Sonic Advance

A 2D platformer where you pick from four characters—Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, or Amy—and race through side-scrolling zones to stop Dr. Eggman's takeover of South Island. Each character plays differently: Sonic's got a splice shield, Tails flies, Knuckles glides and climbs walls. Amy can't spin-dash or roll into a ball when jumping, so she swings her Piko Piko Hammer instead, making her the odd one out mechanically. Grind rails show up here in 2D for the first time. You can also unlock a two-character mode where Tails follows Sonic around automatically. Multiplayer modes and mini-games round out the package. It's classic Genesis-era Sonic structure with updated character designs and a few new tricks borrowed from the 3D games.