Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)

Preliminary: I already am much preferring the level design of this one to the first one. They seem to recognize this time that what we wanted out of SONIC is sonic speeds! And to let us enjoy them, at least for a few levels! And this one definitely delivers, I even got boots that increased my speed, and everything seems to be flowign better. Plus I think I played this at my cousin's when I was yougn? I'm recognizing bits of it.

Hmmm interesting, I wish I had a second player to control Tails!

Day 1

That first boss was veyr easy lol. I'm not enjoying this second area as much as the first, and it's very crowded (tho the background is good, and the music continues to be great, and I always loved Tails). Just never a huge Sonic guy, I'm hoping this one clicks. The momentum and jumping seem super odd especially when on angled ramps and it all just seems glitchy/buggy tho I'm sure there are plenty of people who know all its quirks,

Yea this whole second zone Chemical Plant was annoying and full of the "haha gotcha y ou thought you could go fast?!" parts with these platforms. Regardless, at least they waited till the second zone instead of starting a game series called Sonic with those gotchas. But I got through it in no time and am loving this 3rd Zone music!

Yet the frustration with the sloppiness of the controls continues. All these buttons yet they all just serve the same function. And when I jump off an angled ramp, I go in an absurd direction. And I make the sound like I'm going to go fast and sometimes don't etc etc.

I keep thiknking I'm gonna quit cuz yea the gotcha moments keep coming, but a) they're quite easy to recover from sinceyou just collect some rings again and move on, and b) it's a platformer... so I tend to push through anyway heh. Plus the music is good and I love Tails tho I wish I could use him

This Casino Zone is neat and fun with the pingball aspect, tho it definitely continued to highlight some of the flaws with the momentum and angles of jumps.

Day 2

Last night, I was reallll close to quitting during the Casino Zone boss because it exploits all the mechanics I have not been enjoying but I returned to it today and got through it. And this next Zone tune is great again, so the music is definitely helping and making it at least a 3 regardless of whether I finish it.

I've ran into quite a few bugs

Welp I'm on Metropolis Zone. I should just give this a 3 star and move on, but I'm so close to the end and it's fast...

Meh I'll return to this tomorrow but really think I should move on. (I returned later that night and yeah, the music is great and it's a good game, but just not my kind of level design for platformers and some sloppy mechanics.

Look: 8/10

Sound: 9/10

Play: 7/10

Feel: 7.5/10 Definitely an improvement on the first one, and I always liked Tails, but fun is lacking after the first few levels.

Attachment: 7.5/10 Part of me realllly wants to finish it since I was starting Sky Chase Zone (Zone 9 of 11), but meh.

Overall: 7.8/10

Completion: To Sky Chase Zone

Playtime: It got messed up so I'm not sure :( Probly about 2 hours? A bit less?

Played this on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection on PS3 with save states.

Pros: I like the level variety. One of my big complaints about the first game is that a lot of the levels didn't feel distinct, but this game avoids that by having less acts, but more zones so there's more diverse aesthetics. I like the addition of tails and multiplayer, it's nice to be able to be able to select your character and play with a friend. The spin dash is great addition, no more struggling to build up speed. Sonic felt slow and clunky in the first game, but he really does feel fast in this game. I think one of the best changes is that getting all of the Chaos emeralds gets you an awesome reward. Playing as Super Sonic kind of lets you bypass playing the actual game, which is pretty funny.

Cons: The level design feels cheap sometimes. The increased movement speed comes with the side effect of not being able to properly react to anything. This game loves throwing hazards, pits, and enemies in your way that you can't react to, so it basically necessitates memorizing the levels to go fast. This applies to both the standard and bonus levels. The bonus levels are cruel in this game because they are way harder and a lot easier to miss. I guess the trade off is the potential to access them multiple times in the level and actually being able to understand how to control Sonic. Another issue I had with the game is that enemies do a poor job of telegraphing their attacks, which is a big issue when there are more enemies that fire projectiles in this game. Also, I love the addition of Tails, but he's the embodiment of little brother mode. Playing as Tails in co-op is hard because the camera focuses on Sonic, and playing as Tails solo is like playing as a slow version of Sonic that can't go Super. On the brightside, Tails is so slow it negates the other issue I had with not being able to react to the stage. It just doesn't feel great to feel like you're walking through the levels.

