The History of Sonic Adventure: A Retrospective

How did Sega's Sonic Adventure become such a staple in gaming history? What led to the first major Dreamcast game becoming one of the go to examples of Modern Sonic and a still iconic title over two decades after it's release?
The History of Sonic Adventure: A Retrospective is a feature length documentary which takes a look at The History of Sonic Adventure, taking a close look at the development, release and promotion of the game, including details surrounding the soundtrack an other key aspects of the games production.
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#SonicAdventure | #SonicTheHedgehog | #BadnikMechanic
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Sponsor
0:20 - Intro
2:30 - Story
4:49 - Development History
13:40 - Gameplay
19:05 - The Greatness Of Gamma
22:21 - The Chao Garden
23:47 - The Music
26:40 - Promotion & Merchandise
27:29 - Comic Adaptation
30:28 - TV Adaptation
31:02 - Toyline
32:06 - DLC Content
32:29 - Burger King Partnership
32:57 - Ports
35:24 - Handheld Version
39:24 - Zeebo Port
40:33 - Critical Reception
41:48 - Sequels
45:51 - Legacy
50:20 - Self Reflection
51:57 - A Brief Look At Depth
53:49 - Modding is Magic
54:44 - Even More Depth
59:56 - Credits & Adventure Book

[@BadnikMechanic]

Ok so at around 52:11 - 52:13 Does anyone else hear a demon?

[@karatemaster1144]

I'll listen for it in like 64 minutes

[@codex8678]

weird

[@aortaplatinum]

I know there's a jpg of Satan on the floor of the Knuckles VS Chaos 2 dining room arena

[@SussyPoster69]

@@aortaplatinum W H A T

[@starmaster65]

Easily my favourite Sonic game, and definitely one of my favourite videos covering the game! Had no idea there was a Tiger LCD Sonic Adventure handheld. Can't wait for the follow-up video!

[@thisisasupersayin376]

Watching this while playing Sonic Adventure for myself for the first time. Big's Story is surprisingly decent.

[@davebob4973]

all the greatest game do have fishing minigames in them

[@trevinodude]

I never enjoyed Big’s gameplay but his actual story in the game… I actually enjoyed. It was pretty funny seeing some random guy and his frog get involved with situations WAY above them, and yet, the big cat Ian’s fazed by anything… he just wants his frog back. The world could have ended but the simple cat dude has his priorities straight. 😂😂

[@CoffeeDubss]

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be in this video, was a ton of fun! And massive kudos to how much hard work, time and effort that went into this video, always appreciate those who put so much effort into their content props man👍

[@CragusMaximus]

Who noticed the nods or are they even Easter eggs in Sonic 2 movie trailer? Sonic on top of the building watching cop cars go by and the water bursting out of the drains! Adventure references ppls! 🔥

[@CragusMaximus]

This game had no right to be so ambitious and huge etc but the fact they went all out and made the game in short time is incredible. I did take ages to complete tho because of BIG's stages 😩 got stuck on his stage 3 for ageeees

[@mighty_king92]

Gamma's Theme. Undeniably best song in the game

[@STH2008]

I agree with you my theme is the best

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

One of my favourite Sonic games, alongside its sequel and Sonic 3.

[@rubyframedglasses]

Sonic Adventure will never stop amazing me. I love introducing this game to friends to show them the magic I felt as a kid.

[@vincently1995]

Happy 23rd Anniversary to Sonic Adventure 1!

[@leodroid8653]

Amazing video, very well produced! Sonic Adventure is a very special game to me, it's the first video game I ever bought, and it's still one of the coolest things I played after all these years. It's just never gonna leave my mind.

[@aortaplatinum]

DAMN that opening, better story trailer than any of the official promo material One thing that should be noted about Sonic X is that if it's on Hulu in your region, watch it through there. The sub for the other versions only changes the audio, all of 4Kids stupid changes are left intact. Hulu treats dubs and subs as alternate versions of the same episode, so in addition to getting the uncensored visuals and the original openings and endings, you get the uncensored DIALOGUE as well. Which is the coolest thing Sonic has done in a while.

