Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (GameCube)/Changes from the Dreamcast Version

This is a sub-page of Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (GameCube).

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut is a port of Sonic Adventure. In addition to the extra content, there are actually tons of changes from the original version, ranging anywhere from tiny to huge.

As can be expected, anything having to do with the Dreamcast was removed such as the file selection menu, the posters in levels that referenced the Dreamcast, and button prompts. These changes were made for obvious reasons and won't be covered here. Extra content that was added to the port (including Mission Mode and the Game Gear games) won't be listed either.

Menu Differences

• The "PRESENTED BY" text above the SEGA logo uses a different font and the trademark symbol was changed from "™" to "®".

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The Sonic Team logo is now a static screen, rather than being part of the intro movie.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The game's sound credits were moved from the end credits to an additional screen appearing after the Sonic Team logo.
• The Memory Card screen was changed to accommodate for the GameCube. As such, rather than eight possible slots, there are now only two - and, by extension, the max possible file count is dropped from 24 to 6.
• The file select screen now displays the selected Memory Card alongside the files.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The game's logo was completely redesigned for Director's Cut. The cork-board and mirages were replaced with something a bit clearer and more generic. The intro movie was modified accordingly to include it.
• The title screen was totally redesigned. The Dreamcast version focuses on the game's logo, with pre-rendered mirages of Station Square and an unknown castle-like structure in the background. The background may or may not feature animated ripples (see the original game's regional differences). On the other hand, Director's Cut features a large pre-rendered 3D Sonic next to the logo with scrolling clouds in the background.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The background of the menus that reflect the title screen are also different as a result, but the format of the menus remain the same in the GameCube version.
• The second option in the Trial menu was changed from "Mini Game" to "Sub Game" for the GameCube version. This only applies to the English text - the Japanese equivalent of the option is unchanged.
• Seeing as the GameCube cannot get online (at least without an adapter), the Internet option on the main menu was removed. Furthermore, the options for "Mission Mode" and "Mini Game Collection" were added.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• In the Options menu, the European Dreamcast version's TV Setting was replaced with a toggle for the GameCube's rumble feature. In the European version, The TV Setting toggles the 50/60Hz modes.
• The File Change icon's red arrows are animated in Director's Cut, unlike the Dreamcast version.

Dreamcast	GameCube

Gameplay Differences

• All cutscenes can be skipped by pressing Start. In the Dreamcast version, only the introduction could be skipped.
• Director's Cut runs at 60FPS during gameplay, compared to the original game which would only run at 60FPS in menus or Twinkle Circuit. Cutscenes remain at 30FPS.
• The load times in the GameCube version are notably faster than in the Dreamcast version.
• The game's collision detection appears to have been heavily modified, with most of the collision barriers either being weakened or removed in DX.
• Cream the Rabbit makes a cameo appearance in the GameCube version: at a certain point in each character's story, she can briefly be seen flying around Station Square.
• Gamma's Adventure Mode is no longer permanently stuck at night after completing his story.
• One cutscene at the end of Amy's story fades out early in the GameCube version to avoid displaying an animation error.

Pause Menu

Dreamcast	GameCube

• A "Free Camera" option was added, allowing full camera control via the C-Stick. The original game supported only rotation and first-person view; this mode is kept as "Auto Camera". The camera resets to Auto Camera whenever a new map is loaded.
• A map option was added to the pause menu in Adventure Fields.
• In the Dreamcast version, Start was used to confirm choices in the pause menu. The pause menu controls were changed in DX to use A and B as confirm/cancel choices respectively with Start being used as an alternate cancel.
• The pause menu's background was changed from a transparent rounded gradient into a solid blue box.
• A flashing effect was added to the pause menu's cursor.
• The pause menu now specifies which game mode the player is currently in.
• The racing bar in Tails' stages does not disappear while the game is paused in the GameCube version.
• In the Dreamcast version, the Pause menu could be hidden by holding X + Y. This was removed in Director's Cut.
• The GameCube version has a greater draw distance.

