountain buildup at 2:26 and subsequent transformation to Boss upon Beth From 8th Grade, that whole bit at 4:02, and the Mega Collection tune at 7:39 when bringing up the whole "Classic Sonic" thing.
10:59 Talks about classic trilogy. Shows Sonic 3 Complete cover art.
Ooooh. I see what you did there.
6:01 All of Game Theory's thumbnails.
Yep
Immedietly drops everything I'm doing, let's go!
Spending Easter working my wage slave job. Watching this video during my lunch break is making me feel better.
Saaaame
Vlad Segundo
Sonic Mania is the real Sonic 4 in my book.
@@WreckItRolfe It redesigns them almost completely
Green Hill is the only one even close and it's like 3x as big as the original
Nah, like it or not Sonic 4 is Sonic 4. Part 2 is playable. Decent in parts even. A game doesn't need to be better than it's predecessors in order to be an official sequel. The real question is: when will we get Sonic 5 and will they let Christian Whitehead be lead developer for it?
@@WreckItRolfe Direct sequel to Sonic 3K, classic 2D gameplay and physics, direct evolution in mechanics, graphics, modernized for new technology. It is basically Sonic 4 in all but name
Am I missing something or was sonic 4 episode one just a reuse of levels also
Sonic Mania is Sonic Mania, just as Sonic 4 is Sonic 4.
seeing your presentations somehow get better after your metriod reviews is so wonderful, look at you man, you're great, keep it up.
Egg rocket act 1 is probably my favorite act from any 2D sonic game. It’s so completely unique and the first time getting to the 3rd major section and watching the rocket exit the atmosphere is something I’ll never forget. Level had quite a few flaws but there still isn’t anything like it.
I love hearing you talk about your childhood with these games, it really gives a great sense of childhood nostalgia, very relatable
These videos are so well written! Good to have you back, Geek Critique!
Clicked this video on a whim, I've seen dozens of people revisit this game since mania, and well, I have a lot of nostalgia for MY first sonic game. And hey! This is honestly the best review of this game I've ever watched! Went back and binged all your sonic videos, and you earned yourself a new loyal sub!
0:00 That beginning admitedly gave me quite a bit of nostalgia!
You do know that if you hold A + B + Start + Select when the GBA starts up, the Nintendo logo will disappear while making a sound and your game won't start until you press those buttons again...which will cause the logo to pop back up while making another sound...
Really neat easter egg I don't hear many people talk about. (Apologies if the directions weren't 100% accurate, it has been a while since I played a GBA)
Yeah, and that's more than an Easter egg! It's so you can receive single-cart link data without taking out your cartridge.
Thank you for making this series. This will be a very good time capsule to help people contextualize sonic in the future.
I don't remember the gba being THAT bad, albeit it much worse than the SP of course.
Also didn't have the launch GBA. Makes me wonder, if they built in better screens between the OG GBA and the release of the SP 🤔 or if I'm just Being overly nostalgic
Screens in all original horizontal GBA are identical, there exists only one screen model custom made by SHARP.
SP existed in two models with different types of screens. The common model uses a screen that is almost identical to the one used in GBA, but with front-light unit added and flatflex changes, the actual screen matrix is identical. The less common model released during sunset of the GBA had a backlit screen, and of course Gameboy Micro is also a kind of GBA that reused a mass-produced camera screen, backlit and smaller.
The front-light unit was actually inspired by aftermarket accessories brought out by some inventive startups. Screen manufacturers weren't offering such technology at the time.
Playing GBA outdoors is the best case scenario. I find it runs pretty well in direct sunlight, you just have to avoid a couple angles, but it does better on slightly overcast days where you don't have to fight the sun reflection and your own shadow quite as much at the same time as trying to collect a decent amount of light.
