Sonic Adventure 2

Sonic Adventure 2, like its predecessor, is a 3D third-person action platformer. The game features two storylines, “Hero” and “Dark,” and players can progress through either at any time. In the Hero story, players control Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails, while the Dark story involves Shadow, Rouge, and Dr. Eggman. Each character’s gameplay is similar to their counterpart in the opposite storyline. The game consists of stages where players control one of these characters, and each stage includes boss battles. To complete the main storyline, players must finish both Hero and Dark modes, unlocking an extra story where almost all characters are used.

The objective in Sonic Adventure 2 is to reach the end of stages while a timer records the time taken. Characters collect Rings, which protect them from enemies and obstacles; losing all Rings upon being hit, and losing a life if hit without Rings. Instant deaths occur from drowning, being crushed, or falling into pits. Checkpoints provide power-ups based on the number of Rings collected. At the end of each stage, players receive a score and a letter grade based on their performance, with A being the highest.

Each Action Stage has five missions: completing the level, collecting 100 Rings, finding a lost Chao, finishing within a time limit, and completing a Hard mode version. Completing all missions and achieving A ranks earns Emblems, with a total of 180 in the game. Collecting all Emblems unlocks a Green Hill Zone remake.

Chao, small creatures from Sonic Adventure, return and can be raised in Chao Gardens. Their appearance and alignment change based on the character’s treatment. Chao treated well by Hero characters or poorly by Dark characters become Hero Chao, while those treated well by Dark characters or poorly by Hero characters become Dark Chao.

Character-Specific Gameplay

High-Speed Action Stages

Sonic and Shadow’s gameplay in Sonic Adventure 2 mirrors Sonic’s style from Sonic Adventure. Both characters are the fastest in their respective storylines, capable of using a Spin Dash to rapidly gain speed and a Homing Attack to target and strike enemies or obstacles. Their stages conclude when they touch a Goal Ring.

Sonic and Shadow can also upgrade their abilities by collecting Level Up Items. With the Light Speed Shoes (Sonic) or Air Shoes (Shadow), they can perform the Light Speed Dash. Finding the Ancient Light allows them to execute the Light Speed Attack. Additionally, obtaining the Flame Ring enables Sonic and Shadow to use the Fire Somersault.

Lock-On Shooting Stages

Tails and Dr. Eggman in Sonic Adventure 2 have gameplay styles similar to E-102 Gamma from Sonic Adventure. They pilot the Cyclone and the Eggwalker, respectively, and utilize a Health Gauge that is replenished by collecting rings. If the Health Gauge is depleted, the player loses a life or gets a Game Over if they run out of lives. Despite their slow movement and limited jumping ability, Tails and Eggman can target enemies and obstacles using the Lock-on function and destroy them with the Lock-On Missile. They can also use the Volkan Cannon, a mini-gun that is less effective than the Lock-On Missile.

Both characters can upgrade their abilities by collecting Level Up Items. The Bazooka (Tails) or Large Cannon (Eggman) increases the power of the Volkan Cannon. The Booster (Tails) or Jet Engine (Eggman) enables hovering. The Laser Blaster enhances the Lock-On Missile by causing explosive damage to nearby enemies. Additionally, Eggman can collect Protective Armor to increase the durability of his Eggwalker.

Hunting Stages

Knuckles and Rouge share the same gameplay style as Knuckles from Sonic Adventure. Players control them to find three Master Emerald shards or similar objects hidden within each stage. The Emerald Radar helps locate these hidden objects by indicating proximity. Although Knuckles and Rouge are slightly slower than Sonic and Shadow, they can glide to descend slowly and traverse large gaps. When they hit a vertical wall while gliding, they can climb it, allowing them to scale the wall. Additionally, they can dig into solid ground to uncover buried objects.

