Ryan Bloom

The Definitive Way to Play Sonic Adventure 2 (Early Access)

Added 2023-01-30 22:21:34 +0000 UTC

It's finally here, folks. As I think you may know, I've been working on this video since September 2022. There's a lot of reasons it took so dang long. So many reasons that I almost don't even want to write them all out, but let's just say it was a mixture of impostor syndrome, cold and flu season, kids being hospitalized with pneumonia, holiday craziness, and on top of that my phone died.

This video is the first I've ever done with a paid sponsorship segment! Not that you'd ever know. Since you folks pay for early access, I've cut the sponsor segment from this version of the video, though it still gets mentioned in the credits scroll at the end and some of the footage I use during the credits are outtakes from the segment.

I just got final approval for the sponsor segment so I'm rendering the finalized video out now (which has a few minor changes from this test render). Public version of the finalized video will probably go live this Friday, so you get almost a week of early access time. Enjoy!

Written instructions on how to install and get all this stuff working

Step 1: Download the SA2 Mod Manager. https://gamebanana.com/tools/6333

Step 2: Copy the contents of the SA2 Mod Manager zip file in to your Sonic Adventure 2 install folder on Steam. You can easily get to the Sonic Adventure 2 install folder by right clicking Sonic Adventure 2 in Steam, selecting "Manage" and clicking "Browse local files".

Step 3: Launch SA2ModManager.exe. If it asks you about an update, say yes.

Step 4: Go through the tabs at the top one by one and make sure all your settings are correct. Turn some cheat codes on if you wish (I'd recommend "Reduce Spin Dash Delay").

Step 5: Under the Graphics tab, it's recommended you check the box for "Lock Framerate." This will stop Sonic Adventure 2 from running uncontrollably fast on newer displays.

Step 6: Under the Options tab, you can check "Disable Loading Animation" to marginally speed up the game's loading times and make it operate more like the original Gamecube/Dreamcast version. It also skips the loading screen tips, but they were almost impossible to read on the PC anyway.

Step 7: Also on the Options tab, click "Enable 1-Click Install." This will allow the Mod Manager to automatically grab and install files directly from GameBanana.

Step 8: When you're done, ALWAYS remember to click "Save."

Now that you have the Mod Manager installed and ready to go, go grab some mods:

General GameBanana SA2 Section: https://gamebanana.com/mods/games/5855

RECCOMMENDED MODS

Cutscene Revamp https://gamebanana.com/mods/48872

No Model Tinting https://gamebanana.com/mods/48874

SA2 Volume Controls https://gamebanana.com/mods/381193

Highest Quality Textures https://gamebanana.com/mods/48912

Level Oddity Patch https://gamebanana.com/mods/48894

Eggman Lighting Fix https://gamebanana.com/mods/397234

HedgePanel https://gamebanana.com/mods/48950

-- Setting Up SA2 Volume Controls

In the mod manager, select "SA2 Volume Controls" and click "Configure" located under the list. Set the volume controls to your liking. You can always click "reset" to reset all values to their defaults. I recommend lowering music volume to 74 (from 76), but that's my personal preference.

-- Setting Up HedgePanel

In the mod manager, select "HedgePanel" and click "Configure" located under the list. My personal preference is to disable Fast Somersault, Random Homing Attack Sounds, and Automatic Magic Hands Prompt. Everything else can be left as "enabled."