Q&A Page

If you want to ask questions about Sonic Advance International and game modding, you may find the answers that you are looking for in this page!

Select a question to showcase the answer.

Asked Questions

Why does the game have a terrible framerate?

The game is actually intended to run at such a low framerate. This is not a glitch, nor a performance issue.
For more information, check out the Project 60FPS page.

Why is the game lagging so much?

The Android port of Sonic Advance actually have an issue with its sound effects. When the game is playing mutliple sound effects at the same time, the game lags on certain Android devices.
This is an issue that is taken into consideration. Maybe a soution will come in the future.

Why can't I install the game?

Because the game is designed for older Android devices, it is possible that the Google security may recommend you not to install the game from the APK file. When this occurs, try to ignore the security advice to proceed the installation.

It is also possible that the latest Android version may prevent the game to be installed. When this occurs, leave a comment in the Game Jolt/itch.io page or contact Furrican via the Furrican Hompage.

I have a device running an old version of Android. So why can't the game run?

Because the game has been modified to run at a certain API level in order to make it run on modern Android devices, while maintaining compatibility with just enough Android versions.

The game API level is set to 25. Meaning the game can only run on Android 7.1 at least.

If you want to make the game running on older Android devices, you can use an APK Editor tool and change the minSdkVersion to any number you want.

You can learn about the right SDK number to set by looking at API levels based on your Android version via the Android API Levels.

Is Sonic Advance International safe?

Yes. Like many Sonic fangames, this game does not contain any malware or other malicious programs whatsoever.

Can I play Sonic Advance International on PC?

Of course. To do so, you need an Android emulator (like BlueStacks).

Is it possible to add options to adjust the size and opacity of the game controls?

Unfortunately, there are currently no plans on adding options related to the game controls display. But when there is a possibility to add more options in the options menus, this will be the opportunity to add these options.

Can I play Sonic Advance International with a game controller?

Unfortunately, this game isn't designed to be played with a game controller and there are currently no plans on adding controller support.

When playing on an emulator, you can actually use the arrow keys to play, but your controls are limited in this way.

When will the Tiny Chao Garden come out?

There are no plans on adding the Tiny Chao Garden from the original GBA version.

However, it would be nice to partner with someone who can make a fanmade Tiny Chao Garden for Android devices.

Extra Questions

Is Sonic Advance International a fangame?

No. Sonic Advance International is actually a mod of an already existing Android port of Sonic Advance.
This Android port was released in 2011 via a service named Puyo Puyo! Sega. This service is provided by SEGA exclusively for Japanese mobile phones.

Why is the music different from the original GBA version?

Because the Android port of Sonic Advance was designed alongside other games on Japanese mobile phones in mind, the soundtrack are composed of .mid music tracks.
A few music tracks are different from the original GBA version, due to those replaced (the Options theme, Invincibility theme and the 2 first bosses from X-Zone) were licensed by an outsourced team, and not owned by SEGA.

Whereas the GBA MIX soundtrack in the game mod isn't meant to take the same soundtrack from the original GBA version.
Instead, it remixes the MIDI soundtrack by using the instruments from the original GBA version (with the exception being the Invincibility theme).

Is it possible to transfer save data to another device?

Unfortuantely, Sonic Advance International does not allow you to load save data from external save files.

However, transferring save data is a feature that will probably be available in a future update.

Which version of Sonic Advance the International mod is running on?

Sonic Advance International is using the Chinese version of the Android port of Sonic Advance. This version was published by a Chinese mobile service named eGame (爱游戏).
This version was chosen since the MOST Mods release (Version 3.0.0), as it features an external link option in the main menu, which allows to link the game to a website.

How long does Sonic Advance International take to be released?

Sonic Advance International is part of a long-running series of game mods made by Furrican. Even though it started all the way back in 2020, the mod projects didn't have its full-focused development until the MOST Mods project on May 2024.

Because the International Mod project is very close to the MOST Mods, this means it took approximately 7 months for Sonic Advance International to be released.

Although, with more available time and programming knowledge, the mod development could have been shorter than this.

Game Modding

I would like to make my own mod. Can I take Sonic Advance International to work on it?

Yes. Sonic Advance International is free to be downloaded and modified at your own will.

However, while publishing your own mod, make sure to leave credits to Furrican and GdGohan as original modders.

How to mod Sonic Advance on Android?

Sonic Advance on Android can be modded by using different software tools.
It's best to mod on PC for better visibility, but you can also mod on your Android device.

To decompile and/or modify the game, you need an APK editor software tool (like APK Easy Tool, APK Editor or MT Manager).

For the sprites, you can change them by using a drawing software tool (like Paint.net, IbisPaint or Paint Tool SAI).

And for more advanced modifications, APK editor tools can decompile the game's code to Smali. If you have the programming skills and knowledge, you can change the game's code to implement additional functions and modifications.

When I try to mod Sonic Advance on Android, the game doesn't work or is corrupted. What can I do?

If you have touched the game code's, but have no idea how to solve it, try to decompile the game again with the APK editor tool.

If you want to touch the game's code, make sure to understand the programming logic before making changes in the game's code. Otherwise, the game might won't boot.

For the graphics, make sure to set sprites correctly, or the result won't look pretty.

Also, Neo Green Hill Zone has a water animation for the background. If you replace the background with another random one, your background might look corrupted when moving around.

I don't understand Smali language. What can I do?

Smali is a specialised language used to run Android apps. If you want to have a better understading of the game's code, you can convert Smali code to Java by using a Java decompiler software tool (like JADX).

However, some parts of the code won't be decompiled properly, due to compatibility issues. And you cannot change the code when converted into Java to recompile the game directly.

How to prevent my mod to replace the Sonic Advance International app during installion?

To prevent replacing the Sonic Advance International app by your mod, you need to change the package name using an APK editor tool. The package name of Sonic Advance International is int.com.sega.sonicadvance.

On a side note, the game cannot be installed when the version number is lower than the installed app, unless if the package name is different than the installed app.