Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, known as just Sonic Adventure DX (Japanese: ソニックアドベンチャー DX) in Japan, is an enhanced port of the Sega Dreamcast game, Sonic Adventure, with many added features and updated graphics. It was first released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2003, followed by a Windows PC port the following year.
Sonic Adventure DX follows in the footsteps of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, a GameCube conversion of Sonic Adventure 2, released in the tail-end of 2001, taking a Dreamcast game (in this case 1999 releases (i.e. the Western and International versions)) of Sonic Adventure and attempting to enhance the game for the more capable GameCube hardware.
Unlike Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, however, the changes in DX are far more significant, resulting in a graphical overhaul across most areas of the game, a new "mission mode", an enhanced Chao Garden and the inclusion of 12 unlockable Sega Game Gear titles. It pulls a lot of inspiration from Sonic Adventure 2, while attempting to fix some of the multitude of problems with the original release, and is generally considered by Sega and Sonic Team to be the definitive version of the game, being the basis for all conversions going forward.
Much of the game has been remodelled or re-textured, with the main characters being among the assets to be re-created with higher polygon counts. But while DX may improve on some 3D geometry, much of the game is untouched and some areas, such as the in-game lighting model and many of the texture choices, are often considered to have been downgraded. In many parts of the game, particulary areas in an around Station Square, these texture changes lead to a very different looking world as seen in the original Dreamcast release.
Sonic Adventure DX being the better version of the game, as is its design, remains a contentious issue among fans.
All boss maps were updated to match the altered maps.
Chaos 2
Chaos 2 is darker.
The glass is opaque.
Chaos 4
Alot of textures were changed.
It's easier to see the bottom of the lake.
The pond is less green and more clear.
The pond doesn't change to a "purified" texture when Chaos 4 isn't swimming in it.
Chaos 6
Thicker fog.
Chaos 6 is more opaque.
Perfect Chaos
The entire map was heavily revamped with different textures and buildings.
Perfect Chaos is brighter.
Waterfalls were added.
A section of destroyed road at the starting point of the stage was removed
More fog.
The water looks dirtier
Roads are darker.
Egg Hornet
More fog.
The lighting is brighter.
Egg Walker
Fixed an inconstancy where the poster shows an unused one.
The Egg Walker is brighter.
The hotel doors were strangely removed.
Egg Viper
The color scheme for the platforms and walls were swapped.
ZERO/E-101mk.II
The lighting was changed - ZERO and E-101mk.II are notably shinier.
Fog was added.
Included Game Gear Games
Several Game Gear games are included as unlockables awarded after collecting 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 110, 120 and 130 Emblems and completing 20, 40 and 60 missions. This also marks the first time Sonic Drift and Tails' Skypatrol were released in the US and Europe. Each game is unlocked in the following order: