Warnings
- SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see Availability for affected versions).
Key points
- Most of the fixes documented in this article target the DRM-free executable and will not work with other versions.
- Keyboard controls cannot be remapped, and some controllers (particularly XInput ones) may not work properly with this game. See here for a workaround for XInput-based controllers.
General information
- Sonic News Network - A massive wiki for the Sonic the Hedgehog universe.
- Sonic Retro - A huge fan site for everything Sonic the Hedgehog. Mods for all the games can be found here.
Availability
Source |
DRM |
Notes |
Keys |
OS |
Retail |
|
SafeDisc v4 DRM[Note 1]. Korean releases has simple disc check. |
|
|
Retail |
|
Available in the "Sonic PC Collection" bundle.[4] |
|
|
- SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).
- This game is not available digitally.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
System |
Location |
Windows |
%APPDATA%\Sega\SONICHEROES\sonic_h.ini |
Save game data location
System |
Location |
Windows |
%APPDATA%\Sega\SONICHEROES\SONICHEROES_## |
Video
Video settings from external configuration launcher.
Change with Widescreen Fix[citation needed]
|
- Download ThirteenAG's Widescreen Fix (developer build).
- Open
SonicHeroes.WidescreenFix.ini .
- Change
FOV_Zoom_Factor = 1 as needed.
|
Enable Windowed mode through configuration launcher[8]
|
Set Screen_Full to 0 in sonic_h.ini [8]
|
Install Heroes Graphics Essentials through Reloaded II[6][9]
|
- Enable
Borderless Windowed in Heroes Graphics Essentials' configuration menu in Reloaded II.
|
- Split-screen multiplayer is capped at 30 FPS by default.
- The PC version uses the FMV movies from the GameCube version, while the Xbox port's FMVs are much better in terms of video and audio quality.
Download and install Xbox FMVs[10]
|
- Download the Xbox version's FMVs of your desired language from the following links: English, Japanese.
- Extract the files from this archive.
- Copy them from the folder and replace the .sfd files with these ones in the
<path-to-game>/dvdroot/movie .
|
Input
Mouse remapping from external configuration launcher.
Controller remapping from external configuration launcher.
Controller remapping from in-game Pause menu.
Controller support
- The PC version of Sonic Heroes does not read trigger information from DirectInput controllers. The game still supports pressure sensitive rotation using the trigger buttons.[14] The following solution can restore trigger rotation functionality, providing pressure sensitive trigger rotation.
- Also restores camera controls with the right analog stick and hotplugging support in the PC version.
Install Controller Hook and Custom Mapping for Controller Hook through Reloaded II[15]
|
- Install the following mods through Reloaded II:
- SH Essentials: Controller Hook (sonicheroes.controller.hook)
- Custom Mapping for Controller Hook (sonicheroes.controller.hook.custom)
- Select Sonic Heroes' executable from Reloaded II, click SH Essentials: Controller Hook from the list of enabled mods and click Configure Mod, then check
UseOriginalInput to retain keyboard support.
- Next select Custom Mapping for Controller Hook click Configure Mod and click Configure Mod, then remap the controls of the game from the Input Configurator window.
- Launch the game, then reconfigure your controls from the in-game based on the controls of the console version. Refer to Strategy Wiki for the console version's controls here.
|
Audio
Audio settings from external configuration tool.
Language settings from the Options menu.
Audio feature |
State |
Notes |
Separate volume controls |
|
Sliders for SE/Voice and BGM in external configuration launcher, both of which can also be muted. |
Surround sound |
|
Up to 7.0 output with DirectSound3D restoration software. |
Subtitles |
|
|
Closed captions |
|
|
Mute on focus lost |
|
|
EAX support |
|
DirectSound3D.[16] |
Localizations
- The non-Japanese versions only includes the English voice-over tracks, and lip-synching during FMV sequences are synched up to the English dub.
Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
English |
|
|
|
Dubtitles. |
French |
|
|
|
|
German |
|
|
|
|
Italian |
|
|
|
|
Japanese |
|
|
|
Lacks dual-audio support in non-Japanese releases (i.e. cannot select Japanese voices with English subtitles). Japanese voice mod, download. See FMV (Full Motion Video) for the Xbox-quality Japanese FMV files. |
Korean |
|
|
|
|
Spanish |
|
|
|
Castilian. Contains some translation errors. |
Disable voices
- This setting will disable most in-game voice-overs without muting sound effects altogether, however, voice-clips that also have subtitles will still play out as normal.
Add Charmy_Shutup to sonic_h.ini [17]
|
- Open
sonic_h.ini with a text editor. See Configuration file(s) location.
- Add the line
Charmy_Shutup 1 to the end of the file.
