Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 | |
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Developer(s) | Sonic Team |
Publisher(s) | Sega |
Platform(s) | Dreamcast |
Release | June 19, 2001 |
Genre(s) | Platformer |
Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
Sonic Adventure 2 is a video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Sonic Team for the Sega Dreamcast.
It was released on June 19, 2001 in North America, and June 23 of the same year in Japan and Europe, to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of Sonic the Hedgehog. This game introduces two new playable characters, Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat, and is also the second game allowing the player to take control of Sonic's enemy Dr Eggman. The 1st was sonic R.
Good vs. Evil
The main game theme is the fight between good and evil, so the entire story is divided between two sides, both playable: Hero and Dark. Each side has a Racing, a Treasure Hunting and a Shooting character. Each character has a rival counterpart in the other team. Hero's have Sonic (Racing), Tails (Shooting), and Knuckles (Treasure Hunting). The Dark side has Shadow (Racing), Dr. Eggman (Shooting), and Rouge (Treasure Hunting)
Single Player
As you play, the game will change characters according to the plot and which side you choose; HERO or DARK. For example: If you choose HERO, on one stage you may play as Sonic, and on the next stage, you play as Knuckles. Depending on how well you do in the stages, determines your rank when you finish the stage. The higher your score is, the higher your rank will be. (The Ranks being A, B, C, D, and E, with E being the worst)
Hero Side Story
Renowned hero Sonic the Hedgehog has been framed for stealing a Chaos Emerald from a bank in Central City and has been taken into custody by the Guardian Unit of Nations (G.U.N.), the national military. While the helicopter containing Sonic flies over the city, Sonic breaks free and using a piece of metal from the chopper as a snowboard, Sonic makes his escape. Sonic outruns the police and military and does battle with one of G.U.N's giant walkers: Big Foot. Sonic defeats the robot and encounters a black hedgehog, who goes by the name of Shadow. Shadow stole the Chaos Emerald and uses it to escape with the power of Chaos Control. Sonic is re-captured by G.U.N and taken to Prison Island.
Meanwhile, Knuckles the Echidna is having trouble guarding the Master Emerald when mysterious thief, Rouge the Bat steals it. Dr. Eggman snatches the emerald while they're fighting but Knuckles shatters it. Knuckles sets off to find the pieces and restore the Master Emerald.
On Prison Island, Tails goes to break Sonic free as he knows that his friend is not guilty. Upon arrival, Tails, piloting in his Cyclone walker, saves Amy Rose from Dr. Eggman. Amy finds Sonic and releases him from his cell, Sonic racing off to find Shadow. The two battle and then have to flee when Eggman announces that the island will blow up from bombs Shadow has set.
Later on, Sonic, Tails and Amy witness Eggman destroying half the moon with a powerful weapon named the Eclipse Cannon on board the Space Colony ARK. The three realise that Eggman could destroy Earth with the much firepower and if he gets the seventh Chaos Emerald then he can. Later joined by Knuckles in one piece , Sonic and the others must race to the ARK and destroy the cannon before Earth is blown into extinction. Can they stop Eggman and Shadow?
Dark Side Story
Cooled off after the events in Sonic Adventure, Dr. Eggman hears wind of a top secret military weapon sealed away by G.U.N., created by his late grandfather, Gerald Robotnik. Eggman forcefully breaks into Prison Island in search of his grandfather's weapon: "Project Shadow". After blasting his way through the floors and security systems of the base, Eggman finds what he's looking for.
Activating a stasis pod in a vault, Eggman discovers Project Shadow: A black hedgehog with incredible speed and a high resemblance to his arch enemy, Sonic the Hedgehog. The hedgehog introduces himself as Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform. Shadow immediately disposes of a guard robot and then invites Eggman to the abandoned Space Colony ARK. Shadow shows Eggman the shutdown Eclipse Cannon, which is capable of destroying an entire planet. Shadow and Eggman decide they can conquer the world by collecting the seven Chaos Emeralds to power the cannon, they can make the human race surrender to them. Rouge the Bat who is a thief assists the two villains, but a certain blue hedgehog, two-tailed fox and a red echidna stand in their way. Can Eggman finally conquer the world? Is Rouge really what she says she is? What are Shadow's real motives?
