Sonic Heroes/Platform Differences

This is a sub-page of Sonic Heroes.

To do: Check for any other differences. Get screenshots for all of the following differences: Broken energy field animations on Xbox and PlayStation 2. Sonic's final room in Mystic Mansion has entirely different effects on GameCube/PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 2. Water effects on PlayStation 2 compared to other platforms. Metal Madness on GameCube/PS2, Xbox, and PC. List all platform-specific bugs; the PC port in particular has several graphical bugs resulting in minor texture corruption or missing effects.

Sonic Heroes was the first (proper) multiplatform Sonic game, being first developed for the GameCube before it was ported to Xbox, which itself served as the basis for the PlayStation 2 release (according to leftover Xbox HUD elements in the 9.28 prototype). Then, after it released for consoles in late-2003/early-2004, it was ported to Windows, likely being forked from Xbox while also having quirks specific to PS2 and GameCube.

Needless to say, this leaves the game with a ton of changes between versions.

General Differences

• Load times are different between all versions; the PC version, when installed to the hard drive, and Xbox versions are the fastest, while the PS2 and GameCube versions load slower. The Windows port is significantly longer when played directly from CD-ROM.
• A Free Camera mode, like Sonic Adventure DX's, was added to the Windows version; however, unlike DX, it doesn't use full dual-analog control. All versions of the game allow the player to move the camera left and right with the right analog stick, but if the stick is moved up or down while standing still, the player enters first-person mode. This still occurs when Free Camera is enabled. The addition of the new option forced a redesign of the pause menu.
• Control quality varies between platforms. The PS2 and PC versions play the smoothest in both the Main Stages and Special Stages, while the Xbox and GameCube versions have their share of control issues. The Xbox version has rougher analog controls during the main stages but handles well in the Special Stages, while the GameCube version is rough throughout the whole game.
• Team Dark’s Chaos Control lasts 5 seconds on PS2, while it lasts 10 seconds in the other versions.
• L & R Camera rotation on GameCube utilizes the triggers, however it is significantly slower than the other versions.
• Characters lack any speed cap on PC; this makes it rather easy to clip through walls, especially in automated sequences.
• In Team Battles, Speed characters, like Sonic, Shadow, Amy, and Espio, lack a hurt state hit in the PC version, only losing rings, making them harder to defeat.

Menu Differences

PlayStation 2	GameCube
[Progressive Scan isn't available on PS2]

The TV setting screen differs between European PS2 and GameCube releases; the GameCube version lacks the "TEST" option that the PS2 version has (similar to the Sonic Adventure games) and can only be accessed by holding B on startup, while the European PS2 version automatically begins at the TV setting screen. The Japanese and North American GameCube versions are also the only releases to have a proper Progressive Scan screen (also accessed by holding B on startup); the Xbox bases both settings off the console's dashboard. The PS2 screen is present in the PC version, but is unused; none of the options function anymore, even the TEST screen, as pressing Start will just return the player to the title screen.

GameCube	Windows

The console version includes credits for Sega, Sonic Team, ADX and Sofdec, and finally, Dolby Digital. The Windows version only includes the credit for Sega, with a different (and, strangely, earlier) graphic to boot. This causes the lyrics to kick-in with different timing on Windows, playing when the Sonic Heroes logo appears, rather than the main trio appearing.

GameCube	PlayStation 2	Xbox	Windows

• The title screen varies between releases:
  • The PlayStation 2 version labels the start button text as "Press START button", like the Sonic Adventure games. The Xbox and GameCube versions instead label it as "Press START", while the Windows version labels it as "PRESS ENTER KEY".
  • For obvious reasons, the "Licensed by NINTENDO" text is only present in the GameCube version.
  • The copyright on the Windows version is simplified and has an additional 2004 date, due to it releasing considerably later than all other versions.
• The GameCube and NTSC PlayStation 2 versions lack music in the File Select screen, although the PS2 will not stop the options music if the File Select is entered from there.
• No music plays in the Options menu in the GameCube version.

GameCube	PlayStation 2	Xbox	Windows

The Options menu is considerably cut down on Xbox and Windows to account for fixed settings in the system dashboard, or would otherwise be unnecessary for computers.

• The GameCube version has an option to enable the hardware's Deflicker feature (meant to prevent flickering when played in 480i), while the Xbox version instead has an option to adjust the brightness.

PlayStation 2 (NTSC)	GameCube	Windows

Due to space limitations, the GameCube and Windows version only have one voice track per region. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions include both the Japanese and English dubs, however only the NTSC PlayStation 2 version allows freely switching between either, while the Xbox version instead uses the system's dashboard settings to load either. The PAL PlayStation 2 version completely removes Japanese support, despite it still being on the disc.

