Sonic the Hedgehog 2

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This article is about the 16-bit video game. For other uses, see Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (disambiguation).

Are you up 2 it?

— Tagline

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ２, Sonikku za Hejjihoggu Tsū^?) is a platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series and a sequel to the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Developed by the Sega Technical Institute (STI) in collaboration with Sonic Team members who relocated from Japan, the game was published by Sega for the Mega Drive in November 1992. The story takes place on West Side Island, where Sonic the Hedgehog, now joined by a two-tailed fox named Miles "Tails" Prower, must stop Doctor Eggman from collecting the seven Chaos Emeralds to power his new space station, the Death Egg. The game is also a part of the larger Death Egg saga.

Sonic 2's development was marked by several challenges, including cultural differences between the Japanese and American members of the STI, which led to frequent conflicts. Originally envisioned as a time-travel adventure—a concept later realized in Sonic CD—the game underwent significant changes during its development. Memory limitations forced the team to cut content, including entire levels and enemies, resulting in a shorter final product than initially planned. Despite these complications, the game introduced several key features that would become staples of the series, such as the character Tails, the Spin Dash move, and the ability to transform into Super Sonic.

Sonic 2 was highly anticipated and first released in Japan on 21 November 1992, followed by a worldwide release on 24 November, a date marketed as "Sonic 2sday". The game received critical acclaim, with praise directed towards its improved gameplay, visuals, characters, and soundtrack, and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time. It has sold over 6 million copies and become the second best-selling game on the Mega Drive. It was followed by Sonic 3 & Knuckles in 1994, and has been re-released multiple times, most notably in 2013 as a mobile remake co-developed by Christian Whitehead and Headcannon.

Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot, ending details or any kind of information follow.

Title screen of Sonic 2, with Tails and Sonic (left to right) on an emblem with the game's name.

The title screen of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

This story is set on West Side Island. According to legend, an ancient civilization here achieved prosperity using mysterious stones, whose misuse led to their downfall. These stones, believed to be the seven Chaos Emeralds, are said to have been sealed by the gods within the island's depths. During his travels, Sonic the Hedgehog discovers West Side Island and sets up camp there while unknowingly being followed by Doctor Eggman. He eventually meets a shy, two-tailed fox named Miles "Tails" Prower, who idolizes him and follows him around the island.

One day, Tails stumbles upon Sonic's plane, the Tornado, just as a massive explosion occurs in the forest nearby. As it turns out, Eggman settled on the island to find the Chaos Emeralds to power his ultimate weapon, a space fortress known as the Death Egg. Sonic immediately rushes to thwart his plans, with Tails following him.

In-game screenshot of Sonic fighting the final boss of Sonic 2, the Death Egg Robot

Sonic fighting the Death Egg Robot.

Sonic and Tails journey through the island, freeing various Zones from Eggman's control and defeating the doctor on numerous occasions. They eventually use the Tornado to storm Eggman's flying Wing Fortress. However, it strikes the Tornado's wings, forcing Sonic board the battleship alone. Thanks to Tails' repaired Tornado, he boards Eggman's space rocket, leading him to the Death Egg. There, Sonic confronts and defeats a robotic doppelganger called Mecha Sonic before facing Eggman in his Death Egg Robot. After a heated battle, Sonic's victory triggers a chain-reaction that causes the entire Death Egg to explode.

The Death Egg's explosion causes a flash of pure white on Earth. Tails pilots the Tornado to search for Sonic, who barely escapes the space station, which falls into the atmosphere. The ending of the game will depend on the player's progress:

• If the player has not collected all seven Chaos Emeralds, Tails rescues Sonic in the Tornado and they are accompanied by a flock of Flickies.
• If the player has collected all seven Chaos Emeralds, Sonic transforms into Super Sonic, safely returning to Earth with Tails flying alongside him.
• Playing as Tails skips most of the ending sequence and has Sonic rescue Tails in the Tornado. The ending does not change regardless of whether the Emeralds have been collected.