Overall, I like Sonic 2 more than its predecessor mainly because moving faster just feels good. I found myself getting stuck less often since I was able to build up speed and actually progress through obstacles. The trade off is the occasional cheapness, but I think the pros outweighs the cons in this case. Next up will be Sonic CD. I won't be using save states with that one, so I hope I'm able to get through it okay. Thankfully, going forward I'm pretty sure all of the games have in-game saving.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 came out only a year after the first game, and as such it shares a lot with its predecessor. However, thanks to some smart tweaks and a vast improvement in level design, I always found Sonic 2 to be the moment where Sega's famous hedgehog finally got his legs.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 trims out most of the slow, punishing precision platforming of the original game, and replaces it with more of the things that did work in the first game: open level design, a brisk sense of momentum and fun boss fights against the evil Dr. Robotnik. To support this focus on speed, Sonic gains a new ability in his iconic Spin Dash, which lets you gain a quick burst of speed at any time.

Sonic 2 also introduces Tails, Sonic's cute fox buddy who runs alongside him throughout the adventure (Though you can choose to play as either character solo if you wish!). Tails doesn't add much to a solo player, but his introduction also allows for co-op, which I'm sure is a very cool option for anyone who has a friend willing to play some Sonic.

As I alluded to before, the level design in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a humongous improvement over the first game. Not only do they lean on Sonic's inherently thrilling sense of speed, the levels make sure that you're always pushing forward, instead of bogging you down in one place. Some levels do this by placing you in pits where you have to use Sonic's speed to get out, or by sending you backwards into the level to have you find the correct path. It also helps that, with one exception, all zones have had their acts cut from three to two, making sure none overstays its welcome. That's not to say every single idea in Sonic 2 is a home run (Looking at you, Casino Night Zone...), but the stage selection on offer is top tier for the era.

Now, cutting out some of the punishing aspects of the first Sonic does make Sonic 2 a slightly easier game. Challenge is still there for those seeking it, however, since you can still aim to collect all of the Chaos Emeralds. To do so, you now have to have 50 rings in your possession when crossing a checkpoint, which allows you to take a crack at one of the game's new bonus stages. These stages put you in a pseudo 3D obstacle course where you have to collect a set amount of rings while dodging bombs. It's fine, though I think these stages would be infuriating without save states to let you retry them as much as you like.

I find it hard to fault Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for anything. Of course, the music and graphics impress once more, and there is an infectious charm to the entirety of the game. So much so, that in this latest playthrough I couldn't resist playing through the game twice, once casually and a second time to collect all of the Chaos Emeralds. This is the game I recommend as an entry point into Sonic the Hedgehog!

Ah, Sonic 2. The much needed improvement to the first one, and a really good game overall, with great zones (not you, Metropolis Zone), decent challenge (not you, Metropolis Zone) and great enemies (again, not you Metropolis Zone). Sonic 2 features probably one of the most important innovations in the Classic Sonic series, the Spin Dash. Seriously, it really improves things. Oh yeah, and it features Tails, but who really cares about that useless, unkillable helicopter fox anyway? Overall a great Sonic game with few flaws, you should definitely play this one. (8 outta 10, a great experience)

In my quest to consume all the Sonic media we are watching Sonic 2 and I have to say they really should have cut all of the scenes with the principle human characters. They really drag the film down, except for Natasha Rothwell’s character because Rothwell is gold in everything she does. Her scenes are the only ones that justify any of the human characters’ moments.

And god damn I wish anyone other than Carrey was playing Eggman. But I felt that about the first movie.

Replayed Sonic 2 in Sonic Origins. (Got all the Chaos Emeralds, good ending.)

The classic Sonic game that many people say is their favorite. It's surely the one I've played the most over the years, at least... And yeah, it's great. Gameplay is solid, level design is greatly improved, and there's just more of everything to enjoy. More variety in locales, and in turn more great music, more gimmicks for stage variety, and more robots and bosses to deal with. A step up in game length and in challenge -- and also in reward, as collecting all the emeralds now grants you the ability to become Super Sonic.

I'm starting to see just how ingenious that bit of game design is, actually. As Super Sonic, you're invincible and can run faster and jump higher (and that feels awesome) -- but you can only transform after collecting 50 rings, and those rings deplete with each passing moment following the transformation. So in harder levels it's still a challenge to collect 50 rings to become Super Sonic -- and since he's so fast, it's easier to fall to your death in tricky platforming sections. (You can also very easily dash right into a trap that smashes you.) So it's not like the rest of the game becomes a cakewalk once you have all the emeralds -- and chances are that reward will only come about after multiple playthroughs, since the special stages can get challenging. (Sonic Origins does offer the ability to mitigate this significantly though, through the ability to replay the special stages.)

All in all Sonic 2 is a solid platformer and a must-play, but I still hate Metropolis Zone

For about 80 minutes, the Sonic The Hedgehog 2 movie was just as bad as the first one. Mediocre plot, awful jokes and average CGI... but the third act...

