Sonic Advance 2

 Game Boy Advance
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Mar 9, 2003
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 104 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 104
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 104
  3. Negative: 9 out of 104
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  1. ohaiKendyl
    May 20, 2011
    9
    The fastest of the Sonic Advance trio, and arguably the best. Pros: Excellent graphics, control, and sound; witty level design; lots of new moves and characters to play. Cons: Bad boss battles; secondary multiplayer.
  2. rhaynes7
    Nov 23, 2013
    9
    After making the excellent Sonic Advance, how on Earth would they make Sonic Advance 2 better. Well, in almost every way. The music and sound quality is better. There's little animations before you start your zone that make the game feel more lively as well. With new tricks added to grinding, ramps, and bumpers, it adds a new layer of precision to objects that used to fling you aroundAfter making the excellent Sonic Advance, how on Earth would they make Sonic Advance 2 better. Well, in almost every way. The music and sound quality is better. There's little animations before you start your zone that make the game feel more lively as well. With new tricks added to grinding, ramps, and bumpers, it adds a new layer of precision to objects that used to fling you around where you had no input while you were flying by.

    This game is better, stronger, and faster than the first Sonic Advance. It leads the game to feel more epic and thrilling, and the running boss fights are an excellent addition, but also quite challenging.

    Probably the only thing that has always bugged me was how difficult finding the special rings are. It's particularly difficult as you will likely fly past one without realizing, and you must make a certain path to each one. Some are intuitive to find, but others are so far off the beaten path. I've spent hours in a zone searching, and that's just not fun. Still, the extra boss is great and was worth the torment.

    Overall, this game builds upon the first and makes it much better. On the other hand, must won't see the whole game through because of how difficult finding those special rings are.    … Expand
  3. GaryR.
    Apr 24, 2003
    10
    Great game. Better than the first Sonic Advance game. 2D Sonic rules!
  4. GamecubeLover
    Aug 6, 2016
    10
    The 2nd one is amazing with better levels, better bosses, more characters, more variety, more addicting, and more entertaining and combine those and you get a great game.
  5. TomS.
    Jul 29, 2003
    9
    Wicked fun but no chao until you complete it.
  6. AmyRoses
    Nov 27, 2016
    8
    Sonic Advance 2 is a major step down from Sonic Advance. The basic gameplay is the same, but, unfortunately, there are some key differences that ruin some of the fun. It's not a bad game by any means, but Sonic Advance is just much better.

    The story is pretty much the exact same as Sonic Advance 1, so no points for originality. However, as I said in my review of the first game, it's the    Sonic Advance 2 is a major step down from Sonic Advance. The basic gameplay is the same, but, unfortunately, there are some key differences that ruin some of the fun. It's not a bad game by any means, but Sonic Advance is just much better.

    The story is pretty much the exact same as Sonic Advance 1, so no points for originality. However, as I said in my review of the first game, it's the gameplay that counts. It's a Sonic game.

    Sonic Advance 2 does everything Sonic Advance does. Like Sonic Advance, the game goes back to the roots of Sonic, taking gameplay from the Genesis trilogy, and moving it to the Gameboy Advance. The main mistake this second iteration makes is it's over-reliance on speed. Sonic Advance 1 sacrifices some speed in order to keep the game fun and simple. Sonic Advance 2 goes over the top with speed, and as a consequence, the controls are much less tight. This wouldn't be a problem if the stages were built around speed. Unfortunately, this isn't the case, as another place where Sonic Advance 2 steps down from the original is level design. The first 3 or so Zones are fine, but after that, the number of cheap deaths via bottomless pits is unbelievable. That said, the Zones are generally still enjoyable, you just have to slow down. This focus on slowing down in later Zones just ruins the whole 'fast' thing.

    The Special Stage access is also a severe downgrade from Sonic Advance, which is saying something. Instead of the only slightly annoying spring system, Sonic Advance 2 forces you to look through the level for special rings. These rings will never be picked up by accident. You have to actually take time to look around the level, which yet again, makes me wonder why they tried so much to focus on speed.

    The graphics, however, are yet again brilliant. They even took the time to create new animations for all of the characters, which is greatly appreciated. The zones are also even more beautiful than Sonic Advance's, most of them being colourful and fun to look at.

    This game, once again, features four playable characters. The four characters that this game features are Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Cream, a new character. Cream is essentially an 'easy mode', with Cheese easily taking out bosses without effort at all. This is fine and all, but where's Amy? Amy is actually a secret fifth playable character this time around, and you must obtain all 7 Chaos Emeralds as all 4 characters to unlock her. This sounds like a joke, but it's true. This is a choice I just can't comprehend. Why is she only playable after putting yourself through literal torture? Who thought that Amy Rose, of all characters, was something people would put this much effort into unlocking? If that wasn't bad enough, they changed Amy's moveset into a Sonic clone. No longer does she have a unique way of playing through the game.

