This article contains a list of glitches from Sonic Adventure. Unless otherwise noted, all glitch names are conjectural. Many of them have not been confirmed by Sega.
List of glitches
- Skipping Emerald Coast:
The game starts by placing Sonic near the pool and intends for him to complete stage 1 normally. However, it is possible to skip the first stage. To do this, the player should head back into the Hotel instead of starting the level and jump onto the overhead with the door that responds to the switches on the other side of the room. Next, they must stand in the corner between the railing and the wall by what would later be the exit to of Hotel. Now, the player should begin spindashing repeatedly. Soon, Sonic will go through the wall and into the loading zone for the main city hub. Unfortunately, there is not much to do here as it is a later version of the city with much of it blocked off.
- Not-so-safe safety rails:
It is possible for Sonic to go through rails on the sides of platforms if he is moving quickly enough. One of the worst cases comes from trying to spindash past the double spike trap in Emerald Coast, which can cause Sonic to go through the rail next to the Badnik and into the water underneath that area.
- Skipping to Twinkle Park:
To skip directly to Twinkle Park after stage 1, Sonic can stand on top of the sloped part of the elevator. The player should line him up to as far into the elevator as he can go and jump.
- Skipping to Red Mountain:
Sonic Adventure DX Light Speed Attack Immediately After Emerald Coast (Red Mountain too)
A video showing how to perform this glitch.
To perform this glitch, Windy Valley must be cleared as Sonic. The player should go to the Mystic Ruins, and head over to the rock next to where the cave would be later in the game. They need to jump on the side of the rock so that Sonic is looking at the sky, and spindash off of it and onto the mountain. Next, the player must head to the top left (This may take a few attempts) and continue to go left until a tunnel can be seen. They should then fall through it and go up, run on the walls, then Light Speed Dash into the wall. If Sonic didn't get the Light Speed Dash upgrade before, the player will need to use a glitch to escape the Egg Carrier afterward.
- Skipping to Emerald Coast:
Big must have obtained the Life Belt in order to perform this glitch. As Big, the player must get the Ice Stone and place it near the left of the path to the Egg Carrier in Station Square. They should jump over it, and Big should be out of bounds. The player then needs to have him swim toward the hotel and under the pale square that leads to the pools, then dive down just enough so that when Big goes back up, he can glitch through and enter the normally locked Station Square. Now, the player must find 2 green blocks and place each in the keyholes that are near the doors. After they open, Big may enter Emerald Coast earlier than intended.
- Early Casinopolis glitch:
As Knuckles, the player must get the Ice Stone and go to the Train Station, then place it in front of the right-side corner of the stairs (not the building). They should then try to squeeze Knuckles between the statue and corner, and glide until they glitch through. The player should then Glide left until the screen fades to the Loading Screen, and once inside the Train Station, they must try to glitch him through the wall to the left of the 2 doors that lead to the Casinopolis area. After Knuckles makes it to the Casinopolis area, the player should hit the switch that opens the entrance to Casinopolis like normal.
- Ancient Light glitch:
To perform this glitch, Sonic must not have obtained the Ancient Light yet. The player should go to where the Ancient Light is and stand in front of it, then spindash so Sonic hits it but still falls off the cliff. They will hear Sonic say "NO!" before the game goes up to the scene where Tikal's spirit is telling the player about the Ancient Light.
- Deep water glitch:
As Sonic or Knuckles, the player must get to the Egg Carrier and head to the pool area, which should be full of water. They must go in and walk slowly off the edge, then land on the closed door below. If the correct spot is hit, the player will be able to partially glitch through the wall while on top of the door. Next, they must spindash or triple punch as Knuckles towards the wall. If done correctly, they can slowly walk back into the area leading to the Sky Deck stage. They will notice that even when the pool still has water in it, the water's textures will not be present. If they jump, the water's splashing sound effects will still be heard and its splashing animations will still be seen.