[@CragusMaximus]

Lastly, this game got me into rock music. I used to go on sound test, play the tunes and record the songs on a small casette recorder to play back whenever I wanted. Maaan I'm old haha

[@otakuthegreat]

same here i thought i was the only one

[@pinkgamecube]

Such an amazing video sonic adventure is such a nostalgic game for me it was the gate way game that got me into the sonic Franchise it holds a special place in my heart🥰💕

[@thethomasthetank]

22:44 marv's scream is great lol

[@BadnikMechanic]

That's my favourite bit.

[@GmNdWtchr96]

"hey." - Human Male NPC, Sonic the Hedgehog 2006

[@seganintendofan1]

I think it's just " it's my pleasure To die" (Ya know, know relistening to it, it's either Pleasure or Power)

[@patriciathompson93]

Wow this definitely bought back memories I remember seeing the opening cutscene for the first time I practically watched it more than 20 times before I have to leave to go home and I saw it at a game store that used to be where I used to live but I find this for the first time and I was gobsmacked

[@CragusMaximus]

I played this game of Xmas '99. I was 8 and a half. (Born 1991, one month after Sonic) and this game BLEW my mind. I went from N64 graphics to THIS! THE MUSIC THE VOICE ACTING THE GRAPHICS, everything blew my tiny kid mind and this game was the shit. Me and my friends loved it intensely. Completed it many times. Miss the Dreamcast hype. Amazing time to be around.

[@JollyGiant64]

I this video a lot!! Nice to see this game, and its developers, given so much due credit and appreciation! Can't wait for the next one!!

[@xKi2Lifex]

Loved the video!!!!!! I’m excited for the follow-up with more in-depth discussion of the character campaigns!

[@Nikoheart]

What a great video this is!! Love how much work went into it. Thank you for getting me to shake my ass at the very end of the video haha

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

I don't know how many Sonic retrospectives I've watched by now, but I don't plan on stopping.

[@Kobofromda512]

This is the best video game soundtrack I’ve ever heard, so many bops

[@themarblegardener7925]

great video Dave! looking forward to part 2! merry Christmas!

[@thatretrogamer3100]

Can’t believe I’ve been watching your videos since your channel was called ‘Hogfather’ - congratulations on the channel success !

[@loganstrash]

the return of the king! or, in the words of agent stone: "HE'S BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK"

[@lloydiekennedy3754]

In the original Japanese game Gamma shoots himself in the head where he falls down, so yeah, he does ‘kill’ himself, although not really. Such a great story

[@tron.44]

I think the E-102 gamma song is saying taste or feel my power or something with the word power.

[@Terminal_Apotos]

Nice you’re Back!

[@guddy0202]

This video knocked it out of the park. Easily my most favorite game of all time. Great job, man. This video brought back so many memories for me! Subscribed.

[@BadnikMechanic]

Thank you! The follow up video will be diving much deeper into the game, I think you'll probably enjoy it more if you also like the game itself!

[@trevinodude]

I had to come back to this video after replaying Sonic Adventure on PS3 recently (I know it’s not the best way to play the game, but it works), and I remembered how much I love SA1. The asthenic, the music, the storytelling (despite rough translations into English). I actually prefer SA1 to SA2 because of the sheer charm of Station Square as a setting in itself. The funny thing is… I didn’t grow up playing the game. When I was a kid, I played the heck out of whatever Sonic games I could find, but there was always an elusive three I was never able to play… Sonic CD, Sonic Adventure 1, and Sonic Adventure 2. I only managed to play those games once I was already in high school, and the PS3 wasn’t even the current era of consoles at that point anymore. And yet… maybe because of my love of the Archie adaptation and the Sonic X anime arc surrounding it… when I DID manage to finally play Sonic Adventure 1 for myself… it instantly felt like a new virtual home I felt safe in. Station Square felt lively and comfortable… it was like I had nostalgia for a game I hadn’t even played before at that point, so returning to it now… makes me feel as nostalgic as I do going back to the Sonic Mega Collection Plus copy that got me into Sonic games to begin with. Idk what was it about SA1, but it’s one of my favorites… all because I felt like it more than lived up to the hype I always had around it as a kid.