Graphical Differences

• The Dreamcast's palette-based lighting system, Lantern, was completely replaced for the GameCube version with something more generic. Each stage is lit very differently to its Dreamcast counterpart, including the character lighting and stage fog.
• The HUD was repositioned slightly and made bigger in the GameCube version. This has the side effect of making the HUD somewhat blurred, though.
• The main characters' models were completely overhauled in DX.
  • Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles' models in the Dreamcast version were much closer to their designs in the Classic era, while the DX models are based off their Sonic Adventure 2 designs.
    • This causes an inconsistency when they jump as they still use their Dreamcast models.
  • The "fur" textures were replaced with gradients.
  • Gamma's model had a few material color changes and also has a transparency issue with his light, making it look opaque instead of transparent.
  • Due to the GameCube being much more powerful than the Dreamcast in terms of handling models, all playable characters (plus Tikal and some of Eggman's models) now have actual hands instead of low-poly "mitten hands".
    • This makes the instances of Sonic pointing and giving a thumbs up look seamless and... well, not a mangled mess in the ending of Sonic's story.

Dreamcast	GameCube

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The "Now Saving" icon that appears in the upper-right corner of the screen doubles as a progress bar that gradually fills as the save/load progresses in the Dreamcast version. The text was changed in the GameCube version: it is now located on the bottom-right or top-right of the screen, is in a generic white font, and does not double as a progress bar. The GameCube version also includes a "Now Loading" variant.
• Transparency issues on the life box icons for Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Big fixed.
• The life icon for Tails was remade - his head is slightly larger and his hand was removed.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The names on the character select wheel are slightly transparent in the Dreamcast version, but are opaque in DX.
• The original game's textures seem to have undergone some minor quality loss in DX, with many having more artifacts present than their equivalents in the Dreamcast version.
• The aliasing problems that were present in the Dreamcast version have been fixed.
• The Dreamcast version featured rather low-quality water textures with choppy animation. In Director's Cut, the GameCube's TEV system is used for more advanced water effects, including more realistic textures and rippling on objects below the surface.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• In the original Japanese release of the Dreamcast version, Sonic's feet had a unique "wheel" effect while running at top speed, akin to the classic games. The blur effect was removed for later releases, but the shoe distortion remained. In DX, the distortion effect is no longer present, though Sonic's shoes do have a texture bug in the state it would have appeared in. The distortion effect never appeared for the Light Shoes, so the bug only happens with Sonic's regular shoes.

Dreamcast (original JP)	Dreamcast (revised)	GameCube

Audio Differences

• The music stops while selecting a file.
• The music does not fade out while moving between areas in Adventure Fields.
• The sound of the cars in Station Square was changed to be more dynamic.
• The waterfalls in the Mystic Ruins are louder.
• Ring, monitor, and Emblem collection sounds are lower in pitch than the Dreamcast version, for some reason. The ring sound in the Dreamcast version is the original in C Major, so the sound in Director's Cut is inconsistent with the rest of the series. The lower-pitched monitor sound got reused in Shadow the Hedgehog.
• Some voice clips were changed (Tails switching to flying mode, Amy using her hammer, Knuckles digging with his Shovel Claw but getting nothing, etc.). Oddly enough, these clips were actually used in the E3 demo of the Dreamcast version. Why they got reinstated in DX is unknown.

Adventure Fields

The Adventure Fields received more drastic changes than the Action Stages.

Station Square

Station Square was overhauled for the GameCube version. Most of the buildings and features were redesigned or retextured and overall was revamped to a much higher quality than the other areas of the game.

City Hall

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The City Hall building itself had a major redesign - it no longer has the clock tower from the original game, instead replacing it with a copy of the building's lower segment.
• The buildings around city hall were also given redesigns.