Scoring System

In Sonic Adventure 2, players can earn points through various actions:

• Rings: Collecting a ring adds 10 points to the score.
• Tricks: From Sonic Adventure 2 onwards, performing tricks and Trick Actions in specific areas or after jumping off gimmicks like rails or ramps can earn points, with a maximum of 1000 points per trick.
• Objects: Destroying objects such as wooden boxes grants 20 points per destroyed object.
• Emerald Shards: Points for finding objective items (Emerald Shards, Chaos Emeralds, gate keys) depend on the speed of collection, decreasing with the use of Hint Boxes. The first item’s score is based on the stage’s elapsed time, while subsequent items depend on the time taken since the last item. The highest score is 2000 points for finding an item within one minute, plus a base score of 500 points.
• Lock-on: Points increase based on the number of enemies and targets locked onto at once, with a maximum of 2000 points for eleven or more lock-ons.
• Enemies: Points vary by enemy type. For example, defeating the Gold Beetle, one per level, awards 1000 points. Chains of defeated enemies, particularly in stages involving Eggman and Tails, yield additional points.
• Time Bonus: Calculated as (10000 – 20 \times N), where (N) is the number of seconds elapsed after the first minute of the stage.

Score Classes

Enemies	Score	Class
2	100
3	200
4	300
5	400
6	500
7	600
8	800
9	1000
10	1500
11	2000

Enemies

Controls

General

Button Formation	Movement
	Move
	Jump
/	Action
	Switch Action Window
L / R	Rotate camera
START	Pause

High-Speed Action Stages

Button Formation	Movement
	Sonic	Shadow
/	Somersault
Hold / > release	Spin Dash
Jump >	Homing Attack
/ on Rail	Crouch to accelerate
/ near rings	Light Speed Dash
Jump > /	Bounce Attack

Lock-On Shooting Stages

Button Formation	Movement
	Tails	Dr. Eggman
/	Volkan Cannon
Hold /	Lock-on
Lock-on > release /	Lock-On Missile
/ near enemy	Propeller Punch	Punch
Jump > Hold	Hover

Hunting Stages

Button Formation	Movement
	Knuckles	Rouge
/	Punch	Kick
Hold  while midair	Glide
Glide into wall >	Climb Wall
+ / in water	Swim up and down
/ after jumping/while on wall	Dig

Objects

Items

Gimmicks and Obstacles

Level Up Items

Main article: Level Up Item

Playable Characters

• Amy Rose (multiplayer)
• Big the Cat (multiplayer)
• Chao Walker (multiplayer) (first appearance)
• Chaos (multiplayer)
• Dr. Eggman
• Knuckles the Echidna
• Metal Sonic (multiplayer)
• Miles “Tails” Prower
• Rouge the Bat (first appearance)
• Shadow the Hedgehog(first appearance)
  • Super Shadow (first appearance)
• Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Super Sonic
• Tikal (multiplayer)

Non-Playable Characters

Enemies

• Artificial Chaos(first appearance)
  • Artificial Chaos P-1 (first appearance)
  • Artificial Chaos P-100 (first appearance)
  • Cell (first appearance)
  • Float Type (first appearance)
  • Guard Type (first appearance)
• Badniks
  • Buzz Bomber
  • Chopper
  • E-1000
  • Gola
  • Unidus
  • Kiki
• Boo (first appearance)
• Boom Boo (first appearance)
• Guardian Units of Nations
  • Blue Eagle (first appearance)
  • Bomb Beetle (first appearance)
  • Bomb Wing (first appearance)
  • Gold Beetle (first appearance)
  • Gun Beetle (first appearance)
  • Gun Hawk (first appearance)
  • Gun Hunter (first appearance)
  • Gun Wing (first appearance)
  • Hornet-3 (first appearance)
  • Hornet-6 (first appearance)
  • Hornet-9 (first appearance)
  • Laser Hawk (first appearance)
  • Laser Hornet (first appearance)
  • Laser Hunter (first appearance)
  • Mono Beetle (first appearance)
  • Phoenix (first appearance)
  • Rhino Cannon (first appearance)
  • Rhino Jet (first appearance)
  • Rhino Metal (first appearance)
  • Rhino Spike (first appearance)
  • Shield Hunter (first appearance)
  • Sky Hawk (first appearance)
  • Spark Beetle (first appearance)
  • Spring Beetle (first appearance)

Story Mode

In Sonic Adventure 2’s Story Mode, there are thirty-one stages in total. The Hero Story consists of sixteen stages, the Dark Story has fourteen stages, and the Last Story includes a final stage. Most of these stages are set in the game’s major environments and feature one of three gameplay styles: high-speed action with Sonic or Shadow, shooting with Tails or Dr. Eggman, or treasure hunting with Knuckles or Rouge.

