Sonic Adventure 2

Template:Nihongo foot is a 2001 platform game developed by Sonic Team USA and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. It features two good-vs-evil stories: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna attempt to save the world, while Shadow the Hedgehog, Doctor Eggman, and Rouge the Bat attempt to conquer it. The stories are divided into three gameplay styles: fast-paced platforming for Sonic and Shadow, third-person shooting for Tails and Eggman, and action-adventure exploration for Knuckles and Rouge. Like previous Sonic the Hedgehog games, the player completes levels while collecting rings and defeating enemies. Outside the main gameplay, they can interact with Chao, a virtual pet, and compete in multiplayer battles.

After the release of Sonic Adventure (1998), Sonic Team was downsized and a portion of the staff moved to San Francisco to establish Sonic Team USA. They worked on Adventure 2 for a year and a half, with Takashi Iizuka directing and Yuji Naka producing. Developed during a tumultuous period in Sega's history, Adventure 2 had a significantly smaller development team than the first game. Sonic Team USA streamlined the design to emphasize faster, more action-oriented gameplay, giving each character roughly equal gameplay time. The levels were influenced by American locations such as San Francisco and Yosemite National Park. The soundtrack—composed by Jun Senoue, Fumie Kumatani, Tomoya Ohtani, and Kenichi Tokoi—spans genres including pop-punk, glam metal, hip-hop, jazz and orchestral arrangements, and features several metal singers.

Sonic Adventure 2 was released in June 2001, coinciding with the franchise's tenth anniversary. It was the final Sonic game for a Sega console, released in the months after Sega discontinued the Dreamcast and transitioned to third-party development. Later in 2001, it was ported to the GameCube as Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, the first Sonic game for a Nintendo console. Adventure 2 received positive reviews, with praise for its gameplay variety, visuals, and music but criticism for its camera, voice acting, and plot. Although reviews of Battle were more mixed, it sold 1.7 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the bestselling GameCube games and the bestselling third-party GameCube game. Following Adventure 2, Sonic became a multiplatform franchise, beginning with Sonic Heroes (2003).

Sonic Adventure 2 introduced Sonic to a wider audience with its GameCube port. It originated characters and elements used in later games; Shadow became one of the most popular Sonic characters and featured in the spin-offs Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) and Shadow Generations (2024). Adventure 2 remains popular among Sonic fans and was rereleased for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows in 2012. Its first level, City Escape, is considered one of the greatest opening stages in a video game. Adventure 2 has been ranked among the best Sonic games, although it has been characterized as divisive, particularly for its emphasis on multiple characters. Its story has been adapted in media including in the anime series Sonic X (2003–2006) and the live-action film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024).

Gameplay

File:Sonic Adventure 2 gameplay styles.png

The three gameplay styles of Sonic Adventure 2 (from top to bottom, left to right): fast-paced platforming for Sonic and Shadow; multidirectional shooting for Tails and Doctor Eggman; and action-adventure exploration for Knuckles and Rouge

Sonic Adventure 2 is a 3D platform game divided into two campaigns: Hero and Dark. In the Hero campaign, players control Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, who fight to save the world; in the Dark campaign, players control Shadow the Hedgehog, Doctor Eggman and Rouge the Bat, fighting to conquer it. Each campaign cycles through levels of its three characters, telling different sides of the story. Levels have a variety of themes (such as cities, jungles, desert pyramids and outer space),<ref name="PS: Review">Template:Cite web</ref> with some followed by boss fights. The two campaigns' stories occur in parallel; completing both campaigns unlocks a final story with all six characters, culminating in a final boss fight.<ref name="reviewIGN"/>

Sonic and Shadow play fast-paced levels, emphasizing platforming.<ref name="gs review"/> Their homing attack can lock on to robots created by Eggman and GUN, and they can grind on rails. Tails's and Eggman's levels are slower and oriented towards multidirectional shooting; they are confined to mechs in which they can jump short heights, hover and shoot enemies. Knuckles's and Rouge's levels are open and feature action-adventure gameplay with treasure hunting; in each level, they must find three shards of the Master Emerald. Their search is guided by radar and puzzle-based clues from harmless robots.<ref name="reviewIGN"/> Knuckles and Rouge can glide, defeat enemies with punches and kicks,<ref name="gs review"/> and scale walls, digging into them to find power-ups.<ref>Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast) instruction manual, pp. 12–13. (PDF)</ref>

Adventure 2 has the health system found in many other Sonic games. The player collects rings scattered throughout the levels; being hit by an enemy while holding rings causes the player to drop them all, while being hit without rings causes them to lose a life. Tails and Eggman have health bars, which are slowly refilled by collecting rings. Dying with no lives results in a game over screen.<ref>Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast) instruction manual, p. 19.</ref> The characters can obtain permanent upgrades that grant them new abilities; for example, one upgrade allows Sonic and Shadow to dash along a sequential trail of rings to reach distant platforms, one gives Tails and Eggman hover jets that slows their descent to cross large gaps, while another lets Knuckles and Rouge dig into the ground to uncover treasure and Master Emerald pieces.<ref>Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast) instruction manual, p. 21.</ref>

Separate from the main campaigns, the player can raise Chao as virtual pets.<ref name="reviewIGN"/> They have five attributes (Swim, Fly, Run, Power and Stamina) and a moral continuum from Hero to Dark. From the moment they hatch, their stats can be increased with Chaos Drives or small animals, found in the main stages, which empower them to compete in karate<ref>Template:Cite video game</ref> and racing minigames.<ref name="gs review"/> Their alignment gradually changes based on their affection for the characters; for example, a Chao which likes Tails will gradually become more heroic. Playing with Chao increases affection, and when a Chao becomes fully Hero or Dark, it assumes that form permanently.<ref>Template:Cite video game</ref> Although Chao eventually die, if they receive enough affection during their lives they reincarnate.<ref name="laboratory">Template:Cite web</ref>