• A Korean localization is available in the Windows and Korean PlayStation 2 version. Interestingly, the Korean localization exists in all versions of the game, including Xbox and GameCube, despite neither version making it to South Korea.
• The Vibration Setting is renamed to "Rumble Setting" in the GameCube version to fit with the different terminology. However, the French and Spanish translations still call it Vibration, and strangely, Omochao's voice clip will refer to it as Vibration when the text language is set to Japanese.
• In the background, the outer circles are fully opaque on GameCube, and transparent on all other releases.

GameCube	PlayStation 2

The lighting on the Story and Challenge screens is different in the PlayStation 2 version, coming from beneath the characters. Big also uses different textures on PS2 menus specifically, which seems to match up with renders made by VisionScape (who created the FMVs), suggesting it was a leftover from earlier versions that was never updated.

• In the Japanese Windows version, Tails uses a higher poly model on the Team Select screen

Console	Windows

The credits are extended in the Windows version, adding the Windows porting team between the Sega of Europe and Special Thanks sections, and once again altering the copyright to be simplified and adding the 2004 date. However, the speed of the credits scroll was not adjusted, causing the music to end too early on Windows.

Graphical Differences

PlayStation 2	Xbox	GameCube	Windows

• The PlayStation 2 version is only capable at running at 640x448i at 30 frames per second, with frame drops still occurring with that cap in mind. The GameCube and Xbox versions can run at 480p60, however the Xbox version often experiences more severe performance issues than PS2. The Windows version, being a Windows game, can run from 480p15 to 960p60 depending on the launcher settings.
  • Interestingly, the back of the Xbox version claims it can run at 720p60, however this isn't the case.
• Texture filtering is considerably poorer in the PlayStation 2 version, which also lacks any mipmapping, results in a rather pixelated look. The GameCube and Xbox versions tend to apply too much filtering to distant objects, resulting in a muddy look, while the Windows version has the best texture filtering, as well as built-in Anisotropic filtering, helping clean up the image.

PlayStation 2	Xbox	GameCube	PC

• Texture quality varies greatly between releases:
  • The PlayStation 2 version generally uses higher quality textures for characters, however others such as the menus and levels are stored at a low color depth (and, occasionally, a lower resolution).
  • GameCube and Xbox textures are stored pretty universally using DXT1 or ARGB8888, resulting in most textures only having minor compression artifacts, although some textures are also downscaled on GameCube due to space limitations.
  • Level and HUD textures are stored at a lower compression on Windows, however character textures suffer from rather extreme color-banding.
• The HUD was redone in the Windows version, having fewer compression artifacts and wider digits.
• The pause screen also had its font change in the Windows version, using much thinner lettering and buttons due to the Free Camera being added.
• The PlayStation 2 version uses a simple black texture to represent character shadows, as does the Windows version if the shadow setting is set to Low. Otherwise, it, GameCube, and Xbox all render them real-time, although the GameCube version has a bug where the shadows appear duplicated.

PlayStation 2	GameCube

For some reason, Big's eyes glow in the dark on GameCube. Given they previously did so in the Dreamcast version of Sonic Adventure, this may be an intended effect that was not properly implemented on other platforms. However, as irises on other characters also glow on GameCube, even though they do not on other platforms nor did they glow in the Adventure games, this could possibly be a lighting error.

• In both the Rail Canyon and Egg Fleet opening cutscenes, Big’s eyes and ears move on PlayStation 2 and PC, but they strangely do not on Xbox and GameCube.

Consoles	Windows (in-game)

Big's gameplay texture was redone. His umbrella has a lighter look to it, however it also incorrectly contains a duplicate of his darker fur color, making it appear he has no stripes at all in gameplay. The menus still use the original texture.

GameCube/Xbox	PlayStation 2/Windows

Item boxes and Power Formation hints have a static effect that is missing in the PlayStation 2 and Windows versions.

PlayStation 2	GameCube/Xbox	Windows

Water effects are considerably cheaper looking on PlayStation 2 compared to other platforms. The GameCube and Xbox versions use a shader effect to draw the water's surface, while the PlayStation 2 version opts for a looping texture animation; the Windows version uses a similar shader effect, but has more contrast.

PlayStation 2	GameCube	Windows

PlayStation 2/Xbox	GameCube/Windows

Energy fields in Grand Metropolis and Power Plant are static in the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions, which use a brighter texture to compensate. On GameCube, the indirect effect leaves the floor unaffected, creating a rather odd visual effects, while the Windows version animates the whole field.

