Sonic Adventure 2/Development

Back to: Sonic Adventure 2.

Sonic Adventure 2 went through many ideas and changes during the development process. What follows is a collection of items related to the game's development.

Development process

The members of Sonic Team USA, including Takashi Iizuka and Yuji Naka.

After the release of the first Sonic Adventure on the Sega Dreamcast in Japan, it was assumed by many that, as such great lengths had gone about in relaunching the franchise, that a sequel was more than likely to happen. Before the first thoughts about what this follow-up could be, however, a portion of Sonic Team led by the director of Sonic Adventure, Takashi Iizuka, flew to the United States and set up shop in San Francisco, California. Not only the home town of Sega of America, it was also the city where the Sega Technical Institute once thrived, and some of the greatest Sonic games of the 16-bit era were produced. Dubbing themselves "Sonic Team USA," the team got to work on their first assignment - the localization for the western release of Sonic Adventure. Cleaning up the major bugs which had gone unsolved in the Japanese release, as well as polishing up some other areas of the game, the team worked diligently to create a product that would succeed under the scrutinizing eye of the western gamer.

What many people didn't realize at the time, however, was that this split in the ranks of Sonic Team was done with a purpose - while Yuji Naka and the Japanese team could focus on new projects such as Phantasy Star Online, the American-based staff could focus on the namesake of the production team. And indeed, after the launch of the Dreamcast in the west and Sonic Adventure International was made available to Japanese gamers, Sonic Team USA got to work on their next project, the much anticipated Sonic Adventure 2.

The logo to Sonic's tenth anniversary celebration.

Right off the bat, one of the main objectives the team had when conceiving the game was to take what had made the first successful and strengthen them, focusing on those aspects and ignoring others. One of the main bullet points on this list was the story. Wanting to expand on the narrative powers the first game had employed, the seeds of the sometimes-complicated Sonic Adventure 2 plot were planted. In order to tell this story, it was decided that yet again new characters in the franchise would have to be sketched and then fleshed out. One of the ideas that Iizuka came up with was the idea of having a "Dark Sonic" in the game. Quickly, a variety of concept sketches were produced, each featuring a dark hedgehog. While some toyed with the idea of having the character missing an eye, it was decided that the character should remain visually similar to Sonic the Hedgehog but look more like his "shadow" than anything else. Originally given the name Terios, possibly derived from the Japanese verb 照らす (terasu) which means "to compare with" or "to shine on", it was later decided to go with the much simpler Shadow the Hedgehog, the name perfectly encapsulating the character. The other new main character in the game, who would eventually be named Rouge the Bat, was also thought up at this point, though early development called her "Nails," most likely to tie in with the naming scheme of the other main characters of the series such as Miles "Tails" Prower and Knuckles the Echidna. Though it is unknown how different her concept art may have looked, it was established early on that she would be a spy, her true intentions ambiguous through most of the game.

Dropping such elements as the Adventure Field and and the playstyles of Amy Rose and Big the Cat, the development team decided to focus on three main styles of play: the Sonic stages from the first game, the shooting stages of E-102 Gamma, and the treasure hunting quests of Knuckles the Echidna. With Gamma unusable from a story perspective, Sonic Team USA decided to follow up on another fan request, the ability to control Dr. Eggman within the game. Once deciding to give Eggman the shooting segments, work began on perfecting the three modes of gameplay.

Takashi Iizuka, the Director of Sonic Adventure 2.

Taking inspiration from their new homebase, much of Sonic Adventure 2 was designed as an homage to San Francisco, the most obvious being the steep hills of City Escape taken straight from the city streets. However, later levels such as Mission Street and Radical Highway also take cues from the landmarks of the bay, most notably the Golden Gate Bridge. Finally, the two Kart Racing levels in the game (Route 101 and Route 280) share their names with actual highways that run through San Francisco, making the game a love letter to the city by the bay.

One idea the team wanted to introduce in the game, but in the end was unable to implement, was the ability of having branching pathways story-wise in the narrative, each run a different experience. In early magazine previews, an example was used as to what Sonic Team intended. The scenario they presented was of Sonic being on a submarine that would begin to sink, the player either trying to bring the sub to safety or having Sonic escape and try and make it back to shore. Though unknown if this example was part of an early version of the story or if simply used in an interview to not spoil the team's true intentions, the branching paths were dropped from the final product.

It was May 11th, 2000 when the bubbling rumors of the sequel were finally confirmed by Sega, with Sonic Team releasing a handful of screenshots featuring Sonic the Hedgehog in what would become City Escape, as well as shots showing off Knuckles, Dr. Eggman and the return of the Chao Garden. Tied together with a trailer also featuring the three, the community went abuzz with excitement. That began to damper, though, with many discussing the fate of "Tails." Initial interviews with Yuji Naka were met with questionable answers, sometimes giving a "wait and see" approach, other times outright denying "Tails" being in the game.