HOLY SHIT!

THE FINAL PART OF THIS MOVIE IS PERFECT! IS EVERYTHING A SONIC FAN DREAMED WATCHING ON THE BIG SCREEN!

You can read my full review of the movie in spanish here.

I'm not gonna say that the last 30-40 minutes of the movie redeem how bad it was until that moment... but I almost wanna say it.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is better than the first game in every single way. It is truly a step up in every way.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 was released in 1992. A whole year after Sonic's debut game. And it did massively well and was a critical success for Sega. This was the title that really put them on the map against Nintendo

Like the first game, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is all about momentum and completing a level as fast as possible. And this game really lets you do that. Sometimes you go so fast that the camera can't even keep up with you. It's nuts. It's also the debut of the Spin-Dash which makes speed almost effortless

This game also was the debut for Sonic's sidekick, Miles Prower. Or as most people know him as, Tails. He tags along with Sonic in their adventure but doesn't really add much. He'll collect a few rings and kill a few enemies, but other than that, he's just an extra character with you. There is a vs Mode where you do get to play as Tails but he isn't utilized all that much.

The music is better in every way and the Zones are almost consistently good. Emerald Hill and Chemical Plant are very famous ones. And it's a blast to go through. There is now only 2 Acts per Zone (Except for the final 2 which have 3 and 1). Which really helps the pacing.

Like Sonic The Hedgehog (1991), You can collect the Chaos Emeralds (Which there are now 7 of). The bonus levels in this are a lot better. But Tails is extremely frustrating to deal with and it is just really difficult in general. Your reward for collecting all the emeralds in the first game was just an alternate ending.

But in this game, You have the ability to turn into the well-known (Nowadays) Super Sonic. Which allows you to just blast through levels as long as you have 50 or more Rings. And you get an alternate ending!

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is better than the first game in every way. Improving on the gameplay, adding new characters, and just feels more rewarding to play. I'll be playing Sonic CD next which is something I look forward to

4/5

Would Recommend

I beat this game on an iPhone when I needed games to play on my commute to work a few years back. Just like I thought it would, to me it feels like an improvement over the original. The soundtrack is better, the flow is better, the finale (which took me quite some time on that touch interface) is better, etc. Aside from the Chemical Plant Zone boss where you keep falling through the floor most of the difficulty is fair and can be overcome through trial and error and learning. And compared to the underwhelming end of the previous game, this game's end stretch felt quite challenging and rewarding. If I could think of one issue I did feel like I could skim through some of the levels way easier than some of the original Sonic levels which means I may have missed more stuff by not taking as much time, and it also means some levels might be a bit too easy to get through, but that's more towards the beginning. But that also means that the game does a better job of emphasizing Sonic's fast flow.

So overall I think Sonic 2 builds well upon what the first game did.

(Played on Nintendo Switch as part of the Genesis collection.) My history with Sonic up until now had left me wanting something more. I had played through Sonic 3 about 10 years ago making liberal use of save scumming, and quit Sonic 1 last winter finding the game too stop and go. I learned enough through what I played of those games that I shouldn’t go into a Sonic game expecting Mario style platformer gameplay but something quite a bit different, where I’d have to memorize level layouts, enemy placement, power up and 1 up locations to make my best routes through a course. Although I learned to understand that the gameplay was inherently different from a Mario game, I was never able to actually enjoy a Sonic game at the same level of a Mario until finally playing Sonic 2. Sonic 2 has its tricky spots but is overall much more forgiving than Sonic 1 and what I remember of 3, still providing the quick dopamine hit of overcoming an above average challenge but not requiring you to lose so many lives that playing feels oppressive. Rings are all over the place and on the less common occasions that an enemy gets a cheap hit in, or you fall into a spike pit you were moving too fast to see in time, these will give you the extra chances you need to get to those sweet check points. In Sonic 1 or 3, I would find myself quitting after getting sick of failure, but Sonic 2’s design kept me in the game and I couldn’t put it down until I finished. I have a couple gripes but other huge pluses: Graphics and presentation are just incredible, and still hold up today. I don’t notice the graphic limitations of the genesis at all while playing. The music is really some of the best I’ve heard in a 16 bit game. Level after level showcases strong hum along jams with great 90s synth instrumentation that never gets repetitive.

All right, now the things I didn’t like. The game has a noticeable jump in difficulty for the last few stages. I was already so charmed by the games first 80% that I decided to save scum here to see it through, but I lost more lives in these last few levels than maybe three times the rest of my play through. Also needing to beat not one but two final bosses without taking damage would have killed me if I wasn’t using save states. I get the feeling that the designers really wanted people to take weeks to learn the games intricacies enough to achieve victory, but for the casual audience this is a huge deal breaker and I believe something that causes this game and the franchise in general to not hold up as well as the old Mario titles.

