Proto:Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast)/AutoDemo

This is a sub-page of Proto:Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast).

The AutoDemo is a build of Sonic Adventure designed to showcase the game through preset CPU-controlled demos of certain stages in the game. With a burn date of October 16, 1998, this build predates the Japanese final release by approximately two months.

Upon digging through the AutoDemo's contents, however, a plethora of unused and never-before-seen content was found to be inside...some of which was thought to be lost to time. It was recovered and released on May 21, 2013 by Orengefox.

While normally in this demo you can't control any of the characters yourself or see any of the stages outside of the character demos, a hidden level select (normally only accessible through hacking) allows you to play through a sizeable chunk of the stages with full manual control (though certain stages and all of the hubs crash upon selection). A patched version of the game, which automatically sends you to the level select after the prerendered intro animation finishes, is available here.

Sub-Page

Stage Differences The old Windy Valley is in this version, along with lots of other interesting changes.

Unused Content Ghosts, unused models, and files dating back to 1997.

Demo Sequence

As this is the AutoDemo, the game doesn't react to the player's input at all. This means that the introduction movie, as well as the cutscene and gameplay demos, can't be skipped. In the final, they can be skipped by pressing any button. The Sega logo doesn't appear when first loading the game, but shows up normally before the opening movie after that.

The cutscenes and levels chosen to play throughout the demo sequences are different to the ones that play in the final game:

• The second cutscene demo is the Casinopolis cutscene with Sonic and Tails. It's dusk in Station Square in this version, rather than the final game's night, and Tails' theme is playing.
• The third cutscene demo plays Amy and Gamma's prison cutscene. Because this demo replaces Knuckles' cutscene demo, Knuckles' theme song goes unused in the AutoDemo build.
• The demos used for Amy and Gamma in the final are swapped in this version. Gamma's demo appears as the fourth demo and Amy's as the fifth.
• Gamma's gameplay demo plays Red Mountain instead of Windy Valley.
• Amy's gameplay demo plays Final Egg instead of Hot Shelter.
• Big's gameplay demo starts in a different location.

(Source: PlayDifference (video))

Technical Differences

• All the music files (ADX) are in one file, BGM.AFS. In the final, they're all separate files.
• Not every level on the AutoDemo disc is compatible with their version of 1STREAD.BIN, due to some stages being compiled earlier, in September, so they'll crash when loading.

Graphical Differences

Sega Logo

Proto	Final

The logo is a lot more akin to that of the classic games.

Title Screen

Proto	Final

Aside from adding the "AutoDemo" logo, the title screen's background was completely changed in the final version, and the "Sonic Team Presents" logo is very different as well.

Mission Cards

The mission cards present in the demo are very different to the ones used in the final game. Even though the game only uses the Japanese versions, there are English versions of the cards in the game's files. interestingly, E-104's color is a remnant from the Tokyo International Forums build.

Proto	Final

Life Box Icons

Proto	Final

In the AutoDemo, all Life Box icons face to the right with the exception of Sonic. This was changed in the final, where all the icons face to the left. The Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Big icons' transparency issues were not fixed, though.

HUD

Proto	Final

The HUD is different in the AutoDemo. The Rings icon is slightly different, and there is a "Level" part that is not used anywhere in the final game.

Proto	Final

Big's HUD lacks the darkened numbers and his weight value is also fixed to 12345g in the AutoDemo. His life counter in the AutoDemo is displayed in the top-right corner in the form of lure icons.

Chao Icon

Proto	Final

The Chao icon for stress was changed in the final.

"Chao in Space" Image

Proto	Final

The billboard advertising "Chao in Space" in the final advertises something completely different in the AutoDemo: "The Man 3". This billboard can be seen in the final, but only during the Egg Walker fight; it was removed entirely in Sonic Adventure DX.

Pause Menu

The pause menu uses an earlier design than the one in the final, though it can't normally be seen as the pause menu is disabled:

Proto	Final

The only thing that remains of the earlier pause menu in the final is its textures. Interestingly, the AutoDemo's top text translates to "Resume Game", while the final version's is simply "Continue".

Audio Differences

A total of 29 tracks are present in the build, some of which are used in different levels than the final, or not used in the demo at all.