Hero Story

Dark Story

Last Story

Map

No.	Stage	Character
1	City Escape	Sonic
2	Wild Canyon	Knuckles
3	Prison Lane	Tails
4	Metal Harbor	Sonic
5	Green Forest
6	Pumpkin Hill	Knuckles
7	Mission Street	Tails
8	Aquatic Mine	Knuckles
9	Route 101	Tails
10	Hidden Base
11	Pyramid Cave	Sonic
12	Death Chamber	Knuckles
13	Eternal Engine	Tails
14	Meteor Herd	Knuckles
15	Crazy Gadget	Sonic
16	Final Rush

No.	Stage	Character
1	Iron Gate	Dr. Eggman
2	Dry Lagoon	Rouge
3	Sand Ocean	Dr. Eggman
4	Radical Highway	Shadow
5	Egg Quarters	Rouge
6	Lost Colony	Dr. Eggman
7	Weapons Bed	Dr. Eggman
8	Security Hall	Rouge
9	White Jungle	Shadow
10	Route 280	Rouge
11	Sky Rail	Shadow
12	Mad Space	Rouge
13	Cosmic Wall	Dr. Eggman
14	Final Chase	Shadow

No.	Stage	Character
Final	Cannon’s Core	Tails Dr. Eggman Rouge Knuckles Sonic

Other Stages

• Chao World
• Green Hill

In Story Mode, players encounter several bosses that must be defeated after completing certain stages. Occasionally, players may face two bosses consecutively following a stage.

1P Play

Story

In Story Mode, players follow the game’s plot. Initially, there are two stories: Hero and Dark. Completing both unlocks a final storyline called “Last.” Progressing through Story Mode unlocks more stages for Stage Select. When players return to this mode after leaving, a short summary of one of the playable characters helps them remember their progress. Finishing a story unlocks its “Boss” mode, allowing players to revisit specific plot points.

Stage Select

Stage Select is the overall map of the game’s settings, allowing players to replay any stages they have completed in Story Mode. Each stage has five separate missions:

• Mission 1: This is the mission from Story Mode, where the player must reach the end of the stage or find the three hidden items in Hunting Stages. Ranking is based on score.
• Mission 2 (Collect 100 Rings!): In this mission, the player must collect 100 Rings. Ranking is based on time.
• Mission 3 (Find the lost Chao!): The player must find a hidden Neutral Chao, often located in an area accessible only by using the Mystic Melody at an Ancient Ruin. Ranking is based on time.
• Mission 4 (Finish the stage in [time]!): The player must reach the end of the stage within a set time limit. There are no Star Posts in these missions, so losing a life means starting from the beginning. Running out of time resets the stage without losing a life. Ranking is based on score.
• Mission 5 (Clear Hard Mode!): The player must complete a much harder version of the stage. Various paths are sealed off, tougher enemies are more common, there are fewer platforms over bottomless pits, and enemies may appear suddenly. Certain Level Up Items are required to progress. Ancient Ruins may only spawn 1-Ups or be removed entirely. In Hunting stages, the three items to be found are always in the same spot. Ranking is based on score.

Missions are unlocked sequentially, with Mission 4 becoming accessible after beating Mission 3, which is unlocked after beating Mission 2, and so on. Completing a mission for the first time awards the player an emblem.

Kart Race

Kart Race is a racing mode that is unlocked after completing either Route 101 in the Hero story or Route 280 in the Dark story. This mode plays the same as these two stages. Each of the six playable characters—Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Dr. Eggman, and Rouge—has their own unique karts.

Boss

Boss Mode is unlocked after completing either the Hero or Dark story. In this mode, players face all of the bosses from the chosen story in order, similar to the Boss Sub Game from Sonic Adventure. Successfully defeating all the bosses rewards the player with an emblem.

2P Play

Unlike its predecessor, Sonic Adventure 2 includes a multiplayer mode called 2P Play, which features four different modes: Race, Shooting, Hunting, and Random.^[10]Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast) United States instruction booklet, pg. 21. Each type of stage is played split-screen, except for the shooting stages. The winning conditions for each mode are as follows:

• Race: The player who reaches the Goal Ring first wins. (Sonic/Shadow stages)
• Hunting: The first player to find the specified number of Master Emerald shards wins. (Knuckles/Rouge stages)
• Shooting: The first player to reduce their opponent’s HP Gauge to zero wins. (Tails/Dr. Eggman stages)

There is also a Kart Racing mini-game in 2P Play mode, which becomes available after clearing the Kart stages in both the Hero and Dark stories.

Along with the six main characters, 2P Play in Sonic Adventure 2 includes the following unlockable characters, each exclusive to 2P Play and obtainable by achieving an A-Rank in all levels of a specific main character:

• Amy Rose: Playable after achieving an A-Rank in all of Sonic’s levels.
• Metal Sonic: Playable after achieving an A-Rank in all of Shadow’s levels.
• Tikal: Playable after achieving an A-Rank in all of Knuckles’ levels.
• Chaos 0: Playable after achieving an A-Rank in all of Rouge’s levels.
• Chao: Playable after achieving an A-Rank in all of Tails’ levels.
• Big the Cat: Playable after achieving an A-Rank in all of Dr. Eggman’s levels.

Another exclusive feature in the two-player mode of Sonic Adventure 2 is alternate outfits. Players can unlock special costumes for each of the six main characters by completing all of their respective missions. Sonic and Shadow’s costumes are inspired by Phantasy Star Online, an online RPG series also developed by Sonic Team, while the other characters have unique outfits. Additionally, Sonic Adventure 2 offered seasonal costumes for Halloween and Christmas, available as DLC in late 2001.

Extra

The Extra menu in Sonic Adventure 2 includes the following options:

• Tutorial: Omochao explains the game rules and mechanics.
• Basic Controls: Provides information on the basic controls for each character:
• Sonic/Shadow
• Tails/Dr. Eggman
• Knuckles/Rouge
• Chao
• Emblem Results: Displays the list of collected emblems.
• Download Event: Allows players to play downloaded events.

Options

The Options menu in Sonic Adventure 2 serves as the settings menu and includes the following options:

• Sound Test: Listen to background music.
• Change File: Switch between different saved game files.
• Change Jump Pack Setting: Adjust settings related to the jump pack.
• Change Stereo / Mono: Toggle between stereo and mono audio settings.
• Set Language for Voice and Text: Select the language for voiceovers and text.
• Change Menu Screen Theme: Adjust the theme of the menu screen.

Home Page

The Home Page option in Sonic Adventure 2 returns the player to the opening sequence of the game.

Background and Conception

In the 1990s, Sega emerged as a major competitor in the video game market, gaining ground against Nintendo with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991. The game became a massive success, spawning a multimedia franchise including video games, cartoons, and comics. Within just two years, Sonic became more widely recognized among American children than Mickey Mouse.^[13]Kent, Steven L. (2001). “The War”. The Ultimate History of Video Games. pp. 449-450. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4. “A 1993 study showed that more American kids recognized Mario and Sonic than Mickey Mouse.” However, as the decade progressed, Sega began to lose its dominance with the advent of the fifth generation of video games. Its Saturn system was overshadowed by the Nintendo 64 and Sony’s PlayStation. In a final attempt to regain ground, Sega released the Dreamcast in 1998 in Japan and 1999 worldwide. The Dreamcast was a powerful console with innovative features like online gaming.^[14]“History”. The History of Sonic the Hedgehog. Les Editions Pix’n Love. September 6, 2013. pp. 54-65. ISBN 978-1-926778-96-9. Sonic Adventure was one of its launch titles and received critical acclaim. However, despite its strengths, the Dreamcast ultimately failed to compete with its rivals.