Characters

Image	Character	Biography
Sonic	Sonic the Hedgehog	While on an island during his usual carefree adventure, Sonic meets Tails, a small fox with two tails. When Sonic learns that Dr. Eggman has begun an invasion of the mythical island known as West Side Island, he kicks up sand and heads toward the forest.
Tails	Miles "Tails" Prower	Because of his two tails, he was bullied by everyone when he was little and was timid, but meeting Sonic and striving to be like him made Miles's personality bright, energetic and positive. Sonic doesn't seem to be paying attention to Miles, but he's actually looking at him sideways.
Eggman	Doctor Eggman	Evil genius scientist. He wants the Chaos Emeralds. His life's work is world domination. His rival is Sonic.
Tornado	Tornado	Sonic's beloved plane, the Tornado. At normal speed, the Tornado can only reach 450km/h, but by installing a custom booster engine tuned by Miles, it can fly past the speed of sound despite being a propeller-driven aircraft.
Egg Mobile	Eggman's Mobile	An all-purpose capsule mecha created by Doctor Eggman. By changing its attachments, it can travel across water, land, air, and even dive underground. He believes that Sonic won't be a threat to him with this piece of scientific power, but...

Gameplay

File:Aquatic Ruins from Sonic 2 for Mega Drive.png

Sonic and Tails in Aquatic Ruin Zone, the third Zone in the game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a side-scroller 2D platformer video game, which plays identical as the first Sonic the Hedgehog game. The player can play as either Sonic or Tails or both. They can also play as Sonic while Tails is controlled by a second player or an AI. Both characters share the same abilities. The game has eleven Zones, most of which are divided into two Acts, with the exception of the ninth one which has three Acts. At the end of every second Act is a boss fight against Eggman in one of his mechs.

The main objective of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is to finish its Acts in less than ten minutes. In these Acts, the player can find many Rings, which serve as their playable character's main method of protection. If a character is hit while having at least one Ring, they will survive with the cost of losing all their Rings. However, if the playable character is hit without having Rings, they will lose a life and will have to try the current Act again from either the beginning or at the last Star Post. The player can also lose a life if they do not complete the Act in ten minutes, get crushed, drown underwater or fall into a bottomless pit. If all lives are lost, the game is over, but the player can use Continues to keep playing.

From the options menu, players can select to either play as Sonic alone, Tails alone or Sonic and Tails. By default, players control Sonic while Tails tags along unhindered. However, a second player may control Tails separately. Should Tails move off-screen, fall off a platform, or die after getting hit from above, he will eventually return. There is minimal difference when playing as Tails instead of Sonic. Tails cannot fly when played as in this game, though he is slightly shorter than Sonic.

Obtaining all seven Chaos Emeralds by clearing all of the Special Stages will unlock a new feature: Sonic's ability to change into Super Sonic. When Sonic has collected at least fifty Rings and jumps into the air, he will transform into Super Sonic. In this state, Sonic is virtually invincible, although he can still die by drowning, getting crushed, falling into bottomless pits, or running out of time. His speed, acceleration and jump height are all increased as well. However, his Spin Dash is decreased in effectiveness as the initial velocity is decreased rapidly. Super Sonic consumes one Ring per second, and when he has no Rings left or he reaches the end of an Act, he reverts back to his normal state. Also, gathering all of the Emeralds will trigger the good ending.

Controls

Button formation	File:Sonic-Icon-Sonic-2.png File:Miles-Tails-Icon-Sonic-2.png Movement
Directional buttons left/right	Run
Directional buttons up	Look up
Directional buttons down	Crouch
A/File:Sega Genesis B Button.png/C	Spin Jump
Move + Directional buttons down	Spin Attack
Crouch + A/File:Sega Genesis B Button.png/C	Spin Dash
START	Pause

Objects

Items

• Air bubble
• Chaos Emerald
• Item Box
  • 1-Up
  • Eggman Mark (first appearance)
  • Invincible
  • Player Swap (first appearance)
  • Power Sneakers
  • Random
  • Shield
  • Super Ring
• Ring
• Star Circle (first appearance)