I built myself a horizontal GBA recently from a pile of broken GBA parts and a fresh enclosure i got from China for $5 - the enclosure feels like a pull from an original but somewhat worn-out mould, the battery door feels entirely fake, but i was able to fix it up to my satisfaction by applying some gentle heat (soldering iron at 160°C and heating the lock hinge with the side of the iron), the buttons/d-pad aren't quite perfect so it's better to use original ones. The enclosure came with a plastic lens, so that's coming off and getting replaced with a glass one eventually (soon). I gave it a $10 fake Supercard MiniSD flashcart (of which now a microSD version exists since a couple months, with same software flaws but much more convenient) and while it's not perfect, it's better than nothing. I now wish i went for a better flash cart, but i can still do that eventually. Also i want to try making my own frontlight unit (polycarbonate + LOCA) or order one or retrofit a frontlit GBA SP screen, not sure which. Backlit GBA SP screen is not an option for me, because i need the system specifically to operate in sunlight, and backlit does not. Other things to make would be USB linker cable of some sort, maybe try to rewrite the Supercard software to be a less flimsy piece of shit, experiment with speedhacks for the Supercard. The PC application that patches the ROMs carries a lot of functional weight of the unit and exposes a lot of its inner workings, so in a way i'm happy i bought this piece of shit, i have learned a lot from it.
Oh the MiniSD Supercard doesn't sit very well in the cartridge slot, because the knockoffs got the wrong type of miniSD socket. I protected the board temporarily with tape and filed down a protruding bit at the bottom of the miniSD socket, which exposed a tiny coil spring, which i epoxied back into place. Puh.
And CRTs are kinda awesome, flawed but awesome. They're flickery but they're super fast, they have geometric issues but they have excellent colour and contrast. Depending on construction, they can have a pretty remarkable punchy brightness. In the later years and high-end models, a lot of progress was made with ARASC anti-reflection coating, it could almost completely remove light sources, reducing them mostly to a barely noticeable purple blob. I mostly had Diamondtron monitors that used to cost thousands, made by Mitsubishi-NEC and Iiyama.
these kind of videos are totally worth the wait
great work GC
Hey, I was wondering if you're going to make a samus returns geek critique, because I loved your metroid videos, and samus returns has been out for well over a year now
The Lamer Gamer Its my favorite Metroid game. Yep, better than Super Metroid.
Looking through every corner in a sonic game IS fun!...
in cd when that's how the game is designed to be played
I miss when there was ONLY ONE SONIC. When I was 8, I got an Advance SP and managed to collect all 3 advance games. To me, Sonic was Sonic, like it's supposed to be. No classic or modern labels. And I wish it had stayed that way
Nice to see you back, I love your content! Keep it up, man.
You got it! :D Thanks!
As a non-edgy Shadow fan, I wish Shadow gets to be in some 2D Platformers eventually.
It feels so long since your last video, so glad there's finally a new one!
6:47
Me with green eyes: is this some sort of peasant joke that I’m too rich to understand?
Great retrospective as usual! Saying that this game was "the first Sonic Advance" rather than the 4th classic Sonic game pretty much sums up how I feel about this game as well, mainly since as a kid the first Advance game I played was 2. Once I went back to 1 from 2, it felt a bit rough around the edges, and I personally thought 2 was much more memorable, although 1 isn't bad by any means.
Also hey, I think your pink GBA is pretty stylish! Although talking about the GBA's screen makes me realized how spoiled I was as a kid, as when I was in elementary school, I got a GBA SP and I didn't even know that the GBA's barely visible screen was a thing.
I'm gonna have to disagree when it comes to the music, while I can agree that it doesn't really sound like Sonic music and about the GBA sound in general being less than stellar, this OST is still one of my favorites of all time. The OST of the game brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it, and this is coming from someone who doesn't have nostalgia for it as I never played it growing up.
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO!
I hardly got to play Sonic Advance (I did get Advance 2 and 3 however) so it's cool to see it talked about years later.
Makes me want to try and search for a copy of the game every time I see another video about it, regardless of if somebody has good or bad things to say on it.
Thanks for the video, looking forward to the next one!!!
This certainly wasn't the "real" Sonic 4, but it WAS a distinct positive in a series that so often has its negatives accentuated... like the games we DID get under the Sonic 4 moniker.
Though I think a lot of us would agree that Mania finally met those standards, am I right?