Station

Dreamcast	GameCube

• There is more prominent fog.
• It's possible to see a bit further into the garage in the original version.
• The reflections on the doors are arranged differently, but they depict the original Dreamcast colors even on the GameCube version.
• The road was changed from dark blue to a more realistic gray asphalt. Similarly, the yellowish sidewalk was changed to a duller gray.

Casino

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The walkway is more transparent in the original version, and has more arch supports.
• The Hotel and sidewalk still use their textures from the Dreamcast version in this area.
• The sign on the burger shop (the colorful building near the back) was changed.
• The reflections on the hotel doors (back) are darker in the GameCube version.
• A sign for "Ken's Play Room" was added next to the entrance to Casinopolis.
• The train that transports characters between Station Square and Mystic Ruins is blue in Director's Cut instead of red.

Sewer

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The water uses a murky green texture rather than the clearer one from the original game.
• The large box in this area was retextured.

Hotel

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The interior is no longer dark at night.
• The interior and exterior were retextured.

Twinkle Park Entrance

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The area has a more colorful design than it does in the Dreamcast version, which is primarily blue.

Egg Carrier

The Dreamcast version has a prominent green tint throughout the Egg Carrier. This is not present in the GameCube version, with many of the green features (such as lights and glass) being replaced by blue ones.

Exterior

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The Monorail station has a scrolling icon of the Monorail on its lights in the Dreamcast version. It was removed in the GameCube version.
• The color of the Monorail station's light on the exterior was changed from green to blue.
• Fog was added to the exterior area.

Captain's Room

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Part of the chair in the Captain's Room was removed for unknown reasons.

Living Quarters

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The Living Quarters have some minor texture differences - one of the textures on the wall in the entrance area is upside-down, the color of the checkerboard texture on the rockets in the left room was changed from red to blue, and one of the textures on the ceiling of the room on the right was changed.

Pool Area

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The lights on the wall around the pool area are more rounded.
• The textures on the walls in the pool area were changed slightly.

Main Hall

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The hint boxes are no longer purple.

Hedgehog Hammer

Other than the doors and hint box, the Adventure Field and Sub Game versions of the Hedgehog Hammer room are identical in the Dreamcast version. This is not the case in the GameCube version.

Dreamcast	GameCube (Adventure Field)	GameCube (Sub Game)

• Parts of the Adventure Field version of the room were removed.
• The Sub Game version of the room has a number of incorrect textures.

Prison

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The color of the lights above the cells were changed from green to blue.

Upgrade Rooms

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Gamma's upgrade rooms have noticeably different lighting.

Chao Garden Warp

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The Chao Garden warp room was given a number of texture changes.

Mystic Ruins

Main Area

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The main area was heavily redesigned in the GameCube version to have a lighter appearance than the Dreamcast version. Curiously, these changes were not applied to the other parts of the Adventure Field.
• The waterfall was slightly changed.
• The folding palm trees lining Tails' runway are properly lit in the GameCube version.

Angel Island

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The walls in this area are lined with trees in the original game, but were removed for the GameCube version.
• The top of the walls surrounding the area were made more jagged.

Jungle

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The paths can be seen through the canopy of the jungle.
• The color of the water is different.
• In the Dreamcast version, fog will appear while roaming the jungle itself. The fog was removed in the GameCube version.

Eggman's Base

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The glass tubes containing the robotic Sonics are brighter.
• The lower area received a slight redesign.

Stage Differences

Individual areas and levels had specific changes done to them.

Emerald Coast

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The skybox is now correctly centered around the player.
• In the Dreamcast version, the water is attached to the skybox and moves with it. In the GameCube version, the water is rendered as fixed squares.
• The water effects are considerably cheaper-looking in DX; this is most noticeable during the killer whale chase. Instead of actual waves appearing, the water model simply moves up and down.
• The stage has the same "shaded areas" effect as Station Square.
• The palm trees with Kikis on it were made shorter.

