Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (GameCube)

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut
Developer: Sonic Team Publisher: Sega Platform: GameCube Released in JP: June 19, 2003 Released in US: June 17, 2003 Released in EU: June 27, 2003 Released in AU: June 20, 2003 This game has unused areas. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused objects. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused models. This game has unused music. This game has unused sounds. This game has unused text. This game has a prototype article This game has a notes page

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut is the enhanced GameCube port of the Dreamcast original. While the core game is the same, DX features updated several models and textures, removes the 30 FPS cap, ports the Sonic Adventure 2 Chao system, and adds several unlockable features (including Mission Mode, a playable Metal Sonic, and Sonic's entire Game Gear library).

Despite these additions, it's generally seen as the inferior version due to bugs (both those lingering from the Dreamcast version and new ones), a less stable frame rate, an overreliance on specular highlights (primarily owing to the removal of the original's Lantern lighting engine), and having none of the DLC. Additionally, DX would serve as the basis for subsequent ports that introduced more issues and further tarnished the game's reputation.

Historically, outside of a alchemic "glitching scene" for Adventure in 2000, DX was the only version of the game that was datamined during the 2000s and early 2010s, as Dreamcast emulation was in its infancy. Much of the unused content present in Adventure - namely, Sky Chase's dragon - were actually found as leftovers in DX and its prototypes first; this is why some of our videos for Adventure were recorded using DX. Once the understanding of Adventure's codebase had improved, many researchers directed their attention to the original with DX since becoming the mixing bowl. For further reading, look here.

This page lists unused content exclusive to DX. For content that appeared in the original version, look here.

Sub-Pages

Prototype Info

Notes

Changes from the Dreamcast Version Tails looks really shiny now.

Unused Graphics

Twinkle Park Arrow

Early versions of SADX had arrows on the floor in Twinkle Park Act 2. While they were removed from the level model, their texture still exists.

Demo Leftovers

Files from the Sonic Adventure DX demo on the GameCube Preview Disc can be found.

The logo for the demo version of the game can be found in ava_gtitle0_SHOW_e.

• The demo's "Thanks for playing!" screen can be found in title_end_SHOW_e.

The character select screen names used in the demo can be found in b_chnam_SHOW_e.

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  Amy (Final Egg)

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  Big (Emerald Coast)

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  Gamma (Windy Valley)

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  Knuckles (Red Mountain)

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  Sonic (Speed Highway)

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  Sonic (Emerald Coast)

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  Tails (Icecap)

Dreamcast Water Textures

While the Dreamcast version's choppy water was replaced with a new animation in DX, the old textures used for the Past and Egg Carrier are still present as "PAST02" and "EC_SEA" respectively.

Unused Objects

While most of the hidden or unused objects in the game were present in the Dreamcast version, a small number of objects are exclusive to DX.

Underneath the ground near the waterfall in Mystic Ruins is a row of 15 blocks which are normally never seen.

There is a hidden ring exclusive to DX hidden behind City Hall in Station Square.

Dreamcast Leftovers

DX has many leftover files on the disc, including from the original Dreamcast version, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, and the DX demos.

Dreamcast Version

A file containing the Japanese title screen from Sonic Adventure International can be found in ava_gtitle0_.GVM. The Japanese title screen used in-game is found in ava_gtitle0.GVM. The image on the left is what the screen looks like when assembled.

The TV settings menu still exists in the GameCube version despite it being inaccessible. However, the text has layering issues and none of the options function correctly. Pressing cancel will take the player to the Options menu.

Furthermore, a number of extra texture files can be found for certain areas of the game containing textures from their Dreamcast counterparts:

• Textures for the Dreamcast version of the City Hall and Station areas of Station Square can be found in _advSS00.GVM and _advSS03.GVM.
• Textures for the Dreamcast version of each Chao Garden can be found in GARDEN00.GVM, GARDEN01.GVM, and GARDEN02.GVM.

Chao Garden

A number of leftovers from the Dreamcast version's Chao Transporter can also be found.

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  Controller/VMU slot icons.

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  VMU

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  The font used for a Chao's name.

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  Speech bubble used to display a Chao's name.

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  Various text.

As Tikal was removed from the Station Square Chao Garden in the GameCube version, the lines used for her appearances there go unused.

Audio	Transcript
	This is the Chao Garden. If you bring the eggs you find all over the world, a Chao will be born.
	The egg will hatch naturally after a while. You can also help the egg to hatch. Depending on how you hatch the egg, the characteristics of a Chao will be affected.
	If you give a Chao a small animal, the Chao changes. Try experimenting using different animals.

DLC

The tree used for the Christmas 1999 DLC still exists in the files.

Also present are a few songs that were used for DLC in Sonic Adventure but weren't carried over to any other rereleases:

Audio	Name
	Dreams Dreams (A-Cappella Ver.)
	Dreams Dreams (Sweet Mix In Holy Night)
	Palmtree Panic (Present and Good Future, Japan/Europe)
	Super Sonic Racing

Sonic Adventure 2: Battle

The Principal, Transporter, and Black Market's text files were implemented in a modified form for SADX. However, for some reason the original versions of each file from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle are still on the disc and can be found in MsgAlItem_e.bin, MsgAlKinderBl_e.bin, MsgAlKinderPr_e.bin, and MsgAlWarn_e.bin.

A few tracks from the Sonic Adventure 2: Battle Chao Garden also exist as leftovers in this game.

Audio	Name
	Chao Garden
	Hero Chao Garden
	Dark Chao Garden

Mission Mode

Unused Flag Colors

The collectible flag object used for some missions only ever appears in red and yellow variants, but five more colors (blue, white, green, gray, and purple) are defined.

Unused Mission Type

There is an unused type of mission that requires you to collect items in a specific order. It seems that it wasn't finished, however, as collecting the wrong item simply doesn't count it, making the mission unwinnable until you restart the level.

Mission Test Object

Object ID 12 in the Mission Mode object list, named "Mi_TEST ", is an object used for testing. It revolves around the player, following them as they move, and can be controlled with Controller 2: Up and Down alter the speed (Up moving counterclockwise and Down moving clockwise), Left decreases the revolution radius, Right increases the radius, and A causes the menu confirm sound to play.

Compressed Batch Script

The file prs.prs is a compressed copy of the batch script used to compress the Game Gear ROM images for the game. When decompressed, it reads:

press -r g-sonic.gg g-sonic.prs
press -r labylin.gg labylin.prs
press -r mbmachin.gg mbmachin.prs
press -r prs.bat prs.prs
press -r s-drift2.gg s-drift2.prs
press -r s-tail2.gg s-tail2.prs
press -r skypat.gg skypat.prs
press -r sonic-ch.gg sonic-ch.prs
press -r sonic.gg sonic.prs
press -r sonic2.gg sonic2.prs
press -r sonicdri.gg sonicdri.prs
press -r sonictai.gg sonictai.prs
press -r sonic_tt.gg sonic_tt.prs
press -r spinball.gg spinball.prs
press -r tailsadv.gg tailsadv.prs