Adventure 2 has 180 emblems, earned for a variety of tasks.<ref>Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast) instruction manual, p. 26.</ref> Each level has five missions; only the first is required to continue the campaign, and other missions include completing a harder version of a level and collecting 100 rings. The player earns emblems by completing missions and other tasks, many related to Chao raising. Collecting all the emblems unlocks a 3D version of the Green Hill Zone stage from the original Sonic the Hedgehog.<ref>Template:Cite video game</ref>

The game has several two-player modes. Players may race on foot through new (or altered) levels, have shoot-'em-up battles in mechs,<ref name="gs review"/> hunt for Master Emerald shards<ref>Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast) instruction manual, p. 23.</ref> or race in go-karts.<ref name="gs review"/> A few characters are playable in these modes, but not in the main game; Tikal and Chaos from the original Sonic Adventure are playable in the treasure-hunting game,<ref>Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube) instruction manual Template:Webarchive, pp. 22–23. (PDF)</ref> as are Amy Rose and Metal Sonic in the foot-racing levels<ref>Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube) instruction manual, pp. 18–19.</ref> and mechs piloted by Chao and Big the Cat (replaced by a Dark Chao in Battle) in the shooting levels.<ref>Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GameCube) instruction manual, pp. 20–21.</ref>

Plot

Template:See also Doctor Eggman learns of a secret weapon from the diary of his deceased grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik, and infiltrates a high-security Guardian Units of Nations (GUN) facility to revive it with a Chaos Emerald. The weapon—Shadow, a black hedgehog who proclaims himself the "Ultimate Lifeform"—offers to help Eggman conquer the world, telling him to rendezvous at an abandoned space colony, the ARK, with more Chaos Emeralds. Shadow has vowed to fulfill a promise he made to his friend, Eggman's cousin Maria, before she died; the amnesiac Shadow interprets the promise as one of revenge. Shadow steals a Chaos Emerald, and GUN arrests Sonic after mistaking him for Shadow.

Knuckles encounters Eggman and Rouge, a government spy, attempting to steal the Master Emerald. He stops them by shattering it and searches for the scattered shards to repair it. Rouge follows Eggman to the ARK, where Shadow shows Eggman the Eclipse Cannon, another weapon created by Gerald. Shadow plans to charge the cannon with the seven Chaos Emeralds and use it to take over the world. Rouge offers her services and gives Shadow and Eggman another Chaos Emerald to gain their trust. Tails and Amy infiltrate GUN's base and rescue Sonic, while Rouge retrieves three emeralds from the base before Eggman destroys it. Eggman makes a global broadcast in which he threatens to destroy the planet if he is not accepted as Earth's ruler in a day. He demonstrates the cannon's power by destroying half of the Moon. Sonic, Tails, and Amy meet up with Knuckles and use a Chaos Emerald to track the others to the ARK.

Knuckles separates from the group and finishes repairing the Master Emerald. On the ARK, Tails gives Sonic a counterfeit Chaos Emerald to destroy the Eclipse Cannon. As Sonic is about to use it, Eggman captures Tails and Amy, forcing Sonic to return and rescue them. Sonic tries to trick Eggman with the fake emerald, but Eggman deduces the plan and jettisons him in an escape pod rigged with explosives. Sonic uses the power of the fake emerald to escape; Eggman sneaks away with the last emerald and arms the Eclipse Cannon. The ARK suddenly starts falling, and a prerecorded message from Gerald is broadcast globally: he programmed the ARK to collide with Earth if the emeralds were used, a retaliation against the government for condemning his research and killing his colleagues, including Maria. Everyone but Shadow works together to access the cannon's core and neutralize the ARK using the Master Emerald.

Amy pleads for Shadow's help, and he remembers that he promised Maria to help mankind, not destroy it. Shadow joins Sonic and Knuckles in the core as they encounter the Biolizard, a colossal lizard and prototype Ultimate Lifeform. Knuckles deactivates the Chaos Emeralds with the Master Emerald, but the Biolizard fuses with the cannon to continue the ARK's collision course. Sonic and Shadow use the emeralds to transform into their super forms, destroy the Biolizard, and put the ARK back into a stable orbit. This depletes Shadow's energy and he plummets to Earth, content in fulfilling his promise to Maria. The people on Earth celebrate as the group returns, and Sonic bids Shadow farewell.

Development

Conception

Template:Multiple images Sonic Adventure, the first 3D platformer in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, was developed by Sonic Team and released for the Dreamcast in Japan in 1998. Although the game was a critical and commercial success, Dreamcast sales struggled to meet Sega's expectations. The Adventure team was downsized,<ref name="GI: SonicWrong" /> and Sega assigned AdventureTemplate:'s director, Takashi Iizuka, to relocate to San Francisco, California, to establish Sonic Team USA.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Sega wanted to repeat the pattern of developing a game in Japan and its sequel in the US as it had done with the original Sonic and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992).Template:Sfn Only 11 staff members—significantly smaller than AdventureTemplate:'s team of 120—joined Iizuka,Template:Sfn and they began working on Sonic Adventure 2 after they spent six months localizing Adventure for the West.<ref name="GI: SonicWrong" /><ref name="IGN: Iizuka">Template:Cite web</ref>

Shiro Maekawa, who wrote portions of Sega's Panzer Dragoon Saga (1998) and joined Sonic Team during AdventureTemplate:'s production, conceived and wrote Adventure 2Template:'s story.<ref name="Sega: 006" /> Maekawa accepted the role after he learned did not need to be an artist to create a story or storyboards. Because Adventure 2 would be the first Sonic game released during the 21st century, Maekawa wanted a substantial portion of the story to take place in space. The rest of Sonic Team was apprehensive, but Maekawa convinced them.<ref name="Sega: 006" /> Maekawa drew influence from the manga and anime he had enjoyed since childhood, including Please Save My Earth (1986–1994).<ref name="Sega: 006">Template:Cite web</ref> As Maekawa disliked Sonic as a character, he used Adventure 2 as an opportunity to revise him to suit his tastes.<ref name="Sega: 006" />