I'm happy to see you reviewing each Advance game separately. I love all 3 of them but for very different reasons.
i've been checking back here every few days for about a month just waiting for this episode! thanks for putting out the great work
I started watching your videos when you made the Metroid reviews and i inmediately marathoned your videos, hope you keep pumping them out man, amazing work
I might argue that the reduced enphasis in rolling into a ball and the more classic platforming might be a balancing issue because Amy is now part of the cast and she can't roll into a ball
I also am a huge fan of this game. A friend lent it to me in middle school and I never looked back.
The weird thing about Sonic 4, is that it actually uses the physics from the Sonic Rush series, even early builds of the game used the Sonic Rush model.
Sonic 4 was not even meant to be Sonic 4, it was just going to be Sonic The Portable, a simple mobile game, there are left-overs of that title in-game that you can find in the background of the Casino levels.
Seems that just take the opportunity of a 2D Sonic game being made and slapped the 4 logo on it. Some speculate it was a SEGA of America decision but that's a rumor.
Oh yeah, I remember when the JTAG leak happened, and it was clear what was going on even then. I'll talk about all that in the eventual Sonic 4 episode.
Sonic Advanced was really unforgiving, like going even a slight faster than what the designer wanted you would die over and over on the same place
This is my favorite Easter gift. Always glad to see something from the Geek Critique.
If I got to the store and a pink gba was all that was left, I'd go to a different store.
Some of the best sprite work I've ever seen and I never knew Knuckles could float!
Oh god! I have been wondering why nobody talks a lot about these Sonic Advance triology on TH-cam until today! 😍
I'm frankly a 2000s gamer, and the Sonic Advance triology was my childhood. I absolutely LOVED the way you critically reviewed everything 💞 The nostalgia hits right on the bull-eye of my heart 🎶 I can't wait to hear more of the reviews of this game's sequels in the following seconds 😍
Thank you for making them! 😁
I really understand the "Cheap" enemy placement argument. On my first playthrough, it really discouraged progressing quickly as I always had to fear running into an unreactable enemy, so I always had to either roll or move slowly.
However, I don't think the problem stems largely from the large character size compared to the very little screen, not faulty level design.
This was a fantastic video, mate! Really looking forward to this Advance series retrospective, as I grew up with them and can definitely identify with their merits and flaws.
17:36 partially wrong. first ever sonic game by dimps was sonic pocket adventure for the neo geo pocket color, but it's just sonic 2 again
That's wrong on both counts! It's true that some of the dev team at SNK who made Pocket Adventure would go on to found DIMPS, such a company didn't exist yet.
And while Sonic Pocket Adventure may use assets from older games (most prominently Sonic 2 for its graphics and Sonic 3 for its music), the level layouts and most of the bosses are completely original.
Gotta love that clicky stick!
Notification squad flex
I’ve always said that Pink is the most masculine color!
If anyone tells you otherwise, pull up all the historical accounts showing that pink, tight, high heels, wigs and makeup all started as masculine fashions lol
I just picked this up about a month ago and played it for maybe ten minutes. After watching this it’s time to really dig in, great video
14:25
The important thing is you recognized how different the stage design was & great the music was in both Egg Rockets. Seriously love how unique that stage is & I can't put my finger on why
Also, THANK YOU for showing Astro Boy: Omega Factor! I love that game! I hope you do a video on it one day! I loved your Tropical Freeze and Dreamcast videos, and I’m a little bit jealous of the fact that you got to play the last SEGA system ever!
One thing I like about this game is standing into the middle of where a metal capsule and seeing the characters gotten squashed in there but not loosing any rings. That was funny.
So happy to get this Easter present! Been looking forward to it for months
Sonic Advance was a delight to play back when it came out. It was the first new GBA game I had gotten with my GBASP in fact. Seeing this makes me want to revisit the game with the rest of the trilogy.
13:26
Somebody's playing Sonic 3 Complete
Why not? This game is freakin great!!!
@@Cloud971 Sonic 3 Complete is probably the definitive experience, but then again Sonic 3 A.I.R. exists now
@@symphomaniac sonic 3 AIR had his problems
@@framedthunder6436 True, but that widescreen though
@@symphomaniac But for example sonic 3 complete has corrected super sonic sprite and offer a ton of options
18:58
How is it that no one commented about that?
