History YMMV / SonicAdventure2

* PowerUpLetdown: The Magic Hands upgrade for Sonic. It can encase enemies in a small sphere, which can be thrown. In an action game about keeping the speed going, the upgrade is essentially pointless. Not helping the fact that you have to be right next to the enemy to use it.

** The game never explores why G.U.N. actually went after Sonic; Sonic merely concludes they must have mistaken him for Shadow. Shadow himself also implies there could be a hidden motivation behind the whole thing, but that also goes nowhere.

** The game never explores why G.U.N. actually went after Sonic; Sonic merely concludes they must have mistaken him for Shadow.

* CantUnHearIt: It's a bit difficult nowadays to watch Eggman's destruction of the moon and not think of WebVideo/RealTimeFandub's memetic interpretation of Eggman pissing on the moon.

* AnnoyingVideoGameHelper: Omochao, a Chao-esque robot with a penchant for stating the obvious. Sega ''[[LampshadeHanging had]]'' [[LampshadeHanging to have known how much the mecha twerp would annoy players]], so it can be hit, thrown, and whatever else you can think of to shut it up, although sometimes it will [[WhatTheHellHero chew you out for the abuse]]. Oh, and as if people didn't hate it enough already, Omochao's role was expanded in the HD remaster to include tips before levels, although at least he keeps its mouth shut in those cases. That being said, at least Omochao's tutorials are optional and don't intrude on the gameplay, and some of its placements actually turn out beneficial for certain situations, so this trope is downplayed compared to other examples (including some of its own appearances later on down the line).

** Throwing Omochao at enemies. Whether it's the first or hundredth time, ''anything'' to get him to stop talking and ''boy'' is it fulfilling! Hitting the real Chao in the gardens can prove to be quite a stress relief too [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential to some people.]]

** Chao, the adorable little creatures who debuted in ''[=SA1=]'', soon ascended to this status after ''[=SA2B=]'' fleshed them out to a massive extent. There's a ridiculous amount of people who bought the game with the prime objective of[=/=]solely for raising them, and there are nearly as many members of the fandom begging for Sega to bring back Chao just the way they were in the ''Adventure'' series, not like the seriously diluted Chao garden minigames available on some of the newer titles. [[TheScrappy Except Omochao.]]

* ReplacementScrappy: Tikal's guiding successor Omochao is pretty much the equivalent of [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Navi]] in the Sonic universe -- small, [[AnnoyingVideoGameHelper needlessly and annoyingly helpful]] and damn-near unavoidable at times, especially when you start losing against a boss multiple times. He's also got a grating voice and his tirades can go on for ages at times. Thankfully, the devs appeared to predict this would happen and also [[TakeThatScrappy made him an object which you can hurt, pick up, throw and use as a weapon]], complete with him breaking, albeit momentarily. Things got worse when his prominence escalated in future games and the HD remaster, where he can now appear before the start of a level.

* MemeticMolester: The boos from Pyramid Cave often grab a character from behind, often referred to as the "rape ghosts."

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The idea that the media would mistake Sonic for Shadow at first glance isn't that much of a stretch;

** The UltimateLifeform also has the ultimate BGM: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKS4duPqNyo Throw It All Away]]".

** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WcyVvWZJU4 Escape from the City]]", the level tune to City Escape, Sonic's opening stage. It's considered to be the best song from any ''Sonic'' game, and one of the best video game songs ever. ''Period''. There's a reason it's gotten so many official remixes.
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UueyLCxyIUY For True Story]]", the track that plays during the final Sonic/Shadow confrontation in the Hero & Dark Stories.

** The UltimateLifeform also has the ultimate BGM: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKS4duPqNyo Throw It All Away]]".

*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukp1N4hI2Xg A Ghost Pumpkin Soup]]", the theme for Pumpkin Hill.
---->I ain't gonna let it get to me, I'm just gonna creep / Down in Pumpkin Hill I gots to find mah lost piece...