Sonic Adventure was developed by Sonic Team in Japan and was initially released in that country on December 23, 1998.^[15]ドリームキャスト (Japanese). Sonic Channel. Retrieved on March 12, 2022. In 1999, several team members, including Takashi Iizuka and series co-creator Yuji Naka, relocated to the United States to develop a Western localization of the game, as the Dreamcast had not yet been released outside of Japan. This led to the establishment of Sonic Team USA (later Sega Studio USA) as a US-based division. The subdivision was created to ensure tighter control over the Sonic series’ image outside of Japan. Sonic Team felt that previous North American-produced comics and television shows had deviated from the brand’s essence, making Sonic feel like a different character.^[16]Sonic the Hedgehog – Developer Interview Collection. Shmuplations.com. Retrieved on February 10, 2019. “Interviewer: Do you also oversee the direction of Sonic as a character, then? / Yuji Naka: Sonic Team checks any new Sonic thing, yeah. It’s a bit like Disney and Mickey Mouse. You’ve probably noticed that Disney hasn’t put out a movie starring Mickey for awhile. I think it’s because they’re afraid of damaging his image, and thereby ending the life of the character. Mickey is a very important character to Disney, and they hope to protect his image so that he can continue to live on for decades more. And that kind of thing has been very hard to for us with Sonic, if I’m honest. I mean, there was a Sonic cartoon broadcast in America where he has siblings. (laughs)”^[17]Sonic Heroes – Developer Interview Collection. Shmuplations.com. Retrieved on July 22, 2023. “Interviewer: I imagine working in America is different from Japan? / Takashi Iizuka: Every game developer knows how the tastes of American players are very different from the Japanese, but when you actually live overseas, you come to understand that in a deeper, more direct way. I am sure that ends up being reflected in the way we make these games too. […] Another big reason for being here, is that as creators, the characters of Sonic are very precious to us. That feeling is what has brought these characters so far, but outside of Japan where we couldn’t see what’s happening, sometimes Sonic’s image was used in ways that we didn’t feel was appropriate. […] Before Sonic Adventure, some people were just doing whatever they wanted with Sonic’s image. There were comics and cartoons that were completely off-brand, he was like a totally different character. It was a tangled mess, and by re-locating Sonic Team to America, we hoped to restore some consistency.”

Following the release of the localized version of Sonic Adventure in mid-to-late 1999, Sega quickly demanded a sequel. Work on this new game commenced shortly thereafter. This development trajectory has drawn comparisons to Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which was developed by the Sega Technical Institute in the United States, in contrast to the first game, which was made in Japan. Development for Sonic Adventure 2 began shortly after the American release of the international version of Sonic Adventure in September 1999.^[18]“History”. The History of Sonic the Hedgehog. Les Editions Pix’n Love. September 6, 2013. pp. 72-74. ISBN 978-1-926778-96-9. Takashi Iizuka served as director and art designer, while Yuji Naka took on the role of producer.^[19]Sonic Team USA (June 23, 2001). Sonic Adventure 2. Dreamcast. Sega. Area/level: Credits sequence.

Gameplay

When it came to gameplay, the first task for the developers of Sonic Adventure 2 was to recreate the structure of Sonic Adventure while making it more dynamic by emphasizing action. In an effort to return to the series’ roots, the team removed the Adventure Fields from the first game to streamline the level progression. Unlike Sonic Adventure, where various gameplay elements were mixed together, Sonic Adventure 2 separated these sequences according to each character’s gameplay style.

The development team aimed to create an impressive gaming experience by ensuring the game ran at 60 frames per second with a sense of “tempo,” providing Sonic with a variety of actions rather than solely focusing on speed. The level design facilitated this flow, making Sonic appear faster than he actually was.^[20]IGN staff (June 4, 2001). Interview With Sonic Adventure 2 Director Takashi Iizuka. IGN. Retrieved on February 19, 2010. Additionally, developing the game was smoother compared to Sonic Adventure due to the team’s increased familiarity with the Dreamcast’s hardware.^[21]Torres, Ricardo (2 July 2001). Sonic the Hedgehog turns 10. GameSpot. Retrieved on February 16, 2014. Sonic Adventure 2 featured six different playable characters, each given roughly equal gameplay time, unlike Sonic Adventure, where Sonic’s story dominated.

Takashi Iizuka described the Chao as a “relative neutral entity” in Sonic Adventure. In the sequel, the developers expanded the presence of these creatures by introducing the ability to raise “Hero” and “Dark” Chao to reflect the conflict between good and evil. In Sonic Adventure 2, Chao have the ability to socialize, making them resemble a “real artificial life form.”

Art

Since Sonic Team USA is located near San Francisco and its Bay Area, we discovered some magnificent locations. We decided to insert the beauty of these settings into our game.

Takashi Iizuka on the artstyle of Sonic Adventure 2.

While Sonic Adventure drew inspiration from Sonic Team’s journey through Latin America, the developers aimed to imbue Sonic Adventure 2 with an “American atmosphere.” Influenced by locations in the United States, particularly San Francisco, the team incorporated elements from the city and other American locales into the game’s design. This included references to landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay Area. Additionally, the developers drew inspiration from their vacation to Yosemite National Park during the game’s development.