    The music in this game is a step up from Sonic Advance. Every track is memorable, my favourite being both of Music Plant Zone's tracks. Not only is the music itself amazing in this zone, but the sound effects from the various objects in each act make it the most memorable Zone in the entire Sonic Advance series.

    Overall, Sonic Advance 2 is a good game, but it doesn't quite reach the level of the original. It's essentially Sonic Advance with worse level designs and faster speed. It's still really fun, but I'd recommend playing the first game over this one.    … Expand
  7. Chrisl
    Jan 6, 2004
    10
    It is an excellent game but i cant find enough special rings theirfor ich cant get the crazy emeralds.
  8. IsaacR.
    May 1, 2006
    8
    I like it! it's just that..... getting all seven of the chaos emeralds are sort of a hard thing to do for such a fast pace game.
  9. Darb
    May 25, 2003
    9
    Sa2 is a good game that will keep you busy for awile with its chaos emerald collecting which is used to unlock features in the game. the game is faster than sa1. the bosses do get annoying, but over all, it is a great game that goes good with your collection. i gave it a 9 because it is one of the best game so far on the gba, but nothing much new, but that can be a good thing for changeSa2 is a good game that will keep you busy for awile with its chaos emerald collecting which is used to unlock features in the game. the game is faster than sa1. the bosses do get annoying, but over all, it is a great game that goes good with your collection. i gave it a 9 because it is one of the best game so far on the gba, but nothing much new, but that can be a good thing for change can sometimes be a bad thiing. the multiplayer is a must play as well. i very recommend this game.… Expand
  10. ChrisF.
    Jul 8, 2004
    9
    Very good game great characters and great animation.
  11. KendylKlownfish
    May 5, 2011
    9
    The fastest Sonic Advance of the trio. Pros: Excellent graphics and control; new moves; witty level design; variety of characters to play. Cons: Additional features such as mini-games would've been fun; bad boss battles; secondary multi-player mode.
  12. Luigithemetal64
    May 16, 2015
    8
    Could be better than the first game. The game is what you expect from other Sonic games from the Genesis. This game introduces Cream the Rabbit, who is one of my favorite Sonic characters. You rescue your friends as Sonic in one of the zones.

    This game can be hard in 4 directions. It bugs me on how the Special Rings counter doesn't even tell you what S Ring did you get. You'll probably    Could be better than the first game. The game is what you expect from other Sonic games from the Genesis. This game introduces Cream the Rabbit, who is one of my favorite Sonic characters. You rescue your friends as Sonic in one of the zones.

    This game can be hard in 4 directions. It bugs me on how the Special Rings counter doesn't even tell you what S Ring did you get. You'll probably get either the 3rd or 4th ring without even knowing that you missed the others ones. Assume that that there are 4 rings before the checkpoint, check every place find them. But, there is no coming back once you passed the rails, cannons, or large gaps where you'll be able to fly back. Try to remember where you can find those in an Act in each Zone that is easy for you.

    The Special Zones can put you at risk. make sure you get any ring, streak of rings or the 5 rings, you find to maximize your multiplier to get the Chaos Emeralds. When trying to run from the robot that is close to you, do a jump so you'll bounce ahead off the robot to accelerate.

    The most annoying part of the game is that when you pause an quit, you are not taken back to the level select, it takes you back to the main menu. You'll lose those extra lives. When trying to find the Special Rings, realizing you missed a few, it'll take about 6 seconds to go through the menu, select your character and get back to the main game. Sonic is the hardest because he doesn't have any flight moves.

    The bosses are quite the challenge unless have extra lives. Cream is your best character for this. She can throw her Chao, Cheese, into the bosses without getting hurt. This is why Cream is character that you will love as a character and a fighter.