Unused Tracks

The following tracks are on the disc but are never heard in-game:

• Open Your Heart (Main Menu ver.)
• Azure Blue World (Emerald Coast Act 1)
• Windy and Ripply (Emerald Coast Act 2)
• And... Fish Hits! (Big's Fishing)
• Limestone Cave (Icecap Act 2)
• Tricky Maze (Lost World Act 1)
• Danger! Chased by Rock (Lost World Act 2)
• Leading Lights (Lost World Act 3)
• Crank the Heat Up!! (Final Egg Act 2)
• Welcome to Station Square (Station Square)
• Event: Strain (Cutscenes)
• Event: The Past (Cutscenes)
• Appearance: Knuckles (Cutscenes)

Despite the Chao Garden theme and Speed Highway 2 playing in their respective stages, they're technically unused in the demo, as the AutoDemo doesn't visit those levels normally.

Changed Tracks

Many of the tracks in this build have audible differences from the final versions.

Audio	Name	Notes
	Title (Title Screen)	Only a 5-second riff of Open Your Heart, as opposed to 13 seconds.
	Blue Azure World (Emerald Coast Act 1)	The bass is louder, the guitar has less reverb, the rhythm guitar is missing, and the steel guitar and choir pad are louder.
	Run Through the Speed Highway (Speed Highway Act 1)	This track plays at a faster tempo than the final game's music. The "Right!" voice clip is quieter, and the "Touch it" sample is in both audio channels.
	Goin' Down (Speed Highway Act 2)	This track loops twice. The vocals are also louder, and lack fading.
	Limestone Cave (Icecap Act 2)	The song is much quieter. There's also silence at the end, making it loop improperly.
	Be Cool, Be Wild and Be Groovy (Icecap Act 3)	The percussion is louder and dryer in this version, the mixing is rougher, and the song's missing the second half.
	Mt. Red, a Symbol of Thrill (Red Mountain Act 1)	The saxophone in the song sounds as if it's been run through a range compressor. Additionally, the guitar solo near the end sounds quite different and unpolished; interestingly, this version somehow made it onto the Vinyl release as well as Sonic Frontiers, which may have been a mistake by the production crew.
	Red Hot Skull (Red Mountain Act 2)	The track plays longer. In fact, it nearly matches the length of its official soundtrack release!
	Tricky Maze (Lost World Act 1)	The percussion at the beginning is louder. The song is also slightly shorter.
	Danger! Chased by Rock (Lost World Act 2)	This song is in an extremely early state, with quieter string chords at the beginning, and the bell missing at the end of some phrases. The loop is also slightly shorter.
	Leading Lights (Lost World Acts 2 and 3)	The song is slightly shorter.
	Theme of Chao (Chao Garden)	This is the roughest state of all the tracks in the AutoDemo. The percussion is entirely different, and the melody, backing brass, and accordion are quieter. There are additional flourishes to the backing brass near the end of the song, at about 1:20 in the track. It's also slightly shorter.
	Event: The Past (Cutscene music)	This track is shorter, missing the oboe section from the final.
	Event: Fanfare for "Dr.EGGMAN" (Cutscene music)	The instruments are panned differently.
	Appearance: Knuckles (Knuckles' theme short ver.)	The Rhodes Electric Piano uses a different melody.
	Appearance: Miles (Tails' theme short ver.)	The percussion is mixed differently to the final. The vocals also sound duller compared to the final.
	Appearance: E-102 (Gamma's theme short ver.)	Skips the piano section at the beginning. The track's mixing is incomplete.
	And... Fish Hits! (Big's fishing game)	The track has snappier percussion than the final. The electric guitar is also missing, and the steel guitar is quieter.

Voices

Some of the game's voice clips are different to the ones in the final game.

Proto	Final	Notes
		A filter was added in the final version.
		These lines were rerecorded. (Tails)
		Ditto. (Big)
		The scream each character made when falling down a pit gets cut off in the AutoDemo, so they were eventually rerecorded. (Big)
		These lines were rerecorded. (Knuckles)
		Knuckles' scream.
		These lines were rerecorded. (Tails)
		Tails' scream.
		Sonic's character select quote.
		Sonic's line for failing a B or A mission.
		Sonic's line for beating a stage after all three missions have been completed.
		Sonic's line for clearing a mission.
		Sonic dying from hitting an enemy. However, the AutoDemo uses the sound effect from the Genesis games rather than this voice clip.
		Sonic's scream.
		One of Sonic's tricks in Icecap.
		Another trick - this one completely different to what he says in the final game.

Gameplay Differences

There are numerous gameplay changes in the AutoDemo compared to the final game.

