Play Sonic Battle (U)(Rising Sun) Online

Sonic Battle came out for the Game Boy Advance in 2003, developed by Sonic Team. It arrived during a period when the handheld was full of experimental spin-offs, and this one took the series into a fighting game format. You get to play as Sonic, Shadow, Knuckles, and a handful of other characters, each with their own reasons for getting involved in the story.

You control your chosen fighter in small, enclosed arenas, using a mix of standard attacks, special moves, and grabs to wear down opponents. The main objective shifts between story battles and free combat, with a big focus on training the robot Emerl by copying other characters' techniques. Signature mechanics include building custom move sets for Emerl and breaking apart parts of the stage during fights. Matches are fast and sometimes messy, with the camera pulling back to fit all the action. It feels scrappy and immediate, like a quick playground brawl you can pick up between bus rides.