Racing
- HERO: Sonic the Hedgehog
- DARK: Shadow the Hedgehog
The speedy gameplay gamers are most familiar with, players must run to the end of the stage, gathering the most items and rings as possible in the least amount of time.
Shooting
- HERO: Miles "Tails" Prower
- DARK: Dr. Eggman
Shooting is just that: Shooting. The player boards a mech, and plays using a modified version of E-102 Gamma's gameplay from Sonic Adventure. Using laser sights, the player locks on to multiple targets at a time and fires away. The more targets you lock on to at one time, the higher your bonus is.
Treasure Hunting
- HERO: Knuckles the Echidna
- DARK: Rouge the Bat
Slower and based much more heavily on exploration, Treasure Hunting segments force the player to find three items in the least amount of time possible. To help you find the items, you are given a radar that beeps depending on how close you are to the item.
Driving
- All characters
The game features two levels in story mode with kart racing, where Tails or Rouge must drive to the other side without falling off the course or hitting too many cars. There's also a mode with all the characters playable, where you must finish a few laps before the other CPU players, and you get an emblem if you do. You unlock the mode by beating one of the racing levels. Beating the other gives you a Two Player version.
Singleplayer Stages
Hero Side
- City Escape - Sonic (Racing) - Sonic's version of Radical Highway/Mission Street. Sonic first takes to the streets on a board, then goes on foot. The biggest dangers are 2 bottomless pits. Sonic also runs down a building in a tribute to Speed Highway from the original Sonic Adventure, and a large truck chases Sonic in imitation of the whale from Sonic Adventure. Sonic can get his Magic Gloves here but first you'll need the Bounce Bracelet and Fire Ring upgrades to get them.
- Boss: F-6t Big Foot - Sonic (Racing) - Sonic's version of Hot Shot. This robot's weakspot is the cockpit, which is hard to hit while it is flying. It will only land to fire off its homing missiles. This is is your chance to attack. After it has finished firing its missiles, get up close to its front, jump, then perform the Homing Attack for a good chunk of damage.
- Wild Canyon - Knuckles (Hunting) - Knuckles' version of Dry Lagoon. This is split into 3 sections, and a large current of wind helps to deliver Knuckles to the upper areas. Emeralds can be hidden with rocks, too. You can get the Mystic Melody for Knuckles in one of the pictures that you can dig through. This requires the Shovel Claw.
- Boss: Dr. Eggman - Tails (Shooting) - Tails faces off with Eggman on the Weapons Bed.
- Prison Lane - Tails (Shooting) - Tails' version of Iron Gate. Some doors only open when all enemies in the area have been exterminated. The stage has a stronger Gun at the end of the stage, but it requires the Bazooka.
- Metal Harbor - Sonic (Racing) - Sonic's version of Weapons Bed. This is the location of the Light Dash Shoes. There are a lot of hooks that Sonic can hang onto. At the end, Sonic must race to board a missile before it launches, and the stage ends with a boarding scene ala City Escape.
- Boss: Shadow - Sonic (Racing) - Three hits. One must be careful of falling off the stage.
- Green Forest - Sonic (Racing) - Sonic's White Jungle. There are a lot of vines that Sonic must swing or (at one occasion) bungee jump on. At the end of the stage is an earthquake. Also, the first mission has a time limit. Sonic's ability, the Light Speed Attack from Sonic Adventure is hidden here.
- Pumpkin Hill - Knuckles (Hunting) - Knuckles' version of Sky Rail. This haunted place splits into 3 mountains, Church Mountain, Ghost Train Mountain, and Pumpkin Mountain. The names of the mountains describe themselves. Knuckles gets his Dig upgrade here (Shovel Claw), so there are possibly buried emeralds.
- Mission Street - Tails (Shooting) - Tails' version of Radical Highway/City Escape. There are gaps to hover over (the Hover Boost), and this place is known to have few rings and many enemies. Earthquakes are quite bothersome.
- Aquatic Mine - Knuckles (Hunting) Explore a mine shaft, and one can drain the water level to access hidden areas. In the deepest part of the mine, there is a shaft housing ghosts. There is a Air Necklace here that lets Knuckles breathe underwater forever.