• The Xbox version uses higher resolution FMVs. In the Windows version, these were replaced with lower quality FMVs taken from the PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions due to space concerns.
• The Windows version added fog to many stages where there originally wasn't any.

Audio

General

• Sound mixing in the various versions differ, although the Xbox version tends to be the best balanced:
  • In-game voice clips (i.e. those not played during stage intro/outros) are significantly quieter on GameCube, to the point of being barely audible.
  • Sound effects are significantly louder on GameCube and especially Windows, with the opening cutscene to Hang Castle being near-completely inaudible on Windows. Contrarily, some sound effects on the PlayStation 2 version (such as the jump sound) are too quiet.
  • In the GameCube version, the Chao in the Special Stages are quieter.
• Each version supports different forms of surround sound. The PlayStation 2 version supports Dolby Digital Pro Logic II, where pre-rendered cutscenes run in Dolby Digital 5.1 while the rest of the game runs in matrixed Dolby Pro Logic II. The Xbox version supports discrete Dolby Digital 5.1 for the entire game. The GameCube version supports matrixed Dolby Pro Logic II for the entire game. The Windows version supports up to 7.1 surround sound.
• Pre-rendered cutscenes have their audio encoded in stereo ADX and 5.1 Dolby Digital on PlayStation 2, stereo and 5.1 ADX on Xbox, and stereo ADX on GameCube.
• Sound effects are stored at a considerably lower bitrate on PlayStation 2, with noticeable compression artefacts.

Music

PlayStation 2, GameCube, Windows	Xbox

The ADX audio files in the Xbox version have a sample rate of 48000 Hz. In all the other versions, the audio is downsampled to 32000 Hz.

Voice

Consoles

• Team Sonic's selection voice over only fully plays on GameCube. All other versions cut Knuckles off midsentence. None of the other Teams are cut off in other versions, but the fadeout is faster.

PlayStation 2	Xbox	GameCube
R2 button and L2 button activate camera rotation.	Right trigger and Left trigger activate camera rotation.	R button and L button activate camera rotation.

Voice clips for lines have different variations, depending on the controls of the platform used. For example, Omega explaining how activating the camera rotation works states to use the L2 and R2 buttons on PlayStation 2, Right and Left triggers on Xbox, and L and R buttons on GameCube. With that said, it's not without interesting, yet weird, differences:

PlayStation 2	Xbox	GameCube
Press the X button to stop the reels from spinning when inside the big slot machine.	Press the A button to stop the reels from spinning when inside the big slot machine.	Press the A button to stop the reels from spinning when inside the big slot machine.

One of Omega's hint for Casino Park, bizarrely enough, gets cut off by a buzz sound in the PlayStation 2 version, which did not occur in the 9.28 prototype.

Windows

• The PC version silenced many in-game audio clips, notably Cream's A-rank line. Subtitles for these still play.
• Two in-game voice clips for Amy (specifically the 3rd event line for Bullet Station and a hint for the trolley controls in Hang Castle) are left empty in the PC version.

Re-releases

Sonic PC Collection DRM

The European PC Version of Sonic Heroes, released in the Sonic PC Collection, removes the SafeDisc DRM. SafeDisc was disabled in Vista around 2007 for security reasons, and does not work at all in Windows 10 and up, meaning it'd be impossible to play the game on these systems.

However, instead of a recompiled version with the DRM safely removed, they took Reloaded's cracked version, removed the Reloaded credit, and used that for the collection.

The Korean version lacks SafeDisc, opting for a disc check instead.

Xbox 360 (Backwards Compatibility)

Sonic Heroes was one of 462 original Xbox games to be given official backwards compatibility on the Xbox 360. However, as with many other games, it has issues running on the hardware:

• FMVs have stuttering issues, often only running at 15 FPS.
• Several HUD elements have issues, having jagged edges or looking slightly corrupted.
• Credits run slower, and any sound from the FMVs shown will be incorrectly played rather than being mute, overriding the team's theme.
• Saving takes slightly longer.

PlayStation 3 (PlayStation Classics)

Sonic Heroes was also released as a PS2 Classic on the PSN Store for PlayStation 3 in Europe and Japan. Due to being an emulated re-release, it has minor differences compared to the original PS2 version:

• Load times are significantly shorter than on PS2, only being on average around 7 seconds compared to the PS2's 16 seconds.
• A minor visual bug is present with boss names, with the first letter remaining on screen after it's meant to disappear.
• The frame rate appears to be more stable compared to PS2, with some instances of slowdown being absent on PS3.