This review focuses on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Master System. It follows on from the first sequel Sonic the Hedgehog.

Contents

1. Story
2. Rings
3. Monitors
4. Zones, Acts and Enemies
5. Act Complete Signposts
6. Boss levels
7. Chaos Emeralds
8. Ending

1. Story

Dr. Robotniks goal never changes, as he still wants to take over the Planet Mobius by turning captured animals into robots for his plot. But he has gone a whole new level in this game. He has also kidnapped Sonic's new friend, Miles Prower, better know as Tails the fox. Sonic almost reaches him, but Robotnik is quick with his egg-mobile to capture him. So Sonic not only has to save Mobius, but save his little friend in the process.

2. Rings

Rings stay exactly the same, one ring gained will be shown on your ring total at the top left-hand corner of the screen. Sonic can survive damage with rings but no rings and Sonic will lose a life upon taking damage. You can retrieve a few rings after taking damage, so you won't necessarily go down to zero. Rings can lead to extra lives, but with no special stages in this game, that is really all it is for.

3. Monitors

The monitors remain pretty much the same, not many changes there.

(a) Ring monitor - Get this monitor and 10 rings will be added to your ring total.
(b) Invisibility monitor - Get this monitor and you will be invincible for a limited time.
(c) Power Sneakers monitor - Get this monitor and you will run faster for a limited time.
(d) Sonic monitor - Get this monitor and you will earn an extra life.

4. Zones, Acts and Enemies

Pretty much a whole new set of zones, acts and enemies in comparison to Sonic 1. Some zones may seem familiar, such as Green hills Zone as zone 4. Take note that after destruction of enemies, they won't go away, but will re-appear almost as if untouched, should Sonic return to a part of an act.

(a) Underground Zone

Sonic will be in mountainous area riding the trolleys that travel though the underground parts. This opening zone is pretty hard. Most games don't have tough opening levels, but these acts can be hard if you don't keep to the top. Also avoid the lava, and the spitting lava as well as spikes. Enemies to be watched are:

(aa) Motobug - They're not too much of a problem, taken down by a simple spin attack, run and press down to perform this.
(ab) Newtron - These flying robots will appear from no-where and shoot a bullet at Sonic. Jump at him when he is stationery.

(b) Sky-High Zone

Sonic feels like he's on top of the world in this zone. Here Sonic will have to use the hang-glider to get to other parts. That may take a few tries to get used to, but by pressing the down/left corner of your pad, Sonic should be able to make it over high horizons. The second act is in the dark, and there will be clouds there to walk on or spring up (strange?). More spikes in this zone, and falling seriously isn't an option. The enemies based in this zone are:

(ba) Spinning turtle - The only real enemy in this zone, it will fly at Sonic, so Sonic best not use the springs and stick to jump attack.

(c) Aqua Lake Zone

Sonic now has to go thorough water to continue his mission. Like the Labyrinth Zone in Sonic 1, there will be oxygen bubbles for Sonic to breathe, helping him to last under the water. Here, Sonic will be able to skim the surface of the water, so he won't go straight in.The newest addition is the giant air-bubble, that Sonic will travel in to reach new heights. Sharp objects like spears should be avoided especially in air bubbles. The enemies Sonic will encounter are:

(ca) Crabmeat - Same as in Sonic 1, will shoot bullets in both directions when stopped, but will now move side-to-side faster.
(cb) Lobster - Will charge at Sonic when close by, so be sure to use jump attack or be rolled in a ball.

(d) Green hills zone

Now Sonic is in familiar territory, only the flowers seem crystally. Simple zone, with only the spikes posing any real threat to Sonic, so avoid those. The enemies here are:

(da) Newtron - See Underground Zone
(db) Crabmeat - See Aqua Lake Zone

(e) Gimmick Mountain Zone

Sonic is getting closer to Robotniks Whereabouts. This zone will have all sorts of platforms moving. Most noticeable is the spinning platform that Sonic can use to spin to new heights. The speed at which Sonic moves on them will depend on how high he will travel. There are lots of springs and spikes, as well as trolleys to travel on. The enemies to confront in this zone are:

(ea) Burrobot - These will jump out of the floor and at Sonic, so use the jump attack to take care of them.
(eb) Bouncing Pig - These will be constantly bouncing and moving about after a few seconds static, so again, jump attack to defeat them.
(ec) Bomb bot - Will walk slowly in both directions, but will explode of bullets if Sonic is nearby. Don't attack them, jum over them if possible.

(f) Scrambled Egg Zone

Sonic is now in a dark cyber-zone full of crystal tubes and blue rocks. Knowing how to travel inside the tubes will be useful, as Sonic may have to take a different direction whilst shooting through them. A wrong turn could lead to trouble. Spikes are aplenty here, and platforms are really fast-moving. The enemies to look out for are:

(fa) Spinning Turtle - See Sky-High Zone
(fb) Crabmeat - See Aqua Lake Zone
(fc) Bomb bot - See Gimmick Mountain Zone

(g) Crystal Egg Zone

Should Sonic successfully find six chaos emeralds, it will unlock this zone. This is the Crystal Egg in which Tails is imprisoned in, and Sonic will have to avoid the spikes and swinging balls to successfully complete the acts. Enemies to find here are:

(ga) Piranha - These will float in the air, so a jump attack will beat them.

5. Act Complete Signposts

At the end of every act, except for act 3 of every zone, Sonic will pass a signpost. It will turn before becoming stationery, and what shows up will determine the reward Sonic gets for completing the level. The possible Signposts are as follows:

(a) Robotnik signpost - Get this signpost and you will get nothing.
(b) Ring signpost - Get this signpost and 10 rings will be added to your total.
(c) Sonic signpost - Get this signpost and earn an extra life, seen if Sonic lost a life on the last act.
(d) Tails signpost - Get this signpost and earn a continue.