- Route 101 - Tails (Driving) Tails' version of Route 280. Drive through the highway and chase the president.
- Hidden Base - Tails (Shooting) Tails' version of Sand Ocean. Avoid the quicksand and get inside the pyramid. Tails' Mystic Melody is here.
- Pyramid Cave - Sonic (Racing) Sonic goes through the haunted pyramid. Here, you find the Bounce Bracelet.
- Death Chamber - Knuckles (Hunting) Knuckles' version of Egg Quarters. Inside the core of the pyramid, Knuckles goes treasure hunting for the key, and the special upgrade, the Hammer Gloves.
- Boss: King Boom Boo - Knuckles (Hunting) Knuckles' first boss battle is against King Boom Boo, the king of all ghosts.
- Boss: Egg Golem - Sonic (Racing) Sonic faces off with the Egg Golem, the guardian of Eggman's base.
- Eternal Engine - Tails (Shooting) Tails' version of Lost Colony/Crazy Gadget. Get inside the ARK and destroy Eternal Engine. Here, upgrade the Cyclone with the Bazooka.
- Meteor Herd - Knuckles (Hunting) Knuckles' version of Mad Space. Collect all the Master Emerald pieces outside the ARK! Knuckles' Sunglasses are here. These glasses can be used to see everything that you can't when you take em off.
- Boss: Rouge - Knuckles (Hunting) Fight Rouge to prove who the greatest treasure hunter is.
- Crazy Gadget - Sonic (Racing) - Sonic's version of Eternal Engine/Lost Colony. Get through the ARK's power plant, switch gravity and grab the Flame Ring!
- Boss: Dr. Eggman - Tails (Shooting) Defeat Eggman to help Sonic save the day.
- Final Rush - Sonic (Racing) - Sonic's version of Final Chase. Sonic must grind on many pipes. This is where Sonic gets the Mystic Melody.
- Final Boss: Shadow - Sonic (Racing) Defeat the ultimate life form and shut down the Eclipse Cannon!
Dark Side
- Iron Gate - Eggman (Shooting) - Eggman's verson of Prison Lane/Security Hall. The greater gun is located somewhere here. Break into the underground base and unleash Project Shadow!
- Boss: B-3x Hot Shot - Shadow (Racing) - Shadow's version of Bigfoot.
- Dry Lagoon - Rouge (Hunting) - Rouge's version of Wild Canyon. Collect the pieces of the Master Emerald scattered in the oasis. Rouge's Mystic Melody is here, and it requres the digging upgrade (Pick Feet)
- Sand Ocean - Eggman (Shooting) - Eggman's version of Hidden Base. Get through ancient Egypt and into the base! Eggman's Mystic Melody is around the spinning ground.
- Radical Highway - Shadow (Racing) - Shadow's version of Mission Street/City Escape. You can get teh Fire Ring here. Watch out for the GUN fighter jets!
- Egg Quarters - Rouge (Hunting) - Rouge's version of Death Chamber. Picky Feet is here. Rouge is forced to find the key to Eggman's base.
- Lost Colony - Eggman (Shooting) - Eggman's version of Eternal Engine/Crazy Gadget. The Hover Boost is aound the dark ARK. Get to the main control room on the ARK!
- Weapons Bed - Eggman (Shooting) - Eggman's version of Metal Harbor. Get the new upgrade, the Bazooka, here. Distract the GUN forces on the sea!
- Boss: Tails - Eggman (Shooting) - Defeat Miles "Tails" Prower.
- Security Hall - Rouge (Hunting) - Rouge's version of Prison Lane/Iron Gate. You can get teh Treasure Scope somewhere in the base. Collect the three Chaos Emeralds before the timer expires!
- Boss: R-1/A Flying Dog - Rouge (Hunting) - Rouge's version of Hotshot. Destroy the flying guard robot!
- White Jungle - Shadow (Racing) - Shadow's version of Green Forest. Blast through the jungle before Prison Island explodes! Get your Light Speed Shoes here!
- Boss: Sonic - Shadow (Racing) - Defeat Sonic the Hedgehog.
- Route 280 - Rouge (Driving) - Rouge's version of Route 101. Chase down Team Sonic!