[@ThatSoni]

Glad I finally got around to seeing this video, looking forward to more! I’m not a big fan of the game but I respect it as a blueprint for what elements a 3D Sonic game should have!

[@coolhatkid]

I swear this year has been the year of the Zeebo. Also, great video!

[@GameMaster0097]

Great video! Have a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

[@thetruemarioandsonicfanboy]

🎂 Happy 30th anniversary Sonic the Hedgehog and Happy Birthday 🎂 you've Been part of my childhood for a very long time helping me going through the good and bad times because I have learning difficulties and it's so annoying and stressful but your 🎮 video games 🎮, 📺 TV shows 📺, 📚 comic books 📚, 🎶 music 🎶 and 🎞 movies 🎞 that's what makes me happy all the time you're my favourite video game character of all time and been your biggest fan since 1994 or 1995 the first sonic game I ever played was Sonic the Hedgehog 2 because collecting all the 💎 Chaos Emeralds 💎 and turning into super Sonic for the first time is amazing and outstanding and to have a little buddy and sidekick on his side 🦊 tails 🦊 is really cool my favourite 2D Sonic game of all time is Sonic Mania and my favorite 3D Sonic game of all time is Sonic Adventure and I'm very lucky to be born the same year as sonic in 1991 I've been a big sonic fan since I was 3 or 4 years old and getting a tattoo of Sonic that I got on my 🥳 birthday 🥳 back in 2016 and that makes me a true Sonic fan I've got lots of Sonic merchandise and can't wait to see the new Sonic movie next year and I'll be wearing my special 👟 Sonic the Hedgehog trainers 👟 at the 📽 cinema 📽 thank you Sonic you've mean a lot to me and you're like a brother to me I love you so much thank you SEGA and thank you to the man himself Mr Naka the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog you're the coolest Sonic creator in the world from your biggest fan of all time The True Mario & Sonic Fan Boy. 💙 🦔 💙

[@vanillalover1216]

a legend has returned

[@forktruckbill9446]

Play style of SS: Pick up enough speed and slam your entire body through his brain 6 times

[@bananabike279]

That was excellent, one of the best history videos on Sonic Adventure I've ever seen!! Gamma's story is indeed one of the better parts, I'm surprised Sega has actually not revived him after all this time (unlike a certain other character that was supposed to stay dead * ahem *) Also, I really need to find that footage of Sonic Team going on expedition, it looks hilarious and dramatic xD

[@createmistakes]

This was great, can’t wait for the next part. I never had a Dreamcast as a kid so I had to play the adventure games later on the gamecube. Personally I would like to see a return to the Adventure gameplay style since the boost style peaked with generations 10 years ago.

[@SiennaReborn21]

I've always had a soft spot for the Sonic characters and world, even though I've never been very good at the games. I've never actually played Adventure, but I think your video may have convinced me to give it a try. :)

[@cathlynam1898]

Aaaaahhh! My favourite sonic game :)

[@Comet_ARK]

That opening was bangin! Just imagine that being an ad for 1998?

[@paulgilbert5278]

1:18 Damn Sonic Adventure looks so crisp on CRT, but then again all early 3D games do

[@xXSKY64Xx]

For the History of Sonic Adventure, it probably would have been important to talk about that time on the internet when history was rewritten. As in, when Sonic Adventure was considered a bad game thanks to people like Egoraptor and such. People following opinions of popular creators so much that it rewrote history and Sonic Adventure was seen as a “rocky tradition into 3D” I feel it’s important, especially considering how it tarnished the game’s reputation during the 2010’s, including it’s sequel. Thankfully that’s passed and people are now seeing SA1 as the game it truly is, despite all it’s issues.