---->This is Knuckles, and you have reached the Death Chamber! (Death Chamber, Death Chamber, Death Chamber...)
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9zZus_1_ag Live & Learn]], the game's iconic main theme.
--->Live and Learn! Hanging on the edge of tomorrow! Live and Learn, for the works of yesterday!
** [[ThatOneBoss The Biolizard may be difficult]], but the awesome theme music, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIYnkOF7V7E Supporting Me]]", makes up for it.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UCnuIvU70w Rhythm and Balance]] plays during White Jungle, with a pulsating rhythm that feels like it's telling you to go as fast as you can to rescue Rouge.
---> Oh yeah, hurry through the unexplored land / I'm not scared at all, are you scared of something?

---> '''Eggman:''' You've got 5 minutes, Rouge!

---> Who's there...?
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHb6sza5mZs Fly In the Freedom]]", Rouge's theme.
---> Fated! Not to be Tamed... Watch me! I'll never lean upon you...
** Sonic's theme, "It Doesn't Matter", [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJs1iJOXFN8 previously appeared]] in [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure the first game]] with an '80s rock sound. The sequel moves it forwards to the '90s with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohm5CVdutrw an awesome pop-punk remix]].

*** Tails is unambiguously a peer and ally of Sonic's rather than his KidSidekick--he orchestrates rescues and counter-Eggman strategies, makes the jump from the CaptainCrash he was in ''Adventure'' to piloting a fully-functional TransformingMecha (which he built himself), creates an EffectiveKnockoff Chaos Emerald, and even goes toe-to-toe with Eggman--now Tails' rival--all by himself. Later games would notably reinstall the SidekickGlassCeiling and [[DemotedToExtra position him as a distinct second-fiddle next to Sonic]].
*** Amy also makes a better showing here than she does in later games, despite not being playable. She's competent enough to get to Prison Island all on her own, bust Sonic out of his cell by herself, and plays a key role in Shadow's HeelFaceTurn. She does try to leverage Sonic into a much-desired relationship, but relents the instant he makes it obvious he isn't game--a far more endearing portrayal than the [[{{Flanderization}} increasingly]] deranged MadLove she shows in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'', ''VideoGame/SonicBattle'', and ''VideoGame/SonicRush''.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: GUN's motives for arresting Sonic are never established in the game, so whether they have [[AllegedLookalikes honestly mistaken Sonic for Shadow]] or have more nefarious motives is unknown.

** Rouge has often been misremembered to be working for GUN even as far back as her ''debut'' in this game, which has inadvertently led to accidental FridgeLogic regarding her part in the raid on Prison Island. In reality, [[spoiler:Rouge is an agent of the president of the United Federation and his secretary]]; Rouge did not become an agent of GUN itself until ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006''--even in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' she's only a "government" agent.
** "You can't get an A-Rank in the Treasure Hunt stages [[HintsAreForLosers if you use any hints]]." Actually, no, A-ranks [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61i-J4TSb-k are perfectly possible using hints]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzUISmDB59c even in the original Dreamcast version]]. The Treasure Hunt levels rely on your familiarity with the stage and your ability to therefore quickly traverse it and narrow the scope of your search, and the hints are a part of this--you'll get less points the more hints you use, but if you're fast enough it won't matter.

** With the announcement of the third Sonic movie that will be an adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2, many fans have joked that it will depict the scene where Maria was gunned down by GUN officers--except the game didn't have this scene. While it's all but stated that this was her fate, it's never actually depicted on screen or said outright. The scene itself was actually depicted in ''Videogame/ShadowTheHedgehog''.

** In Dry Lagoon, Rouge's first stage, she immediately encounters a giant turtle held at gunpoint by two GUN robots. Destroying the robots will have the turtle carry her to the second part of the stage as thanks. Just a random VideoGameCaringPotential moment? No. It's also a reference to an old [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urashima_Taro Japanese folk tale.]]

** The game never explores why GUN actually went after Sonic; Sonic merely concludes they must have mistaken him for Shadow.

* SelfImposedChallenge: Try beating Knuckles' section in Cannon's Core WITHOUT the Air Necklace.

