Previously I made a review for the original Sonic the Hedgehog. I figure I might as well do all of the Sonic Genesis games (even the spin-offs, but that will take some time). So here it is, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Genesis. Released in 1992, this eventually became the best-selling game on the Genesis, and for good reason too. While not my favorite Sonic game, or even favorite Sonic game on the Genesis, there is plenty of things about this game that any gamer out there can enjoy. With still great graphics for its time, especially with how colorful everything looks compared to the first game, great soundtrack, and plenty of speed to go around, this definitely earns the title of best-selling game on the Genesis.

Plot-wise, it's pretty much the same as the previous title. Dr. Robotnik is once again kidnapping animals to turn into robots, and it's your job to save them all. Just like in the first game, the  controls are pretty much the same. Except for one thing. This is the first Sonic game to introduce the iconic Spin Dash, where you hold down and the jump button to start spinning on the ground. Release to launch yourself at high speed to plow through everything. Basically, this is a quick way to get speed to defeat a row of enemies, speed through loops, and get up slopes. All the items from the last game are back here as well. Ring boxes, speed sneakers, all that jazz. The new thing in this game is a new character, Miles "Tails" Prower, a two-tailed genius fox, all though that is really shown until the 3D Sonic games. Did you know his name is a pun on the phrase "miles per hour"? He doesn't really do anything in the main game, he just follows you and mimics your movements. HE can hit enemies if you make him jump into them, though. Oh, and he can't die. He'll just fly down from the top of the screen and return. And he makes the special stages harder since he follows you loosely and will constantly run into bombs and drop rings needed to win. While he's a new face on the scene, I recommend not using Sonic and Tails together.

The Chaos Emeralds also return, but this time their are 7 of them. To get them, you'll need to enter the special stage, which is completely different from the special stages in the first game. Instead of keeping 50 rings at the end of a level and jumping into a giant ring to enter them, this time it's slightly different. You still need 50 rings, but this time you just have to pass a checkpoint and jump into a ring of sparkles that comes from it. Now, the special stages in Sonic were just bumping Sonic from platform to platform through a maze like course to the end. Sonic 2's special stages are drastically different. You're set into a half pipe, automatically running through it, and you need to collect a specific amount of rings by the checkpoint of the stage to advance to the next segment of it. IF you don't get enough rings, you fail and you're sent back to the checkpoint you were at in the main level. Get through the three segments of the special stage to get the Chaos Emerald. The only thing in the special stages are rings and bombs. Hit a bomb and you'll lose 10 rings. They aren't hard to dodge in general, but they can get in the way of rings at some points. The first 3 special stages really aren't that hard, it's basically just practice runs for the latter half. The next 3 crank the difficulty up a notch, making rings a bit more scarce and placing bombs in rows, and even a full circle that you need to jump over. The last special stage is definitely the hardest because of all the crap you need to dodge in order to get to just the first checkpoint. And the final stretch is pretty much luck based, since the rings are in no pattern at all, they're just spread out EVERYWHERE.
But, if you can endure all of these, you can nab all of the Emeralds, and actually get an award for them besides the "good" ending of the game, Super Sonic(making his first appearance here). Super Sonic is everything Sonic is an more, he can zoom much faster than normal Sonic can, plus he's invincible to everything (Except bottomless pits, being crushed, and drowning obviously) so you can plow through everything. However, you need 50 rings to activate him by just jumping. The main problem with SS is that he's hard to control when it comes to specific platforming and what I just mentioned before, jumping to activate him. Once you get 50 rings, you pretty much HAVE to activate Super Sonic since you'll eventually need to jump. SS runs on a timer based on his rings, losing one ring per second. When you hit 0, you're left with no rings as regular Sonic, vulnerable to death, so collect as many rings as possible as SS. Now that that's explained, let's get into the actual levels of the game.

First up is Emerald Hill Zone. Although not as iconic as Green Hill, it's still a very well known level among Sonic fans. Pretty much all the enemies from Green Hill are back, but with better designs to them. The one new enemy here is Coconuts, who just hangs from trees in the background tossing coconuts down at you. Sega figured out that three levels in a zone was just a bit too long, so it's been put dwn to two zones, Act 1 being the main level and Act 2 being the boss level. Act 1 is pretty much is just basic. Platforming, some speed, easily defeated enemies, loops galore, etc. Act 2 is home to one of Robotnik's most pathetic excuses for a boss ever, some drill car. It's somewhat threatening in appearance, but all Robotnik does is drive from side to side. Nothing is stopping you from hitting him at all. OH sure, he'll launch the drill at you if he's off-screen with one more hit to go, but that poses no threat at all. Same as always, 8 hits and he explodes and flies away. Rescue the animals, and zone complete.

Next up is Chemical Plant Zone, famous just for all the ridiculous speed it gives you from speed boosters, loop after loop after loop, speed tubes, and long downward slopes. Oh, and its awesome music. There's also water in this zone, but its really no threat if you know this level like me. . New enemies here include these things that stick to a surface and fire pellets at you, and these blue liquid things that is fired between two points. The only other threat besides these enemies are trap door platforms, but they aren't too much of a hassle. Once you get through all of that, you'll meet Robotnik in another pathetic machine. IT scoops up some of the liquid below the platform and tries to drop it on you. He should only do this once, because you can get plenty of hits on him before he actually tries to dump the liquid on you. All in all, a pathetic boss. 

