Sonic the Hedgehog 2

To say the original Sonic the Hedgehog was a hit would be a bit of an understatement. It went on to sell over 15 million copies (Though many of those were bundle packs with the Genesis). Naturally a sequel was going to be in the works eventually. And in November of 1991, the work began on a sequel to Sonic 2. A very ambitious project at first, there were many new ideas thrown at the table including time travel (which never made it in, but did become a key component to Sonic CD) and a new buddy for Sonic by the name of Miles Prower (Miles Per Hour). Sega hated the name, so Sonic Team went with his middle name, Tails.

The development of Sonic 2 is really interesting, particularly that of the many stage ideas scrapped from the final game. The most legendary being the Hidden Palace, which found its way into magazine reviews and even featured on Nick Arcade. Eventually the Hidden Palace would even find its way back into the game via the iOS version in 2013.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 hit shelves in North America and the U.K on November 24th, 1992, once again to a wave of heavy commercial hype. And once again the game was a massive seller, selling over 6 million copies.  The reception was strong with great reviews all over the board and winning  awards from multiple gaming publications. Sonic 2's success also helped push Sonic's popularity to the next level, as more merchandise was being pumped out including comic books, cartoons and even his own pasta. You know you've made it when you have your own pasta.

The story really hasn't deviated too far from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Dr. Robotnik is back to his animal enslaving ways, only this time he's trying to harness the power of the seven (not six anymore) chaos emeralds. It's up to Sonic and his sidekick Tails to travel across the land again to put an end to Robotnik's tyranny.

Gameplay is the same as the previous game, with one major new tweak. When you hold down and tap either A, B or C, you'll pull of a charged spin dash, which works so much better than the more momentum based predecessors. Zones are also cut to two acts now, though the later Metropolis Zone is now in three acts, and the final zones being one act. These new Zones include Emerald Hill, Chemical Plant, Aquatic Ruin, Casino Night, Hill Top, Mystic Cave, Oil Ocean, Metropolis, Sky Chase, Egg Carrier, and finally the big battle inside Robotnik's Death Egg.

There really isn't too much different from Sonic gameplay-wise, but I will say that the game's far more focused on the speed element than Sonic 1. There are far less areas that require more slower puzzle solving, and a lot more running through loops and blazing your way to the sign post at the end of each level. Tails is a new addition to the game as well, but really doesn't feel that different from Sonic. Despite having the ability to fly when trying to catch up to Sonic, you can't actually use the flight ability in this game, which makes Tails feel a lot more unnecessary to the main game. That will somewhat rectify itself in Sonic 3, but that's for another time.

Special stages have been massively updated, mostly for the better. Collecting over 50 rings and hitting a checkpoint in the level activates a ring that will take you to the special stage, a half pipe area where you have to collect a certain amount of Rings before making it to a checkpoint. Complete three checkpoints with the right amount of rings and you'll receive a chaos emerald. Like I said, these are much better than the more annoying maze areas of Sonic 1, but they are flawed, especially when playing as both Sonic and Tails. See, Tails can collect his own rings as well to combine the score, and he's a bit lagged when you jump, so he can easily be hit by the many bombs in the area, which will rid him of at least ten rings at a time. So, this endeavor is best dealt with solo through the options menu.

When you get all seven chaos emeralds, Sonic  will gain the power of Super Sonic. After collecting over 50 rings and jumping in the air, Sonic will turn golden and be invincible for as long as he's holding rings. Tails, however, gets nothing when he collects them, once again making it feel like Tails is really unnecessary. Also, you can't help but think that Sonic mildly ripped off Dragon Ball Z with both seven magic items and the power to become a blonde super warrior. But it's still a great addition.

Speaking of great additions, there's actually a 2-player competition mode, which lets you and a second player compete in split screen races. Not much is different here, but there are boxes that can switch your place with player 2. Plus, you and player 2 compete in the special stage levels as well. In the end, it feels like a frivolous add-on, but it's definitely appreciated.

Graphically, the game looks even better than the original. Sprites are a little more detailed, levels are far better to look at, from the neon lights of Casino Night to the lush green of Aquatic Ruin. The special stages also look extremely impressive for Sega Genesis game, that sense of mild 3D without the choppiness of Mode 7 that the SNES shilled. Everything looks bigger and better, much to what a sequel should do. On the music side, Masato Nakamura once again delivers with an amazing soundtrack. There isn't one bad song in this game, with my personal favorites being Emerald Hill, Casino Night and Sky Chase.

This was the first game I had for my Sega Genesis, so maybe that means it has a little more emotional value, but in my opinion Sonic 2 is one of the best video games ever made. It plays much better than the original, has great graphics and sound, and the difficulty is a little more balanced. Though there are still many glitches abound, but you focus on speed, you're bound to make the game a little glitchy. Sonic 2 holds up amazingly well for a game nearing its 24th year of life on this planet. I remember the fights on the Death Egg being a challenge, especially the final Robotnik fight. Even after beating the game on the same day I got it for Christmas of 1993, I would still play it over and over, and even to this day I still try to devote at least one run to it a year. It's that classic a title. A must-play for any new Genesis player. And with it being one of the easiest games to find, there's really no excuse. But for all the praise I heap, there is still a far greater Sonic title on the horizon.

RATING: A