Characters

During the development of Sonic Adventure, the team had considered introducing a new rival for Sonic in a potential sequel, although they rarely discussed the idea. However, they found a purpose for this new character when they laid out the “good vs. evil” storyline for Sonic Adventure 2.^[22]Paul.STR337 (July 18, 2011). Summer of Sonic 2011: Sonic Team on Stage. Sonic Stadium. Retrieved on July 23, 2023. The character was co-created by Takashi Iizuka and the writer of the story in Sonic Adventure 2, Shiro Maekawa.^[23]006:前川 司郎 (Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved on July 23, 2023. Initially, the rival character’s name was “Terios,” meaning “reflection of,” as a reference to being Sonic’s doppelganger.^[24]“Characters”. The History of Sonic the Hedgehog. Les Editions Pix’n Love. September 6, 2013. pp. 249. ISBN 978-1-926778-96-9. Eventually, the name was changed to Shadow the Hedgehog.

Shiro Maekawa was tasked with developing Shadow, aiming to make him just as “cool” as Sonic. Maekawa settled on the design of a black hedgehog but struggled to define his personality. One night, while brainstorming lines for a scene in which Sonic confronts Shadow for impersonating him, Maekawa came up with Shadow’s first line: “Hmph, aren’t you the fake one here?” To further shape his “subtle” character, Maekawa envisioned Shadow would refer to himself with the more humble Japanese pronoun “boku.”

Another character, Rouge the Bat, was created to contrast Knuckles. Interestingly, her original name was “Shadow” before being changed to the current one.^[25]Sonic the Hedgehog (2018). Sonic the Hedgehog on Tumblr. Tumblr. Retrieved on March 20, 2023. “#except that initially rouge was called shadow #and then shadow became shadow #and the earlier shadow became rouge #it’s not confusing at all!”

Sega announced plans for a follow-up to Sonic Adventure, along with a spin-off that would become Sonic Shuffle, on October 4, 1999.^[26]IGN Staff (October 4, 1999). Sega Speaks Out on Sonic Adventure Follow-up. IGN. Retrieved on February 26, 2014. The newly named Sonic Adventure 2 made its first appearance at E3 on May 11, 2000,^[27]Sonic Adventure 2 Unveiled. SonicTeam.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2001. Retrieved on February 21, 2022. and Sonic Team added the video shown at E3 to its website on June 30.^[28]Gantayat, Anoop (June 30, 2000). First Direct Feed Footage of Sonic Adventure 2. IGN. Retrieved on February 15, 2014. On May 30, 2001, Sonic Team posted a trailer and several screenshots of the game.^[29]IGN Staff (May 31, 2001). New Sonic Adventure 2 Trailer and Screens. IGN. Retrieved on February 15, 2014. Sega promoted Sonic Adventure 2 as the last Sonic game for the Dreamcast and as a celebration of the series’ tenth anniversary.^[30]Fulljames, Steve (July/August 2001). “Sonic Adventure 2“. Official Dreamcast Magazine (21): 8–19. Archived from the original. Retrieved on February 21, 2022. In June 2001, Sega held a tenth anniversary party for Sonic, where attendees could compete in a battle tournament, with the winner playing against Takashi Iizuka himself.

Sonic Adventure 2 was released worldwide on June 23, 2001,^[31]SONIC ADVENTURE 2. Sonic Team. Archived from the original on December 11, 2001. marking the Sonic series’ tenth anniversary. A special collector’s edition of the game was produced, featuring a large blue case that contained the game, a music CD with tracks spanning Sonic’s ten-year history, a Sonic the Hedgehog retrospective booklet, and a commemorative coin.

Pre-release

Main article: Sonic Adventure 2: The Trial

A demo version of Sonic Adventure 2, titled Sonic Adventure 2: The Trial, was distributed as a bonus to those who purchased the first copies of Phantasy Star Online.^[32]PHANTASY STAR ONLINE (Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on April 20, 2009. Retrieved on February 20, 2022. “The first press version includes the trial version of “SONIC ADVENTURE 2″.”^[33]“Access All Games: Sonic Adventure 2“. Computer and Video Games (232): 8. March 2001. Archived from the original. Retrieved on February 21, 2022. Since Phantasy Star Online was released in late 2000 in Japan and early 2001 in Western regions, this bonus disc served to build excitement for the final release of Sonic Adventure 2 just six months later. The demo version included only one stage, City Escape, and a rudimentary two-player mode that was accessible through hacks.

