Overview
This guide teaches you how to perform the famous Tails in Emerald Coast glitch.
Tails In Emerald Coast?
Normally, Tails cannot get into Emerald Coast on his own since the entrance to said level is blocked off by a gate for Tails, Knuckles and Amy (Only Sonic, Big and Gamma can enter the level.)
However, there is a glitch that can be performed within the Station Square hub that allows Tails to play through most of Sonic’s version of Emerald Coast. (No, following Sonic in Trial mode does not count.)
A shot of Tails in said level.
NOTE 1: As this requires entering the Station Square hub level, this can only be done in Adventure and Mission modes.
NOTE 2: This may require Tails’ Jet Anklet item.
NOTE 3: This can be done on all versions of the game to my knowledge.
NOTE 4: BE SURE TO BACK UP YOUR SAVE FILES OR TAKE MEASURES TO PROTECT THEM AS THIS GLITCH IS BELIEVED TO CORRUPT SAVE FILES. If you’re playing the Dreamcast or Gamecube versions try copying data to another memory card or VMU or just plain removing the memory card or VMU. On both PC versions, try copying your save file, which should be in a Sega folder in the “My Documents” folder. Same goes for the PS3 and Xbox versions I hope.
How to Perform
You need to be in the Station Square hub level for this. This means you can only do this glitch in Adventure or Mission modes.
When playiing as Tails, go to Station Square an enter the hotel. This building holds the level entrance to Emerald Coast but it is normally blocked off to anyone other than Sonic, Big and Gamma.
The building in question.
Enter the hotel, then go to the doors to the right of the reception desk and have them open by going near them.
The doors.
Go into them but not too far or you’ll just exit the hotel.
Somewhat like this.
Now when you jump and fly, and you’re in the right stop, Tails will appear to be flying behind the wall but the camera can’t see him.
At this point, try flying around the hotel but not right into it unless you’re sure, because you may just re-enter the hotel normally and be back at square one. If you do this properly you should eventually touch down on solid ground outside the hotel whilst still in its area technically. It will look weird with curved textures and broken bits of land here and there. You might see a texture resembling the outside of Casinopolis here as well.
It looks mostly like this. The large thing to the left of Tails is background texture for the Casionopolis area entrance. Tails appears to be floating thanks to collision for the upper part of the hotel being extended farther than it seemed.
You might be familiar with the hotel’s layout and if you’re on the “outside” of the hotel you might be able to see the strip of sand that leads to Emerald Coast. Its a good idea to change the camera to “Free” mode to make it easier on you as the camera tends to spaz out when you try this glitch.
This is where I ended up. See the sand? That’s where you want to go.
When you’re facing the general direction of Emerald Coast’s entrance, try flying towards it whilst making sure not to fly too far into the swimming pool area otherwise you’ll just hit the barrier again. Take care as well as if you miss or overshoot, you’ll fall and lose a life.
Only if you did it right.
When you see the large strip of sand with the iron gate blocking it, if you did this glitch right you should hopefully land on the sand like normal.
Its this you want to see.
Ironically, its walking toward the gate that seems to trigger the fade-to-black that loads the level.
If Emerald Coast loads up, then you did it! It’ll load up without a title card, just going straight into the level, but you did it!
Success!
Notes and Oddities
NOTE 1: This glitch can be done in most, if not all versions of Sonic Adventure 1. the glitch has different effects depending on which version of the game you’re playing.
NOTE 2: THIS GLITCH MAY CAUSE SAVE CORRUPTION IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG MID LEVEL. BE SURE TO BACK UP OR PROTECT YOUR DATA.
NOTE 3: Tails behaves a bit strangely in this level but can clear it fairly easily.
He can also get through the whale chase sequence decently enough but in the second screenshot when the floor shakes, Tails can be sent through it and lose a life so be careful and try flying
Extra life showing Tails’ icon, but thats due to Extra Life monitors loading data for whoever’s the current player character.
It might be because of changes between versions but this is as far as Tails can go for me. When he enters that cave, it’ll briefly cut to a bit of Act 2 of EC with msuic for a split second before Tails is booted back into the hub level. I’ve heard he can get through all of EC on some versions though.
Your save file might show something similar to this. Some versions actually do show “Emerald Coast” but mine just shows a blank spot.
And to end things, here’s a video I recorded of the glitch. I recorded this with Camtasia Studio which let me cut out the blue border.