• The player starts with 2 lives instead of 4.
• The camera feels very different to the one in the final. Its rotation controls can sometimes be inverted depending on the current angle.
• Completing a level does not cause the level music to stop playing and plays the Chaos Emerald sound over the top of it. There's no results tally either.
• The draw distance seems to be different. Notably, Speed Highway 3 seems to be smaller than both early images and the final version.
• Instead of abruptly being taken to a black screen upon losing all your lives, the GAME OVER text simply displays on-screen. Because the screen hastily fades out to black, though, it's only visible for less than a second.
• The transition from one Act to another doesn't seem to work correctly. The lighting and music will not update until the player either restarts or dies.

Characters

Several aspects of the characters themselves were changed for the final game.

• There are a number of unused animations for fighting combos as Knuckles that were never used in the AutoDemo or the final game, seen on the video to the right.
• Sonic has a different action pose. However, the old one is still used in a number of cutscenes in the final:

Proto	Final

• The standing animations for Sonic, Tails, and Big are faster.
• Characters don't have idle animations.
• Sonic can lean left or right when standing on sloped surfaces in this version. In the final, he can only lean forward or backward.
• The action/animation list for the characters is different than the final. As an example, Sonic's Free move is 73, whereas in the final it's 83.
• Upgrades are very unfinished - the only implemented upgrade is Sonic's Light Speed Attack. Knuckles, Amy, and Gamma's Shovel Claw, Warrior Feather, and Jet Booster abilities respectively are part of their default movesets. The existing upgrade does not attach any extra models to Sonic like the ones in the final game do.
• The Light Speed Attack's charging animation orbs are brighter than they appear in the final game:

Proto	Final

• The Light Speed Attack works differently to the final. Sonic kneels down, the player can press A to move or B to turn the move into a standard homing attack.
• Sonic is the only character that can push an object for an extended period of time. All other characters can only briefly push (though as Sonic, a moving sound can be heard too).
• Picking up objects is in a very buggy, early state. Notably, it has difficulty choosing a target among multiple objects.
• Only Big and Sonic have the ability to put down a held object without throwing it. Gamma can't pick up objects at all.
• Many character textures are higher resolution than the ones in the final game. This includes (but not limited to) Amy's hammer, Big's belt, and Sonic's shoe buckle.
• You can't shake held objects.
• Tails is missing an animation for getting tired while flying.
• Tails and Amy are missing animations for jumping while carrying an object.
• Knuckles' gliding sound does not fade out and will continue for a short while after landing.
• Amy does not hold her hammer while running.
• Amy makes a sound when being locked onto by Zero.
• Amy's hammer does not make any sounds.
• Amy's dress flies further upwards when she falls.
• Genesis-era sounds are used for breathing an air bubble, getting hurt, and dying.
• The opponent Sonic in Tails' Icecap does not speak.
• Drowning is very incomplete. The numbers that appear are very large and only appear for a fraction of a second. There's also no drowning animation - the game will just send the player back to the nearest checkpoint.
• Gamma will quickly go into his "holding gun" idle pose if he comes to a stop.

(Source: Its Easy Actually (Knuckles Animations video), Jordan Williams (Light Speed Attack video))

Chao

The Chao system is very limited in comparison to the Chao system used in the final. All Chao in the Garden will stay completely still until the player approaches them, when they will then run up to the player continuously. If a Chao gets hurt by the player, they may decide to briefly run away from them instead.

• The Chao make "Chao Chao!" sounds constantly.
• The animals don't affect the Chao's evolution in the same way as the final.
• All the Chao in the Garden are child Chao.
• Chao don't die from abusing them too much.
• The animals will change a Chao's appearance instantly and more potently than the animals in the final.
• The "evolutions" are actually the child Chao morphing beyond the limits that are in the final game, giving the appearance of a different Chao.
• Chao do not recognize water and run around underwater as if they were on land.
• Chao slide very far when thrown.
• A very basic version of the Garden camera is used. Pressing Y+L/R will zoom in and out unrestricted by characters, walls, etc. In the final game, the camera only has three set zoom levels controlled by the D-Pad.

The only Garden that can be loaded in the AutoDemo is the Station Square one.

Enemies

Some of the enemies in the game are slightly different to their counterparts in the final version:

• The Rhinotanks are missing their texture file, so they appear with incorrect textures.
• The player can't pick up bombs thrown by Kikis.
• Enemies make fewer sounds than the final. For example, Kikis make no sound when throwing bombs and Ice Balls don't make any sounds when moving around.
• Ice Balls don't give animals upon exploding.
• Zero has different "?" and "!" symbols, the latter making a sound usually reserved for the menu. His attack's lock-on target is also more solid compared to the final.
• There is an untextured duck enemy that is present in one part of Final Egg 3. It was removed from the final and replaced with an Egg Keeper. It can be seen here.