- Save File-breaking glitches:
These are some save file-breaking glitches that can be done with Sonic, Knuckles, and Big; if any of the characters are used to perform said glitches, they will become permanently stuck in a specific area and the chosen save file will be corrupted.
As Sonic, the player must perform "Skipping to Red Mountain" above, then complete that stage and Sky Deck. After this happens, Sonic will be permanently stuck on the Egg Carrier.
As Big, the player must perform "Skipping to Emerald Coast" above, then complete the stage and Hot Shelter. After this happens, Big should be in the Past. He will now be permanently stuck.
There are two ways to perform this glitch as Knuckles. Either the player can perform the "Deep Water Glitch" above and enter and complete the Sky Deck stage, or perform the Early Casinopolis Glitch above. Knuckles will be in the Past become stuck.
These glitches happen because cutscene triggers that would take the player farther into the story no longer work. It is not recommended to perform these on valued save files because the glitches will corrupt them. If this happens, the player must restart the save from the beginning of the game.
- Ice Cap glitch:
After going up the hill to get inside the cave, the player will notice a drawbridge right when they enter the room. Instead of going through all of the obstacles, they can simply go through the drawbridge by jumping towards it while it's still up. Additionally, after going through the bridge, there is the section of the level that has a gate (pushing it triggers Sonic to get on a snowboard). On the left, there is a wall of snow. If the player wants to attempt this glitch (this could take time), they should repeatedly spindash towards the wall of snow on the left. Sonic will then go through and will appear to fall towards a reflection of the sky above.
- Station Square small boat harbor:
South of the train station in Station Square, the player will notice a boat pier. On the right side of the small harbor, the player should repeatedly spindash towards it. They will then notice that Sonic is now outside of Station Square's boundaries (normally, the coast would block the player from going any farther). Now the player can do whatever they want in that area, although there is still the risk of death. It is worth noting that this process may take some time.
- Knuckles destroys the Capsule:
In Knuckles' section of Lost World, if the player performs a triple punch on one of the fire blocks that pushes out of the wall, Knuckles will glitch through and land on the under loop section for Sonic's section of the level. After going through the wall, the player can jump on the capsule, and Knuckles' objectives will automatically be completed.
- Defeat the Egg Hornet in one run:
After the Egg Hornet drills into the ground, if the player keeps using the Homing Attack as Sonic, the Egg Hornet will stay in the ground and sustain damage.
- Die after winning:
After defeating bosses such as the Egg Hornet, if the player jumps at the Egg Mobile and has no Rings, the character will give their victory line and die, forcing the player to complete the fight again.
- Tails in Emerald Coast:
There are several different ways to get Tails in Sonic's Emerald Coast stage. The most well-known method of achieving this is to have him fly into the left-hand corner of the hotel; he will then glitch through the boundaries. The player should fly him into the picture of the casino, and then fly him through the part of the hotel right in front of the beach. If done incorrectly, he will fall through the sand to his death.
If Tails stands inside the sliding doors leading to the casino in exactly the right spot, he will glitch on top of the invisible box in front of the picture of the casino. However, the camera will likely get stuck. The player should follow the process above to get him into the stage.
Another method is for the player to go to the right when entering the pool area's doors. Once in a small corner of invisible walls blocking the tables, they must start flying. Tails will (most likely) go through the ceiling. The player should then move slightly forward, and Tails will land on a corner. From there, they should fly over to the beach, and Tails will enter the stage. If he is not teleported, the player can walk over to the gates, and the level start function will be called.
The final way to get him inside Emerald Coast is for the player to perform the glitch that gets him permanently stuck in the Casino area. To perform this glitch, the player should not play any of the other characters' stories, select Sonic in trial mode, then go back and select Tails. He will have no stages. The player must then press "A", then "OK", and if done correctly, Tails will be in Emerald Coast.