A closer look at the Soap-brand shoes used by Sonic the Hedgehog in the game.

Further word as to what the game held in store wouldn't occur until September 22nd, when the "Sonic Team Fall Festival" began on the new SonicTeam.com. For ten days, two new screenshots were revealed to the world about the game, showcasing Sonic's new ability to grind and Dr. Eggman's introduction as a playable character. The final day of the online festival did nothing but drop cryptic hints as to the nature of the story, posting images of the dark, Sonic-esque hedgehog with little context. Further information to the public over the game went quiet until, in an unexpected move, the release of Phantasy Star Online gave Dreamcast players an added bonus for Sonic the Hedgehog fans. Released in Japan on November 21st, the game was packaged with Sonic Adventure 2: The Trial, a demo of City Escape that also included an extended trailer further teasing the true nature of Shadow the Hedgehog, only referring to him as the "Ultimate Hedgehog."

It is unknown just how long Sega was willing to keep players in the dark about the name of the "Mysterious Black Hedgehog" or when they were planning on revealing Rouge the Bat as a character in the game, however, as the two were accidentally leaked by the toy company ReSaurus. Having previously made figures of the principle cast of Sonic Adventure, a press release came out announcing a third wave of Sonic Adventure figures featuring the two new cast members of the sequel. Ironically, the figures would never see the light of day as the company went out of business shortly afterwards. It was only after this leak only a scant few months before the release of the game that Shadow was named through official channels, a media push beginning in April of 2001 also introducing Rouge the Bat as a playable character, and finally showing that, indeed, "Tails" would be in the final game, albeit with a heavily modified control scheme.

Sometime after the first playable demo, it was announced that Sega had made a deal with Soap Shoes to use a modified version of one of their shoes as the official footware of Sonic the Hedgehog in the game. As the shoes were created for the sole purpose of grinding, and the move was one the creators of the game wanted to fully advertise, it made perfect sense to have the partnership, also being the first time Sonic's shoes could actually be purchased. Though the grind ability would continue to be used in future installments, the agreement between the two companies only lasted for the one game.

The Birthday Pack in its full glory.

Though originally meant to be released in early spring, the game was delayed to June 23rd, 2001, the extra months of development time allowing Adventure 2 to be released on Sonic's tenth anniversary. In celebration of the event, a limited-edition version of the game was also released. Dubbed the Sonic Adventure 2 Birthday Pack, the collection came with a special fold-out packaging that held a music CD, a history book, and a golden coin with the image of Sonic etched on.

Funnily enough, the next project of Sonic Team USA would echo their first project, taking previously completed work and polishing it up for a subsequent release. Once it was announced that Sega would stop production of the Sega Dreamcast and step out of the home console market, the team worked on porting the game to the Nintendo GameCube, in the process making it the first Sonic title released on a non-Sega system.

Concept art

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  Concept art for City Escape.

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  Concept art for City Escape.

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  Concept art for City Escape.

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  Concept art for City Escape.

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  Concept art for City Escape.

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  Concept art for the grinding mechanic posted on Twitter.

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  Concept art for Metal Harbor.

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  Concept Art for Iron Gate posted on Twitter.

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  Concept art for Iron Gate.

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  Concept art for Pumpkin Hill.

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  Concept art for Aquatic Mine.

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  Concept art for Shadow the Hedgehog shown at the 25th Anniversary party. The designers were Kazuyuki Hoshino (top row) and Yuji Uekawa (bottom row).

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  Concept art for Shadow the Hedgehog.

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  Concept art for Shadow the Hedgehog.

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  Concept art for Shadow the Hedgehog posted on Twitter.

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  Concept art for Shadow the Hedgehog posted on Twitter.

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  Concept art for Rouge the Bat posted on Twitter.

Demo tracks

At some point around 2000, Jun Senoue composed demo versions of songs that would be used in the game. In celebration of successfully raising over $6,000 for Extra Life to benefit Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, the official Sonic the Hedgehog media channels released these demo tracks online in December 2020 as a reward for the community's efforts.

Track name	Audio	Notes
City Escape - Demo Ver. 2000		There are no vocals in this track.
Metal Harbor - Demo Ver. 2000
Mission Street - Demo Ver. 2000
Radical Highway - Demo Ver. 2000

E3 2000

Sonic Adventure 2 was announced on the first day of E3 2000 (2000-05-11), alongside a set of screenshots and a trailer being shown behind closed doors.

With more than a year's worth of development to go before the game's eventual launch, what was put on display differs greatly from the final product. While the original Sonic Adventure was keen to highlight its six playable characters from the get go, Sonic Adventure 2 only highlighted three; Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna and Dr. Eggman (though there were few clues that Eggman would actually be playable).