A notable difference between Sonic Adventure 2: The Trial and the final version of Sonic Adventure 2 is that Sonic is missing the Grind Shoes in the demo. This is because Sega’s partnership with Soap, the company known for its grind shoes, was established late in the game’s development.

Sonic Adventure 2 is known for its infamous commercial featuring a humorous and dark parody of a scene from Jurassic Park. In the commercial, a scientist is seen approaching a tank labeled “Good Hedgehog” and petting a friendly hedgehog. The camera then shifts to a tank labeled “Bad Hedgehog,” where a cow is being lowered in. Eating sounds and the cow’s screams can be heard, followed by the screen cutting back to the “Bad Hedgehog” tank where the hedgehog burps. This shocking and memorable advertisement played on the game’s theme of good versus evil.

Main articles: Multi-Dimensional Sonic Adventure 2 Original Sound Track, Cuts Unleashed: SA2 Vocal Collection, Sonic Adventure 2 Official Soundtrack, Sonic Adventure 2 Original Soundtrack 20th Anniversary Edition, and SONIC ADVENTURE 2 OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK VINYL EDITION

The main theme of Sonic Adventure 2 is “Live and Learn,” performed by Crush 40. Some of the character themes are remixes of their counterparts from Sonic Adventure. Five soundtracks have been released for Sonic Adventure 2:

1. Multi-Dimensional Sonic Adventure 2 Original Sound Track: Contains all the music tracks from the game except for the character themes.
2. Cuts Unleashed: SA2 Vocal Collection: Includes all character theme songs and “Live and Learn”.
3. Sonic Adventure 2 Official Soundtrack: The western-released soundtrack that features all character themes and some action stage themes.
4. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle – Sampler: A promotional disc with tracks from Cuts Unleashed, but all track durations are halved.
5. Sonic Adventure 2 Original Soundtrack 20th Anniversary Edition: Celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Sonic series with both vocal and instrumental tracks from the game.
6. SONIC ADVENTURE 2 OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK VINYL EDITION: A vinyl album consisting of two records with a selection of both vocal and instrumental music tracks from the game.

The anime series Sonic X included a six-episode adaptation of the game’s events between “Project: Shadow” and “Showdown in Space,” known as the Shadow Saga. Like its predecessor, the adaptation was mostly faithful to the game’s plot, with the Japanese version even being a word-for-word adaptation at some points. However, parts were written in for characters that did not appear in Sonic Adventure 2 such as Christopher Thorndyke and Cream the Rabbit.

In Sonic the Hedgehog #98, published by Archie Comics, a two-part adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2 was presented, written by Karl Bollers and Ken Penders.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be heavily inspired by the game itself by its elements.

