Sega's beloved blue mascot has been given the full 3D treatment in Sonic Adventure, the first game featuring Sonic the Hedgehog on the 128-bit Dreamcast console. Sonic has retained his classic moves from previous games in the series, so players will be able to dash at high speeds, perform spins to defeat enemies and jump into the air to reach suspended platforms. Sonic has also learned how to pick up, throw, and even shake items in his grasp! In addition, the spin attack has been refined: once Sonic is in mid-air, pressing a button will have the hedgehog automatically blast toward an enemy like a homing missile. 

The main game is the Adventure Mode, where you'll be able to explore two areas forming each level: the Adventure Field and Action Stage. The three Adventure Fields (Station Square, Mystic Ruins and Egg Carrier) serve as gateways to the ten stages in the game. Sonic will find himself on a busy street, on a beach resort next to a train station, inside a jungle, and various other settings filled with people to talk to and objects to manipulate. Once Sonic is ready to embark on an Action Stage, he can leave the Adventure Field at any time to travel to a new destination. 

The Action Stage requires the "Blue Blur" to complete a specific objective as fast as possible, such as finding his young friend Tails or retrieving one of the seven Chaos Emeralds in the game. These Chaos Emeralds must be found at all costs -- the evil Dr. Robotnik is planning on feeding them to a strange creature named Chaos. The problem? The water-based alien grows larger and more powerful with every emerald it consumes! Besides confronting Chaos and Dr. Robotnik, Sonic will also have to deal with various robotic creations designed to impede his progress; take them out with his patented whirl and free the helpless animals trapped inside!

Sonic Adventure also lets users unlock the following characters during the course of play: Amy Rose, Knuckles the Echidna, Miles "Tails" Prower, the robot E-102 Gamma, and Big the Cat. Once unlocked, they can be chosen as playable characters with new moves and different objectives! The game is also compatible with the VMU peripheral to save progress (at least ten blocks are required), the Jump Pack for vibration feedback, and features an assortment of mini-games that are waiting to be discovered (such as flying an airplane or racing in a hover car).

Players can even nurture and breed Chao (pronounced "chow") babies after hatching them from eggs. These little creatures need to be cared for and can be downloaded to the VMU to participate in a separate game called "Chao Adventure." After training them on the VMU (this requires 128 blocks), you'll be able to bring them back into the main game to raise as you see fit. This means cuddling them, letting them play with the animals you've rescued, and even teaching them how to swim. Feed them coconuts to make them happy and watch them mature over time! Sonic Adventure also supports the Dreamcast's Internet capability so you can trade your Chaos with friends or post your high scores for all to see.

• Guide the famous blue blur in his first truly 3D adventure
• Run, jump, and spin through ten different stages
• Unlock a variety of classic Sonic characters