![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The bosses themselves - all based on robotic versions of animals - are fantastic, from a sumo-stomping pig to a mechanical seal that bounces Sonic around on his nose like a beach ball. A happier change is that you can pick up rings you've dropped this time around, but you still won't be able to use any in boss battles Sonic can only take one hit in his Act 3 encounters, and that makes them incredibly tense. There aren't any Special Stages, for one, which is disappointing as they're often a highlight. ![]() It's entirely possible to reach the end of the sixth zone without seeing a single gem, and the resulting disappointment of watching the aptly-named "bad ending" and having to start all over to get to Eggman is the kind of traumatizing experience that taught children of the '90s to always read the manual first.Īlong with the Chaos Emerald requirement, there are a few other gameplay changes from Sonic's first Game Gear appearance. Most of them are quite tricky to find, which would be a nice bit of added challenge, except for the fact that Sonic needs to grab every last one before he's even allowed to attempt the final zone. Many require quite a bit of trial and error - can Sonic make that jump, or will there be spikes? Will this tube bring rings or death? - and that feels at odds with the secret-filled stages of this game, which otherwise encourage exploration.Įven if you're not after any secret ring stashes, you'll still need to do some treasure hunting, since the Chaos Emeralds are hidden within the levels. Sonic games are at their best when the levels play to his abilities, but here it seems like they're working against him as often as not. Unfortunately, this game is also an early example of death-trap-heavy Sonic design - blind jumps that lead right into lava pits, a hang glider positioned playfully above an unseen, spike-filled ravine, springs that launch you directly into enemy fire - and it feels cheap, rather than challenging. There are also quite a few inspired set pieces that keep things fresh: Sonic will ride mine carts, fly hang gliders, navigate pipe mazes, float inside air bubbles, and skip across the water on his journey to Eggman, and each addition makes the trip that much more fun. There are tons of secrets - more so than in most Sonic games - with hidden rooms full of rings and power-ups, unmarked shortcuts, and invisible paths to discover. It's the standard Sonic formula, and it's undeniably fun, but the difference between good and great in Sonic's world is largely down to level design, and that's where this one stumbles.įirst, the good news, because there's a lot to love about these levels. You'll do that by running and jumping through seven stages of two acts apiece, picking up rings, taking out baddies, looking for Chaos Emeralds, and besting bosses at the end of every world. That's because Tails - despite his prominent placement right behind Sonic in every pre-level illustration - has been kidnapped by Eggman, and it's up to you to save him. The first change players familiar with the console version of Sonic 2 will notice is that there's no spunky sidekick to run alongside you this time. While it doesn't quite live up to either its big-screen sibling or its excellent portable predecessor, it's still a worthwhile link in the Sonic series, and a fun - if sometimes frustrating - game. Rather than leaving its Master System and Game Gear-owning fans with a simple, downsized port of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, SEGA crafted a wholly unique title for the 8-bit systems, with a new plot, original level set, and quite a few gameplay differences. A year after the runaway success of Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991, SEGA followed up with a sequel that introduced Miles 'Tails' Prower and the iconic Casino Night Zone to the gaming world. ![]()
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