Blast Processing

They call me Sonic,

My favorite Sonic game is probably Sonic The Hedgehog 2. Now I am sure you all want me to explain myself in a long, boring post, but unfortunately tonight I am quite tired. Also, it there is not all that much to talk about with such a simple 16-bit title. Here goes!

The original Sonic The Hedgehog for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis was a landmark game. Finally someone had come up with a platforming mascot that could compete with Nintendo's mighty plumber, at least in terms of popularity. Precision platforming be damned, Sonic offered something Mario couldn't compete with: speed.

To be honest, I was never terribly impressed with the original Sonic. Perhaps this is because the first time I played I got stuck in Marble Zone by pushing a block against a wall. Granted, I was young and didn't really know what I was doing, but I still maintain that it is poor design.

At any rate, Sonic 2 came along and I fell in love. What was so different? Two words: Spin Dash. For all its claims of speedy gameplay, the first game was a bit slow. In its sequel however, you could shoot off like a rocket at any time by holding down and mashing the buttons. Watch a speedrun to see what I mean. Can't get over a hill? Spin Dash. In the original, you would have to backtrack until you could gain enough momentum to make it over. Dashing made for a much faster, more fun experience.

Sega also changed the structure, reducing the number of acts per zone to two, to ensure players never got sick of the setting. This is not to say the game was shorter; Sonic Team was generous enough to give eight full zones and three one-act stages. The soundtrack is superior to the first game, as are the graphics and animation. Add to this the ability for a friend to control newcomer Tails in tandem with Sonic and you are golden.

Sure, it has its share of problems. It is glitchy, as are all Sonic games. A couple parts are not very well designed (Mystic Caves pit of death anyone?). The bonus stages, while more fun than the original's or Blue Sphere, take you away from the action too long. It is not as long as S3&K (if they are counted as one game). The final level can get pretty frustrating. Going fast becomes less and less viable as the game progresses and the platforming becomes more demanding. Despite all this however, it is still a great time. Maybe this is just the nostalgia talking, but if you are sick of the crap Sega has been pushing out lately, give Sonic 2 a shot.

I'm the king of the ring,
Miles "Tails" Prower