Among Sonic Team's unimplemented Adventure concepts was a black hedgehog who rivaled Sonic's coolness.<ref name="Sega: 006" /><ref name="Stadium: OnStage">Template:Cite web</ref> The idea was revived during Adventure 2Template:'s brainstorming sessions.<ref name="Stadium: OnStage" /> The rival was initially villainous,<ref name="Euro: Sketches">Template:Cite web</ref> but Iizuka decided to appeal to American audiences with an antihero, a popular archetype in the US.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> He cited the Image Comics character Spawn as an influence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Maekawa struggled to develop the concept until writing lines for a scene in which Sonic confronts the hedgehog for impersonating him. Maekawa settled on a delicate, pure character who would refer to himself using the more humble Japanese pronoun Template:Nihongo.<ref name="Sega: 006" /> He was originally named Terios the Prisoner,<ref name="Euro: Sketches" />Template:Sfn but was renamed Shadow after another new character, a bat, who became Rouge.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sonic Team saw Shadow as a one-off character who would not appear in subsequent Sonic games.Template:Sfn

As with the first Adventure, Iizuka directed Adventure 2 while Yuji Naka, the Sonic franchise's co-creator, produced it.<ref name="IGN: Iizuka" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Adventure 2Template:'s development lasted around a year and a half,<ref name="IGN: Iizuka" /> and a total of 15 or 16 people worked on it. Three or four staff were recruited from Sega's arcade game division. Iizuka said that the team had to change their work ethic and prioritize efficiency to adapt to the reduced manpower. He recalled: "Each member of the staff had to be as efficient as possible, using the smallest amount of time and money they could!"Template:Sfn

Design

Iizuka summarized Sonic Adventure 2Template:'s development as "trying to make the impossible possible", as Sonic Team USA had to overcome the challenge of creating a game comparable in scope to the first Adventure with less than a tenth of the staff.<ref name="GI: SonicWrong" /> Despite this, he considered Adventure 2 the most fun Sonic game to develop, as the small team meant "we were able to condense all the good elements from the previous game, and deliver a story and game that was satisfying to players everywhere".<ref name="GI: 30Yrs">Template:Cite web</ref> Due to the smaller staff, Sonic Team USA split Adventure 2 into two campaigns featuring character teams instead of AdventureTemplate:'s format of six starring individual characters.<ref name="GI: SonicWrong" /> Adventure 2 uses the same game engine, with improved texture quality and collision detection.Template:Sfn

Sonic Team designed Adventure 2 as faster and more action-oriented compared to the slower, more story-focused Adventure.<ref name="IGN: Iizuka" /> Whereas Sonic Team had tried to include as much content as possible in Adventure, for Adventure 2 they concentrated on the elements they deemed necessary.Template:Sfn Iizuka noted that players who prioritized action found much of AdventureTemplate:'s content pointless, so Sonic Team USA sought to streamline the experience while retaining AdventureTemplate:'s "bulkiness".<ref name="BTS" /> They removed the hub worlds in favor of linear level progression more in line with the older Sonic games,<ref name="GSpot: SA2Hands-On">Template:Cite web</ref> and divided action and exploration sequences among the characters rather than mixing them.<ref name="IGN: Iizuka" /> Each level was tailored for its character,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and unlike Adventure, in which some playable characters had short campaigns, all six Adventure 2 characters have roughly equal gameplay time.<ref name="IGN: Iizuka" />

Iizuka said Adventure 2 was designed to have "more of an American flavor" than Adventure, since it was developed in the US.<ref name="IGN: Iizuka" /> The art director, Kazuyuki Hoshino, noted Sonic was a character designed to appeal to Western sensibilities, and working in the US allowed Sonic Team USA to capture an American atmosphere more successfully.<ref name="BTS" /> The levels, drawn from Maekawa's story and setting,<ref name="Sega: 006" /> were inspired by American locations such as Yosemite National Park (where the team vacationed) and the San Francisco Bay Area. Iizuka said they did not intend to "create a simulation of San Francisco" but rather to reflect the influence of their surroundings.<ref name="IGN: Iizuka" /> The staff frequently received parking tickets from authorities; as a joke, they included the authorities' cars in a level where Sonic could destroy them.<ref name="BTS" /> The month Adventure 2 was to be released to manufacturing, one artist suggested adding Green Hill Zone, the original Sonic the HedgehogTemplate:'s first stage. Iizuka liked the idea but expected the rest of the team to object, so he, the artist, and a programmer spent a week working on it separately.<ref name="BTS" />

Among Sonic Team USA's goals were a frame rate of 60 frames per second (FPS) to make the gameplay feel faster and a multiplayer mode.<ref name="IGN: Iizuka" /><ref name="GSpot: Naka">Template:Cite web</ref> Achieving 60 FPS required some design tweaks, but Naka said Sonic Team's experience with the Dreamcast hardware made it possible.<ref name="GSpot: Naka" /> He felt that by then, Sonic Team had "gotten to the point where we can tap the full power of the console and deliver a much better experience to users".<ref name="IGN: Naka">Template:Cite web</ref> Sonic Team USA gave Sonic more abilities, such as grinding on rails, to add rhythm to ensure the gameplay was not only about speed.<ref name="IGN: Iizuka" /> Sega collaborated with Soap, a company that produced shoes with plastic concavities in the sole for rail grinding, to have Sonic wear a pair of Soap shoes rather than his traditional boots.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Soap product placement appears throughout the game as well.<ref name="Poly: Escape" /> Like Adventure, Sonic Team USA included Chao to add replay value.<ref name="BTS">Template:Cite AV media</ref> Iizuka described the Chao as a "relatively neutral entity" in Adventure, so in Adventure 2, Sonic Team USA added the ability to raise "Hero" and "Dark" Chao to reflect the conflict between good and evil. Sonic Team USA gave Chao the ability to socialize and interact,<ref name="IGN: Iizuka" /> which Naka felt "took [them] a step closer to a real artificial life form".<ref name="GSpot: Naka" />

Music

As Crush 40, Jun Senoue (left) and Johnny Gioeli (right) recorded the Adventure 2 theme, "Live & Learn".