But overall, the game charmed me a lot, I’m excited to play more sonic games soon. The 4 stars is not biased by nostalgia. It mostly holds up today except for the huge spike in difficulty at the end.

Finished a replay of Sonic 2 recently, this time the Sega Ages release of it on Switch. All in all it's still a really solid game, definitely a step up from Sonic 1. (I still think I prefer Sonic 3 / Sonic and Knuckles though. But I'll play them again some time and see.) Great controls (the spin dash is a big help), great music, great fun.

I like most of the levels, especially Aquatic Ruin and Mystic Cave. But I don't care for Hill Top, and I kind of hate Metropolis. Metropolis has three long acts (why!), and seemingly the most repetitive song of all the classic Sonic games.

The inclusion of Super Sonic was a great idea on Sonic Team's part. It's nice to have a cool reward for collecting all the Chaos Emeralds, and IMO doesn't actually ruin the game since it's still possible to die from pits and traps (which show up more in the later levels, when you're more likely to finish all the special stages).

It was also ingenious of them to include a second character for a little sibling to play as. Tails does not hinder you (except perhaps in the optional special stages), and does not slow the gameplay for player one. But Tails can be very helpful for dealing with enemies -- especially bosses. (Sonic 3 would improve on this concept by making Tails' flying controllable too.)

I've been going through some of the older retro games recently, playing the "games I should have played by now." After some research, Sonic 2 was one worth playing - so I picked it up on my 3DS and played the port there.

My overall impression of the game is okay. The 1992 platformer feels 25 years old at this point. Sonic is known for his speed, but I found the numerous speedbumps a nuisance. I wanted to fly across the level, go through loops, bounce on springs -- yet the occasional ledge or jump without momentum stopped me dead in my tracks and ruined my rhythm. I had the same feelings about the levels themselves. If they were built for speed, then why was I getting lost so often?

I'm sure the nostalgia is real for so many players here. But when I go back and play this game in 2017 and compare it to its counterparts of Super Mario World and Mega Man, I can't jive with the way Sonic feels in a gameplay perspective.

I'll give it a 3/5. I know that it's a classic, and I'm sure that it did many great things for the platform genre. But if I want classic platformers, I'll go other places.

Gameplay, Story and Value:

Sonic 2 builds upon the first game in nearly every way, with the most notable additions being the new character of Miles "Tails" Prowler as well as the staple Spin Dash ability. The sequel introduces several new stages, offering more in the way of variety and balance, a better sense of speed, and some fun boss encounters.

Controls remain the same as in Sonic and Sonic 3, which is to say they're fine. There are some noticeable technical quirks, such as Sonic's occasional tendency to come to a dead stop straight of a Spin Dash or, far more annoyingly, his insistence on randomly changing from a roll to a run which can cause major issues in handling bosses and timing jumps.

The special stages are much improved over the first game, though there fun is hindered somewhat by Tails' insistence on running straight into obstacles and costing you rings from your shared pool. With two players this is much more manageable and less of an issue, but I eventually found myself just skipping these stages altogether.

Worth mentioning, while completely irrelevant to this review, is that playing Sonic 2 with two players (at least in versus mode) is impossible when using an XRGB-Mini Framemeister to upscale your old consoles to an HDTV, as I do. The awkward resolution just scares the crap out of the unit and it won't display a consistent image. One of the many reasons I keep a CRT around.

Presentation, Music and Sound:

The game and its environments look much better than its predecessor, and the variety in levels and boss fights is very welcome. Everything looks a bit brighter and cleaner as well, and further emphasizes the mild change in style between this game and its sequel.

The sound is standard issue Sonic and the music is "okay". There's nothing wrong with any of the tracks, but none of it (aside from stage 2's) really stick with me. It seemed only just good enough to accommodate the game, fitting each stage nicely, while never really enhancing it.

Afterthoughts:

It's kind of hard rating a game like Sonic 2 having played it after Sonic 3. It's a fine game in it's own, improving upon the first in every possible way, however it also fails to hold up to its successor in every way as well. I would still have to take Sonic 3, even without Sonic & Knuckles, over Sonic 2 any day.

I realize this is probably an unfair comparison, but it is the way sequels are ideally supposed to work after all...

Sonic 2 is still great, and it will always hold a special place in my memory. I still remember when the promotional materials went up around the video story my mom worked at, and the excitement around its release. The cartridge I have for the game is the same one we bought over 20 years ago, and while it's seen better days, it'll never get replaced!

Review:

Playthrough: