Sonic Battle

Game Boy Advance
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release Date: Jan 5, 2004
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 28
  2. Negative: 3 out of 28
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. AceGamez
    90
    A charming game with a riveting plot and, most of all, a fun and challenging engine at heart.
  2. Pocket Games
    90
    Stuffed with enough game modes and options to make many console fighting games jealous. [Spring 2004, p.46]
  3. 90
    It offers up quite an astounding amount of depth for such a pint sized fighting game and allows for some truly exciting multiplayer madness.
  4. Not only does this game offer probably the best multiplayer Game Boy experience since "The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords," but the story mode, challenge mode, and excellent gameplay make it a great single player experience as well.
  5. Play Magazine
    83
    The fighting constantly evolves and always has an angle beyond mere versus encounters. [Mar 2004, p.72]
  6. 80
    It does try hard to be what Smash Bros. is, and even though the game doesn't quite reach the same status Nintendo and HAL created for the Nintendo consoles, Sonic Battle has enough stuff to make it one of the top original fighters on the Game Boy Advance system.
  7. 80
    A fun game to bash around with, and it's one of the best Sonic offshoots the series has seen so far. If you can get over the odd balance, you'll find that it's also one of the best pick-up-and-play fighters on the GBA, too.
  8. Even though the controls are tight and responsive, you’ll be left wondering why your character didn’t pull off a move that you entered. Button mashing will probably work fine for most players, instead of trying to work on a particular move.
  9. A good substitute for "Super Smash Bros," and while you may find it lacking in certain areas, the fast-paced design and raucous battle mode more than compensate for the majority of the game's wholly subjective shortcomings.
  10. Sonic Battle’s strong point is definitely its visuals. Everything has more detail than you’d think with a GBA game.
  11. 75
    A solid and pleasantly deep arena beat-'em-up with lots of longevity, and through the presence of the Hedgehog and his posse adds absolutely nothing to the game, it's nice to see them getting work in these tough economic times.
  12. A surprisingly creative, fun take on mascot-driven fighting games.
  13. Nintendo Power
    74
    Moves are limited, but the overall experience is tons of fun. [Mar 2004, p.119]
  14. It's fun for a short period of time, easy to beat and doesn't have a strong multiplayer mode. A solid rental, but there are better games out there.
  15. Weekly Famitsu
    70
    7 / 7 / 7 / 7 - 28 [Vol 782]
  16. 70
    The biggest problem with Sonic Battle is the poor game design in Story mode. Earning Skill Points, and thereby new abilities for Emerl the Robot, is a grueling ordeal.
  17. With a few more buttons to play with you could have a broader list of moves for the Hedgehog and also a decent amount of control.
  18. Entertainment Weekly
    67
    While the graphics and some of the battle moves are impressive, Sonic Battle would have made more sense as a minigame inside the last Sonic GBA release, the infinitely more playable "Sonic Advance 2." [13 Feb 2004, p.L2T 18]
  19. The moveset is extremely limited, the action can't be too fast-paced, and it's harder to battle in multi-player mode.
  20. The single player story mode is unspeakably repetitive, and the multiplayer games can be equally frustrating since the eight playable characters are seriously unbalanced. [Apr 2004, p.110]
  21. 60
    It's definitely not what most players have in mind when it comes to the speeding rodent, but for multiplayer-centric GBA owners, it's worth a ride.
  22. Cheat Code Central
    60
    You can't fault a developer for trying something new with an old product but it does kind of feel as though Sonic is being thrown against many walls to see where he'll stick. Sonic Battle is not much more than a novelty.
  23. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    55
    Combat ranges from dull...to freakishly unbalalnced.., and it all gets old very quickly. [March 2004, p.130]
  24. Won’t last long as a single player game - combat’s a little simple and the gameplay modes on offer are just too dry to provide any lasting entertainment.
  25. It looks good and the fights are simple while offering just enough strategy to keep from becoming too boring. It's too bad the same can't be said for the story mode, and an even bigger shame the best part of the game, a customizable character, can't be achieved without suffering through the single player experience.
  26. Fighting really isn't Sonic's strength - at least not with regard to good gameplay. He needs to be kept on his feet - a balled blur of blue - not flat on his face.
  27. TotalGames.net
    30
    Take a bowl of Capcom's Dreamcast title "Powerstone," add a pinch of Sonic then empty half of the mixture into the sink, and you have Sonic Battle.
  28. games(TM)
    20
    If ever a title were to prove that 3D fighters don't work with sprite-based characters on a small screen, Sonic Battle would be that game. Attack connection is nothing short of a joke and the appalling character balancing doesn't make it any funnier. [Feb 2004, p.116]

Awards & Rankings

38
14
#14 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2004
26
#26 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2004
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 56 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 56
  2. Negative: 4 out of 56
  1. Feb 27, 2023
    7
    A surprisingly deep and interesting Sonic game that throws a wrench in what one might expect from a Sonic game. While certainly full ofA surprisingly deep and interesting Sonic game that throws a wrench in what one might expect from a Sonic game. While certainly full of arbitrary 'padding' (and unnecessarily lengthy as a consequence), the gameplay is above average for what could be reasonably expected of a fighting game on the GBA, and plays like an isometric Smash Bros. game with some light role-playing mechanics. While not necessarily excellent and occasionally frustrating, Sonic Battle is a reasonably enjoyable fighting game that inches towards excellence, but reaches something just shy of it. Full Review »
  2. Mar 7, 2022
    8
    A simple enjoyable beat-em-up with a surprisingly great plot behind it. If you enjoy simply flinging characters into walls, this one's up your alley.
  3. Nov 15, 2021
    3
    Sonic Battle was the first game on the Game Boy Advance I ever owned and it was fine at first but once I started playing the story modes ISonic Battle was the first game on the Game Boy Advance I ever owned and it was fine at first but once I started playing the story modes I gave up once Rouge kidnapped Emerl. The difficulty spikes in this game is the biggest problem. The AI of your opponent never improves. The game's challenge is beating the same character over and over. Sometimes under a time limit, sometimes with a handicap. The fight itself isn't challenging unless you're playing as Emerl. The combat is clunky and unsatisfying and the RPG gimmicks are starting to feel very stale in these post - Saturn Sonic games. The 3D environments might have looked impressive for the time and the art style is indeed very neat. It's just a shame that this game is such a bore and sometimes a frustration to play. Full Review »