The first 3D Sonic, a dazzling revolution for the Sega mascot. Multiple playable characters, varied levels, exhilarating speed and dynamic staging. A founding genre classic.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player3+
Description
Sonic and friends explore giant 3D environments to battle Dr Eggman in this revolutionary Sega platformer. Published by Sega, released in Japan in December 1998. 3D platformer with six playable characters with distinct gameplay, vast levels, pioneering Dreamcast narration and visuals. Japanese version.
Sonic Adventure review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Sonic's first big leap into 3D, the game unfurls giant, colourful, sun-soaked environments, from coastlines to futuristic cities. Speed is dressed here in spectacular effects and a then-unheard-of staging. This visual exuberance, a pioneer on Dreamcast, keeps an infectious energy.
Carried by Jun Senoue's rousing riffs, the game alternates energetic rock and sunny themes from one character to the next. "Open Your Heart" and its raging guitars stick to the dizzying speed of the stages. This eclectic, nervy musical drive went a long way toward defining the identity of modern Sonic.
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The blue hedgehog makes a crashing entrance into 3D: loops, dizzying descents and scripted set-pieces chain together sensations of pure speed. Switching between six characters with distinct styles varies the fun, from frantic sprinting to exploration. Colourful, ambitious and bursting with energy, a console landmark that breathes drive and freedom.
Sonic Adventure is the original Japanese edition of Sonic Team's game, released by Sega at the Japanese launch of the Dreamcast. Collector value comes from the specific Japanese sleeve and from the initial pressing keeping the original build before the adjustments applied in Western and International versions.
A cult cover
Sonic leaps out of the frame, finger raised and grin knowing, over an electric blue that pops on the shelf. The dynamism of the pose and the roundness of the character design say everything about the mascot's leap into 3D. Bubbly and instantly readable, it embodied Sega's renewal at the dawn of the Dreamcast.
Is Sonic Adventure still worth playing in 2026?
The first 3D Sonic, Sonic Adventure embodies both the ambition and the contradictions of late nineties Sega. Sonic's own stages keep an exhilarating nervousness, but the six playable characters impose varied styles, some of which have aged poorly. The temperamental camera remains a serious flaw. Despite these limits, the narrative boldness, Crush 40's rock soundtrack and the inventiveness of the Sonic levels still amply justify a session on the console for any fan of the iconic blue mascot today.