In the trailer, Sonic is seen running through the truck sequence of City Escape, as well as parts of Green Forest and (what would become a Shadow-only level) Sky Rail. Knuckles is seen in Pumpkin Hill, and Eggman in Iron Gate, with the screenshots confirming the existence of Aquatic Mine and the return of the Chao Garden (complete with beach ball). Shadow is teased but is not elaborated on, and much of the trailer highlights duality of what would become the "hero" and "dark" campaigns. Cutscene animations for Sonic are also briefly shown.

While rendered in-engine, there is no visible HUD or much evidence that someone is "playing" the game. There are also noticeable problems with the lighting model, with Sonic and Knuckles' torsos appearing almost completely black at points. Sonic also has his classic shoe design, as would be the case until quite late in development.

This initial showing caused quite a stir among the gaming press, however questions began to arise about the omission of long-time Sonic sidekick, Tails. A suggestion that still exists to this day, is that Sonic Adventure 2 was originally designed with only three characters (and therefore only three gamplay styles) in mind, explaining the lack of gameplay variety when compared to the original Sonic Adventure.

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  The original title screen. The final would receive a splash of colour when Sonic Team were more comfortable discussing the existence of Shadow.

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  Sonic running the truck in City Escape. the truck model would be completely redesigned in the final game, with prominent "GUN" lettering on display.

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  The same shot in a higher resolution, albeit with watermarks.

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  A second shot, Sonic performing a trick.

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  The same shot in a higher resolution, albeit with watermarks.

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  Sonic running Green Forest.

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  The same shot in a higher resolution, albeit with watermarks.

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  Knuckles swimming in Aquatic Mine, showcasing the early lighting scheme.

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  The same shot in a higher resolution, albeit with watermarks.

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  The first shot of Dr. Eggman.

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  The same shot in a higher resolution, albeit with watermarks.

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  Sonic standing in Sky Rail, with the unfinished lighting model.

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  The same shot in a higher resolution, albeit with watermarks.

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  The first shot of the new Chao Garden.

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  The same shot in a higher resolution, albeit with watermarks.

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• Trailer

Sonic Team Festival

For ten days, starting On the 22nd September 2000, screenshots of Sonic Adventure 2 were released on Sonic Team's website. The team released two screenshots a day, complete with captions.

Day 1: Sky Surfing (2000-09-22)

“	Out of the blue skies comes the sound of a roaring helicopter. From the helicopter, jumps our mighty blue hero, Sonic the Hedgehog! Sonic ready to take on the challenges that face him! The stage is set and the curtain rises for Sonic's next adventure!	„
— Sonic Team website

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  "Sonic takes a leap of faith!"

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  "Grab a board and let's go sky surfing!"

Day 2: Downtown (2000-09-23)

“	Steep hills, groovy houses and busy streets full of action-packed fun! Sonic begins his new adventure in the backdrop of the city. Blaze through the most beautiful graphically drawn Sonic worlds ever!	„
— Sonic Team website

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  "Sonic ready for some big air!"

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  "The whole town is an action stage!"

Day 3: Action (2000-09-24)

“	Sonic is back with some new moves...Check out the "Grind"! This new technique allows Sonic to slide down park rails and other cool secret places. New actions guaranteed to satisfy your need for speed and blow your mind!	„
— Sonic Team website

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  "Sonic's new mad skills...The Grind!"

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  "Killer shreds off the top!"

Day 4: Welcome to the Jungle (2000-09-25)

“	From the city to the jungle...where will this adventure take Sonic? Typical of the variety of action stages found in the Sonic world, the stage is now set for new adventure. And of course, each stage is full of surprises and fun at every turn!	„
— Sonic Team website

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  "Fresh Grinds off the ivy!"

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  "Traversing through the up and downs of the mangrove!"

Day 5: Knuckles the Echidna (2000-09-26)

“	With the wide variety of playable characters...the charm of Sonic Adventure is back! Characters intertwine behind the scenes to reveal another Sonic epic. Our story would not be complete without the undisputed guardian of the Master Emerald, Knuckles the Echidna.	„
— Sonic Team website

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  "What's new with Knuckles?"

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  "No place out of reach for Knuckles!

Day 6: The moves of Knuckles (2000-09-27)

“	Knuckles is world famous for all his variety of moves! Gliding through the air, traversing treacherous cliffs, burrowing underground still make Knuckles an awesome character. This time around, Knuckles gets added moves to Power up his game.	„
— Sonic Team website

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  "Knuckles has been seen swimming..."

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  "Knuckles' "Spiral Upper" attack."

Day 7: Dr. Eggman (2000-09-28)

“	Crazy mustache and round glasses...can only mean that diabolical scientist of evil, Dr. Eggman is back! Could it be that our leader of evil who's primary mission has been to stump the heroic efforts of Sonic... is engaged in a battle with the enemies? Check it out!	„
— Sonic Team website

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  "Dr. Eggman stands in front of a mysterious terminal."