Following that zone is Aquatic Ruin Zone, the main water level of the game. Your really can't get much speed in this level, because when you aren't in water, you're pretty much platforming and watching out for enemies. Speaking of enemies, new ones here are drill robots that resemble Grounder from the Sonic cartoon back in the day, totem poles that shoot arrows at you as you pass them, and fly robots that just try to follow you and pretty much annoy you. Fortunately, you never have to touch the water in this zone if you manage to take the highest route possible. This time in Act 2, two tall totem poles appear at the end and Robotnik appears with a hammer, smashing the totem poles to shoot arrows at you, which you must jump on after they stick to the other totem pole and then you hit Robotnik. IF you're quick, you can get on top of one of the totem poles as they first rise and wail on Robotnik, perfectly safe.

The fourth zone is the first casino level in a Sonic game, Casino Night Zone. Filled with colors galore, neon lights, bumpers, and slot machines, this is a great zone to just waste your time on earning rings. That said, there really isn't much running here since you're mostly busy either hitching a ride on some elevators, doing quick platforming, or just bouncing around everywhere. The only enemy in the entire zone are these things with a bumper shield that will bump you back if you run straight into them (you need to hit them from behind to kill them). At the end of Act 2, Robotnik appears in a machine that actually has a shot at beating you. Not because of what it can do, all it does is just drop bombs on you, but because of the process of hitting him. YOu have to hit the top of it using bumpers to elevate yourself, and this usually leads to you either missing horribly or hitting the bottom of his machine, which is electrified. Once you get the hang of the controls, Robotnik isn't that challenging.

Up next is Hill Top Zone. Casino to hill top? . This zone marks the return of the enemies with spike balls around them (Orbonauts) and the seesaw platforms. There are also loops where you need to Spin Dash to end up drilling through the ground and underground sections filled with lava and dinosaur things coming from the lava, which can be used as platforms once defeated. There are also trolley things, but that's just a way to slow down the game really. Oh, and there are enemies that launch spikes at you. Today, Robotnik has a completely pathetic machine that just pops out of nearby lava and shoots a flamethrower at you. . Really easy, he leaves himself vulnerable way too long, so he can be beaten quickly.

Onto Mystic Cave Zone, where things actually become somewhat difficult! There are plenty of things here, pillars to crush you, rotating boes for some reasons, bridges that require pulling down a lever to pull it down, snake things that hide in the wall and try to hit you as you pss by, annoying fireflies that are completely invincible when they begin flashing, and "The Pit,"  a long vertical trap with spikes at the bottom. There is no way out of it if you fall down it, even as Super Sonic. Once you fall, you just have to wait till you die. Probably the hardest zone in the game, in my opinion. At the end lies Robotnik with a drilling machine that drills into the ceiling as stalagmites fall down to damage you. He can only be hit when he pops out and goes towards another section of the ceiling and when he lowers his drills. He's not hard at all, especially since the flames below his machine can't damage you.

Up next is Oil Ocean, the last normal zone in the game. Instead of bottomless pits, there is oil, which slowly drags you down and kill you if you land in it, but you can jump out of it easily. There are also automated sections where you're constantly launched between cannon after cannon once you hit this certain thing. There are also platforms constantly launched into the hair by these jet things below it, and slopes with oil on it that you'll automatically slide down through. However, the two enemies here are kinda annoying. Octopus enemies that jump up and shoot pellets at you, and sea horse enemies that will fire at you even off-screen if I remember. And what they shoot is really fast, so it's hard to avoid at times. Here, Robotnik has a machine that hides in the oil. First, it'll pop up and do nothing (hit it!), then it will fire some easily avoided spike thing at you from the oil, then a long arm with a laser cannon on it will emerge and fire lazers at you, one which can hit the platform you stand on and cause flames to erupt from it. He's really easy to beat, just hit him whenever his machine actually pops out and does nothing.

Metropolis Zone. The hardest zone in the game. Why? Nearly everything in it. While there are the more fun things like speed tubes, rotating gear platforms, and bumpers placed to bounce you up to other areas, but then there are the bad things. Lava for no apparent reason, platforms with spikes emerging from all corners of it, annoying crab enemies that extend its arm at you and are difficult to kill because of their awkward hit boxes, annoying mantis enemies that send it's homing scythes at you that feel nearly impossible to dodge since these enemies are usually placed in small corridors, and starfish that detonates itself when you're near it and shoots five spikes out. The problem is that they hide in the walls. There are these platforms where you have to run on this screw to propel it upward through vertical corridors. And these guys are usually in the walls there. Oh, and Metropolis zone has three acts, all of which are annoying because of what I just mentioned. However, the boss of this zone isn't so bad. Robotnik has a shield of.......things that circle around him in a weird fashion, and one piece of it falls of everytime you actually hit Robotnik himself. IT's hard to beat this guy without getting hit once, because what you end up doing is getting hit on purpose, grabbing a ring that scatters (thank the heavens there are ring just before this guy), and abusing your brief invincibility just to hit him. Once his whole his whole shield is gone, he attempts to fire a pathetic lazer at you, but one more hit will kill this guy. A challenging boss, but not hard once you know what to do.