[@alimahmood2327]

Can't wait for the 2nd part with more info! (When i saw they were making a sonic adventure pin i was very excited that sonic adventure being represented in the year 2021 or 2022)

[@BadnikMechanic]

The 2nd part is almost completed, so not much longer to wait. It'll be uploaded at some point this month for my patron supporters, so if you want an early look please consider joining!

[@rushawnsgachaworld8442]

love the vid but sonic battle was never on the ds it was on the gba

[@Acermani456]

@Badnik Mechanic can you do a history video on the Windows 10 version of Sonic Dash? I noticed in 2019 it was removed from the Microsoft Store App. You can still technically download it if you have an old account that had the game in the past, but you can't do it with a new account.

[@legendofhayden]

I got my hands on a Dreamcast and Sonic Adventure in college and have loved it ever since

[@Milkmanrules1032]

Nice video!

[@hoseinbmr3449]

43:51 - 44:46 wow... you know what? now it is my favorite sonic head canon 😅 i guess i am about a year late but thank you for this video it was full of facts about sonic adventure and its development that i was not aware of 👍

[@BadnikMechanic]

Lol it's fine. I just published a version of this video for SA2 a few days ago. So check that one out if you enjoyed this.

[@I_sued_walmart]

This man could make a 5 hour video on the sonic adventure inflatable chair and it would be amazing

[@BadnikMechanic]

Join my Patreon and that can be arranged! =D

[@mikethetowns]

Ayyy, 'twas a great watch. Although I was very very much into the console when it came out, picking up months Dreamcast mags and the like, I was never able to pick one up. Sooooo when the GameCube launched I nabbed SA2:B as me game of choice. And freakin' loved it haha. Never expected the original to get ported too so that was a great lil surprise years later. Neat to learn a buncha stuff from a period in gaming I was on the outskirts lookin' in. Very much lookin' forward to the next part after that bit of a teaser at the end haha. And that Tiger handheld has now made it near the top of my grail list haha, ooooooeeee.

[@rickbrenner6937]

I hope for your future SA2 video you bring up Sonic the Comic Online and it's SA2 adaptation, it could even be talked about i reverse with Archie's official adaptation going first. I know it's not official but it's still a really interesting fan continuation.

[@massimofallani]

Gamma is like iron giant “I am not a gun”

[@maxweston]

Never knew about the Tiger Electronics port of Sonic Adventure.

[@candlelightcookie]

I know it's minor, but Sonic Battle is a GBA game, not a DS game.

[@user-kn1st4vj6m]

The transition to the merchandise made me laugh.

[@Dolus_Joli]

I literally played this during this holiday break on original hardware for the whole time hehe

[@jeromebrown20]

Why this hasn't had crash bandicoot treatment I don't understand

[@eliwilcox5351]

To be honest I've never actually played sonic adventure but if I had gotten the opportunity to play the game it would have been awesome

[@OrionFacium]

Great stuff! do you happen to know any information on Sega Park Wood Green? It was an arcade in north london with little to no coverage whatsoever on the internet! It would be great to hear about it again.

[@Stinkle_32]

burger in the hotdog bun

[@Nic_2751]

Tommy Tallarico went on to compose for another gaming icon’s first 3D platformer, Pac-Man World 20th anniversary! How ironic! He also went on to compose for Black Knight I believe?

[@ClassicRockerSr101]

I have the LCD game, haven't seen it maybe more than once or twice in other places. Definitely tied with the "limited edition" of this game for my rarest Sonic Adventure item!

[@ChipFanXO]

I didn't know that Mr game apologist was actually yugi Naka this whole time

[@CragusMaximus]

Had all the UK Sonic comics of that time. And had ONE Archie comic from when I visited Tenerife they had it on a comic stand one time 💪 it was the final battle issue too 🔥

[@metalicarus8372]

neat looking stuff

[@Fungiarts]

What a great intro!