    You can spend hours trying to find the Special Rings to get the Emeralds, and fighting Eggman. Tails, Knuckles, and Cream is who you can rely on in this game.    … Expand
  13. therealarien
    Oct 5, 2014
    9
    Sonic Advance 2 sits snugly between 1&3 as the standout entry on the GBA. Faster than 1 and less gimmicky than 3, it really nails that feeling of speed and is simply more fun to play. Using the R button for mid air moves is a joy and the rails are much more than a tacked on feature like in the first entry. The later levels are subject to cheap deaths where you'll plummet to your doomSonic Advance 2 sits snugly between 1&3 as the standout entry on the GBA. Faster than 1 and less gimmicky than 3, it really nails that feeling of speed and is simply more fun to play. Using the R button for mid air moves is a joy and the rails are much more than a tacked on feature like in the first entry. The later levels are subject to cheap deaths where you'll plummet to your doom and earning the final secret zone is OBSCENELY difficult, but overall i'd say this is the quintessential sonic experience on a handheld. Holding down "right" never felt so right… Expand
  14. SonicDude
    Oct 16, 2015
    10
    Sonic Advance 2 is better than Sonic Advance in every way!Positive: Better Music, better graphics, a lot faster than before since you go really fast, A great new character, super fun zones fun but challenging bosses , The fact that you have to unlock characters, a story plot, Awsome tricks , new moves, more ways to do a level and more! Negative: Very hard and annoying ro get special ringsSonic Advance 2 is better than Sonic Advance in every way!Positive: Better Music, better graphics, a lot faster than before since you go really fast, A great new character, super fun zones fun but challenging bosses , The fact that you have to unlock characters, a story plot, Awsome tricks , new moves, more ways to do a level and more! Negative: Very hard and annoying ro get special rings for special stages, A few bad acts and no choa garden. Overall this game is a must get for all gba owners or emulator owners.… Expand
  15. Dylan707
    Nov 24, 2015
    8
    This was the game I grew up on. The levels seem more wacky than Sonic Advance.Dislike the emphasis on speed and the chaos emerald system, which to me is the worst of the advance series. The special stages are generic and it's a chore to get to them.
  16. JPK
    Aug 19, 2018
    9
    Once Again
    Sonic Advance 2 Has Everything That Made The First One Good But Has New Tricks And Some Surprises.
  17. MrTacoBob
    Aug 30, 2017
    9
    Again sonic advance succeeds! Still I don't know why people hate this game? Heck I think the sequel is a bit better than the original! But there are few flaws. But anyways it passes for me!
  18. Mutty99
    May 25, 2021
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Evident improvement from the first Advance title. Better music, better stages, Cream the Rabbit makes her debut, and the boss mechanic changes into an unique experience: On the run, with pinch phases.
    The only issue this game has it's the process to unlock the Extra Zone, which I found way too time consuming: to unlock true Area 53, you have to beat the game and get every Chaos Emerald, with ALL 5 CHARACTERS. It'd have been better to share the unlocked emeralds, to not play the stages over and over again just to unlock those coloured diamonds.
    Apart from that, if you're willing to go through a challenging and hard adventure (I think this is the hardest out of the Sonic Advance games), you'll have a fun time with this title.    … Expand
  19. BM30
    Jun 29, 2020
    8
    Sonic Advance 2 is a great game! But in my opinion I think SA1 is better. Although the gameplay feels better, I do think the levels in advance 1 is better. 8/10
  20. SpotBox
    Sep 17, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a good sequel to a game that I love. You can play a lot of levels and you can choose 5 characters. I like how the game also introduced a new character! The music is fire, the graphics are wonderful, the controls are OK. The reason I like this game better than the first is that you can make the characters faster and the game seems more fast-paced, but both games are awesome! I also think that the fact that the characters have their own unique powers (some of the characters) are amazing. Sonic has super speed, Tails can fly, Knuckles has super strength, Amy doesn't really have a special power besides swinging at things with her hammer, and Cream can also fly. My favorite character is Knuckles because he can glide so he can just skip most of the levels just by gliding and that's it but then again, that actually makes the game boring. But he can also punch things. It may be useless as you can just spin jump on the robots, but it can also be useful at times when a robot is coming for you and you are in a tight space. Knuckles can also climb up stuff such as loops in case there are coins there and then when he jumps off, he can glide. (man, he can do a lot of things). I like this game a lot. It is very dope and there is so much fun stuff you can do in this game!… Expand
  21. GameDudeGuy
    Feb 4, 2021
    9
    If i was a critic i would give this game a 95 but since i am not i cant but hey its better than the prequel its just good
  22. ibblue07
    Oct 30, 2021
    9
    Sonic Advance 2 is a vast improvement over the original game. I consider it to be the best game in the trilogy.

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2003
10
#10 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2003
7
#7 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. Eurogamer
    90
    It takes a tried, tested, and thoroughly flogged old genre and injects some more speed and ingenuity into it, and there's a heck of lot of replay value here, even if the game's levels can probably be beaten in a few hours.
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  2. Gamestyle
    80
    Slight negativity aside, Sonic Advance 2 represents Sonic at its best - fast, slick, looking great and offering yet more of those bonus features (now unlockable, however). Whilst technically there have been better Sonic games, none have managed to quite capture the frantic essence of speed and style like this does.
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  3. AceGamez
    80
    People looking for a good side-scrolling game will enjoy it and Sonic fans everywhere will be delighted at another chance to return to the old-school roots that made Sonic so great back in the day.
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