Because of the game's coding, only the first half of the stage is playable. When going to the second part, water and a spring in the middle of nowhere will be seen. If the player entered via the pool area, as soon as they reach this point they will be sent back in front of the doors. However, if the Level Select is used, the end level function will not be called, causing death. When the player respawns, they will be jumping on the spring in an infinite loop.
- Knuckles in Twinkle Park:
To perform this glitch, the player must pick up the statue in front of the Burger Shop and bring it with them to the entrance of Twinkle Park. They should then push it down on the right side of the railing, leaving enough space so that Knuckles can slip through, but keeping it close enough to be able to push him through the wall. If done correctly, Knuckles will glitch through the wall. He will be falling through space, but if he flies in a certain direction, the player will see the track. Normally he will die there, but strangely, he can fall infinitely at the beginning.
Another method of performing this glitch is for the player to first stand in the middle at a specific spot by the closing doors that lead to the entrance of Twinkle park (not the one that leads to the actual stage), then glide to the right of the doors while still standing at the middle. Knuckles should land inside the right side door in his climbing animation. The player must then wait until the doors close on him, and he should glitch through the top of the ceiling and through the doors. They then must have him glide out of the boundaries, then glide to the left of the building, and into Twinkle Park. if done incorrectly, he will fall to his death. It is important to know where to glide so that this does not occur happen.
- Amy in Emerald Coast:
To perform this glitch, the player must get the statue in front of the Burger Shop and take it to the gates of Emerald Coast. They must then place it on the right, move Amy in between the two, and have her hammer jump. If done correctly, she will be glitched into Sonic's version of the stage. However, to get past the whale, the player must Hammer Jump over the first corner, then stop and look behind Amy. The whale should be gone, and the player can continue as normal (However, when she gets to the second section, she will be jumping on a spring in a landless area). Getting past the whale may only be possible in the DX version.
- Knuckles in Emerald Coast:
To perform this glitch, the player must get the statue in front of the Burger Shop and take it to the gates of Emerald Coast. They must then place it on the right next to the gate, and Knuckles should be able to glide through the gate in between the statue, into the level. If done correctly, he will be glitched into Sonic's version of the stage. He can do everything normally in the first part of the stage, but in the second part of Emerald Coast, there is only a spring and a bottomless pit. It is a very similar process to bringing Amy into Emerald Coast.
- Knuckles in the sewer:
To perform this glitch in Sonic Adventure DX, it is recommended that the player enables the Free Camera, as using the Auto Camera will most likely cause the camera to get stuck. The player must go to the area where they see the red doors that lead to Speed Highway then run to the left of the building (just before the corner close to the doors) and stop. Next, they must jump and glide to the left while in the process of going through the ceiling. Knuckles should be able to go through the entire building and glitch out of bounds. Afterward, the player should have him land on the closest building textures that can be found and stop as he lands. Knuckles should be in his climbing animation. The player must glide right, then forward until a brick-structured cylinder is seen. They should have Knuckles try to go through the bricks, then land. The "Loading" screen should show up and Knuckles will end up in the sewer. Knuckles can then go through the sewer normally like the other characters. After exiting the door, he will end up in the shop where the Golden Chao Egg is found.
- Knuckles in Windy Valley:
To perform this glitch, the player must perform the Early Casinopolis glitch as Knuckles, then exit the game and play as Tails. They then need to complete his mission in Casinopolis, quit, and go to Acton Stage in Trial Mode as Knuckles, where the stage should say "Windy Valley". The player must press "A" then "OK", and the stage should begin. Knuckles will be glitched into Sonic's version of Windy Valley Act 3, and at the start of the stage, Knuckles will be falling. The player should have Knuckles glide toward the stage until he lands. He will then be able to travel through the stage like normal.
- Gamma in Casinopolis:
It is possible to glitch E-102 Gamma into Casinopolis in the Dreamcast version of the game. If he hops on top of the train going to the Mystic Ruins, he will be able to jump-glitch himself on top of the train station roof. The player should then use the booster to slowly lower Gamma to the inside of the doors. He will be able to get in the pinball section by standing there and waiting.