** Security Hall and Mad Space is this for the treasure hunting levels due to the sheer size of the worlds, the bad clues given and, in the case of the former, the [[TimedMission five-minute time limit]]. It doesn't help that in Mad Space, some of the hints you get are ''reversed'' not just in text, but also in meaning.[[note]]For example: if they say above, they actually mean below.[[/note]] Worst of all, not all of them are reversed, meaning you might have to spend time going through the ''whole'' stage just to find them.
** The Hard Mode version for Egg Quarters. Only two keys are located inside each cages while the other key is buried behind a painting blocked by some cages. This requires you to get a bomb from the monkey robots, place it close to the cage, and let it destroy it. You would have to get close enough to the bomb to pick it up or else kicking it will cause damage. And as if the Egg Beetle robots were bad enough, there will be no green lights to warn you of their arrival and you have to take cover in the shadows.
** Knuckles can have it almost as bad with Death Chamber and Meteor Herd (almost only being because his stages lack any of the infuriating gimmicks of Rouge's). The former can have several rooms where the radar doesn't go off until you go to another room entirely, while Meteor Herd is yet another huge space level like Mad Space.
** The Hard Mode version of Pyramid Cave. Not only there will be more ghosts attempting to grab you in the first and second corridors, but you also have Boom Boos who will get in your way (and there will be a few JumpScare boos, too). In addition, there is the section where you would have to take the second key to unlock the second corridor. Instead of jumping up the platforms, you have to stand on the metal boxes and throw them to the next platform. You'll also have to avoid the robots shooting you.

** Metal Harbor on its own is quite short and simple; A-ranking it is where you'll find trouble. The only way to actually earn enough points for the A-rank is to reach the topmost handle of the missile. The time limit before the missile launch is very strict, and failing to grab onto the missile in any way counts as a death.

** The fight against the Finalhazard can be a bit ridiculous, if not flat-out humorous, since you're fighting a giant mutated, laser-blasting lizard creature with a FaceShip's nose [[ItMakesSenseInContext shoved up its butt]]. But that's okay, because [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic "Live and Learn"]] is blaring in the background. And Shadow ''and'' Sonic have both [[BackToBackBadasses teamed up to fight this beast]] [[GoldenSuperMode in their Super forms]]. And you're in outer space.

--> '''Omochao:''' "You got: a serious spinal condition from carrying so much junk!"
** The scene we're supposed to take seriously of Knuckles saving Rouge from falling to her death. The problem is that Rouge is ''a bat'', with ''wings''. (And you just finished a boss fight in which the same pit releases enough updraft that it's impossible to fall into in the first place.)

** Security Hall and Mad Space is this for the treasure hunting levels due to the sheer size of the worlds, the bad clues given and, in the case of the former, the [[TimedMission five-minute time limit]]. It doesn't help that in Mad Space, some of the hints you get are ''reversed'' not just in text, but also in meaning[[note]]For example: if they say above, they actually mean below.[[/note]]. Worst of all, not all of them are reversed, meaning you might have to spend time going through the ''whole'' stage just to find them.

** The fight against the Final Hazard can be a bit ridiculous, if not flat-out humorous, since you're fighting a giant mutated, laser-blasting lizard creature with a FaceShip's nose [[ItMakesSenseInContext shoved up its butt]]. But that's okay, because [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic "Live and Learn"]] is blaring in the background. And Shadow ''and'' Sonic have both [[BackToBackBadasses teamed up to fight this beast]] [[GoldenSuperMode in their Super forms]]. And you're in outer space.

