Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review

Sega needed a mascot to compete with Mario for their Genesis platform. In 1991 they found one in the shape of a blue hedgehog. His name is Sonic the Hedgehog and he returned to the Sega Genesis in 1992 for a sequel. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is important to the franchise for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the introduction of Sonic’s friend Tails. There is also a new ability in the form of Sonic’s now-famous Super Spin Dash Attack.

The game is made up of 11 zones, including: Emerald Hill Zone, Chemical Plant Zone, Aquatic Ruin Zone, Casino Night Zone, Hill Top Zone, Mystic Cave Zone, Oil Ocean Zone, Metropolis Zone, Sky Chase Zone, Wing Fortress Zone and Death Egg Zone. Each of the zones is broken up into two acts, except for Metropolis Zone, which has three, and the final three zones each have only one. The levels are considerably larger and the gameplay faster. The goal is the same in each level, though: reach the end of the level, release the animals from Dr. Robotnik’s captivity and defeat any bosses.

Some of the levels you can beat in under a couple minutes. The most time you can take is ten minutes before Sonic dies. The Sonic franchise is famous for its multi-tiered levels. You can fall from enormous heights and still make it to the end of the level by traveling on a lower path. Generally speaking, as far as I can tell, the higher up you are in a level the easier it is to reach the end. Also keep in mind that if you use a continue you have to start at the beginning as opposed to a checkpoint.

The cast got a little larger with the addition of Tails. Not only is he a playable character, he will also follow you along if you decide to play as Sonic. As an NPC character, Tails can kill enemies, as well as collect coins for you. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 also allows to play with a second person as Tails if you choose to. Some of the returning power-ups that you can get include invisibility and a bubble that absorbs one hit. As with all the Sonic games, all you need is one coin to survive.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is not my favorite Sonic game, but it certainly is an important piece of the Sonic puzzle. Adding Tails, as well as the dash ability set a standard that the future Sonic games would all follow. The level design is fantastic, as usual, as are the graphics. The gameplay is faster than ever, although I have to say that playing it again I found it to be a little easy. Maybe it is just experience. At any rate, you can’t have a complete Sega Genesis collection if you don’t have Sonic the Hedgehog 2.