- The glitch Chao:
The Sega Dreamcast version of Sonic Adventure 2 contains a major glitch. If the player tries to send the Silver Egg to Sonic Adventure 2, hatching the egg will cause it to become a Glitch Chao. Refer to the other glitch below for more information.
- Standing on the Orca:
During the Orca chase, the player should stop and use a Homing Attack on the orca. If done correctly, not only will the orca jump backward, but it will be possible to "stand" on the orca.
- Moonwalk in Station Square (DX):
If the player goes to the area where the cars come in at Station Square, they should walk as far down the ramp as they can, then face out. They will then be slowly moonwalking.
- Glitch out of the window in the shop (DX):
In the shop where the player finds the golden Chao egg (and where the player exits the sewer with Sonic), there is a picture in front of the window. As Sonic, the player should repeatedly aim a spindash at the right back corner of the picture. One of two things can happen; The first is Sonic glitches through the window to the outside and the camera stays behind (so the player sees sonic through the window), and the second is that Sonic doesn't make it through the window, goes through the floor, and dies.
- Emerald Coast glitch:
After the player finishes the cave part of Emerald Coast, when they head to the loop-de-loop, if they stay on the right side of the screen they will fall through the floor.
- Gliding Through a cliff:
If Knuckles is in Mystic Ruins and jumps off of the cliff, he can glide, turn around, and move straight through the cliff as if there was nothing there. This will eventually cause Knuckles to fall off the stage and die. However, if he flies underneath the bridge, he can climb up on the support pillars and avoid his death.
- No credit emblem (DX):
Sometimes, if the player skips the credits (or just at random), they won't get the emblem for completing the story, but it will still be marked as complete.
- Unfriendly camera:
A common issue with the camera is one which causes it to stick to behind a wall or snap into an awkward position, making progress difficult. However, this only appears to affect the Auto Camera, and the player can switch to Free Camera to avoid this.
- Inside the tube:
To perform this glitch, the player must be in the Final Egg adventure field. They must reach the platform from which Gamma was born as Sonic, aim at the wall, and perform a jump-dash. If done correctly, Sonic will be behind the scenes. The player should then carefully run through the computers, and Sonic will be able to go within the tubes that carry Metal Sonic and Silver Sonic.
- Booster Pad misfire:
A certain quarter-pipe ramp in Emerald Coast has two Booster Pads on each side of it. Normally, they launch the player up the ramp and force the player to dash up the ramp towards its middle section, so they can't accidentally fly to the side. Sometimes (normally after having used them once), the Booster Pad will launch the player in the direction they are facing. This can be used to reach another island without having to use the upper area.
- Spinning vertical attack (DX):
To perform this glitch, the player must play as Tails and go to the Mystic Ruins, then go to the Icecap path. They should then perform Tails' Rapid Tails Attack while running. As Tails is using it, the player needs to move him toward the walls. For a short moment, Tails should come off the wall and his attack will seem like a moving car wheel. Please note that this is only doable if Tails has the Rhythm Badge acquired.
- Get Into Going Down and At Dawn as Tails:
This glitch is relatively simple: at the point in the level were Sonic and Tails' acts split, the player will notice the entryway to Going Down covered by a billboard. They simply need to fly over it with the Free Camera enabled, and Tails should fall into the corridor leading to Going Down. The player should then fall through the glass and Tails will be in Sonic's portion of the act. They can then select "Restart" so that Eggman is no longer chasing him. If Tails opens the capsule at the end of At Dawn, he will automatically lose.
- Game Over in Chao Garden:
To perform this glitch, the player must first be using Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, or Amy. With the life counter at zero, they should go into the Mystic Ruins Chao Garden, go to the deepest point of the pool, and drown. When this happens, the player will get the Game Over screen. Performing this glitch will cause the player to lose all of their unsaved Chao Garden data.
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