Making SADX better: A guide for modding the game with fixes and enhancements.

A simple and easy to follow guide that walks you through how to fix issues with SADX on PC with a simple mod installer. Tested on Windows 10, Windows 11, and SteamOS.

To start, download the mod installer here![sadxmodinstaller.unreliable.network]

Download the Mod Installer here!

Installation instructions are further down!

Introduction

Sonic Adventure is a great game, Even today the game is still lauded as one of the best Sonic titles and one of the best 3D Sonic games. Even those who say "Sonic has had a rough transition into 3D" seem to enjoy it. It's still great fun playing nearly 23 years later. Some things might have not aged the best, but overall, it's a great time. However, this is not a review of the game, but instead a showcase of the technical faults of SADX as well as how to fix the game on PC. The Steam port of Sonic Adventure DX is just fine for most people, but it's pretty janky and leads to some people having a negative impression of the game as a whole. In this guide I will be going over what these issues are and how to fix them with the Sonic Adventure DX mod installer, a simple and lightweight program that installs recommended mods, a mod manager and a new configuration menu. In the guide you will find: how the mod installer works, how to install and use the mod installer, tips for modding, and some other recommended and fun mods. Use the table of contents to jump to a specific section! Let's begin!

The Many, Many Issues

- Issues with optimization. Ran just fine for me without mods but I've heard people had issues with slowdown and FPS (in a 2004 game?).
- Retained bugs from previous versions. An example is on the first image on the Steam page of SADX. which shows a bug that If Sonic reaches top speed the texture on the bottom of his shoe and the buckle on his shoe will switch.
- Frequent crashing
- Forced 4:3 aspect ratio. The game can handle 16:9 fine, but it is locked from the settings.
- Issues with 60fps are present. The original Dreamcast version ran at 30fps, which was changed to 60fps in DX. This is an improvement but some game logic wasn't updated for 60fps. Some examples of this is that animations play faster, and a certain enemy disappears faster than intended, making the fight much more difficult.
- Worse quality textures compared to the DC version. Even things like color banding are visible here.
- Much worse lighting. Lighting got absolutely gimped in DX, and worse in this port, with everything looks way worse and less atmospheric. This becomes apparent after seeing the original DC version.
- New bugs in this version, the most infamous probably being that you can clip through a pathway in the first level.
- Removal of some cool visual effects and transparencies, for example stretchy shoes, which were used to simulate motion blur.
- Noticeably downgraded audio quality, at least in the original 2004 version. The audio was converted to WMA, which resulted in noticeably worse audio. This was fixed in the Steam version.
- Unnecessary changes, for example some plants were changed, a transparency on a pool chair was changed, and in some places, decorations were removed. Obviously not hugely important, but it's somewhat odd the developers even bothered to do this.

and many many more.....

So, What Does the Mod Installer Do?

"So, what exactly does the mod installer do?" you might ask? Well, like the title suggests, the mod installer adds fixes and enhancements that greatly improve the Sonic Adventure experience as well as adding a new configuration menu and a mod manager by Sonic modder MainMemory. (who also has an SA2 mod manager!)

An interesting thing the mod installer does is downgrading the game from the 2014 Steam release to the original 2004 PC release. This might sound strange to you and concerning (2004 was twenty years ago after all), but it does this so that you can actually install mods, so don't worry. This also means that the 2004 PC version of the game is also compatible with the mod installer, so if you have the old exe or maybe even the old DVD lying around, you can use it. (you can also use the older, now delisted 2011 version with the mod installer if you so choose)

This mod installer is also not region locked, meaning you can use it even if you have a Japanese or European copy of SADX for example. (NOTE: If your antivirus picks this up as malicious, it's not, it is a false positive and the reason it gets picked up is because it downloads files over the internet. The program is completely safe).

How to Fix the Issues (and more!) with the Mod Installer

Now, while that might have seemed like a long list of issues, don't fret, they can be fixed! (quite easily too!) The install page is linked at the top of this guide, or you can access it here[sadxmodinstaller.unreliable.network]

The installer will walk you through some recommended mods, all of them I recommend using besides the "SADX style water texture" and "Dreamcast Models" as those are up to personal preference, so choose what you want there (although I do use the DC models myself!) . (NOTE: the "Dreamcast Conversion" mod does not add the Dreamcast character models, so you will have to install those in addition to the main mod.)

