Release Date: 06/07/2004

Developer: Sonic Team

Publisher: Sega

Genres: Platform

Co-op: No

ESRB: E - Everyone

The basic gameplay combines the traditional platforming elements of Sonic Advance, and the speed-orientated gameplay of Sonic Advance 2, to provide an experience similar to the original games. Sonic Advance 3 also introduced a new game feature called "Tag Action". Tag Action is similar to Knuckles' Chaotix: the player picks two characters and controls one while the other will just follow along controlled by the computer (or player two in multiplayer mode). Additionally, in a feature first seen in Knuckles' Chaotix the character can pick up the teammate by holding R, and then release them to use special abilities. Certain pairings, such as pairing Sonic and Tails or Amy and Cream, give the player access to the trick moves from the previous game. At the start of the game, only Sonic and Tails are playable. By completing certain levels with Sonic as the team leader, Knuckles, Cream and Amy become playable. The games features seven main levels (Route 99, Sunset Hill, Ocean Base, Toy Kingdom, Twinkle Snow, Cyber Track and Chaos Angel), each with their own "Zone Map". These maps have three acts which can be played in any order, but all three must be played before the boss can be fought. These maps also contain two mini-games in which extra lives can be earned. The player can change between maps by entering the "Sonic Factory". Here, the player can also change characters and access the level's "Chao Playground", which contains all the Chao found in that level. The player needs to find 10 per level in order to access the Special Stage and earn Chaos Emeralds. Two additional levels follow Chaos Angel - the final boss, "Altar Emerald" (The shrine of the Master Emerald) and the extra boss, "Nonaggression", which can only be accessed when playing as Sonic after all seven emeralds have been collected.