Download on GitHub

Click here to visit the GitHub Release page


You will need to provide your own clean rip of the Shadow ENG NTSC ROM to run with the emulator.

The only files provided on GitHub are the configuration files needed to apply the settings and changes to run Shadow SX.


What is Shadow SX

Shadow SX is a ROM hack of the ENG NTSC version of Shadow the Hedgehog that aims to provide quality of life changes for improving the speedrunning experience without any major changes to the core gameplay experience.

Shadow SX is playable on GameCubes, on Wiis with Homebrew, or on computers using Dolpin Emulator.

Although this website started as a means of consolidating and proving data for the console releases. Everything you see on this site should apply to both the console versions and Shadow SX.

Due to changes to the game code, Shadow SX will be considered it's own thing seperate from the original console releases. Seperate Leaderboards for any of the categories or levels will be provided at a future time.


Changes Compared to the Original

In Game Timer (IGT) Quality of Life changes

Checkpoints no longer pause the IGT

The game will no longer pause the timer while in the checkpoint menu. This prevents the use of the checkpoint for saving IGT while waiting for another in game event to play out. More important though, is that this change allows the use of IGT timing for runs that utilize the Chaos Control Glitch.

Deaths no longer reset the IGT to the last checkpoint time

One of the biggest headaches when timing IGT runs on console was having to manually calculate the time from deaths to checkpoints. With this change, the time continues without interruptions after death. The time you end the level with is the final time now.

Restarting a stage during a "Story Mode" playthrough no longer resets the IGT

This change, while applies to every level, is mainly targeted to the shorter Boss Fights where one might reset quickly early on if a setup doesnt go to plan. Like with the Death fix above, the timer will simply continue form that point on until the end of the level or boss fight.

This does NOT apply to levels or bosses that are started with "Select Mode" as this would quickly become annoying for Individual Level (IL) runs and attempts. This applies only for Normal Story, Last Story, and Expert Mode playthroughs.

Preventing timer slow down during boss fight Chaos Control

A neat mechanic for boss fights was slowing down time when using Chaos Control instead of speeding through the level, which makes sense considering that boss arenas are small enclosed areas. When time slows down, the IGT slows down considerably. Since SX changes the IGT to be more of a RTA without loads timer, the IGT will now longer slow down. Everything else should remain unaffected.


IL Quality of Life changes

The following changes were made to not only improve the quality of life for IL attempts, but also to keep Story and IL runs more in sync.

Partners no longer have intro cutscenes

When you first encounter a partner character, there's a quick intro that plays to introduce them. This gets annoying after many attempts so the intros have been turned off. This also allows the player to focused more on movement for the sections they would normally be stopped in, just like if they were doing multiple IL attempts.

Infinite Lives for Select Mode

Kinda self explanatory, no longer needing to worry about lives makes IL a lot more bearable. This only applies to the Select Mode. The Story Style game modes work the same as the original. To account for the handicap that is available in the Egg Dealer fights, holding D-Pad Up while selecting one of the Egg Dealer levels will enable a mode where you will start with infinite 0 lives.

Secret Doors Open Faster.

If you have all 5 keys for a level, the Secret Door will now automatically open, just like it would if you had opened it normally, and reentered the area after a death. This was how one could speed up IL in the original game. Now it's available to everyone without needing to interact with it first. This also allows for Story Mode and ILs to use similar strategies.

Expert Mode from Select Mode

Holding D-Pad Up while entering a level will place you in the Expert Mode Variant of the level for easier access and practice of those level layouts.


Emulator Changes

The following changes were made to the default Dolphin configuration to improve game performance.

Included in the download is a set of recommended settings that have been tested to provide a good gameplay experience. If that is not the case for you, reach out to let us know.

Overclocking with Dolphin Settings

Since Shadow SX and the console Shadow releases will not be comparable, Shadow SX will utilize the Dolphin Emulator's ability to run at a higher clock frequency for better performance and a smoother experience. This should play similar to running on Nintendont on a Nintendo Wii.

Improved Loading Times

The Dolphin Emulator has a setting to allow faster reading of the ROM data. So instead of having to match a similar rate to the GameCube disc drive, the emulator can read and load data much faster allowing vastly shorter load times. Normally getting from the end of Westopolis to the beginning of Glyphic Canyon takes a little over a minute on Wii. With this change, it now takes 48 seconds.

Reduced Bloom

When playing on Dolphin, the bloom effect is a bit stronger than what is visible on console. A change was made to reduce this back to expected levels.


Optional Changes

These changes are optional settings:

Race Timer

Along with re-managing the IGT time, I have been able to set aside some space to keep track of the current total time for a Story or Expert Mode runs. Currently this is a option that will swap out the IGT timer spot when enabled.

Options for Skipping Cutscenes

New file runs will now be able to skip cutscenes without needing to view the cutscene first like in the original. There is an option to disable this change if you wanted to run a New Game run like you would on the original, notably for runs like All Endings and 100% No Library where cutscenes have an effect on the run.

Glossy Effect on Characters

The glossy effect on characters can be left alone, reduced, or removed.

Replace Button Images for UI

Different Textures are available that allow swapping out the default GameCube buttons with PlayStation or Xbox images.

Modern Controls for UI

When using GameCube controls, no changes are needed. But if you are using a PlayStation or Xbox style controller, turning this option on will allow you to control the game just as you would on the Xbox or PS2 versions of the game.

Custom Shadow Colors

Use the color adjuster tool in the Shadow SX Launcher to customize the color of Shadow for a more personalized experience.