Once it finishes installing, you can get straight to playing! If you want to configure your shiny newly modded game, select "Configure Sonic Adventure DX", and you'll see a nice and clean configurations menu! Selecting the "mods" button in the config menu will allow you to view and configure your mods through the mod manager. You can disable certain mods from there too. Tweak them to your liking and find your optimal load out!

For more comprehensive step by step installation instructions, continue on to the next section! If you're all ready to go, you are free to skip that section.

Step-by-Step instructions to download the mod installer!

Need step by step instructions to get the mod installer up and running? You've come to the right place!

1. Download the mod installer to your computer. At the beginning of this guide, you'll find a download link.

2. After you've downloaded the installer, find the file and double click it to run. The .exe requires admin access, which you will need to give to run the .exe, however, the exe is 100% safe so please do not be afraid to give this to it (as scary as it may seem). From there, you should see this screen:



3. Select your language, and then hit "OK" After that, you will see this screen:



3 (cont.) At this screen, you will see a small little blurb or text about the mod installer. Once you've read (or skipped past it out of sheer excitement like me), click "Next". In the next screen , you'll see a ton of information about the mod installer. You can skip this if you want, most people aren't going to read this and it's not required! Click "I Agree" when you are ready to move on.

4. On the next screen, you will see this:



4 (cont.) I recommend checking for updates as it is the best way to minimize issues with mods, but if you plan to use this offline, do not check for updates. Once you're finished there, click "Next". After that, you will be prompted to select the installation destination:



5. Select where you want the installer to be installed at. The installer should automatically find where your SADX install is located, but if it's not or if you want it somewhere else you can change it. Once you've selected the install location, you'll be greeted with a screen with a few different options. The default options are the ones I recommend for everyone. It walks you through the included mods so you can pick and choose what you want, and it shows images, so you can get a preview of what you're adding to the game.



6. After you've selected your options, click "Next". Once you've done that, you'll start seeing the mods. I recommend installing all of the mods it shows for the best experience. These mods include lighting, Dreamcast models, HD GUI, etc.



7. After that, you're done! You've installed the mods needed for the best SADX experience. Enjoy!

(STEAM DECK/LINUX) Step-by-step download instructions for Steam Deck!

Got a Steam Deck or just use Linux? This is the section just for you all! In this section you will find specific instructions just for the Deck's OS.

Prerequisites: You'll probably want to head into desktop mode for this entire process! Will make your life a hell of a lot more easier.

1. Download the mod installer! You can head to the beginning of the guide to find the link.
The download link should give you a nice little .zip file, extract the zip and then locate the .exe named " inside.

2. Once you've gotten the .exe file, add it to steam as a non-steam game.

3. After you've added the .exe, navigate to the new entry in your library, titled "sadx_setup". This is what you should see:


4. Now, while on this page, click the little gear icon on the right of the screen and then select "Properties" select "specific compatibility tool" and select Proton Experimental.

5. Refer to the Windows guide, after you select proton experimental, the install process is the same!

Before and After Comparisons

Way Past Cool mods to try!

In this section, I've listed a bunch of other mods not included with the installer I just adore. To install these mods (or any mods for this game), extract the zip, rar, or 7Z file to your preferred location. Copy/move the folder inside the unzipped file and paste it into your Sonic Adventure DX mod folder. To get there, click "browse local files" on the Steam library page for the game.

- DX Characters Refined[gamebanana.com]: Fixes some issues with the original SADX models. I would use if you prefer SADX models over the Dreamcast ones, but still want those SADX models just a bit better.

- Uekawa Accurate Colors[gamebanana.com]: Adjusts the colors of the character models to more closely resemble the original artwork done by Yuji Uekawa.

- No Gloss[gamebanana.com]: This removes the shininess or "gloss" from the character models. (NOTE: Only use if you are not using Dreamcast models! Load this last in the mod loader if you would like this mod to apply to custom models.)

- Fixes, Adds, and Beta Restores[gamebanana.com]: This mod adds a bunch of content to the PC version, even some cut content is added too. This mod fixes a few things too. In the mod manager, load it AFTER the Dreamcast Conversion and BEFORE any Autodemo mods.