Windy Valley

Dreamcast	GameCube

• A number of textures in Act 1 were made slightly darker.
• For some reason, the paths weren't darkened in DX but the grass was, leaving some odd cutoff when the two meet.
• The fog present when the tornado appears was significantly reduced.
• Some wall textures in Act 1 were changed.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• A Rhinotank that spawns under the floor can be found in the GameCube version.

Casinopolis

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Oddly, the Sonic statue still uses his model from the Dreamcast version.
• The textures on the walls of the main area and the Shower Room were changed.
• The "SHOWER ROOM" sign is thicker and uses a texture instead of reflective letters.
• The lights around the lion aren't affected by fog in the GameCube version.
• In the Dreamcast version, the ring vault contains a slope. This was changed into three large steps in the GameCube version.
• The fog in the main area was reduced.
• Invisible walls were added to the top of the pinball entrances to prevent Sonic Spin Dashing into Knuckles' area.
• The walls in the upper half of the main hall were given collision when playing as Sonic.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The textures of the walls in Dilapidated Way were changed, the trash piles were made greener, and the map was given a blue fog.
• The water in Dilapidated Way is no longer green.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Some of the walls on the SONIC Pinball table were changed.
• Sonic is no longer pinball-colored on either pinball table.
• The textures on the borders of the NiGHTS Pinball table were changed.
• The gate/switch at the top of the gear room in Knuckles' stage had their IDs changed from 2 to 1 so the gate below them doesn't open at the same time as the top one. This creates an oversight as 1 is the ID used by the vault claws, which now activate if Knuckles presses the switch and goes to them fast enough. However, outside of changing the vault's display nothing happens due to the coin pile and the Sonic statue having different behaviors for him.

Icecap

Dreamcast	GameCube

• In the Dreamcast version, the stage's textures are mainly blue and brown. This was changed to white and gray for DX.
• The lighting on the player is much brighter than the original stage.
• An invisible wall was added around the bridge in Act 2 to prevent Sonic being able to clip through the bridge easily, though it can still be possible to do this is some cases.
• Act 2 was given a slight gray fog.
• Weakened collision at the beginning of Act 3 makes it possible to skip the snowboarding section in DX.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Big's Act in the Dreamcast version is set at night. In the GameCube version, it's set during the day.

Twinkle Park

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The textures in Act 1 were given a major redesign. The track was given a blue theme rather than a red one.
• The beginning and end of Act 1 were given transparent ceilings.
• The tunnels on the kart track glow in the Dreamcast version. In the GameCube version, only a certain number of parts in them glow.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Act 2 was given a brighter appearance and details such as paths and red carpets were added.
• A column was added to the large pool area.
• The fog in Act 2 was reduced.

Speed Highway

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The stage loses the blue nighttime coloration it had in the Dreamcast version.
• The roads received the same changes from blue to gray as the roads in Station Square.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The Dreamcast version includes two circles of rings at the bottom of the section that were removed from Director's Cut.
• In the Dreamcast version, all background sounds stop after Sonic reaches the bottom. In Director's Cut, the howling winds keep playing.
• The potted plants received a minor visual upgrade for DX, and the lighting is slightly brighter.

Dreamcast	GameCube

Red Mountain

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The amount of color in most textures was reduced, including the grass and crates.
• Act 2 was given more fog and is overall less shiny than the original.
• The eyes on the lava platforms in Act 2 do not glow in the GameCube version.

Sky Deck

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Many platforms in the stage had their textures changed from yellow to blue.
• The lighting does not change when the clouds get darker.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The clouds that pass through the stage are stationary in the GameCube version.
• A slight gray fog was added.

Lost World

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The Dreamcast version has more foliage, with some growing on the walls and ceiling. The grass is greener, too.
• The entrance to the next area changed from a square entrance to a rounded arch in the GameCube version.
• Most of the area's textures are slightly different.
• The walls of the rivulet are thicker in the GameCube version.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Notably, the color of the fog was changed from a somewhat-blinding white in the Dreamcast version to a more subdued dark gray.
• The textures on the walls of various parts of the stage, including the above image and the wall panel room in Act 2, were changed.
• The Dreamcast version maps a ground texture to bottomless pits, while the GameCube version uses a fog texture.