- Save the file.
|
Network
Multiplayer types
Type |
Native |
Players |
Notes |
Local play |
|
2 |
Hold A Button + Y Button after you select a level to turn your team into "Metal Heroes" |
LAN play |
| |
Online play |
| |
Issues fixed
Game refuses to start
Fix Data Execution Prevention setting[citation needed]
|
Ensure Data Execution Prevention (DEP) setting is set to Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only or add a DEP Exception for Tsonic_win.exe, and reboot.[18]
|
Slow or choppy motion
Force GPU scaling[citation needed]
|
- Graphics problem.
- Open Catalyst Control Center or Nvidia Control Panel.
- Force GPU scaling on.
|
Missing voice effects
- Certain voice effects are missing in some releases of the PC port.
Missing explosion effects from Espio's shurikens
Re-import the blue crescent effects into the PC port[20]
|
- The blue crescent particle textures are not included in the PC port of the game.
- Download the texture dictionary file from here
- Extract the file from this archive.
- Copy the
cmn_effect.txd and replace the original file with this one in the directory "/dvdroot/textures".
|
Grand Metropolis Energy pipe glass see through walls
Remove obvious Z-buffering from the model[citation needed]
|
- Incorrect material flag.
- Open
Tsonic_win.exe with a hex editor such as HxD.
- Go to offset
0x174130 .
- Change the byte from
64 to A4 (additive alpha, double sided) or B0 (regular alpha).
|
Laser indirect effect
Enable indirect flag for Final Fortress laser effects[citation needed]
|
- Laser indirect disabled.
- Open
Tsonic_win.exe with a hex editor such as HxD.
- Hex edit the following offsets:
31A802
40 --> 50
31A950
40 --> 50
31AAA0
40 --> 50
31AB79
40 --> 50
|
Multiplayer Play All mode stops at the 2nd stage
Multiplayer Play all stage mode correction[citation needed]
|
- Multiplayer ends at 2nd stage instead of the last one.
- Open
Tsonic_win.exe with a hex editor such as HxD.
- Go to offsets
0x1A9534 and 0x1A9586 and replace the bytes from 02 to 03.
- Replace the hex string in offset
0x23FC0 from F8 02 7E 05 B8 02 00 00 00 83 F8 FF 7D 0A 83 C8 FF 88 81 BC D6 9D 00 C3 83 F8 02 7E 05 B8 02 00 to F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00 00 00 83 F8 FF 7D 0A 83 C8 FF 88 81 BC D6 9D 00 C3 83 F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00
- In offset
0x74AAD , replace the hex string from F8 02 7E 05 B8 02 00 00 00 83 F8 FF 7D 05 83 C8 FF EB 0A 83 F8 02 7E 05 B8 02 00 to F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00 00 00 83 F8 FF 7D 05 83 C8 FF EB 0A 83 F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00
- Replace the hex string at offset
0x13F2F8 from F8 02 7E 05 B8 02 00 00 00 83 F8 FF 7D 05 83 C8 FF EB 0A 83 F8 02 7E 05 B8 02 00 to F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00 00 00 83 F8 FF 7D 05 83 C8 FF EB 0A 83 F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00
- Replace the hex string in offset
0x1A975F to F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00 00 00 83 F8 FF 7D 05 83 C8 FF EB 0A 83 F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00
- Replace the hex string in offset
0x1A9842 to F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00 00 00 83 F8 FF 7D 0B 83 C8 FF 88 86 BC D6 9D 00 5E C3 83 F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00
- Last, Paste write the hex string in offset
0x1B2956 to F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00 00 00 83 F8 FF 7D 18 83 C8 FF 5F 88 86 BC D6 9D 00 80 8D 07 02 00 00 40 5E 5D 5B 83 C4 34 C3 83 F8 03 7E 05 B8 03 00
|
Shadow's tornado effect is single sided
Disable culling for Shadow the Hedgehog's tornado effect[citation needed]
|
- Incorrect culling materials applied to the model.
- Open
Tsonic_win.exe with a hex editor such as HxD.
- Next, Go to offset
0x23FEDA and change the byte from 05 to 01.
- Last, Go to offset
0x23FEDC and change the material type function byte from 0A (source blend) to 14 (culling).
|
Signal Monitor flickering
Re-add flickering signal flicker[citation needed]
|
- Flickering animation removed from signals from console releases.
- Open
Tsonic_win.exe with a hex editor such as HxD.