** The following battle with the Final Hazard can be just as bad, partly due to [[LuckBasedMission its randomly spawning weak spots]] and somewhat finicky controls. Added to a [[TimeLimitBoss 5-minute limit]], hard-to-avoid lasers and orbs that throw you back, Rings that drain so fast that you'll worry more about them than the actual time limit, and you get a final battle that, [[BestBossEver while extremely epic,]] can also be a source of frustration.
** Even the final boss fight in the Hero and Dark stories between Sonic and Shadow can be this. Not only is the rival hedgehog fast and hard to hit, but if he's behind you he will always use Chaos Control, disappear and then reapppear soon enough, and if you're too far away from him he'll use his special attack, which can be extremely annoying. Making matters even worse is that it's a stealth TimeLimitBoss, as unlike the TrueFinalBoss, which explicitly says that there's a time limit, [[GuideDangIt nothing says in the game]] that the seemingly infinite trail will end and make your character fall into space if you take over ten minutes to defeat the rival.
** Egg Golem with Eggman is pretty annoying too, and it doesn't help that unlike Sonic who can jump out of the quicksand if he falls in, the much heavier Dr. Eggman will instantly sink and cost you a life (Eggman's battle DOES add stable platforms down there to avoid it, but it's pretty easy to miss those, even when hovering). Not to mention that, unlike Sonic, who is smaller, faster, and can take multiple hits (as long as you pick up your rings), Eggman is bigger, slower, and has a limited health bar as well. Also the Golem is malfunctioning after Sonic defeats it, so Dr. Eggman has to deal with it being considerably ''faster'' and more erratic with its attacks and movements.
** The second Tails vs Eggman battle. The level has no rings, meaning no regaining health, and your enemy will pull out special attacks that do massive damage are extremely hard to dodge with the slow character you use. The version when fighting as Eggman becomes a BreatherBoss if you got the Protective Armor upgrade in Cosmic Wall, but doing so as Tails is ''harder'' since Eggman has the effects of the Protective Armor upgrade and thus take even less damage where as Tails as a boss just uses the missile upgrade which won't have any real noticeable advantages against you.

** Crazy Gadget, due to the element of GravityScrew and the maze-like final section where a single wrong move can lose a life. Hard Mode makes it even worse due to the exploding variety of the [[DemonicSpiders Artificial Chaos]] enemy being ''everywhere''. Also, Hard Mode requires you to pull off some insane stunts over bottomless pits and go through the maze-like section at the end at least ''twice'' to find a very well-hidden switch that unlocks the goal ring. [[note]]There are several shortcuts that make this section easier and reduce the number of times you have to repeat the maze.[[/note]] On the plus side, even if you die and have to restart from the second checkpoint, it is still possible to A-rank the mission from there if you play through the rest of the level well enough, though that's no easy task.

* AccidentalInnuendo

---> '''Knuckles''': Hands off my emeralds!

** A lot of the English dialogue is not good due to the game cutting out the sentences, since ''Adventure 2'' is made with the Japanese dialogue in mind. That said, Sonic's dialogue in Shadow's boss battle was unintentionally changed from "I'll use your technique - Chaos Control!" to "I'll use your Chaos Control", which is quite a BadassBoast on itself.

* ReplacementScrappy: Tikal's guiding successor Omochao is pretty much the equivalent of [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Navi]] in the Sonic universe - small, [[AnnoyingVideoGameHelper needlessly and annoyingly helpful]] and damn-near unavoidable at times, especially when you start losing against a boss multiple times. He's also got a grating voice and his tirades can go on for ages at times. Thankfully, the devs appeared to predict this would happen and also [[TakeThatScrappy made him an object which you can hurt, pick up, throw and use as a weapon]], complete with him breaking, albeit momentarily. Things got worse when his prominence escalated in future games and the HD remaster, where he can now appear before the start of a level.

