Sonic Advance 3

Sonic Advance 3 is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps and published by THQ for the Game Boy Advance and the final installment of the Sonic Advance series. It was first released in North America on June 7, 2004, later in Japan on June 10, 2004 and then in Europe on June 24, 2004. The game uses elements from Sonic Advance and Sonic Advance 2, as well as allowing the player to choose an additional partner, who augments the player's actions. The Chao Garden mode from the previous Advance games has been removed due to memory limitations, and the Chao Garden in this game serves to help the player view the Chaos Emeralds and chao they have collected.

Storyline
Doctor Eggman tears the Earth apart using Chaos Control, and Sonic is separated from Knuckles, Amy, and Cream and is stranded with Tails. The two begin to search for their friends and the source of the trouble (which is the separation of the Chaos Emeralds). But like always, Eggman is making everything from doomsday devices to kooky contraptions and is trying to vanquish Sonic once and for all. Oddly, Sonic Unleashed features the world split in seven as a story element.

Gameplay
The basic gameplay combines both the gentler platforming of the original Sonic Advance, and the speed-orientated gameplay of Sonic Advance 2, to provide an experience close to the original games. This time however, Sonic Advance 3 introduces a new game feature called "Tag Action". Tag Action is similar to Sonic the Hedgehog 2: 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 for to use special abilities. With the addition of Tag Action, the player teams up two playable characters. The different combinations lets the player use different abilities. Some teams have their own name: Any other team will show OK.
 * Unbreakable Bond: Sonic & Tails or Tails & Sonic
 * Fighting Buddies: Sonic & Knuckles or Knuckles & Sonic
 * Lovely Couple: Sonic & Amy or Amy & Sonic
 * Team Jubilee: Amy & Cream or Cream & Amy

Some abilities are exclusive to certain teams. For example, Sonic needs to be paired with Tails and Cream needs to be paired with Amy in order to pull off some of the trick maneuvers introduced in Sonic Advance 2.

Each team has a Type, and there are 3 types : Speed type, Power type, and flight type.

if Sonic in a team (leader or partner), then the team has a Speed type.

if Knuckles in a team (leader or partner) except Sonic & Knuckles or Knuckles & Sonic, then the team has a Power type. if 2 of these 3 charecters in a team : Tails, Cream, or Amy, then the team has a flight type.

Playable Characters
The game features a partner system, meaning the effects of one character will be affected by who he/she is partnered with. For example, if Sonic is paired with Amy, Sonic can attack with a hammer, but has a jump instead of a Spin Attack. In contrast, if Amy has Sonic as her partner, she is able to use the spin attack.
 * Sonic the Hedgehog is playable from the start. Can perform a spin slash in mid-air. His Tag Action is to give the main character a speed boost, and you can Ball up by Pressing Down during the Tag Action.


 * Miles "Tails" Prower is playable from the start. Can use his tails to fly for a short while. His Tag Action is to lift the character up.
 * Knuckles the Echidna can be unlocked by completing Sunset Hill (Zone 2)Act 3 with Sonic as team leader. He can glide across distances and climb on walls. Characters he partners with have more powerful attacks. His Tag Action sees him throw the player, breaking some objects other characters normally can't. His other Tag Action is to glide with the main character.
 * Amy Rose can be unlocked by completing Toy Kingdom (Zone 4),Act 3 with Sonic as team leader. Her abilities focus around her Piko Hammer,She can't spin without Sonic, Her Tag Action has her whacking down her hammer, launching the player high into the air.
 * Cream the Rabbit can be unlocked by completing Cyber Track (Zone 6),Act 3 with Sonic as team leader. She can launch a homing attack with her chao, Cheese. She also has flying abilities, although she tires quicker than Tails. Her Tag Action gives the player a personalized Chao that he/she can attack with for a short while.

Enemies

 * Dr. Eggman is not playable except in multiplayer mode for 2P in the "Nonaggression" stage. He found Emerl's parts and turned them into Gemerl

Gemerl
Gemerl is a robot that appeared in the Game Boy Advance game Sonic Advance 3. According to the official Japanese website of Sonic Advance 3, Dr. Eggman created Gemerl from the remaining "data" of Emerl. Gemerl is Dr. Eggman's henchman for the most part of the game until he betrays him in the final battle and is later reprogrammed by Tails to be friends with Cream and her mom, in an allusion to Sonic Battle.

Gemerl has the ability to "merge" with other machines, and as such co-pilots all of Eggman's boss vehicles. Unlike Emerl, Gemerl often uses his jetpack, either to fly or to tackle enemies. He can also teleport, fire barrages of missiles, and create a red energy shield around himself. By his fighting tactics, he is like Mecha Sonic.

If the player collects all of the Chaos Emeralds in the game, Gemerl becomes extra final boss of the game and uses the power of the Chaos Emeralds to transform into a powerful orb-shaped machine. The Chaos Emeralds cause Gemerl to become destructive, like the last time Emerl had encountered the seven Emeralds together back in Sonic Battle, and Gemerl betrays Eggman by throwing him at Sonic before escaping. Sonic takes the discarded Emeralds, turns into Super Sonic, and teams up with Eggman to defeat Gemerl during the final boss stage. This round form of Gemerl has four extend-able arms with claw-like hands that can fire energy beams and missiles. His only weak point is his gem, which is protected and impossible to harm unless Super Sonic charges Eggman with energy and throws him at Gemerl.

After Gemerl is defeated, Cream and her mother, Vanilla, find his broken body on the beach, and take him to Tails. Tails then proceeds to repair Gemerl. In the final scene of the game the now apparently good-natured Gemerl is seen playing with Cream at hers and Vanilla's house. A small ending scene after the credits show Cream chasing Gemerl, falling, and starting to cry. Gemerl comes back to Cream and pats her on the head; Cream then feels better and runs off-screen with Gemerl.

Voice cast
This is the very last game to use the original Sonic voice actors before they were changed to the Sonic X cast. It also contains the last voice acting done by Deem Bristow before he passed away.

Reception
Overall, Sonic Advance 3 received positive feedback from most outlets, receiving a 9/10 from GameZone and an 8/10 from Gaming Target.

Sonic Advance 3 has sold over 1.5 million copies since its release.