Sonic Adventure - Reception and Legacy

Reception and Legacy

The reception at the time of original Dreamcast version was very positive, with reviews from GameSpot and GameSpy being above 90%. The current GameRankings average ranking is 88%. It became one of the few Sega All Stars games. In Japan, it received an excellent 38 out of 40 from Famitsu. Although criticized for its camera system, framerate issues, and fishing stages with Big, the game was still highly praised for retaining the fast and enjoyable gameplay that Sonic was known for in 2D as well as the game's graphics, multiple character storylines, and soundtrack. Brandon Justice of IGN rated the game an 8.6/10, criticizing various glitches and voice acting while praising the game's visuals and gameplay. On the other hand, GamePro gave it a 5/5 saying, "Sonic is fun, fast, and a great reason to purchase a Dreamcast". The game has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling Dreamcast game. This includes one million sold in the United States.

The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 ports were panned by many critics for their lack of polish as well as the original game's more noticeable age, with IGN UK's Arthur Gies giving the Xbox 360 version a score of 3.5/10 and calling it "so fundamentally flawed that it borders on unplayable--the sections that move the fastest, that work best, require the least input from the player." 1UP.com criticized both the game's dated mechanics and the perceived lack of effort put into the port, which "feels like it wasn't even tuned for the Xbox 360 controller." By contrast, Gamer 2.0 claimed that the controls were "slightly more responsive than those of the Dreamcast original," and Classic Game Room praised the HD version, opining "That the gameplay has improved a bit speaks to the quality of the game design." PlayStation LifeStyle scored it 8/10, complimenting the "frantic, fun gameplay" and "tons of replayability", concluding that "If you manage to overlook the glitches and dinky camera, you'll easily find a gem (or emerald) in this Dreamcast classic."

In 2009, GamePro listed the game as the seventh best platformer of all time, asserting that while it had not aged well in certain respects, its core gameplay "is still some of the best" in the entire series, and its visuals and scope were "hip and cutting-edge" for the time.

For Sonic's 20th Anniversary, Sega released Sonic Generations, a game that remade aspects of various past games from the franchise. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version contained a remade "Speed Highway" level, and a remade battle with Perfect Chaos. The Nintendo 3DS version contained a remade version of the "Emerald Coast" level.