Strange world - Sega's Sonic now for Game Cube

Sega and Nintendo once were archrivals, their platforms battling like the characters in their games to dominate the videogame console market.

Times have changed.

After the unfortunate Dreamcast passed away last year, Sega has become strictly a maker of games. Nintendo, meanwhile, is besieged by muscular rivals -- Sony with its hugely popular PlayStation 2, and Microsoft's new Xbox.

So maybe it's not so strange after all to see Sega's corporate character, Sonic, showing up as the star of a game for Nintendo's latest platform, the Game Cube.

"Sonic Adventure 2 Battle" isn't all-new, but it is improved over the Dreamcast version. It's also the first title to take advantage of a cable that can link your GameCube with a Game Boy Advance to transfer data.

The single-player game is excellent, with more than 150 missions over more than 30 stages, and the multiplayer arena also dazzles, with plenty to keep two players busy.

The multiplayer games come in half a dozen formats. In Battle mode, games include "Treasure Hunt Race" and "Shooting Battle."

The single-player game lets you play the Hero side, where electric-blue Sonic leads his pals into battle against the evil Dr. Eggman, a mad genius with an IQ pegged at 300.

If you're feeling a little nasty, you can play on the Dark side as Shadow, a black-tinged hedgehog created by professor Gerald Robotnik, Eggman's grandfather.

You'll also meet good-guy Knuckles the echidna and Rouge, a slinky lady bat.

Your characters battle through a spectacular array of arenas, from jungles to deep space, with the usual zillion gold rings to collect and pitfalls to avoid.

If you've ever played a Sonic game, this latest version will be very familiar. However, be prepared for surprises. SA2 is far more than a speedy hedgehog.

If you can't find something to entertain you in this game, you need to check your pulse.

Graphics are an A+. Sega's use of color and amazing detail make SA2 a visual treat. The game keeps up with the speed of the characters.

Control gets a B. Making your character follow commands is seriously simple. The game's only real problem knocks this rating down: The camera location often is troublesome, providing a great view of everything except what you need to see. This is one of those constant complaints about video games, and it's a mystery why it can't be fixed before the game hits store shelves..

Sound is also a B, with a variety of music to keep you entertained. Some selections get repetitious, but all in all it's almost as much fun listening as watching.

Give Sonic a B+, with the camera problem pulling it down a bit.