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  "Can it be...Eggman is fighting with the enemy !? But why?"

Day 8: Egg Mobile Blast-off (2000-09-29)

“	Enter Dr. Eggman riding high on his new powerful Egg Mobile. Armed with a powerful weapon, Eggman destroys all who enter the battlefield. One's true character is measured by battling with Eggman. What diabolical evil is Dr. Eggman planning this time around?	„
— Sonic Team website

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  "Dr. Eggman triggers the emergency alarm!"

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  "Dr. Eggman takes out an enemy robot!"

Day 9: CHAO: Artificial Life (2000-09-30)

“	Chao which you all have grown to love has become more intelligent and cute! Improved intutitive communication and response with Chao increases Chao Fun! You won't be able to leave your Chao alone with the improved VMU Chao mini-game with secret features.	„
— Sonic Team website

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  "Be good to your Chao by rewarding him!"

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  "What is this place?"

Day 10: CHAO: The Mysterious Hedgehog (2000-10-01)

“	A mysterious black Hedgehog appears above in the shadows as Dr. Eggman looks on. What mystery shrouds this black hedgehog that appears to have the same silhouette of our famed Sonic? The curtain is drawn as the drama of Sonic Adventure 2 begins with the appearance of this mysterious hedgehog.	„
— Sonic Team website

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  "Who is this mysterious hedgehog?"

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  "And what story will unfold?" Shadow's model looks a little different in this screenshot.

Promotional screenshots

City Escape

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  Sliding along with classic shoes.

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  "Sonic's classic loop. The huge and dynamic loop is back!" Released April 13th, 2001.

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  " Try some cool tricks! There may be some tricks that you couldn't do in the Trial version." Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Sonic's new action, "Grinding." Try sliding various terrain! Guaranteed to be fun!" Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Destroy all of the military robots with his Homing Attack!" Released April 13th, 2001.

Wild Canyon

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  "Knuckles is looking for the pieces of the Master Emerald as the dry winds blow..." Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "There are various monuments, such as stone statues and windmills. Feels like someone is watching you..." Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Strong ascending air currents blow Knuckles up from the bottom of the chamber." Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Digging into the wall, swimming and gliding to find the pieces. Hey! I've found one!" Released April 13th, 2001.

Prison Lane

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  " Tails' latest invention is a mechanical walker called the "Cyclone." Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Fearless and brave, Tails is determined to rescue his hero, Sonic. Go Tails!" Released April 13th, 2001.

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  " Remeber to use Lock-on to break through the tight security!" Released April 13th, 2001.

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  " Still a long way to go... Where is Sonic?" Released April 13th, 2001.

Metal Harbor

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  Unknown area. Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

Green Forest

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  Taken before the Soap deal.

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  Classic shoes abound.

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Pumpkin Hill

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

Mission Street

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

Aquatic Mine

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Iron Gate

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  "You can now control Eggman's mechanical walker in the game!" Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Fire the walker's main cannon and break through the steel barrier!" Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Oh no, it seems like the alarm went off." Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Hohohoho! How's that? Now you know how powerful I am!" Released April 13th, 2001.

Dry Lagoon

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  "This is the desert canyon area. Keep looking for the pieces of the Master Emerald." Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Check out the cool oasis. Don't the turtles look comfortable swimming in the pond?" Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Is this the ancient ruins?"Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "It looks like there might be something around that huge stone statue." Released April 13th, 2001.

Sand Ocean

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

Radical Highway

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  "Shadow glides with his air shoes. He is as fast as Sonic!" Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Battle against the hi-tech military fighters! Make sure to dodge the bombs." Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Glide down the railing of this familiar looking bridge. It's golden." Released April 13th, 2001.

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  "Dive into the spiral loops at super speed!" Released April 13th, 2001.

Egg Quarters

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

Boss Encounters

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  Against F-6t BIG FOOT. Released April 13th, 2001.

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  Released April 13th, 2001.

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  Sonic against Shadow. Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  "Tails" versus Eggman. Released April 13th, 2001.

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  Released April 13th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Released May 25th, 2001.

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  Against B-3x HOT SHOT. Released April 13th, 2001.

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  Released April 13th, 2001.

Chao Garden

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  The unveiling of the Hero and Dark Chao. Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Showcasing "Tails" in the Hero Garden. Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Showcasing Dr. Eggman in the Dark Garden. Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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  Released June 1st, 2001.

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Cutscenes

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  Sonic in his classic shoes. The model was used not only in "The Trial," but is also briefly seen in the opening cutscene of the final game.

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External links

• Sonic Adventure 2 - Trailer Collection - An assortment of trailers for the game.
• Sonic Adventure 2 Trailer - An alternate version of the fourth trailer in the above link. Released June 1st, 2001.