Sonic Adventure 2Template:'s soundtrack was composed by Jun Senoue,<ref name="Senoue">Template:Cite web</ref> Fumie Kumatani,<ref name="Kumatani">Template:Cite web</ref> Tomoya Ohtani,<ref name="Ohtani">Template:Cite web</ref> and Kenichi Tokoi,<ref name="Tokoi">Template:Cite web</ref> with Senoue as the lead composer and sound director.<ref name="senoueinterview">Template:Cite web</ref> Senoue, Kumatani and Tokoi returned from Adventure,<ref name="Senoue" /><ref name="Kumatani" /><ref name="Tokoi" /> while Ohtani made his first contributions to a Sonic game.<ref name="VGMO: Ohtani">Template:Cite web</ref> Senoue began writing in April 2000;<ref name="senoueinterview" /> he worked closely with Sonic Team USA regarding Adventure 2Template:'s structure, design, and characters.<ref name="GI: Senoue">Template:Cite web</ref> Half the music was produced in the US, while the other half was produced in Japan.<ref name="Tokoi" /> Like Iizuka, Senoue considered Adventure 2 his favorite Sonic game to work on, as he found working with a small team in a new environment invigorating.<ref name="GI: 30Yrs" />

Senoue wanted the soundtrack to stand out rather than merely serve as background music. He was not entirely satisfied with the first Adventure soundtrack, feeling some tracks did not fit, and sought to compose music that suited the atmosphere of each area.<ref name="senoueinterview" /> He said the music team made a pact "to write songs that promoted the game's speed and situations while keeping the best tempo of the stage".<ref name="senoueinterview" /> They decided to compose each character's level themes in a different genre and divided the work by which genre each composer was most interested in.<ref name="Kumatani" /><ref name="Tokoi" /> For instance, Knuckles' stages feature rap music composed by Ohtani,<ref name="VGMO: Ohtani" /> who wanted to focus on a new musical element.<ref name="Ohtani" /> Tokoi said the soundtrack explores more genres than the first game's,<ref name="Tokoi" /> and other genres include pop-punk, glam metal,<ref name="Vice: OST">Template:Cite web</ref> and orchestral arrangements.<ref name="gamepro">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Singers featured in the soundtrack include Johnny Gioeli of Hardline, Ted Poley of Danger Danger, Tony Harnell of TNT, and Paul Shortino of Rough Cutt.<ref name="senoueinterview" /><ref name="Vice: OST" /> The soundtrack is divided into level-specific tracks and character themes, with leitmotifs similar to professional wrestler entrance music.<ref name="Vice: OST" /> Senoue reused most of the character theme lyrics from the first Adventure, but wrote new music.<ref name="senoueinterview" /> As Crush 40, he and Gioeli produced the main theme, "Live & Learn". Senoue recorded the introduction for the Adventure 2 demo; he worked on the rest later and completed it within a day,<ref name="GI: Senoue" /> while Gioeli wrote the lyrics.<ref name="Fanbyte: Crush40">Template:Cite web</ref> Senoue then sent a demo to Gioeli to record his vocals.<ref name="GI: Senoue" /> Gioeli, who was paid Template:US$3,000 for his work, said that he managed the recording and composition based on Senoue's demos.<ref name="Poly: LaLLawsuit" /> Template:Interlanguage link played bass and Katsuji Kirita of Gargoyle and the Cro-Magnons played drums.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="crush40">Template:Cite web</ref> Poley wrote and performed "Escape from the City", the first level's theme. He found writing video game music different, as "you have to have a lot of action and alliteration. It creates a whole mood and there's no time for breath—the song is over in a minute and a half, and it's intense."<ref name="Vice: Glam">Template:Cite web</ref> The rapper Hunnid-P performed Knuckles' level themes.<ref name="Vice: OST" />

Senoue made a demo for each track using an ADAT system to track guitars or vocals and a Yamaha digital console or Mackie analog mixer for mixing. He edited tracks with his Macintosh before testing them in-game. Once Senoue was satisfied and received Sonic Team USA's approval, he finished sequencing and sent demos to prepare for the recording sessions. The soundtrack was recorded across five sessions in Los Angeles, New York City and Tokyo. While he enjoyed studio work, Senoue described the last three months as chaotic, as he had to travel between Tokyo, San Francisco and Los Angeles within weeks to write and record music. Senoue finished the soundtrack in February 2001, after which he worked on the sound effects.<ref name="senoueinterview" />

Release

Sega planned to release Sonic Adventure 2 between the 2000 Christmas shopping season and early 2001;Template:Sfn GameSpot reported a February 2001 release date.<ref name="GSpot: SA2Hands-On" /> In late 2000, Sega informed journalists that Adventure 2 had been delayed to later in 2001.Template:Sfn Adventure 2 was released on June 19, 2001, in North America and June 23 in other countries.<ref name="IGN: HandsOnBDay" /><ref name="IGN: AmazingBDay" />

Marketing

Sega announced Sonic Adventure 2 at E3 in May 2000 with a trailer premiere behind closed doors and a press release. Game Informer reported that it was 40% complete at that time.Template:Sfn Sega released the trailer online when it launched Sonic Team's website on June 30,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and allowed journalists to play a demo version in December.<ref name="GSpot: SA2Hands-On" /><ref name="IGN: First" /> Template:AnchorEarly copies of Sonic Team's Phantasy Star Online, released in Japan in December and worldwide in January 2001,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> were bundled with the demo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It features the opening cutscene and level,<ref name="IGN: First">Template:Cite web</ref> ending with a trailer showcasing later levels.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sega showcased Adventure 2 again at E3 2001.<ref name="Euro: E301">Template:Cite web</ref>

On June 13, 2001, Archie Comics published a brief adaptation in its Sonic the Hedgehog comic book, written by Karl Bollers and penciled by Patrick Spaziante. According to Ken Penders, one of the series' writers, the creative team was unable to adapt the story in full due to Sonic Team's desire for secrecy; they were only able to work from the demo and a few screenshots.Template:Sfn Penders said they considered adapting the story in a separate Super Special issue, but Archie had ceased publishing one-shots at the time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Adventure 2Template:'s worldwide release coincided with SonicTemplate:'s tenth anniversary,<ref name="IGN: AmazingBDay" /> and Sega marked the occasion in its marketing.<ref name="RPS: Played">Template:Cite web</ref> In Japan, Sega offered a limited edition "Birthday Pack" for two days that included Adventure 2, a gold disc containing Sonic music, a commemorative gold coin, and a 17-page booklet detailing the series' history.<ref name="IGN: HandsOnBDay">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="IGN: AmazingBDay">Template:Cite web</ref> On June 30, Sega held a celebration at a Software Etc. in San Jose, California, where attendees could have birthday cake, partake in giveaways, and receive Naka's autograph.<ref name="GSpot: Naka" />