After the bullshmit that was Metropolis zone, we end up in Sky Chase, a nice breather level with relaxing music. This level is different because it's a one level zone, and there is no running at all. Your on Sonic's plane, piloted by Tails, chasing down Robotnik's ship and you're pretty much auto-scrolling slowly throughout the level, defeating bad guys as you go. The only baddies here are bird jet things that zoom by, turtles that sit atop a cannon firing at you, and these weird helicopter things that drop bombs. They're all easy to beat though. After getting a nice preview of Robotnik's ship and defeating the last batch of baddies, we're thrust into the next level. NO boss here.

Welcome to Wing Fortress Zone, where we start off with Tails getting shot down by a lazer being fired at the ship. AS he sinks, you jump onto this ship, and we're back to speed and platforming. This is another hard zone for several reasons. The entire level has a bottomless pit below, there are speed boosters that might send you just a bit too fast, there are plenty of tricky disappearing and conveyor belt platforming sections, and there are also more turtles on turrets firing at you the entire time. Plus, there are fans just waiting to get to slice you up and possible knock you down into the pit below. Thankfully, most of these threats are at the beginning of the level (bottom of the ship). Once you reach the top, nothing is really in your way. Once you break into the ship, we finally meet another boss, but this time there's no Robotnik. Instead we have a thing in the ceiling shooting lazers at you. The only way you can reach him and hit him(the thing itslef has to open up for you to hit him) is to jump on these platforms coming out. But they have spikes below them, so you may get hit by them. All in all, not too hard of a boss, but he can put up a fight. After beating it, you walk back to the outside of the ship to see Robotnik getting away again. You lose. Game over.




Naw, just kidding. Tails magically fixes his plane in mid-air by just slapping a rocket on it, and you fly up towards Robonik's getaway vehicle. Sonic grabs onto it as Tails flies down again, and Robotnik goes into his base in space, the Death Egg. So welcome to the Death Egg Zone, which is really just two boss battles. The first battle is with Silver Sonic(as Robotnik watches in the background behind some window), a robot Sonic with jets and spikes for Sonic's spines. What he does is just rolls up into a sharp ball and charges straight at you, sometimes leaping to try to throw you off. The hard thing about this guy is that you have to hit him specifically where his eyes are at and avoid accidentally hitting his spines, which can get a little frustrating. Oh, and there's no rings. IF you can manage yo beat this guy, Robotnik retreats and leaps into his ultimate machine, the Death Egg itself, a giant robot version of Robotnik. This final boss is no joking matter, especially for first time players. YOu have to hit him right in right in the chest area, but the fact that his spiked hands are usually around that area makes it annoying to do. He also launches himself into the air and tries to crush you, then throws his spiked fists at you if you manage to avoid getting flattened. That's really all he does, aside from walking back and forth and launching bombs at you if you happen to be behind him. But you still have no frickin rings. Definitely a hard boss just because of how hard it is to hit him. Once you beat him, his machine crumbles and the entire space station begins to explode as Sonic runs and leaps out of it. We get a cutscene (if you wanna call it that) of Tails witnessing the explosion of the Death Egg and hopping in his plane to go see what's up. Thankfully, as Sonic is falling to his apparent death, Tails catches him on the plane, and you get a nice shot of the two on the plane as they fly with some random birds. And thus ends Sonic 2. Time for official scores.


SCORES

Graphics - 9
Like the first game, the graphics are great to look at, but they are even better here than in Sonic 1 because of all of the color put into some of the levels, making it look very nice to look at. Still, a couple of the zones could've looked a tad bit better.

Sound - 9
Better overall soundtrack than the first game in my opinion. So many catchy tunes, and a lot more tracks than the original. Still, not my favorite Sonic soundtrack.

Addictiveness - 8
Personally, I think you'll find yourself playing this game a lot, mainly for the gloriousness that is Super Sonic and because compared to the first game, Sonic 2 is a pretty big game.

Story - 6
Again, the story is nothing special, but the new friendly addition of Tails, Sonic's best friend nowadays, was a nice touch to the story.

Depth - 7
It has a lot to offer with not just the main game, but the new multiplayer, where you race against your friend on three specific stages and battle each other on the special stage. It's very fun, and doesn't grow boring that much.

Difficulty - 6
The first half of the game is no sweat, but its the later half that can make you tear s bit of your hair out. Still, you'll find yourslef playing and playing again.

Overall - 9
A truly great sequel to the original game. In my opinion, it pretty much does everything the original but a bit better and has more features to it. This is truly a classic game, and I would easily recommend this game to any bored gamer out there.

Thanks for reading.

This was a great review. Nice job! I love Sonic 2, one of my favorite games of all time. I will always have more vivid memories of the first one (Just because how blown away I was by the game at the time) but this one was a better game overall.