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. Mixed: 13 out of 28
  3. Negative: 3 out of 28
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  1. Nintendo Power
    74
    Moves are limited, but the overall experience is tons of fun. [Mar 2004, p.119]
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  2. Siliconera
    72
    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.
  3. Weekly Famitsu
    70
    7 / 7 / 7 / 7 - 28 [Vol 782]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. GamePro
    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.
  6. Computer and Video Games
    68
    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.
  7. 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]
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  8. Next Level Gaming
    62
    The moveset is extremely limited, the action can't be too fast-paced, and it's harder to battle in multi-player mode.
  9. Game Informer
    60
    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]
  10. G4 TV
    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.
  11. 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.
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  12. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    55
    Combat ranges from dull...to freakishly unbalalnced.., and it all gets old very quickly. [March 2004, p.130]
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  13. GBA Central
    50
    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.
  14. Gaming Age
    50
    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.

Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2004
14
#14 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2004
26
#26 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2004

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 56 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 56
  3. Negative: 4 out of 56
  1. ZXSth
    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. MetalReviewer
    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. E102Gamma
    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 »
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