GameCube port

Sonic Adventure 2 was released during a tumultuous period in Sega's history. Amidst competition from Sony Computer Entertainment's PlayStation 2, a lack of support from important third-party developers, and conflict within Sega, Dreamcast sales failed to meet Sega's expectations.<ref name="GI: SonicWrong">Template:Cite web</ref> Peter Moore, the president and chief operating officer of Sega of America, said the Dreamcast would need to sell five million units in the US by the end of 2000 to remain a viable platform, but Sega fell short of this goal with three million units sold.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:Sfn Moreover, Sega's attempts to spur sales through lower prices and cash rebates caused escalating financial losses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On January 31, 2001, Sega announced it was discontinuing the Dreamcast to become a third-party developer, although it remained committed to releasing first-party Dreamcast software through 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The third-party transition made Adventure 2 one of the last major Dreamcast exclusives and the final Sonic game for a Sega console.<ref name="Euro: E301" /><ref name="VB: Retrospective">Template:Cite web</ref> Much of Sonic Team's staff, including Naka, opposed the move as they had already entered pre-production on Sonic Adventure 3, but were unable to fight it.Template:Sfn

In April 2001, Sega announced Sonic Team was working on a game for Nintendo's GameCube.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sonic Team kept the project a secret until its reveal at Nintendo Space World in August.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Naka liked the GameCube hardware,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and advised Sonic Team fans to purchase GameCubes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shortly before Space World, Sega confirmed rumors that the project was a port of Sonic Adventure 2,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> subtitled Battle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This marked SonicTemplate:'s first appearance on a Nintendo console, which GameSpot called "an unbelievable milestone of epic proportions".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sonic Team left the single-player gameplay mostly unchanged, but added multiplayer options such as new maps and characters. Battle replaces the VMU's implementation with connectivity with the Game Boy Advance (GBA) game Sonic Advance (2001), facilitated through the GameCube – GBA link cable. Visually, Battle features texture resolution increases, though some textures are blurrier, while colors are brighter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Battle was released in Japan on December 20, 2001, in North America on February 11, 2002,<ref name="NWR: Review">Template:Cite web</ref> in Europe on May 3, 2002,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in Australia on May 17, 2002.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Sales

The Dreamcast version of Sonic Adventure 2 sold more than 84,000 copies during its first week in Japan (a franchise record),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a total of around 500,000 copies worldwide. The Escapist wrote that these numbers were impressive given that the Dreamcast had already been discontinued.<ref name="Escapist: Important">Template:Cite web</ref> In Japan, the GameCube version sold almost 50,000 copies during its first month,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and had sold 192,186 by December 23, 2002.<ref name="japanchartsgc">Template:Cite web</ref> In North America, it was the bestselling GameCube game between January and August 2002, selling 465,000 copies. By August 2002, it had sold more than a million copies worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Cumulative sales reached 1.7 million,<ref name="Escapist: Important" /> and by July 2006, it had earned $44 million in the US. According to Next Generation, it was the 42nd-bestselling game for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, or Xbox between January 2000 and July 2006 in the US.<ref name="nextgensales2">Template:Cite web</ref> It is one of the bestselling GameCube games and the bestselling third-party GameCube game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Reception

Sonic Adventure 2 received "generally favorable" reviews.<ref name="Metacritic"/> Critics appreciated its multiple playing styles. According to Edge and Four-Eyed Dragon of GamePro, the three styles and bonus features such as Chao gardens were engaging.<ref name="gamepro"/><ref name="edge"/> Johnny Liu of GameRevolution praised its replay value of multiple playing styles and 180 different goals.<ref name="grev"/> Anthony Chau of IGN called it one of the best Sonic games: "If this is the last Sonic game in these declining Dreamcast years, it's satisfying to know that the DC didn't go out with a bang, but with a sonic boom."<ref name="reviewIGN"/> In 2022, IGN named it one of the best Dreamcast games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The camera was panned. Shahed Ahmed of GameSpot criticized the "cardinal sin" of 3D platform games: forcing players to jump to an out-of-frame platform. Although players can re-orient the camera with the trigger buttons, it reverts when the character moves.<ref name="gs review"/> According to Chau and Liu, this made searching cramped sections of Knuckles' and Rouge's levels frustrating.<ref name="reviewIGN"/><ref name="grev"/> Edge found camera problems permeating the game, with no significant improvement from Adventure.<ref name="edge"/>

The visuals received positive reviews. Liu called them "sweet, sweet eye-crack".<ref name="grev"/> Four-Eyed Dragon wrote that the game "is simply jaw-dropping beautiful," citing its detailed backgrounds and scenery and the characters' extensive color palettes.<ref name="gamepro"/> According to Chau, the game had "some of the best textures ever seen" and was one of the most beautiful Dreamcast games.<ref name="reviewIGN"/> Edge was impressed by the texture detail and draw distance,<ref name="edge"/> and Chau, Liu and Ahmed praised its 60-frame-per-second rendering speed.<ref name="reviewIGN"/><ref name="gs review"/><ref name="grev"/>

Senoue's soundtrack also received positive reviews. According to Ahmed, the music was an improvement over AdventureTemplate:'s "campy glam-rock and J-pop soundtrack", with less emphasis on lyrics,<ref name="gs review"/> while Liu appreciated its more "understated" approach.<ref name="grev"/> Four-Eyed Dragon called the music "an eclectic mix of orchestrated masterpieces, guitar tunes, and melodic hip-hop voices" that "gracefully fill the game's ambiance to a perfect pitch."<ref name="gamepro"/> Reactions to the voice acting were divided; according to Ahmed, "the voice acting, and the lip-synching in particular, is executed quite well,"<ref name="gs review"/> and Liu and Chau found the English voices inferior to the Japanese ones.<ref name="reviewIGN"/><ref name="grev"/>