* MisaimedFandom: From this game onward, some have interpreted Eggman's admiration for his late grandfather Gerald as the core reason why he decided to TakeOverTheWorld -- the idea being that Eggman wants to avenge Gerald's legacy and retaliate towards humanity for betraying and executing him despite how much Gerald did for them, and him [[BrokenPedestal losing respect for his grandfather]] once learning that [[spoiler:he posthumously attempted to ''destroy'' the world after going insane]] has also led some to even believe that [[DracoInLeatherPants he truly has some good in his evil heart deep down.]] However, the game also has him mostly be interested in his grandfather's ''work'' and the potential to use it for ''his'' own purposes, has him repeatedly preach about how ''he's'' going to start a legacy of being the world's greatest mind and ruler of all time without any reference to Gerald, typically references Gerald as his grandfather whenever it feeds ''his'' ego, and it's most likely that his admiration for Gerald is exclusively regarding his prowess ''as a fellow genius scientist'' as opposed to anything humanitarian or familial (as Eggman would probably be aware that a Gerald of sound mind would ''not'' approve of what he does to further his goals), with his own [[PragmaticVillainy pragmatism or logic]] likely being why he lost respect for his grandfather-- along with the very fact that ''[[EvilVersusOblivion he]]'' would've died as part of Gerald's scheme. For most of the franchise's history before ''and'' after this game, it's all but stated that his main reason for wanting to rule the world [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans no matter what happens to it]] is to [[ItsAllAboutMe continue to feed his ego]] and [[InTheirOwnImage improve it in whatever way he sees fit.]]

* MisaimedFandom: From this game onward, some have interpreted Eggman's admiration for his late grandfather Gerald as the core reason why he decided to TakeOverTheWorld-- the idea being that Eggman wants to avenge Gerald's legacy and retaliate towards humanity for betraying and executing him despite how much Gerald did for them, and him [[BrokenPedestal losing respect for his grandfather]] once learning that [[spoiler:he posthumously attempted to ''destroy'' the world after going insane]] has also led some to even believe that [[DracoInLeatherPants he truly has some good in his evil heart deep down.]] However, the game also has him mostly be interested in his grandfather's ''work'' and the potential to use it for ''his'' own purposes, has him repeatedly preach about how ''he's'' going to start a legacy of being the world's greatest mind and ruler of all time without any reference to Gerald, typically references Gerald as his grandfather whenever it feeds ''his'' ego, and it's most likely that his admiration for Gerald is exclusively regarding his prowess ''as a fellow genius scientist'' as opposed to anything humanitarian or familial (as Eggman would probably be aware that a Gerald of sound mind would ''not'' approve of what he does to further his goals), with his own [[PragmaticVillainy pragmatism or logic]] likely being why he lost respect for his grandfather-- along with the very fact that ''[[EvilVersusOblivion he]]'' would've died as part of Gerald's scheme. For most of the franchise's history before ''and'' after this game, it's all but stated that his main reason for wanting to rule the world [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans no matter what happens to it]] is to [[ItsAllAboutMe continue to feed his ego]] and [[InTheirOwnImage improve it in whatever way he sees fit.]]

* MagnificentBastard: [[Characters/SonicTheHedgehogShadowTheHedgehog Shadow the Hedgehog]] was an UltimateLifeform that lost his best friend Maria and his creator Prof. Gerald Robotnik when they were killed by the government. Imprisoned but eventually released by Gerald's grandson, Dr. "Eggman" Robotnik, Shadow enacted a plan to destroy all of humanity as revenge. Playing on Eggman's ego and his grandfather's legacy, Shadow manipulated the doctor into gathering Chaos Emeralds, misdirecting everyone into thinking it was for powering a KillSat. This [[KansasCityShuffle diverted everyone's attention]] from his real plan of performing a ColonyDrop. He even manages to expose Rouge as a government agent. Shadow's plan is only foiled because Amy Rose helps him remember Maria’s final request for Shadow to protect the people of earth and so he decides to help stop his own scheme, almost sacrificing himself. Shadow, in his first appearance, was as devious as ''Sonic'' villains come and even as a hero is one of the franchise’s most competent characters.

* {{Fanon}}: G.U.N. intentionally framing Sonic and using him as a scapegoat to cover up the release of Shadow is a common fan theory as to why G.U.N. arrested Sonic despite he and Shadow looking almost nothing alike. While this does make sense given G.U.N.’s morally ambiguous background, the game doesn’t really hint at this being the case--indeed, Sonic believes it's a simple mistake.
-->'''Sonic:''' ''The military has mistaken me for the likes of you!''

** Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable in RealLife, to the point that people mistaking Shadow for Sonic isn't as big of a stretch as it may seem. [[labelnote:To elaborate:]]People tend to subconsciously alter their memories to conform to their expectations and/or biases (e.g. someone raised to believe that [[ScaryBlackMan black people are criminals]] or [[FemalesAreMoreInnocent women don't commit crimes]] may recall a crime being committed by a black man, even if the perpetrator was a white woman or dressed in such a way that their clothes would conceal their race and gender).[[/labelnote]]

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny:
** Sonic Adventure 2 made a spectacular impact in its heyday, kickstarted a NewbieBoom for the Sonic fanbase, and introduced several iconic elements. But the game has also been divisive, and seen various waves of HypeBacklash. Its detractors cite it as the origin point for many of the [[FranchiseOriginalSin flaws that would plague its successors]]: A narrower focus on executing quick actions through more linear level design, the sound balancing flaws, and the glaring plotholes in the story. [=SA2=] remains a love-it-or-hate-it game: To some, it's a legendary and influential Sonic game that still holds up. To others, it's a clunky relic of the 2000s that hasn't aged well.
** The inclusion of a 3D version of [[NostalgiaLevel Green Hill Zone]] as a reward for getting all 180 emblems in the game. When the game first came out this was quite the treat since it was the first time Green Hill had been seen in an official capacity since the original game and was a nice anniversary gift for the series. Nowadays Green Hill has been used so many times in various games that fans were celebrating whenever it ''didn't'' show up.

** Cosmic Wall is perhaps the most well-liked mech stage in the game, considering it gives Eggman plenty of breathing room, allows him to [[VideoGameFlight fly using his Jet Engine]], has plenty of enemies to shoot to get a high score, and [[BreatherLevel is sandwiched between the much more difficult Mad Space & Final Chase stages.]]

* [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels Best Level Ever]]:
** City Escape, featuring Sonic boarding down the roads, grinding on rails, [[AwesomeMusic/SonicTheHedgehog catchy music]], and outrunning a giant truck. It was later remade for ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'', this time with the truck equipped with tint saw-blades.
** Radical Highway is the be-all and end-all of highway-based ''Sonic'' stages. The music combines with getting to play as a DarkerAndEdgier MovesetClone of Sonic who is bent on revenge. No wonder it was the representative for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS version of ''Sonic Generations'', as well as where you race Shadow.
** Metal Harbor is another beloved level, perhaps on par with City Escape. The level has the most alternate pathways and exploration, the spaces are much wider, giving you the only time to breathe in the normally fairly narrow levels, it marks the spot where the player regains one of his most iconic items -- the Light Speed Shoes, and there's a fast-paced timed dash to the missile before it ignites, and topping it all off, a quick but satisfying sequence where you drop dozens of feet below to a slope with the snowboard before hitting one last loop and colliding with the goal ring.
** Cosmic Wall is perhaps the most well-liked mech stage in the game, considering it gives Eggman plenty of breathing room, allows him to [[VideoGameFlight fly using his Jet Engine]], has plenty of enemies to shoot to get a high score, and [[BreatherLevel is sandwiched between the much more difficult Mad Space & Final Chase stages.]]
** Final Rush, the final stage of the Hero side story, which has Sonic grinding multiple rails in a final push to stop the Eclipse Cannon. This level can be punishing due to its lack of footing, but do it right and it truly is a "rush" as you slide at the speed of sound through the space above the planet. The pumping music helps keep the intensity through the stage.
** Pumpkin Hill is unanimously agreed to be the most enjoyable and well-designed treasure hunting level in the game, as it has plenty of areas for Knuckles to explore without being overwhelming like his other stages, and its memorable BigBoosHaunt Halloween setting. And of course, it has one of the best and most memorable music tracks in the entire game.
* BigLippedAlligatorMoment:
** Shadow's introductory scene is positively operatic but has no justification in the plot or his character--nothing in Shadow's plan requires him to perch himself on a fallen mech and wax theatrical about a jewel containing the ultimate power, and he isn't even doing it for an audience, since he doesn't know who Sonic is or even that he's there at first--from the information the story gives us it's a ContrivedCoincidence that Shadow and Sonic have even crossed paths at all.