- Next, Go to offset
0x31C984 and paste FF 74 24 14 FF 74 24 14 E8 7F 0C F5 FF 83 C4 08 8B 0D F0 66 8D 00 83 F9 06 0F 8C 09 00 00 00 83 F9 09 0F 8E 3A 00 00 00 8B 4C 24 04 8B 09 8B 54 24 08 A1 7C 18 8E 00 8B 04 08 85 C0 0F 84 20 00 00 00 8B C8 0F B6 02 FF 02 8B 04 85 90 7C A7 00 89 01 0F B6 02 83 F8 03 B9 00 00 00 00 0F 4D C1 88 02 C3 68 F0 FF BC 00 68 20 7D A7 00 E8 8E FF FF FF 83 C4 08 C3 68 F1 FF BC 00 68 F4 7B A7 00 E8 7B FF FF FF 83 C4 08 C3 68 F2 FF BC 00 68 78 7C A7 00 E8 68 FF FF FF 83 C4 08 C3 89 35 F0 FF BC 00 E9 C5 ED D0 FF .
- Go to the offsets and replace the bytes in these addresses:
0x7348E - E8 67 95 2A 00
0x78B78 - E8 A3 3E 2A 00
0x793D9 - E8 2F 36 2A 00
0x86CE0 - E8 02 5D 29 00
- Download the modified
comobj.one and replace it in the dvdroot folder.
|
Odd Vertex Paint rendering for the root ball in Frog Forest
Correctly render the floating root ball[citation needed]
|
- The vertex paint disappears from the model at some positions.
- Open
Tsonic_win.exe with a hex editor such as HxD.
- Go to offset
0xDDC4B , change the material flag pointer byte from 60 to 78 to remove the bug and then save. The vertex paint will remain on the model at all costs.
|
Transparency bugs for certain game objects
- Fixes various alpha blending issues by (mostly) tweaking individual object blend modes.
Other information
API
Technical specs |
Supported |
Notes |
Direct3D |
8 |
Minimal required DirectX version listed is 9.0b, however the game uses D3D8 for rendering. For D3D9 support use external wrapper such as D3D8To9[22] |
Executable |
32-bit |
64-bit |
Notes |
Windows |
|
|
|
Middleware
|
Middleware |
Notes |
Audio |
Criware |
ADX format music files. |
Cutscenes |
Criware |
Sofdec format FMV files. |
Mods
Modding essentials
How to install Reloaded II[23]
|
- Download and install the required dependencies for Reloaded II from the following links:
- Download the latest stable release of Reloaded here.
- Extract the contents of the
Release.zip file to its own folder in a convenient location on your computer.
- Launch
Reloaded-II.exe , then click the Add Application button (represented by a single + symbol) → New, then add Tsonic_win.exe to the loader. Click the Advanced Tools & Options drop-down menu and click Deploy ASI Loader and check Auto-Inject to load mods automatically.
- Click the Download Mods (represented by a gear with a + symbol) and install the following mods through Reloaded II and/or these links:
- Click Manage Mods (represented by three gears) and ensure the mods you have downloaded are enabled for Sonic Heroes' mod manager. Note: Reloaded II Sharp Lib mods are not required to appear in the game's mod manager and will work in the background.
- Click the game's executable icon in Reloaded II, and re-arrange the dependencies for mods to be on top. Recommended mod order example:
- TONNER
- CRI FileSystem Hook
- Reloaded File Redirector
- SH Essentials: Graphics
- Go to SH Essentials: Graphics → Configure Mod and adjust video settings of the mod as desired, and click Save to save the changes.
- After configuring and arranging your mods, now click Launch Application to launch the game. The game should be able to launch with the mods installed.
|
Featured mods
Bug fixes/Improvements
- Widescreen Revamp - Updated GUI assets remade from official art for 16:9 and 21:9 resolutions. Should be loaded under any mods that replaces GUI assets.
- Extended Draw Distance - Increases the rendering draw distance of levels.
- Amy's Hammer Fix - Corrects the inverted color scheme of Amy's hammer.
- Final Boss Fix - Fixes colors and env maps on the final boss (work-in-progress).
Audio/Visual enhancements
Miscellaneous
- E3 Title Screen - A recreation of the game's title screen from the E3 prototype (which are left in the final version's files) and supports up to 18:9 aspect-ratios. Should be loaded under Widescreen Revamp to take effect.
System requirements
Windows |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
Operating system (OS) |
98SE |
ME, 2000, XP |
Processor (CPU) |
Intel Pentium III 866 MHz AMD Athlon 850 MHz |
Intel Pentium 4 1.4 GHz AMD Athlon XP 1800+ |
System memory (RAM) |
128 MB |
256 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
800 MB |
1.5 GB |
Video card (GPU) |
Nvidia GeForce 256 ATI Radeon SDR 16 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0b compatible
| Nvidia GeForce 3 ATI Radeon 9000 64 MB of VRAM |
Notes
- ↑ SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10[2] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.[3]
References