- Sky Rail - Shadow (Racing) - Shadow's version of Pumpkin Hill. Get your Ancient Light here, and grind through the canyon and get to the top of Pumpkin Mountain!
- Boss: Egg Golem - Eggman (Shooting) - Destroy the rampaging Egg Golem.
- Mad Space - Rouge (Hunting) Here you can get the Iron Boots.
- Boss: Knuckles - Rouge (Hunting)
- Cosmic Wall - Eggman (Shooting) You can get the Shield here.
- Boss: Tails - Eggman (Shooting)
- Final Chase - Shadow (Racing) You can get the Mystic Melody.
- Final Boss: Sonic - Shadow (Racing)
Last Story
- Cannon's Core - Tails, Eggman, Rouge, Knuckles and Sonic (All styles)
- Boss: Biolizard - Shadow (Racing)
- Final Boss: The Final Hazard - Super Sonic/Super Shadow (Superpowered Racing)
Secrets
- Green Hill Zone - Sonic (Racing)
- Test Zone-Sonic (The only way to get this is through an Action Replay™)
Secret Items
Sonic/Shadow
- Light Speed Shoes - This item is only found in Sonic and Shadow's 2nd Stages: Metal Harbor (Sonic) and White Jungle (Shadow).
In Metal Harbor, Sonic can find this along the way.
In White Jungle, Shadow must break a box that will lead him under the ground. Then somersault and there is the Light Speed Shoes.
Description - These can dash through rings quickly, and may attack enemies if you have the Ancient Light. Press B to activate it. This upgrade is called the Light Speed Dash.
- Ancient Light - The Ancient Light is only in Sonic and Shadow's 3rd Stage: Green Forest (Sonic) and Sky Rail (Shadow).
In Green Forest, go to the part where the "Gold Beetle" is floating next to the three robots.Ignore them. When Sonic passes the second Loop-de-Loop AND hit a spring, turn around and you'll see a bombing enemy. Kill it with your Homing Attack, then do it again to get rings. Right next to it is the Ancient Light.
In Sky rail, skip the rocket and use the spring. Hit the bouncy propeller object until you get to the limit. You will see an enemy robot that you need to kill. Following him is a string of robots that you attack until you get to the Ancient Light for Shadow. There's the Ancient Light.
Description - The Ancient Light is kind of like the Light Speed Shoes, except you attack enemies with it. This is called the Light Speed ATTACK. Charge up by using the B button, then when they say "Ready" release when you get near some enemies, and Sonic/Shadow will swiftly move around homing attack these guys, and they die.
- Magic Gloves (Sonic) - You must have the Bounce Bracelet from Pyramid Cave, and the Fire Ring from Crazy Gadget. Once you have these, go back to City Escape. Right after Sonic runs down the building, you use the spring. DO NOT USE THE BARS. If you do, press A immediately to stop. Either way, go to the 4 Iron Boxes on the floor. Bounce on it and you should break through. Ignore the enemies and walk into the Magic Gloves.
Description - These gloves can turn an enemy into a ball and you can use it to hit enemies. Try it on those nearby floating enemies! Press Y until you see Magic Gloves. Then press B nearby the enemy.
- Bounce Bracelet (Sonic) - Sonic will find it along the way in Pyramid Cave.
Description - This upgrade can make Sonic bounce up and down and reach higher grounds. This can also kill enemies from above. Jump and press B to bounce. Continue pressing it and you will be up that ledge in no time!
- Fire Ring - In Crazy Gadget, when you go upside down for the 2nd time, press the switch to go back to normal. If youn can see Iron Boxes blocking the somersault area, then you are in the right space. Jump on the rail and you should go up. That's where you'll find the Fire Ring.
In Radical Highway, when you sping and see rings in front of a STANDING enemy, kill it and you should go up to a curved highway. Go BACK and you'll see that rolling thingy that you have to somersault through. Then take the rocket and voila! The Fire Ring!
Description - The Fire Ring is very important, because sometimes you'll have to break through Iron Boxes. Just somersault and you break the Iron Boxes. The Iron Boxes are the gray ones, not the black.
- Mystic Melody - The Mystic Melody is on Sonic and Shadow's last stages: Final Rush (Sonic) and Final Chase (Shadow).