Objects

There are a few objects in the AutoDemo that look or behave different to their counterparts in the final.

• The rocket platform are sloped in the final, so the player can walk onto them instead of needing to jump onto them like in the AutoDemo:

Proto	Final

• The jump panels were changed considerably for the final release. They have a flatter appearance in the final:

Proto	Final

• A star jumppanel is used in the AutoDemo as the final landing point for the jump panels. It was removed in the final, but can still be found in the game's files.
• Jump ramps do not make sounds, and usually fail to launch you to the correct point.
• The spike walls in Emerald Coast make no sounds, and fall deeper into the ground than they do in the final.
• The homing attack can't lock onto every spring in the AutoDemo.
• There is only type of spring used in the AutoDemo - the large variation. In the final, a smaller variation is used as well.
• Checkpoints are not activated after respawning at them.
• Item Boxes have a green tint at the bottom that isn't in the final.
• Life boxes play the Sonic 2 Chaos Emerald jingle.
• Capsules do not release animals.
• Animals make a ring sound instead of their regular sound when collected.
• The fire hydrants in Speed Highway 3 don't make any sound when you break them.
• The cars in Speed Highway 3 stop at a much further distance than the final and can't hurt the player. They also have incorrect textures.
• Tikal's "This way!" is not voiced.
• When a "?" box is broken, the "?" icon is displayed to the player. In the final, "?" boxes will display the icon corresponding to the amount of rings given to the player. For that matter, only the icons for 5-ring and 10-ring boxes exist in the game.
• There are no Bomb, Invincibility, or Shield item boxes. (Their icons don't exist. Same goes for the unused Timer icon.)
• The ice block switches in Icecap 2 do not cause ice blocks to appear.
• Big can't pick up the boulders in Icecap.

Developer Tools

Level Select

Like in the initial Japanese release and the US release, a level select menu can be accessed.

To access it from the title screen, set the byte at 0x8C794C90 to 0D and the level select will load. Using the level select menu here will display the HUD properly in-game and allow you to control the character in Action Stages. The pause menu will not be enabled, however.

To access the level select during cutscenes, demos, and gameplay, change the byte at 0x8C768B38 to 02. This method does not work on the title screen of this version, and will not give you control of the character unless you already had control from loading a level from the title screen's level select. It is prone to incorrectly loading levels and textures if done this way.

The character select here was meant to use icons instead of names, but the game looks for several texture files (sel_s.pvr, sel_t.pvr, etc.) which are not on the disc and just loads from whatever textures are still in memory instead.

Hot Shelter is missing from this level select, along with Eggmobile 2 (Egg Walker), the Knuckles fight with Chaos 6 (also listed separately in the final game's developer level select because of the changes to the arena in Knuckles' fight), the first battle with E-101, and "Eggmanrobo" (Zero).

SPR Task

The address 0x8C18EC94 activates a debug feature with three displays showing various in-game information.

Proto	Final

The AutoDemo version has an ADX feature which is removed from the final releases, It'll always appear at the bottom of the screen. ADX is the name of CRI's audio streaming middleware, which is used in this game.

• 
• 

SetEdit

Both Sonic Adventure DX Preview and the May 7, 2001 prototype of Sonic Adventure 2 feature a full object editor accessible through button combinations or enabling a certain flag. As it turns out, this feature is also still present here, albeit unreferenced. It functions identically to both with the following controls:

• - X+A: Enter editor.
• - Start + Analog: Rotate camera.
• - Start + L/R: Zoom camera.
• - Start+X: Snap cursor to floor.
• - Directional Pad: Move on horizontal plane.
• - L/R: Move up and down.
• - A+X: Cycle the coordinate editor between position, rotation and scale.
• - X/Y/B+D-Pad: Edit respective coordinates corresponding with the held button.
• - A+D-Pad: Navigate item list.
• - A+B: Cycle ACT MODE between Place, Multi, and System.

In PLACE mode:

• Start+A: Grab the closest object from the current DATA TYPE.
• Start+B: Place object.

In MULTI mode:

• Start+A: Increase number of objects held.
• Start+B: Decrease number of objects held.

In SYSTEM mode:

• X: Cycle DATA TYPE between "COMMON SET" (objects in SETXXXX_S files) and "PLAYER DEPENDENT SET" (objects in SETXXXX_U files).
• A+X: Exit editor.

To play around with it, download Controllable Autodemo & Research Mods and use PkR's SA1 patcher to patch the disc.