- AI HD FMVs[gamebanana.com]: This is a beautiful aesthetic upgrade for those aging FMV's. All the FMVs are upscaled to 1080p using Topaz AI Gigapixel neural network. They look so crispy after being upscaled, kind of ahead of their time!

- DiscordSADX[gamebanana.com]: This mod lets your friends on Discord see what you're up to in Sonic Adventure DX. A pretty fun novelty!

-Physics Swap[gamebanana.com]: This mod lets you swap physics on characters. It can get absolutely insane and is a great way to just ♥♥♥♥ around for an hour or two. To change the physics, use the mod manager's "Configure" button.

- Sonic Adventure Retranslated[gamebanana.com]: This mod, as the title suggests, retranslates Sonic Adventure. I quite like the new translation, Obviously takes a bit of getting used to if you are pretty attached to the original, slightly corny (in a good way!) original translation. This is recommended for use with the Japanese voice-overs, as the English voice-overs will not match

-16:9/Unstretched Flashacks[gamebanana.com]: Replaces the original low-resolution 4:3 flashback images from Amy's and Gamma's cutscenes with faithful, higher resolution versions that are re-rendered to 16:9 with added black bars to avoid stretching on wider aspect-ratios. There are two versions of this mod: one that uses Amy's original Dreamcast character model, and the other uses her higher-poly DX character model.

- Tweaked Cutscenes[gamebanana.com]: Have you ever cringed at the Sonic Adventure cutscenes, or find them a bit awkward and stiff? This is the mod for you! This tweaks the cutscenes to feel a bit less strange, by correcting lip syncing, wonky animations, and more

These mods and more are all available on the lovely mod heaven GameBanana and you do not need an account to download any mods on the site (Though I highly reccomend making one just to support!)

The Mysterious Miscellaneous Section + Tips

◦ Update your mods consistently and check your mod manager for updates somewhat frequently to stay on the latest and most stable versions of your mods, as well as prevent conflicts from having old, rusty versions of mods in your manager.

◦ Try out a ton of mods and get messy! There’s no need to stick to only the mods here, if something appeals to you, give it a spin! Never hurts to try out whatever wacky mod catches your eye.

◦ Many mods have a lot of customizability, may seem a bit hidden, but by selecting a mod and clicking “Configure…” a whole load of options can be seen! (Depending on on the mod of course) tweak these how you like to create your favorite version of the mod!

◦ Become one with the game genie and access the “Codes” section of the mod manager! Of course, not all of these are your classic “cheats”, many of these have some fun functionality, such as 60fps for cutscenes.
◦(NOTE: many of these are considered "codes" for a reason, in that they mostly do something the game wasn’t designed to do, for example, 60fps cutscenes make the cutscenes play at 2x speed since they were originallydesigned for 30fps)

Closing

Despite me bashing the game a bit here, Sonic Adventure DX is a great game, unfortunately marred on PC (and gamecube!) by the shoddy port. The mods listed here will quickly and simply return the game to its former glory. I hope this guide allows you to enjoy the game just as much as I did when I played all those years ago (9.9.99 anybody?). I'd like to thank PkR for making this installer and thank you to all the other talented mod creators who contributed to the mods packaged in the installer. If you have any issues or questions, comment down below and I will do my best to help you. Also, if you have any suggestions for this guide comment them down below and I will try to add them in. Thank you so much for reading, and have fun with the game!

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, you'll find answers to some common questions one may have about the installer, mods, or anything in between!

1. "Does this disable achievements?"
No! since the game is still launching through Steam, achievements will continue to function and can still be earned. Go get that 100%!

Extra Resources on SADX Faults + Additional Help

In this section you'll find some resources/videos documenting SADX's issues if you would like to read up on them some more (trust me there's a lot to read up on). The YouTuber Cybershell has a really great video on this subject as well where he goes over the issues in video form. His video is essentially info from PkR's (creator of the installer) very detailed Dreamcastify project, which outlines the faults of SADX. If you need some more help, the PCGamingWiki is a great place to go. The site has articles for the Steam version of SADX, the 2011 version, and the 2004 version. Those will be linked if you would like to learn more/receive technical help.