In Final Rush, when you see a purple and orange rail together, ride the purple one. Before you continue the rail, jump on the nearby rocket and take it. Continue on and you'll find the Mystic Melody.
In Final Chase, you might find a platform when you go on the Spiral Gravity Tube. Jump on it and there it is! The Mystic Melody.
Description - The Mystic Melody is important on the 3rd Mission, because to reach the Chao, you'll need to use the Mystic Melody nearby a old block.
Tails/Dr. Eggman
- Laser Blaster - The Laser Blaster is only found in Tails and Dr. Eggman's first stages: Prison Lane (Tails) and Iron Gate (Dr. Eggman). To get the Laser Blaster, it requires the Vulcan Cannon from Eternal Engine (Tails) and Weapons Bed (Dr. Eggman).
Play Prison Lane as Tails and complete the whole stage but do NOT enter the goal ring. Once you defeated almost all the enemies, walk up to the northwestern corner and turn the camera. There should be just one more floating robot. Destroy it and there should be a gate near you that opens. Destroy the Iron Crates and walk up to the glowing light. There should be the Laser Blaster.
As Eggman in Iron Gate, you should find 4 tall pipes at the middle of the stage. Destroy it and then destroy the Iron Boxes following it. You should find the Laser Blaster there.
Description - This Blaster can home attack a enemy. (NOT the one that Sonic and Shadow do) It can create a big bullet following your opponent. This also holds the laser longer so you could attack more enemies. Plus it has colors. Tails is blue, while Eggman is green.
- Hover Boost Appearing in Mission Street (Tails) and Lost Colony (Dr. Eggman), the Hover Boost can make Tails and Eggman hover over big gaps.
When in Mission Street on the highway, you should find yourself in the 1st collapsing road. When it falls you will find the Hover Boost there.
In Lost Colony, you will be going in a Square. So jump up a stair of boxes and jump a little more and you should find the Hover Boost.
Description - The Hover Boost can be useful when jumping over big gaps. Just jump and hold A to descend through air.
- Mystic Melody - This item can only be found in both Tails and Dr. Eggman's Pyramid Stages.
When you're Tails in Hidden Base, play through the game until you find a door blocked by Iron Crates. Destroy it and enter the door to get the Mystic Melody.
For Eggman, at Sand Ocean, at the beginning, get on the first turnstile. Wait until you see a glowing immage. That's the Mystic Melody. To get it, you have to ride another platform.
Description - The Mystic Melody is important on the 3rd Mission, because to reach the Chao, you'll need to use the Mystic Melody nearby a old block.
- Armor Shield (Eggman) To get the Armor Shield for Eggman, go to his last stage, Cosmic Wall. There when you fall down, land on a platform very close to a platform below. Then jump over to a platform at your left and press a switch. A missle will break a stack of cages, where you can get your Shield.
Description - The shield is important to Dr. Eggman, because it increases his HP.
Knuckles/Rouge
- Mystic Melody - The Mystic Melody can be only found in Knuckles'/Rouge's first stage. You must have the Pumpkin Hills' Shovel Claw and the Death Chamber's Iron Gloves (Knuckles) and the Egg Quarters' Pick Feet and the Mad Space's Iron Boots (Rouge).
In Wild Canyon, go straight into the windy gust throwing you upward. Look to the left and you should see three small buildings containing four boxes in each one. Ignore them. Go straight past them to find the Lonely Statue. Climb above the statue's head straight up and you should see a strange painting. Dig through it to find the Mystic Melody.
For Rouge at Dry Lagoon, it's almost the same as the painting thing. When you start, climb up to the top of the highest point and you should see a bunch of boxes. Break through the iron boxes and there should be a strange painting. Dig in to find the Mystic Melody.
Description - The Mystic Melody is important on the 3rd Mission, because to reach the Chao, you'll need to use the Mystic Melody nearby a old block.
- Shovel Claw/Pick Feet - For both Knuckles and Rouge, you'll find it in both of their 2nd stages.
For Knuckles, you'll find it once you start.
For Rouge, go to the Fish Chaber (blue) and press a missle on top of a table. That should break the cages that lead to a hidden place. Then go under the stomper and you should find it. Remember not to get spotted by the Egg Beetle!