6. Boss Levels

Whats different in these boss levels, compared to Sonic 1, is that Robotnik will not be the boss of most of them, but rather robotic animals will take his place. Each will have different skills and weaknesses and most, not all, will take about 8 hits to defeat. For the first five bosses defeated, a floating Robotnik capsule will appear. Destroy it and free all the captured animals.

(a) Underground Zone - Here Robotnik and his egg-mobile will save you from falling into the lava (say what?) and will take you to a sloped surface, where a pair of claws will be based at the bottom-right of your screen. Robotnik will show cannon balls in Sonic's direction. You must jump over each ball, with every ball avoided, it will hit the claws. Repeat this about another 7 times. At the end, Robotnik will charge at Sonic, who must jump over him to miss him. Doing this will force Robotnik to hit and destroy the claws and the boss is defeated.

(b) Sky-High Zone - Go to the very right and land on some clouds. Be wary, as birds will shoot up in the air. Stand at the very right of the screen to avoid being hit, then destroy the birds, who will jump at times. Jump attack will destroy those birds. Then another four birds will shoot out, but will bounce more frequently. Destroy those birds to go down a level, where the eggs are based. Birds will keep shooting out the eggs until all are destroyed, which will lead to the robot mother bird, who will shoot fire balls out her mouth every few seconds. Jump on the head roughly 6 times to defeat her without touching the fire balls. Be aware that hitting her can re-bound you in the opposite direction.

(c) Aqua Lake Zone - Skim on the water surface roughly 3 times to meet the boss, a trick-performing seal. Destroy all the inflatable balls it blow out its mouth. The seal will then balance Sonic and throw him in a forward direction. Repeat the trick 5 times to defeat it.

(d) Green Hills Zone - Getting there is hard in itself, and will require time and accuracy using the springs avoiding the spikes at the bottom. Once there Sonic will encounter a sumo-pig, who will curl into a ball and travel either across, up or down. Avoid being hit when it is in a ball. Attack when the boss is stationery. Do so another 7 times to win the battle.

(e) Gimmick Mountain Zone - Getting there can also be difficult, with the many moving platforms Sonic must use to travel from one part to the next. Avoid the spikes when you see them. Once at the top Sonic will have to avoid a charging spiked-pig, who will come running at Sonic and ram into the left/right hand side of the screen. If the pig misses Sonic, it will lose all its spikes for a brief time before growing a new pair, allowing Sonic to attack. Be careful of falling spikes from the air as they can be harmful. Do this 8 times to destroy it.

(f) Scrambled Egg Zone - Sonic must travel through the tubes and use the springs to get to the boss point, where his opponent is Silver Sonic. He will be able to reaped some of Sonia's move by curling up into a ball. Sonic can rebound off him when the Silver Sonic ball homes in on him. Silver will also carry a sword-like weapon and charge at Sonic whilst not in a ball. hit him 8 times to defeat him.

(g) Crystal Egg Zone - This will be the final boss level, and Robotnik is now controlling a tube-like arena. Sonic must stay in the tube whilst Robotnik fires missiles going either round or diagonal, or a lghtining flash. After the flash is usually the best opportunity for Sonic to attack. This must be done nine times to defeat Robotnik, who will then run off in the opposite direction to a teleporter, unlocking a tube for Sonic to travel in.

7. Chaos Emeralds

All Chaos emeralds are in act two of a zone, and all must be collected if Sonic is to save Tails from being roboticised.

(a) Underground Zone - Be sure to remain at the top, travelling on the trolleys as you go along. Near the end of the act will be a steep rail, at the end of that rail whilst on a trolley, jump off to the high platform, going up the giant stairs towards the emerald.

(b) Sky-High Zone - Here some clouds will work in the form of springs. Midway through the act, go up to the set of clouds that are an invisible platform.  At the very end will be a spring cloud. Use it to find another cloud spring. It may take a few tries to master, but the latter cloud spring will provide the leverage to get the emerald.

(c) Aqua Lake Zone - Near the end of the act, not far from the power sneakers monitor, there is a tube to the right. Go down and continue holding right and you should reach the emerald.

(d) Green Hills Zone - Midway through the act, after jumping from a steep hill, will be a trio of springs, surrounding the spikes. Use those and, if done properly, you will reach another trio of springs. Use the latter trio to reach the high point where the emerald is.

(e) Gimmick Mountain Zone - Near the beginning, just before the spinning platforms, one of the walls on the left-hand side is fake. Get a feel for them and you can travel through them, leading to conveyor belts and spinning platforms. Use those to reach the top, finding the emerald

(f) Scrambled Egg Zone - Dead simple, defeat Silver Sonic and he will relinquish the final emerald. Will only happen if every other emerald has been collected.

8. Ending

There are two endings in this game. Should Sonic fail to pick up a Chaos emerald before fighting Super Sonic, the game will end after Sonic has defeated him. Sonic will then run along alone and when he stops, he views the nightlight to find Tail's constellation. The proper ending is when Sonic defeats Super Sonic, gets the remaining emerald, defeats Robotnik's Crystal egg and saves Tails. In that ending, both Sonic and Tails run together, and when they stop, the nightlight they look upto will have constellation's of them both.

Dr robot nicks goal never changes as he wants to kidnap all The animals in The planet he also kidnaps tails miles pro hour as sonic chases after egg man its up to sonic to save the day once again rings in this game will be a problem just keep collecting and you will survive