[@BadnikMechanic]

Glad you liked that, I've never been a fan of the intro to the game... just that the police turn up and... shoot... *Insert jokes here!* But in my follow up video, I talk about this and there's actually a reason why this happens and it's a bit of fore-shadowing for the final story

[@Fungiarts]

@@BadnikMechanic I am looking forward to it^^ Edit: man my English sucks lol

[@BlazeStar338]

Bought that sonic calendar straight away ! Sonic Adventure is one of my fav 3d sonic games and it's one I always go back to. I agree the Chao garden here isn't the best I have always preferred the SA2 one. The music is fantastic and it was always interesting playing all the different characters. Big the cat really does have a huge following now and I do enjoy his cameos in other games! Thanks for great video looks forward to any others you do. Would you ever look at any of the fan made sonic games like Sonic before the sequel for example?

[@BadnikMechanic]

If I did decide to look at a fangame, I'd probably only want to do it if I could somehow get some of the people behind it involved in some way. Such as being able to answer a few questions, give some insight into how certain things came to be etc. I like to champion the people behind fan projects when given the chance so I think it's only fair to let them have a moment to talk about the project they're making.

[@dehgrape]

I already got the Sonic 2022 calendar

[@snowtrooper8986]

I’d be the one who would pass out due to heat stroke in the first 3 hours

[@Sydney_Angelyt]

Sonic battle was a gba game

[@user-nr2cs2rq7h]

Hey I'm going to be late tonight, but wanted to send my love and support all the same. You are truly appreciated. Now I'm so looking forward to this christmas treat!:)

[@Erinaceus87]

Ken Penders is a *lot* of things, but he's foremost among them... A really nerdy Baby Boomer. So it's no surprise that the climax of Archie's SA adaptation was a riff on Jaws 2. The original plan IIRC was for the adaptation to span through 4 issues of Sonic, another 3 of Knuckles and the Super Special, but not long after they announced that intention... The Knuckles series was canned, squeezing it down to just those few issues of Sonic and the special. That the adaptation hemmed as close to the game as it did was thanks largely to cover artist Patrick Spaziante, who owned a Japanese Dreamcast and I guess was versed in enough Japanese to be able to convey the gist of it to Ken and Karl Bollers. You can tell there were still some last minute changes to make it even closer to the game's dialog when some of the word balloons are obviously scribbled in by a different letterer. You can also tell the adaptation was a Ken-led joint because much of the plot and lore-building focus of it was given to Knuckles, while Sonic and Tails stick to mostly beat-by-beat retellings of Sonic's story and the other three relegated to mere six page back-up stories. But the real stick-out clue comes from that same Jaws 2 climax: It's actually Knuckles who gets to play the big hero who brings the generator online and fixes a broken component at the critical last second, Sonic just gets to play decoy and do as he's told. If you haven't heard much else about Ken, you've at least probably heard about his huge hard on for Knux.

[@BadnikMechanic]

Oh he's having a joke at his expense in the next vid I'm doing.

[@mighty_king92]

Also gotta love them Japanese Commercials. Just hilarious

[@spsaofficalchannel]

Watch we’ll get those Saturn prototypes eventually!

[@NinjaKIngAce]

45:42 An extremely long separate discussion? I can some it up in one sentence: You don't want Sonic Adventure 3 to end up like Sonic the Hedgehog 4, do you? What we want isn't Sonic Adventure 3, it's Sonic Adventure Mania

[@HYPERxSONICxFANx2012]

44:22 headcanon accepted

[@kyleb116]

Actually, Netflix has two seasons, but the two have two seasons in one season. Netflix also has the ending to Sonic X

[@jasonwilley1995]

Hey Badnik Would you do a video about the latest Sonic 2 movie and Frontiers trailers recently aired at the game awards?