Description - This is important to Rouge and Knuckles. You'll need it to dig.
- Air Necklace (Knuckles) - In Aquatic Mine, set the water level to level 3. Jump down and go on the Level 2 Caution Sign. You'll be in a brick hall filed with water. Find your way through teh dark path and get up into the surface at the end. Jump and there's teh Air Necklace.
Description - This important to Knuckles, since it makes him breathe underwater forever.
- Iron Gloves/Iron Boots - In Death Chamber, the first hall you'll see will contain the Iron Gloves. Go to the right and you'll find it.
In Mad Space, you can find it in the 1st Nearest Planet. Take the rocket there, then under the pod is the Iron Boots.
Description - The Fire Ring is very important, because sometimes you'll have to break through Iron Boxes. Just punch and you break the Iron Boxes. The Iron Boxes are the gray ones, not the black.
- Sunglasses/Treasure Scope - This does require the Iron Gloves for Knuckles, and it requires the Mystic Melody and the Iron Boots for Rouge.
In Meteor Herd, the blue giant rocks can break through the metal door. Eitehr one of them will contain a switch in a Iron Box. Break it and activate the switch. Then go to the highest point of the tower and drop down to the bottom. There you'll find the Sunglasses.
In Security Hall, run to Level B and you'll see a Old Block. Use it and 4 platforms will appear. Break the Iron Boxes and there's the Treasure Scope.
Description - The Sunglasses/Treasure Scope can make the character see things that they can't see when not using it. You could find rings, lives, etc.
Reaction
Opinions of Sonic Adventure 2 are variable among both professional reviewers and fans of the Sonic series. Although the initial Dreamcast release of Sonic Adventure 2 generally received positive reviews (with the game's smooth graphics praised as some of the best visuals on the system), the GameCube port (Sonic Adventure 2: Battle) faired considerably worse, despite having no single player gameplay changes from the Dreamcast version. Among professional critics, the most persistent complaint of both Sonic Adventure titles is the camera system: largely fixed, it is difficult to successfully adjust before it automatically snaps back into its original preset position. The game's linearity is another common criticism; the speed-based levels are simply single-lane highways suspended over bottomless pits, with few of the opportunities for exploration found in the earlier games.
Other complaints among both reviewers and fans of the series fall on the fact that secondary characters often steal the spotlight from Sonic himself (fewer than one third of all the game's stages are dedicated to racing as Sonic or Shadow), and that cartoon characters such as the Sonic cast do not fit with the realistic, human-populated environments of the Adventure games as well as they did with the similarly stylised levels of the 8- and 16-bit titles.
Players have also noticed that the game's plot — of a giant space colony threatening to crash into Earth and cause widespread damage — resembles those of Sonic Team's earlier game Burning Rangers and Capcom's Mega Man X5.
Despite these criticisms many fans still consider Sonic Adventure 2 largely successful and certainly one of the best recent Sonic games, with a fair number even hailing it as the greatest to date.
Easter Eggs and Trivia
- The original plan for Sonic Adventure 2 was very different from how the finalized game ended up. It is thought that originally the game would feature only Sonic, Knuckles and Eggman as playable characters, but, after fan outcry of key characters (specifically Tails) not being playable, Tails, Rouge and Shadow were added to the roster of playable characters.
- Additionally, the game was to feature branching storyline pathways: at key points of the game, the character you were playing as would be presented with a choice on how to solve a situation. Depending on your answer, it would change what levels your character visited. This concept was removed midway through development, but eventually ended up being implemented in 2005's Shadow the Hedgehog. One of the examples described for Sonic Adventure 2's usage of this system was that Sonic was trapped in a submarine; he had two options: try to pilot the submarine to safety, or open the hatch and try to fight his way to the surface (despite not knowing how to swim). No submarine scenario whatsoever was in the final version of Sonic Adventure 2 nor in Shadow the Hedgehog.
- This was the first game the San Francisco based Sonicteam USA had developed, and many stages in the game were inspired by the developer's new California based location; the steep hills of City Escape are meant to represent San Francisco, while the huge bridge in Radical Highway and Mission Street are meant to represent the Golden Gate Bridge and surrounding area. (Mission Street is a famous street in the city) Route 101 and Route 280 were named after actual highways in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Big the Cat cameos in a secret location in every single stage in the game, as well as many boss fights, and even certain cutscenes. However, several of the cameos were removed in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.