Final Egg

Dreamcast	GameCube

• An Egg Keeper at the beginning of the stage was removed.
• The Dreamcast version of the stage has many yellow elements in Acts 1 and 3, but the GameCube version replaces it with darker elements.
• A capsule sitting out of bounds that could let the player complete the stage in 5 seconds was removed.
• The ceiling in the large vertical area in Act 2 was made entirely black.
• An invisible wall was removed behind the entrance to Act 2, making it possible to Spin Dash out of bounds easily.

Hot Shelter

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The water in Act 1 was made brighter and less green.
• The lighting in the stage was made brighter.
• The center of the drainage room was given a border texture.
• Some red elements in Act 2 were changed to blue ones.

Sand Hill

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Shadows are present along the walls of the stage in the GameCube version.

Sky Chase

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Due to the lack of Z-layering in DX, the Egg Carrier is not visible until it enters the skybox in Act 1.
• The shadow underneath the Egg Carrier is more pronounced.
• The lighting in Act 2 is slightly brighter.
• In both Acts, Sonic and Tails use noticeably lower-poly models during gameplay in the Dreamcast version, likely to keep the framerate consistent. In DX, they use the same models as the rest of the game.

Twinkle Circuit

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The stage was redesigned with mainly green colors. The (now unused) DLC courses were not updated.
• The lighting was modified significantly similar to Twinkle Park's track.

Bosses

Chaos 0

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The map was updated to match the redesigned City Hall.

Chaos 2

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Chaos 2 is darker.
• The glass around the perimeter of the boss arena is more opaque in the GameCube version, making it hard to see if not impossible to look at the city background behind it.

Chaos 4

Dreamcast	GameCube

• Many textures were changed, including the walls and trees around the arena.
• The pond is more clear and less green.
• The pond doesn't change to a "purified" texture when Chaos 4 isn't swimming in it.
• It's easier to see the bottom of the pond in the GameCube version.

Chaos 6

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The fog was made thicker.
• Chaos 6 is more opaque in the GameCube version.

Perfect Chaos

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The buildings around the stage were revamped heavily, with entirely different models and textures.
• Waterfalls were added to a number of buildings.
• A section of destroyed road at the starting point of the stage was removed.
• Perfect Chaos is considerably brighter in DX.
• More fog was added.
• Road segments are darker.
• The water is a slightly dirtier color.

Egg Hornet

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The map was updated to match the redesigned Mystic Ruins.
• The lighting is much brighter.
• Fog was added.

Egg Walker

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The map was updated to match the redesigned Station Square.
• "The Man 3" billboard was changed to correctly say "Chao in Space".
• Eggman is very brightly lit in the GameCube version.
• Oddly, the hotel's doors aren't present in the GameCube version.

Egg Viper

Dreamcast	GameCube

• In the arena, the yellow platforms and gray walls have had their colors swapped.

E-101

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The map was updated to match the redesigned base.
• Similar to the Egg Carrier, the lighting was changed to remove the green tint that surrounded the characters.

ZERO/E-101mk.II

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The lighting was changed. ZERO and E-101mk.II are notably shinier.
• Fog was added.

Chao Gardens

The Chao Gardens were modified to improve a Chao's ability to travel around the Garden.

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The Black Market from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle has been added to the Station Square Chao Garden, and functions the same way.
• Director's Cut uses the advanced Chao raising system (on-screen stats, petting, whistling) from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.
• Several animal abilities were changed.