• The two driving levels in the game’s story, Route 101 and Route 280, are named after real-world U.S. highways.
• This is the first Sonic game to have swearing in the English track. Swear words can be heard in the lyrics of the main theme of Knuckles the Echidna and in the lyrics for the background music of some of the stages he goes through (i.e., “Deeper”). This was also the main reason why the GameCube version has a “Lyrics” warning on the ESRB rating.
• In the game, Dr. Eggman blows up half of the moon, but in later games with cutscenes in outer space scenes, most notably Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Colors, it is still perfectly intact. Also, the earth does not appear to have any gravitational stress caused by the destruction. However, as recently confirmed by Takashi Iizuka of Sonic Team at Sonic Boom 2013, in all later games after Sonic Adventure 2, the moon is actually still blown up. However, from Sonic Heroes onwards, the intact side of the moon is shown, while the part that Eggman blew up is on the opposite side of the moon.
• Sonic Adventure 2 is the only game where Sonic wears the Grind Shoes in order to promote the Soap product which the Grind Shoes were based on, along with the new extreme sport, freestyle grinding, that the shoes were made for. There are also many billboards, blimps, and benches in the game that advertised the shoes. The Grind Shoes themselves are a custom version of the Scorcher/Nitro Soap Shoe, while Shadow wears a pair of custom Broadside Soap shoes, as grinding (or “soaping”) debuted as an important new gameplay element.
• This is the first non-spin-off game where Dr. Eggman is playable.
• In the first cutscene of the Hero Story, the pilot of the G.U.N. helicopter identifies himself in military talk as “Sigma-Alpha 2,” which translates from Greek as “SA2,” the game’s initials.
• This marks the final Sonic game for the Dreamcast.
• This is the last Sonic game to be featured on a Sega console, as Sega eventually withdrew from the console market after the release of this game.
• If one were to go to the Theme Select in the Options menu and rotate the Control Stick clockwise for a few moments until hearing a chime sound, they would then see a picture of the President’s Secretary and will then be able to select the Secretary’s menu theme.
• Like Sonic Adventure, in the original Dreamcast version of the game if you insert the disk into a PC, special wallpapers will be available to download as an Easter egg. As well as that, there is a list of main series Sonic games prior to Sonic Adventure 2, although Sonic the Hedgehog CD is absent from the list.
• The camera can be used to move objects in the game. This is most noticeable in the Chao Garden if the player has a fruit in front of the camera and they walk away from it. The same thing can be done in the Chao Garden in Sonic Adventure.
• In the first cutscene of the demo version, before the player enters City Escape, the man on the radio says, “What the hell?” in the text. This marks the first Sonic game to have profanity in a character’s dialogue, although this is not in the final release of this game. In the final release, the script instead says, “What?!”
• Shadow has the least amount of stages out of all the characters, with only four (Radical Highway, Sky Rail, White Jungle, and Final Chase).
• This is the only Sonic game where Connor Bringas voices Tails.
• The “Chao in Space 2” movie billboard, as well as the billboard advertising for the DVD Edition of “Chao in Space” in City Escape, refers to the “Chao in Space” movie billboard near the entrance of Casinopolis in Sonic Adventure. In the Chao in Space 2 poster, the rating is PG-13 as part of MPAA.
• Sonic features the most Level Up Items out of the playable characters in Sonic Adventure 2, with a maximum of six. Knuckles and Eggman have five Level Up Items, and Tails, Shadow, and Rouge have a minimum of four.
• The Dreamcast version of the game runs a disc check to make sure it is not run from a copied disc. If this check fails, Eggman will fall through the floor when he starts his section of Cannon’s Core.^[56]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sORf5oWvAA4

• Big the Cat has six known cameo appearances in the cutscenes of Sonic Adventure 2 that can only be seen by pressing . These include:
  1. During Sonic’s escape from the helicopter at the beginning of the Hero story, Big can be seen in the Dreamcast version holding onto it.
  2. During Sonic and Shadow’s first meeting, Big can be seen running around Shadow while he is standing over the F-6t Big Foot.
  3. In the cutscene after Knuckles fought King Boom Boo, Big can be seen standing behind the entrance to the shuttle once the entrance opens.
  4. During the cutscene after Knuckles and Rouge’s fight, Big can be seen wandering around the arena.
  5. During the Last Story’s intro, Big can be seen standing on the computer’s platform with Eggman.
  6. In the Last Story, before Amy tries to persuade Shadow to help, Big can be seen running right and left in the hallway that leads to the main room.

• Shiro Maekawa has stated that he found difficulty in writing the story for Sonic Adventure 2. Despite this, the game’s story stands as Maekawa’s favorite as he is emotionally attached to it, as it is the first story he wrote for a Sonic game.
  • Maekawa has stated that if he had a chance to rewrite it or change something about the game’s story, he would only add back the scenes he had to cut.^[57]Windii (June 23, 2018). The Supreme Topic of ‘Other’ Knowledge. Sonic Retro. Retrieved on June 23, 2018.
• According to Takashi Iizuka, Sonic Adventure 2 is the best Sonic game as of July 2022.^[58]Sonic Frontiers: 123 Rapid-Fire Questions With Takashi Iizuka. YouTube. Game Informer (July 12, 2022). Retrieved on July 23, 2022.
• Sonic Adventure 2 is the game with the most original lyrical arrangements in the franchise, with a total of 18.
• Utilizing an exploit, one has the potential to strike the G.U.N. truck during the City Escape stage by employing the homing dash maneuver directly towards the G.U.N. truck.
• The logo for Sonic Movie 3 is based on the logo of Sonic Adventure 2.

• Official Japanese website (Archived)
• Official English website (Archived)
• Product page at the Japanese Sega website (Archived) (archived)