- Sonicteam went to great lengths to ensure the name and appearance of the character Shadow the Hedgehog remain as secret as possible. Eventually these details were leaked accidentally by toy company ReSaurus when they announced they would be producing Sonic Adventure 2 action figures. (These figures were never actually produced, as ReSaurus went out of business - However, different Sonic Adventure 2 action figures were eventually produced by Joyride Studios.)
- Packaged in with Online RPG Phantasy Star Online, the original demo for Sonic Adventure 2 contained many slight changes over the final version of the game; most notable was the fact that Sonic was still wearing his original trademark shoes. It wasn't until a few months before the retail release of Sonic Adventure 2 that Sonicteam revealed a merchandising deal with Soap Shoes.
- Another somewhat major change in the demo was a different script for the opening Helicopter Escape sequence. Most interesting is the fact that, in the original demo, one of the pilots actually swore; as Sonic made his escape, one of the pilots exclaimed "What the hell?" - by the time the finished game was released, this line was changed to "What in the world?".
- Other changes in the demo include a different logo, different road-side billboards, different sound effects, looser controls and physics, and a different instrumental version of the song, Escape from the City.
- Based on texture/model file names on the Sonic Adventure 2 disc, Shadow the Hedgehog's original name was to be "Terios". In Japanese, "Terios" translates to several meanings - most notably, "Reflection" and "To Shine Brilliantly". Shadow might also be a tenrec.
- Whereas in Sonic Adventure, Eggman was a derogatory nickname Sonic used to insult Robotnik, Sonic Adventure 2 solidifies "Dr. Eggman" as Robotnik's new official name, although, he still uses "Robotnik" on the screen when he blows up half of the moon and as his family's last name (As evident in Professor Gerald Robotnik and Maria Robotnik).
- Incredible attention to detail was paid to certain textures. In most games and animation, when a newspaper clipping or otherwise is shown, generally, because the viewer cannot see what the paper says, mostly gibberish is written. In Sonic Adventure 2, objects such as the Newspaper clipping featuring Tails receiving the Chaos Emerald and the printout on the Biolizard Rouge has feature actual, readable text pertaining to their related subjects; although it is very difficult to read in-game, using texture editing tools, the contents of these papers finally became readable. The printout for Biolizard details its lifecycle before the incident at ARK (making some sort of reference to the date of January 27th), and the newspaper describes how Tails recieved a Chaos Emerald after saving Station Square from the missile Dr. Eggman launched in the original Sonic Adventure.
- By further digging around in the disc's contents, cut dialogue has been discovered in Sonic Adventure 2; the first pieces of cut dialogue are between the President and his Secretary - the President believes the planet is doomed, and that Sonic and Shadow won't be able to stop the Space Colony ARK in time, but his Secretary urges him not to give up believing in Heroes. This scene was restored in the Sonic X anime adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2, and is referenced in 2005's Shadow the Hedgehog. The second piece of cut dialogue is during the ending credits; as Tails and Eggman discuss Professor Gerald, Eggman begins to walk away to leave - He declares he will still conquer the world, and from there he and Tails make a pact, that the next time they meet, neither of them will hold back.
- The game suffers from poor translation. For example, in The Last Story, When Shadow declares "Is that what Chaos Control is?", the line, translated correctly, should have read "Was that Chaos Control?" (Or, instead, simply "..Chaos Control?") Other such translation oddities include English speaking characters shouting Japanese exclamations ("Teria!", "Yosh!", etc.).
- One of the posters in City Escape reads, "SA2 is habit forming. DON'T TURN OFF YOUR DREAMCAST" (In the Gamecube version, the posters simply read "DON'T TURN OFF"). And some of the benches say "EMERALD NOTWORK" insted of "Emerald network"
Rouge's Report
As Sega often does, in the Japanese Official Strategy Guide to Sonic Adventure 2, some interesting and exclusive content was provided that sheds slightly more light on the events that transpire in the plot; "A partial excerpt from the last investigative report by Rouge, about Project Shadow". Rouge, who was a double agent for the government in Sonic Adventure 2, gives us a peek at what she uncovered about Shadow the Hedgehog's mysterious origins.
