Platform Differences

The many releases of Sonic Adventure 2 each have differences which make them visibly dissimilar, even though they all control almost the same. This page will broadly cover the differences in versions. Since most popular categories are timed by IGT, any platform is viable for WR runs. If there are specific differences which are useful in the run, they will be covered in the respective stage page.

Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast)

 * Complex lighting system.
 * Lower render distance, usually masked with fog.
 * Lower object count in most cases.
 * Visible slowdown in complex scenes.
 * Extremely sensitive controls.
 * Compared to other versions, levels can be drastically different (e.g: Green Forest vine sends you to the intended spot at the end of the level).
 * Much simpler Chao system, though a bit burdensome with the VMUs.
 * Longest loads.
 * Some shenanigans with treasure hunting stages and moving pieces (confirmed?).
 * Fast ESG setup using soft reset.
 * Glitched results screen results in a softlock.

Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube)

 * Lighting system toned down
 * Increased object count.
 * Rock solid framerate in basically every scenario.
 * Tightened (read better) controls.
 * Various level design changes, most of which carry over to future versions.
 * Fast ESG setup using soft reset.
 * Revamped Chao system, and Chao Karate added.
 * Hero and Dark gardens are smaller, and many movement actions are disabled now.
 * Chao Key Glitch is possible on the glitched results screen.
 * More 2-player options.

Sonic Adventure 2 (PC, PS3/PS4, Xbox 360/Xbox One)

 * Many lighting effects did not survive the conversion.
 * Kart Racing controls are more stiff compared to previous releases.
 * No fast ESG, but it is possible through completing the current Any% route.
 * New Chao Key Glitch setup possible on 16:9 and wider aspect ratios.
 * Fastest loads, at least on PC.