Animal	Dreamcast	GameCube
Penguin	Chao nuzzles its head against the player character.	Chao slides forward on its belly.
Seal	Chao performs the shake dance.	Chao rolls across the ground.
Swallow	Chao performs the spin dance.	Chao performs backwards sommersaults.
Deer	Chao greets the player character by bowing.	Chao draws a picture on the ground.
Kangaroo	Chao performs Karate.	Chao performs the step dance.
Rabbit	Chao performs forward sommersaults.	Chao hops about.
Elephant	Chao performs sumo wrestling.	Chao performs sit-ups.
Lion	Chao scratches its face.	Chao performs the breakdance.
Gorilla	Chao beats a drum.	Chao beats on its chest.
Koala Bear	Chao plays the trumpet.	Allows hats like eggshells to be worn.
Mole	Chao digs the ground.	Chao performs forward sommersaults.
Skunk	Chao draws a picture on the ground.	Chao farts.

• Chao do not have HP in DX, so they can't die from taking too much abuse unlike the Dreamcast version. They will instead shake in fear, cry, or get dizzy when abused; Dark Chao may also get angry and throw a tantrum.
• Gamma can no longer lock on to the Chao and attack them, meaning that he can only abuse them with throwing.
• Button icons were added to the HUD for the Chao Gardens.

Station Square Garden

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The Dreamcast version has an oval-shaped painting of the sky. The GameCube version changes this to an actual glass ceiling with a view of the sky.
• The water area was changed. In the Dreamcast version, there are minor shallow pools with two quarter-temples hugging the corners of the walls. In the GameCube version, the shallow water is still there, but the quarter-temples have been replaced with a full temple in the middle, complete with a decorative fountain.
• The Station Square Chao Garden's entrance to the Chao Race has two sets of doors in the Dreamcast version. In the GameCube version, the menus are loaded immediately after setting foot through the first set of doors, and the other set doesn't exist. The doors are designed differently; DX lacks the Chao faces and adds the text "Chao Race" above the door, so the player knows where it leads.
• The small garden/tree area got slight texture upgrades for Director's Cut.
• The GameCube version added a sign to the "Chao Laboratory" website.

Mystic Ruins

Dreamcast	GameCube

• A bridge and the raised area connected to it were removed.
• An invisible wall was added to stop the player from being able to jump over the fence and die.
• Additional lighting was added for the Garden at evening and night.
• The background texture for evening and night was changed.
• The water was lowered to prevent Tails from drowning, though it's still possible for him to drown.

Egg Carrier

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The island is much shorter.
• The ocean surrounding the island is no longer deep enough to drown in.
• An invisible wall on top of the missile was removed, making it possible to stand on top of it.
• A clear perimeter of the Garden was added. In the Dreamcast version, the perimeter was only an invisible wall.
• A bug was fixed where a Chao sometimes wouldn't spawn.

Chao Transporter

Dreamcast	GameCube

• The transporter's main purpose was changed from Chao Adventure to Game Boy Advance features.
• The menu is in the Garden in the Dreamcast version, but on a separate screen in the GameCube version.
• The transporter was given the ability to name and delete Chao directly in the GameCube version.
• The transporter was changed from a VMU to a GBA to reflect the changes made to it.

Chao Race

Dreamcast	GameCube

• In the Dreamcast version, the Chao Race lobby is its own playable map. Once the character steps on the button in the middle of the room, the menus appear; otherwise, they are free to move around. As a side note, four decorative Omochaos appear in this interactive lobby - this marks their first appearance, not Sonic Adventure 2. Thankfully, they don't fly around or say anything annoying here.
  • In DX, the lobby is just a menu, and it has been redesigned. Instead of an "Entry" button, the GameCube version has a walkway leading to some kind of monitor. The numbers on the walls were decorated a bit further, and the arrows leading into each one were removed.
• The menus themselves have been changed and stylized further.
• The music is different. The Dreamcast version plays "Letz Get the Party Started", the same catchy dance music that plays in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle's Chao World lobby. The GameCube version plays a completely different, calmer track which was used in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle's Chao Race menu.

(Source: Sonic Retro for info on various things in this article (but not all of it))