In it, Rouge notes she has discovered a letter to Professor Gerald Robotnik from the President of that era, requesting that Gerald research "mankind's ultimate dream", the secret to eternal life. Gerald would have no part in the research, declaring that it was "like playing God". Further research on Rouge's part reveals that Gerald was ultimately forced to accept the position after his granddaughter, Maria Robotnik, contracted the disease NIDS (Neuro Imuno-Deficiency Syndrome, Sonic Adventure 2's fictional representation of AIDS). With no cure for NIDS, Gerald entered the program in hopes that he could treat her illness using data he gathered from his research into eternal life.
Thus, Project Shadow was born, aboard the Space Colony ARK. Here, the confidential research began by experimenting on Lizards, and their regenerative growth abilities. However, applying Chaos Emerald Energy to the test subject became too risky, and it became violent and out of control. It is unknown how, but information about an accident involving a mutated lizard, "The Proto-Type of the Ultimate Life-Form", was leaked to the Guardian Unit of Nations. By taking advantage of the situation aboard ARK, G.U.N. enacted a procedure under the codename, "ARK's Indestructible Seal", with the ultimate goal of erasing the existence of Project Shadow indefinitely.
However, there was a miscalculation: By the time G.U.N. arrived on ARK, they discovered Gerald was already placing the finishing touches on the finalized "Ultimate Life-Form", a hedgehog named Shadow. Gerald, Maria, and Shadow attempted to escape the ARK before the G.U.N. could seize Shadow - but in the commotion, Maria was accidentally shot and killed. With her last ounce of strength, she ejected Shadow's escape pod to Earth. At the time of Sonic Adventure 2, it was unknown if the Shadow ejected to earth that day was the real Shadow; however, this question was eventually answered in 2005's Shadow the Hedgehog.
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle | |
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Developer(s) | Sonic Team |
Publisher(s) | Sega |
Platform(s) | GameCube |
Release | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Genre(s) | Platformer |
Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
There was an update to Sonic Adventure 2 for the Nintendo GameCube, called Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. This version was released on December 10, 2001 in Japan, February 12, 2002 in North America, and on the GameCube's launch (May 3 2002) in Europe.
This game added new "Battle" multiplayer options, like the addition of new charactistics to the additional multiplayer characters that were in the available unlockable in the original. The multiplayer characters that were unlockable in the other game are now playable from the start, and other new bells and whistles were added.
This game also changed a large portion of raising Chao, the A-life form available in both Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2. A Chao's stats can be viewed from within the game. You can also transfer one Chao from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle to Sonic Advance, Sonic Advance 2, and Sonic Pinball Party with the GCN-GBA Link Cable. Also the introduction of Chao Karate, in which the Chao stats are used for stats in fighting, and the Chao fight in a fighting game style, with little influence from the player.
In both the Dreamcast and Gamecube version, after collecting all 180 emblems, you can unlock a 3D version of the Green Hill Zone from Sonic 1, with a remixed version of the music from the original.
In the GameCube version, the boxes in the Crazy Gadget level have a red 'x' on them instead of the Dreamcast's version's green 'x'. This is possibly because the Xbox bears a striking resemblance to the boxes with the green 'x'.
Ironically, this version of the game did not get as good reviews as its Dreamcast predecessor, possibly as it was seen as technologically behind most other GameCube games; despite added visual flourishes such as some levels containing additional rain effects, new textures, and marginally enhanced player models.
However, to date, the game has done well sales wise with sales (2006) of 1.14 million, making it one of Gamecube's highest selling games.
Playable Characters in all modes
Playable Characters in 2-Player
- Amy Rose
- Metal Sonic
- Tikal the Echidna
- Chaos
- Chao
- Dark Chao (remake only)
- Big the Cat (Sonic Adventure 2 only)
- Eggrobo (Kart racing only)
External links
- Sonic Adventure 2 at MobyGames
- Sonic Adventure 2: Battle at MobyGames
- The Green Hill Zone: Sonic Adventure 2
- goodcowfilms.com: farm: games: sonic adventure 2 (dreamcast)
- Sonic Adventure 2 (Battle) time attack records at The Sonic Center