[@Johnny_Three-hats]

Huh. I always thought that the distorted dialogue in Gamma's theme was saying something like, "That's my boy. Beta." Doctor Eggman speaking to Gamma after his success, proceeded by Gamma pondering Beta's fate. I can kinda hear "It was my pleasure", but not "Ready to die" myself. Still, interesting to hear the different perspective. Also, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who's really not into Chao, at least, not the SA1 and SA2 gameplay for them. They're adorable, I want to like raising them, but I'm puzzled at how people can say that the "real" game is raising Chao and somehow that makes the levels more tolerable. I adore the main games of both, but having to repeatedly go into the levels, grab particular animals, go back to the garden, and do that over and over? I don't enjoy that and I don't see how that makes them fun if you don't even like the main game. It's always baffled me a bit. The animal glitch helps, but it's still ungodly repetitive, even if the growth process of the chao is very complex. Excellent retrospective overall, well done, man.

[@marlongarrix8478]

He maybe this is a good time to go into sonic,s history with mcdonalds since the second movie is having mcdonalds promotion

[@grahamjhallaudio8198]

Thank you for always providing heads up on great sonic merch / experiences! I saw the Sonic Adventure concert and purchased sonic calendar / buildable statue advent thanks to your heads up. 👍

[@lookatdemijipers]

wow, I'm surprised that the first American to work on the Sonic the Hedgehog series thought Adventure played like a cow. his mother must be so proud

[@BadnikMechanic]

She is VERY proud of him!

[@NeoStasisR]

Only 2 copies of the LCD game are known to exist? I own one.

[@readysetgo5265]

0:21 looks like a Sonic Adventure Movie trailer

[@eishikibahamut]

you can do chao garden in SA1 without replaying levels by just returning after every level you beat. By the time I got through the story I had already completed all the chao garden races by doing this. I know it might found tedious to some, but I found it to be pretty nice as until I tried this I had never bothered with SA1s chao garden since SA2 is just better. I will say one thing though never use the egg carrier chao garden. it looks cool, but its horrible for raising chao.

[@senorbacon]

During the plush part i belive those are the prototypes of the plushes

[@SafiraCoyfolf]

Not gonna lie, Knuckles's SA theme song is much better than the SA2 version Also, I like different parts and pieces of both versions of Tails's theme. If the two were merged/mashed up, it would be the best :)

[@bafflingmoronfilms8772]

I prefer most of the sa1 versions of their themes

[@mij654]

Hello friend I still remember that day

[@efrainsantiago4787]

Can you review the Sonic encyclopedia? Nobody really has discussed the book when it came out.

[@BadnikMechanic]

So I did actually plan on doing this on the release day. But the book has been so badly delayed for Europe (even today its been pushed back another 2 weeks), that I don't really know how well video on it would do. I'd like to, but it's a case of weighing up how many will watch it vs time to work on it.

[@oldmighty15]

49:59 Lol!

[@joshuasanderson7359]

Are they officially the lyrics in Gamma's song?? Is there a source on it?

[@ashooaway]

18:58 Did I hear slongest. I know its strongest just curious and it made me laugh so its all good.

[@arekrekas213]

Boy, i sure do love when my Nintendo DS cartdriges are wide and fat! it's almost like they weren't made for the same console...

[@BadnikMechanic]

Shhhhh they'll hear you!

[@gamefan14]

Someone might’ve said this already, But it is not possible to play SA on PS Now, as it was delisted some time now.. (Actually, you can’t play any PS Now Sonic games anymore.)

[@ModelK-8904]

Man this game has been talked into the groud

[@ModelK-8904]

Ground*

[@BadnikMechanic]

You'll probably love the next vid then =p

[@BananaMana69]

I cant believe you highlighted the terrible lines bit dodnt play the Tails classic, "Thats Eggman! ....... I wonder what happened to Sonic?"

[@Meepmeep189]

46:04 Sonic Battle, a DS game?