The translucent pink color looks awesome! Had the original purple one and always thought the translucent ones looked way better. Also I never noticed the display was so dark and difficult to look at and I played a lot on my GBA 😅
I've waited a long time for this, my little geek friend.
Sonic Advance-the only Sonic game I played as a kid, the only Sonic game I've played a meaningful amount of in my life, and...my introduction to how much I suck at platformers. I remember spending a lot of time trying to find something to do in the Chao Garden out of frustration at not being able to get anywhere in the main game.
That's a pretty literal title for you. Yes, it is a modern-style classic game. Literally.
no music credits :( does anyone know where he got the sweet cover/remix that plays at 12:04 ? there's another similar cover later in the video and i'm dying for the source
I swear this must have been seriously trippy as hell back in the day.
Haha, indeed it was. The closest thing we'd have now would be Mario appearing on an Xbox or PlayStation, which would probably be even more surreal, but not *quite* in the same way. Mario wasn't created to rival those companies, and Nintendo hasn't been competing quite so directly against them in a long time.
Oh my god your commentary kept me intrigued the entire time! Nice video!
Spoilers: they didn't because outside of what a Lot of peaople say out of purê nostalgia, Sonic Advance 2 is a terrible game.
Great Vid Josh can't wait to see the next one
I can't say Advance 2 is a terrible game (just boring and monotonous) but I would agree that it's the weakest of the trilogy.
Glad to see ya back!
I definitely have a soft spot for the Advance games, probably some of my favorite GBA titles... Glad to see you covering them!
On my way to work only to see you posted a new video. This is gonna be a great day.
I recently dug out my old GBA (I pre ordered mine so I have a manly blue one). I got an upgrade kit to put in a backlit screen and it is an incredible improvement.
I swear, once I get my debt under wraps, I'm gonna become a patreon. :) You really are one of the greats~
The original GBA was like playing consoles in the pre HD era. At the time it, the visual issue was noticeable but easy to ignore. We were used to it. In retrospect it was horrible because we've seen so much better since then.
Sonic Advance 2 is where my start with this series is. My favorite of them all
Sonic Advance 1 was the first of the Advance series I've played. It's not my favourite of the trilogy though (that would be nostalgia talking), that goes to Advance 3.
A new Geek Critique?
HELL YEAH
I don't think I've ever seen this pointed out, but this metal knuckles is actually based on 2 knuckles glitches. The disguise is based on the pallette error of knuckles in sonic 3, but the actual metal knuckles looks like they're based on the whechidna from knuckles chaotix.
Happy Easter! Great video man
I could have sworn you were going to at one point say "Well the physics aren't EXACTLY like the Genesis Sonic games, but they are close enough." Then again I've never played SA, only SA3. Is this game's physics that much more like the Genesis Sonic games or did you figure it wasn't a detail worth bringing up?
I haven't played them in too long to say if they differ within the Advance series, but they definitely aren't the same as the MD games (or even anywhere near close enough, imo).
I'm glad that the DS is backwards compatible with GBA games
*Hears someone say GBA* we talkin' bout' Golden Sun? No? Okay... I'll just be over there, pretending I'm not listening
I fell you dude. Golden Sun is awesome.
The Advance series is what introduced me to the Sonic franchise.
When a new video comes out I always have to watch the first lot before watching the new video.
The bad screen on the intial GBA model is such a shame, because aesthetically I love the chasis of the console. It just screams early super late 90;s/super early 2000's consumer electronics, almost a similar look and feel to what the dreamcast itself had: Put up the default, frosted transaprent blue GBA with the transparent Hello Kitty dreamcast and you have a hell of a pair.
10:06 I didnt even know it was possible to do that til now
the Sonic Advance series was so damn good
Surprisingly jacked TH-camr comes back! My favorite channel
I initially got all the "chao" emeralds during my San Diego vacation in 2004. The sunny weather made it to where I could actually see the screen okay, when I should have focused more on my actual trip.