Chaos and Sonic adventures go hand in hand, and Sonic Advance 3 brings a massive dose of chaotic action to the Game Boy Advance.

First, the bad news: the diabolical Dr. Eggman broke the world into seven parts. The good news is Sonic and Tails are around to stitch the world back together. In order to make things right, our heroes need to recover the seven Chaos Emeralds.

If you've played a Sonic game in the past, the basic play of Sonic Advance 3 is going to look familiar. Sonic speeds through various stages in each world, collecting rings, smashing up the bad guys and running at supersonic speeds. This time, though, the character you choose gets a partner to tag along and help your character through the stage.

At first, you can only choose between Sonic and Tails. But as you progress in the game, you run across Sonic's pals Knuckles, Amy Rose and Cream the Rabbit. Not only does a partner give your character moral support, the partner shares its attributes with your character. For example, if Sonic is your character and Tails is his partner, Tails can throw Sonic way into the air or Tails can use his tail as a propeller and left Sonic overhead.

Hold down the L and R Buttons and release them to have Tails throw Sonic. To perform the propeller move, hold down the L and R Buttons, make Sonic jump and release the buttons before Sonic hits the ground. Tapping the A Button will make Tails lift Sonic higher into the air. Conversely, if Tails is your character and Sonic is his partner, Sonic can give Tails an insane burst of speed. Other unique character attributes:

• Sonic -- increases your max speed
• Tails -- increase your ability to jump
• Knuckles -- increase your attack power
• Amy -- gain the Piko Piko hammer attack
• Cream -- gain the ability to do a homing attack

In order to collect the seven gems, Sonic and company need to find 10 Chao (tiny green creatures) in each area. Once all 10 Chao are found, you get to compete in a special stage to earn a gem. Some of those Chao are harder to find than a flaw on a supermodel. You'll need to search each level multiple times until you snag all of the Chao.

Play as one of five Sonic characters and chose one of the others to be your partner

Multiplayer modes for up to four players, including two-player co-op

With a Game Pak and the proper number of Game Boy Advance Game Link Cables, up to four players can compete to find the most Chao. With multiple Game Paks, four players can race in a 2-on-2 battle mode. If you're looking for eye-crossing speed, play the Time Attack mode and go for the fastest time in areas you have played and with characters you have unlocked.