The plot was derided, although its presentation was well received. Ahmed wrote, "Throughout the game the plot becomes more and more scattered and lackluster," not focusing long enough on one element to execute it meaningfully.<ref name="gs review"/> Although Liu agreed that despite the game's ambitious scope and themes it failed to advance the series' core plot beyond the Sega Genesis Sonic games,<ref name="grev"/> Edge appreciated the story's presentation from both perspectives: hero and villain.<ref name="edge"/>

Despite high review scores for the Dreamcast version, the GameCube version released six months later received mixed reviews: respective Metacritic and GameRankings scores of 73 percent and 72.33 percent.<ref name="metacritic.com"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Critics generally felt that it was not significantly improved from the Dreamcast original.<ref name="ign battle">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, Shane Bettenhausen of GameSpy saw Adventure 2 Battle as noticeably superior; in addition to its upgrades, its action was better suited to the GameCube's controller than the Dreamcast's.<ref name="spy">Template:Cite web</ref>

Accolades

Sonic Adventure 2 received several accolades, including the 2001 IGNTemplate:'s Editors' Choice Award.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> ScrewAttack called it the fifth-best Dreamcast game,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and GamesRadar rated it the tenth-greatest Dreamcast game out of 25: "Despite trailing off significantly in recent years, the 3D side of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise had a surprisingly stellar start with the Sonic Adventure entries, and the 2001 sequel really amped up the action."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 2014, IGN's Luke Karmali called Battle his tenth-favorite game of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a video interview with Sonic Team studio head Takashi Iizuka, he says Sonic Adventure 2 is his favourite game in the series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Post-release

Development on the next game, Sonic Heroes (2003), began at Sonic Team USA shortly after Adventure 2Template:'s completion. Iizuka chose to develop it as a standalone game rather than a sequel to appeal to a broader audience.Template:Sfn Heroes became the first multiplatform Sonic game when it was released for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox in late 2003.<ref name="website">Interview section. Template:Cite web</ref> Another 2003 Sonic Team game, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, uses an updated version of the Adventure 2 engine,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Ohtani, who first composed Sonic music for Adventure 2, became the series' sound director with Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).<ref name="VGMO: Ohtani" />

Sega's discontinuation of the Dreamcast made Sonic Adventure 2 the last Sonic game that Sonic Team—which had worked with Sega hardware teams to take advantage of their consoles—produced with the benefits of first-party development.<ref name="GI: SonicWrong" /> Whereas Adventure 2 had been made using proprietary software,<ref name="gzonedev">Template:Cite web</ref> Sonic Team USA partnered with Criterion Software to use RenderWare so Heroes could be programmed and ported across platforms.<ref name="gamesindustryrender">Template:Cite web</ref> Iizuka described the loss of first-party development benefits as the greatest challenge of the third-party transition, as his team "no longer [had] the ability to control what we need[ed] to make our games".<ref name="GI: SonicWrong" /> Naka said he had mixed feelings about Sonic as a multiplatform franchise,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and departed to form his own studio, Prope, in 2006.<ref name="tenyears">Template:Cite web</ref>

Shadow quickly proved popular among fans, so Sonic Team USA retconned his apparent death in Adventure 2Template:'s finale to include him in subsequent Sonic games, beginning with Heroes.<ref name="Stadium: OnStage" />Template:Sfn After Heroes, Sonic Team USA was renamed Sega Studios USA.Template:Sfn Their next project was Shadow the Hedgehog (2005),<ref name="allgame">Template:Cite web</ref> a spin-off starring Shadow that continues plot threads established in Adventure 2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The division developed Nights: Journey of Dreams (2007) before it was merged back into the Japanese Sonic Team in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite news</ref> Iizuka became the head of Sonic Team following the merger.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Soundtracks

Marvelous Entertainment released a collection of Sonic Adventure 2 songs, Cuts Unleashed Sonic Adventure 2 Vocal Collection, on August 18, 2001,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before releasing the full two-disc soundtrack album, Multi-dimensional Sonic Adventure 2 Original Sound Track, on September 5.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tokyopop released a soundtrack in the US on February 5, 2002, ahead of the GameCube version's release, featuring 26 tracks selected by Senoue and US-exclusive remixes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 30, 2011, Sega released the soundtrack on iTunes via its Wave Master label to coincide with the franchise's 20th anniversary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brave Wave Productions released a vinyl version of the soundtrack including interviews with Senoue and Iizuka in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rerelease

Sega released a port of Sonic Adventure 2 as a downloadable game for the PlayStation 3 (via PlayStation Network) and Xbox 360 (via Xbox Live Arcade) on October 2, 2012,<ref name="VB: Retrospective" /> and for Windows (via Steam) on November 20.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The port followed a similar reissue of the first Adventure in 2010 and was branded as part of Sega Heritage, a 2012 initiative in which Sega rereleased popular games from its back catalog on modern consoles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The rerelease features high-definition graphics and widescreen support, though some cutscenes are still presented in 4:3.<ref name="Destruct: 2012Review">Template:Cite web</ref> Otherwise, it is mostly identical to the original versions; it lacks the Dreamcast version's online features and the GameCube additions are paywalled as downloadable content (DLC).<ref name="PS: Review" /> In 2017, the PlayStation 3 version was made playable on the PlayStation 4 and Windows via the cloud gaming service PlayStation Now,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Xbox 360 version was made backward compatible with the Xbox One.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Legacy

