After 2005's smash hit Sonic Rush, it seemed that Sega had successfully returned to what made the series so popular since its roots on the Mega Drive - namely speed, colourful visuals, simple gameplay and a killer soundtrack that reminded many fans of the series' heyday. Then along came the lacklustre Sonic The Hedgehog on PS3 and 360, and critics and gamers alike had their opinions split once again. It seemed as if Sonic was left eating the dust of the next generation, lingering in gaming limbo.

A lot then was riding on the success of Sonic Rush Adventure and, long story short, it delivers on all fronts and is a worthy instalment for the series. But how do Sonic Team take a game franchise that's sixteen years old and still manage to squeeze new life out of it? While previous games lacked a story with any real depth, this title has a fun plot, many colourful characters to interact with and much more meat on its bones than its older incarnations.

Following a plane crash, Sonic and sidekick/enemy magnet Tails awake on a desert island. After meeting new character Marine the Raccoon, the trio discover that the only way they can make it back to civilisation is to search a nearby cluster of islands for materials to build a boat sturdy enough to take them back to the mainland, and thus begins a journey across several colourful levels littered with lush visuals and lots of breakneck speed.

Actually, 'lush' is an understatement, because Sonic zips along each level at blistering speed and neither the frame rate nor visuals suffer as a consequence, moving between 2D and 3D sections without any issues at all. The switch of dimension is surprising at first and looks fantastic as players bounce about on springs into the foreground and then back into the distance, while the camera swings around, never causing annoyance. Controlling Sonic is as easy as ever, with jumping assigned to B, coupled with returning moves such as the spin dash. Fans of the series will be familiar with the control method and this adds to the ease of play; zipping around a host of springs, bumpers and loops is as much fun as it ever was and throw in the ability to swing from vines, blast out of cannons and corkscrew around pipes and Sega has created a very appealing package when it comes to the gameplay.

The trick system makes a welcome return from Sonic Rush and works in exactly the same way as before; tapping X or R while in the air or while grinding rails makes Sonic perform a variety of cool-looking moves that boost your score. Trick scores along with time and ring count add up to your level rating and trying to beat your own scores will become very addictive indeed, as this unlocks better materials for making faster and more powerful boats.

Ah, the boating sections. These sounded dull in magazine previews and an awful lot like horrendous driving sections thrown into action games that usually feel tacked on. But no, they're actually great fun! Using the stylus to steer each craft is easy and responsive while plotting a route on the world map with the stylus before you cast off works just like the dog-walking dynamic from nintendogs. Each craft can only travel so far and speeding out into uncharted waters can unlock new sections and bonus challenges. The more of the map you uncover, the more things there are to see and do in the platform sections and the need for completion will soon take over; you'll be sailing out to every uncovered nook and cranny in the off-chance that a new bonus is hiding there!

Before tackling the deep blue sea there is plenty to do in the hub area of the game, which is found in Marine's home, Southern Island. Here you can retry levels to bump up your scores without the need for replaying the same boating runs again and again to reach the stages. There are characters to interact with and secrets to unearth in this area, including the game's Wi-fi battle mode, which is accessed via a terminal in the back room. Battle mode is a great addition to the game and includes Collect Rings and races that include several power ups and power downs - such as 'slow downs' - that can greatly affect the outcome of each race. It's fun and recalls Sonic 2's excellent battle mode - ah, sweet memories!

Another major difference between the 2D and 3D Sonic titles is the quality of audio. Gone are the J-Rock nightmares and 'surfer duuuuuuuude!' dialogue that plagued Sonic Adventure; the music in Sonic Rush Adventure bears a resemblance to the Mega Drive series and makes the whole package that bit more enjoyable - there is style and substance oozing from this game's every virtual pore.

If there is a downside (and it was extremely hard to find one as this game's charm cannot be denied), it's that the inclusion of new characters with daft names will irk those who just want a game focusing on the blue fella and not his throwaway troupe of stereotype characters. Beggars however, cannot be choosers, and while Sega fans have begged so long for a worthy sequel, they will just have to make do with this shining example of a Sonic game done very well indeed.

Like a gift that never stops giving, Sonic Rush Adventure is chock-full of content that never gets dull. The imagination and character poured into every inch of the game world must be applauded. Sonic has found a new home on the DS and until Sega can solve the puzzle of successfully transporting the series over into the third dimension, the Rush series provides more than enough quality gaming to excuse any recent misfires that the Sonic series may produce. Say this to a Sega fanboy back in 1991 and you would be greeted with ridicule, but say it now and all fits quite nicely, because this title fits perfectly in the Nintendo canon and will hopefully spawn more worthy sequels in the future. Kudos Sonic Team, you've finally nailed it!

Reviewed by Dave Cook for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).