PkR Dreamcastify:
https://dreamcastify.unreliable.network
PCGamingWiki SADX (Steam) Article:
https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Sonic_Adventure_DX_(Steam)

To-Do List

- Overhaul entire guide
- Fix formatting of before and after images on mobile
- Add new mods to the "Other mods you should try" list
- Rephrase many sections
- Reformat "Miscellaneous + Tips" and add bullet points

Changelog

ver. 4 (1/18/24) - after being very busy all of 2023, I am back to working on the guide! I aplogize for not being able to be very helpful in the comments recently, thankfully many knowledgable people have been able to assist and provide loads of feedback! I plan to finally redo many portions and add an FAQ incorporating commenter suggestions/tips. Steam deck section will also be getting a revamp because I've now gotten one since the last update. thank you all for loving this guide regardless and I hope everyone had a great holiday season and new year! <3 -

ver. 3 (1/18/23) - And with that my work is complete. (it isn't) So I finally finished writing that linux guide that I promised *checks notes* April 2022, literally a year ago. I know it's not that big of a deal but I honestly felt really bad for having this so late. I've had the sort of draft for this linux guide since about June but I just never got back to it. But yeah, here it is. Linux/Deck users let me know if there's any suggestions you all have. -

misc update 2 (5/4/22) - I am never making ETA's again - So, I missed the first ETA lmao, basically I am VERY busy with current life things, I have a first draft but I'm going to need to grab screenshots for all of this in a VM and do some more research (I don't use linux much) so, no ETA this time but, expect it before the guide turns 1 year old on June 21st. Also, I am very much ruling out a mac version of this guide, not because it would be particularly difficult but because 1. 2/3 of the macs in this house do not work, and 2. The one that does work isn't mine. Like always try going to the r/macgaming subreddit and make use of WINE. Sorry to the mac gamers -

misc update 1 (4/22/22) - I'm starting work on the Linux install instructions! I don't exactly have an ETA on this as I'm a bit busy but it should be done by the end of this month or early May. I'll be testing the mods with Linux Mint, Manjaro (to represent steamOS, or steamOS if that gets released while I'm working on this), and Fedora (my ultimate bias). So yeah I've got my work cut out for me, stay tuned for that, and stay safe

ver. 2.3 (12/1/21) - Guide set back to public view and Step-by-Step instructions to download the mod installer added!

ver. 2.2 (11/30/21 - 12/1/21) - Added Before and After section! (first part of guide overhaul)

ver. 2.1 (cont.) (11/30/21) - Unlisted guide to make changes and added a changelog to the guide!

ver. 2.1 (11/28/21) - Added To-Do list section to help me keep track of what I want to be added to the guide!

ver. 2 (6/27/21) - Guide Overhauled: Images, new sections, rewritten text and more.

ver. 1 (6/21/21) - Initial Release!

[Edu]

Kurt, you should be able to change it when you open the game and it gives the option of configure the game

[Kurt Cocaine]

after downloading the mods. the games stretched across both monitors, just wondering how i can lock it to 1 as the original game settings have gone?

[BrentGameDev]

@Dorito it's not a virus, as long as you install it from the site it's link on this guide, your good.
hopes this helps

[kolter]

The no gloss mod doesn't work with lantern engine, so there's no point in installing it.

[mdesaleah]

As this is the most up to date method for modding.

Maybe you should clarify this in the title of the guide. Maybe have it say "(2025 Method)" at the end of it.

[kaleb]

@Fredfellow it matters on a case by case basis! some mods need to be loaded before others and will sometimes state this in their descriptions. others you might have to use intuition on (for example if you have a mod that changes character models and another that adds accessories to these models, the original mod that changes the models would be loaded first)

[Fredfellow]

Does it matter what order the mods are loaded in the mod manager?

[V]

When it comes to downloading fan-made content, I'm usually pretty cautious, mainly because I want to avoid accidentally installing any viruses or malware.
I just need to know: is this mod installer safe to use? has it proven to be safe to download? (some testimonies from people who have used it would be nice)

[GonGon]

Any advice if the game opens and immediately closes after I installed the Mod launcher?

[BlueDog]

will better sadx ever be able to be played on mac?