Retrospective assessments

Sonic Adventure 2 is frequently ranked among the best Sonic games.Template:Efn GameSpot and Kotaku deemed it a satisfying conclusion to SonicTemplate:'s run on Sega hardware,<ref name="GSpot: Best" /><ref name="Kotaku: Rank" /> and Game Informer considered it a worthy sequel to Adventure.<ref name="GI: Every" /> However, journalists have characterized Adventure 2 as divisive,Template:Efn and the 2012 rerelease received "mixed or average reviews" according to Metacritic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some fans regard Adventure 2 as the franchise's pinnacle, but others find it unfocused—"a jack of all trades, master of none", as The Escapist wrote.<ref name="Escapist: Important" /> According to The Escapist, "depending on who you ask, [it] represent[s] the franchise at its best and at its worst."<ref name="Escapist: Important" />

Common elements of retrospective praise include Sonic and Shadow's levels,Template:Efn the Chao Garden,Template:Efn and the soundtrack.Template:Efn GamesRadar+ felt Adventure 2Template:'s increased speed and emphasis on spectacle positively influenced the series.<ref name="GRadar: Best" /> Conversely, its focus on multiple characters with different gameplay styles has been divisive.<ref name="Poly: Adv3" /><ref name="GR+: Oct2012" /> While IGN praised the gameplay variety,<ref name="IGN: Best" /> Kotaku noted that many only like the Sonic and Shadow levels;<ref name="Kotaku: Rank" /> retrospective reviewers have criticized the other characters as frustrating and cumbersome.Template:Efn Game Informer found Tails and Eggman's levels fine, but Knuckles and Rouge's annoying.<ref name="GI: Every" /> Nintendo Life disagreed, writing Knuckles and Rouge were "entertaining enough" while Tails and Eggman were "rubbish".<ref name="NLife: Review" /> To TechRadar, the gameplay variety meant the quality of levels fluctuated more than it did in Adventure, though Sonic and Shadow's levels were a significant improvement.<ref name="TechRadar: Best" /> Kotaku appreciated the other characters' levels for their immersion, despite their poor quality.<ref name="Kotaku: Rank" />

Additional criticism has been directed at the camera for obscuring enemies and platforms,<ref name="VB: Retrospective" /><ref name="Destruct: 2012Review" /> poor voice acting and audio mixing,<ref name="Escapist: Important" /><ref name="Destruct: 2012Review" /><ref name="NLife: Review" /> and the story.Template:Efn The audio mixing, in which characters' dialogue in cutscenes frequently overlaps, has been described as infamous.<ref name="Escapist: Important" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Escapist and VentureBeat called the story nonsensical,<ref name="VB: Retrospective" /><ref name="Escapist: Important" /> Destructoid said it "almost feels like work to get through",<ref name="Destruct: 2012Review" /> and Vice jokingly compared it to a Bob Books take on Armageddon.<ref name="Vice: OST" /> Nintendo Life felt the plot would have been interesting were it not for the plot holes caused by events playing out differently across campaigns.<ref name="NLife: Review">Template:Cite web</ref> However, VentureBeat praised the good-vs.-evil presentation as clever and adding unexpected nuance to the villains' motivations,<ref name="VB: Retrospective" /> and Rock Paper Shotgun said the story was one of SonicTemplate:'s best despite some melodramatic moments. They highlighted the scene in which Eggman destroys the Moon as considerably more impactful than his schemes in later games.<ref name="RPS: Played" />

VentureBeat wrote that Adventure 2 did not hold up to modern standards, finding its camera and reliance on trial-and-error design outdated,<ref name="VB: Retrospective" /> and Destructoid said it was only redeemed by how engaging the Chao Garden was.<ref name="Destruct: 2012Review" /> A Vice writer, while playing Adventure 2 for the first time in a decade, said that "[I've] been forced to reconcile my nostalgia with the harsh reality that it is not a terrific game".<ref name="Vice: OST" /> VentureBeat wrote that it was more worth remembering for its historical significance as the last Sonic game for a Sega console than it was worth replaying.<ref name="VB: Retrospective" /> Others conceded that Adventure 2 is flawed, but argued this was negated by its merits.Template:Efn Nintendo Life said Adventure 2Template:'s many "bizarre design choices" made it endearing,<ref name="NLife: Chao" /> and Kotaku said it "felt equal parts triumphant and bittersweet... Adventure 2 has plenty of flaws, but you can tell Sonic Team was working hard to build off the best parts of its previous Adventure and play out Sega’s home console era with style."<ref name="Kotaku: Rank" />

Following Adventure 2, SonicTemplate:'s critical standing began to decline,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which VentureBeat attributed to Sega "depending on stupid gimmicks to sell their most iconic property" following the third-party transition.<ref name="VB: Retrospective" /> The Escapist wrote that subsequent Sonic games, such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Unleashed (2008), and Sonic Forces (2017), attempted to replicate the Adventure 2 format of varied gameplay styles, but failed because they did not develop each style fully.<ref name="Escapist: Important" /> VentureBeat said Adventure 2Template:'s alternate gameplay styles were natural additions to Sonic whereas those in subsequent games, such as UnleashedTemplate:'s Werehog segments and Sonic and the Black KnightTemplate:'s (2009) swordplay, were not.<ref name="VB: Retrospective" />

City Escape

City streets with traffic, viewed from above

Journalists have described City Escape, Sonic Adventure 2Template:'s first level, as one of the best opening stages in a video game.

Sonic Adventure 2Template:'s first level, City Escape, has been described as one of the best opening stages in a video game.<ref name="Destruct: City">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="RB: Opening">Template:Cite web</ref> The level, which serves as a tutorial,<ref name="Destruct: City" /> depicts Sonic as he escapes GUN and features sequences in which he snowboards through streets and outruns a murderous truck.<ref name="IGN: First" /><ref name="RB: Opening" /> Red Bull said it was "unquestionably SonicTemplate:'s finest hour since the [Genesis] days",<ref name="RB: Opening" /> and Destructoid called it a perfect introduction to modern Sonic gameplay that encapsulates the strengths of the Adventure games.<ref name="Destruct: City" /> USgamer wrote that Adventure 2 is remembered more for City Escape than anything else,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Polygon said that it "represents the epitome of Sonic the Hedgehog. It's fast-paced, full of secret pathways, and more than a little absurd."<ref name="Poly: Escape">Template:Cite web</ref>

Polygon considered "Escape from the City", the City Escape theme song, the peak of the Sonic franchise, with an energetic composition and hopeful lyrics that encapsulate Sonic's character. The song was remixed in Sonic Generations (2011) and featured in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Super Smash Bros. series of crossover games.<ref name="Poly: Escape" /> Senoue and the band Hyper Potions produced an Irish-themed remix for a collaboration between Jacksepticeye and the Sonic social media team on St. Patrick's Day 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sega produced two remixes in 2021: a Sonic 30th Anniversary Symphony remix in June and a funk remix in December.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The original is a selectable song in Sega's Samba de Amigo: Party Central (2023), a rhythm game which includes a City Escape-based stage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Poley described "Escape from the City" as his biggest hit, though he does not receive any royalties.<ref name="Vice: Glam" />

Generations, which commemorates the franchise's 20th anniversary, features reimagined versions of levels from past Sonic games, including 2D and 3D reimaginings of City Escape. The 2D version features the "Classic" iteration of Sonic racing the truck as it moves between the background and foreground, while the 3D version features shortcuts that take advantage of GenerationsTemplate:'s mechanics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="IG">Template:Cite web</ref> Kotaku regarded GenerationsTemplate:'s City Escape as one of the most impactful moments of 2011,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and PCMag considered it a highlight, a "prime example" of Sonic Team drawing inspiration from the franchise's history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Influence

Sonic Adventure 2Template:'s GameCube port introduced Sonic to a new audience of Millennials and, alongside the compilation Sonic Mega Collection (2002), built a new fanbase following Sega's third-party transition. For this reason, The Escapist regarded it as possibly the most important Sonic game and said that while some later Sonic games were better, "[they] didn’t do nearly as much to energize or even create a new fanbase".<ref name="Escapist: Important" /> Additionally, the GameCube port paved the way for a closer relationship between Sega and Nintendo after a decade of console war hostility. Several subsequent Sonic games were exclusive to Nintendo platforms and Sonic appeared alongside Nintendo's mascot Mario in the Mario & Sonic and Super Smash Bros. games.<ref name="Escapist: Important" />

Sonic Team continued the gameplay style established by the Adventure games in Heroes and Sonic the Hedgehog before going in a new direction with Unleashed,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which was conceived as a sequel to Adventure 2 before becoming a standalone game.<ref name="cvg_onm">Template:Cite web</ref> Adventure 2Template:'s emphasis on spectacle influenced subsequent Sonic games.<ref name="GRadar: Best" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was the first Sonic game to feature rail grinding,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a mechanic used in nearly every subsequent Sonic game.<ref name="PCGN: Soap" /> Sonic Frontiers (2022) features levels that recreate the layouts of the Adventure 2 stages Metal Harbor, Green Forest, and Sky Rail,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Sonic's Soap shoes are available as DLC.<ref name="PCGN: Soap">Template:Cite web</ref> Sonic fans have requested Adventure 3,<ref name="Escapist: Important" /><ref name="Poly: Adv3">Template:Cite web</ref> but Iizuka said this would not advance the series' design.<ref name="Poly: Adv3" />

According to PC Gamer, Shadow is the most famous modern Sonic character.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He returned as a playable character in Heroes,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sonic the Hedgehog,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sonic and the Black Knight, and Forces.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2005, Naka said Sonic Team had determined Shadow was the most popular Sonic character excluding Sonic himself,<ref name="GSpy: Talks">Template:Cite web</ref> a finding reaffirmed in a 2009 Sega poll.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sonic Generations includes Shadow as a boss,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Nintendo 3DS version includes the Biolizard boss.<ref name="enix">Template:Cite web</ref> A 2024 Generations rerelease was bundled with Shadow Generations, a Shadow game that features recreations of Adventure 2 levels and bosses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rouge also became a recurring character;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a 2006 Sega poll found her the tenth-most-popular Sonic character.<ref name="poll">Template:Cite web</ref>

"Live & Learn" remains a popular Sonic song.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It has appeared in at least 25 games since Adventure 2, including non-Sonic games such as the Maimai, Phantasy Star, Super Smash Bros., and Yakuza series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Crush 40 performed a remix featuring the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra as the finale of the Sonic 30th Anniversary Symphony.<ref name="StillCrying">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, Gioeli filed a lawsuit against Sega for breach of contract regarding the ownership of "Live & Learn"; he said that he was unaware that Sega kept reusing the song, to which he claimed the copyright. He sought Template:US$500,000 in damages and another Template:US$500,000 in unpaid royalties for its use outside of Adventure 2.<ref name="Poly: LaLLawsuit">Template:Cite web</ref> The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice in August 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Adaptations

Sonic Adventure 2 was adapted in the second season of the anime series Sonic X (2003–2006). The Japanese voice cast reprised their roles for the adaptation, while the licensing corporation 4Kids Entertainment, which handled the American localization, hired a new voice cast for the English dub.<ref name="them">Template:Cite web</ref> Although Archie Comics did not adapt Adventure 2 in full in its Sonic comic, it did so in the second issue of the spin-off publication Sonic Universe in March 2009; the adaptation was written by Ian Flynn and penciled by Tracy Yardley and Steven Butler.Template:Sfn

The live-action feature film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) is an adaptation of Adventure 2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It features several scenes that reference Adventure 2, such as Shadow's captivity in a GUN facility, Sonic leaping out of a helicopter, and Sonic and Shadow collaborating to stop the Eclipse Cannon.<ref name="GRadar: 30Big">Template:Cite web</ref> "Live & Learn" is featured throughout as a leitmotif and the song plays during the climax.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although the film mostly follows the Adventure 2 story, it features some differences, such as the absence of City Escape and Gerald Robotnik appearing alive in the present rather than being limited to flashbacks.<ref name="GRadar: 30Big" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The writers, Pat Casey and Josh Miller, did not have time to replay Adventure 2 and based the adaptation on what they remembered.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

Works cited

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External links

• Sonic Adventure 2 at Sega's Dreamcast Minisite Template:In lang
• Sonic Adventure 2 Template:Webarchive at sega.com
• Sonic Adventure 2 Battle at sonicteam.com