Gimmicks and obstacles

• Arrow column (first appearance)
• Blue blob (first appearance)
• Bomb
• Breakaway column (first appearance)
• Bumper
• Bumper wall (first appearance)
• Cannon (first appearance)
• Capsule
• Conveyor Belt
• Crusher
• Dash Panel (first appearance)
• Drop Target (first appearance)
• Elevator
• Fan
• Flipper
• Giant spear
• Goal Plate
• Gondola (first appearance)
• High-speed warp tube (first appearance)
• Hexagonal bumper
• Iron ball
• Jump Panel (first appearance)
• Mega Mack (first appearance)
• Metal nut (first appearance)
• Seesaw
• Sinking pool (first appearance)
• Slot machine (first appearance)
• Spikes
• Spring
• Spring Catapult (first appearance)
• Star Post
• Switch
• Triangle Bumper (first appearance)

Characters

Promotional artwork of Sonic (left) and Tails (right)

Sonic and Tails, the two playable characters in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Dr. Eggman and many of the Badnik enemies in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, alongside the Egg Mobile.

Playable characters

• Miles "Tails" Prower
• Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Super Sonic (first appearance)

Non-playable characters

• Dr. Eggman
• Animals
  • Becky (first appearance)
  • Cucky
  • Flicky
  • Locky (first appearance)
  • Micky (first appearance)
  • Pecky
  • Pocky
  • Ricky
  • Rocky
  • Wocky (first appearance)
  • Tocky (first appearance)

Enemies

• Asteron (first appearance)
• Aquis (first appearance)
• Balkiry (first appearance)
• Buzzer (first appearance)
• Chop Chop (first appearance)
• Clucker (first appearance)
• Coconuts (first appearance)
• Crawl (first appearance)
• Crawlton (first appearance)
• Flasher (first appearance)
• Gohla (first appearance)
• Grabber (first appearance)
• Grounder (first appearance)
• Masher (first appearance)
• Nebula (first appearance)
• Octus (first appearance)
• Rexon (first appearance)
• Shellcracker (first appearance)
• Slicer (first appearance)
• Spiker (first appearance)
• Spiny (first appearance)
• Turtloids (first appearance)
• Whisp (first appearance)

Zones

1. Emerald Hill Zone
2. Chemical Plant Zone
3. Aquatic Ruin Zone
4. Casino Night Zone
5. Hill Top Zone
6. Mystic Cave Zone
7. Oil Ocean Zone
8. Metropolis Zone
9. Sky Chase Zone
10. Wing Fortress Zone
11. Death Egg Zone

Special Stages

File:Sonic 2 SpecialStage.gif

Sonic and Tails in a Special Stage.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, there are seven Special Stages. When the player has collected at least fifty Rings and hits a Star Post, a red halo of stars will briefly float above it, which they can then jump into to get to a Special Stage.

Special Stages track the player from behind while they run through a three-dimensional half-pipe course filled with Rings and Bombs. A set number of Rings must be collected to pass through three checkpoints and eventually obtain a Chaos Emerald. Playing co-operatively with Tails raises some of the Ring targets in the early Special Stages. The order of stages is fixed in rising difficulty, and the player cannot enter the next stage without passing the previous. Whether the player is able to obtain the Emerald or not, Sonic is transported back to the last Star Post he hit in the Zone when the Special Stage is over.

Once returned from a Special Stage, the entire Zone is reset (except the game timer) - the player is without Rings but all the collected Item Boxes, Rings, and Badniks reappear. Also, if Sonic activates a Star Post, all the Star Posts before that one will be activated as well, whether or not with fifty Rings in hand. This creates a tactical element to getting the most out of each Zone in terms of opportunities to grab Emeralds. It is possible to collect all seven within Emerald Hill Zone.

Bosses

1. Egg Drillster (Emerald Hill Zone) (first appearance)
2. Egg Poison (Chemical Plant Zone) (first appearance)
3. Egg Hammer (Aquatic Ruin Zone) (first appearance)
4. Egg Claw (Casino Night Zone) (first appearance)
5. Egg Scorcher Mk. II (Hill Top Zone) (first appearance)
6. Egg Digger (Mystic Cave Zone) (first appearance)
7. Eggmarine (Oil Ocean Zone) (first appearance)
8. Egg Bouncer (Metropolis Zone) (first appearance)
9. Laser Prison (Wing Fortress Zone) (first appearance)
10. Mecha Sonic (Death Egg Zone) (first appearance)
11. Death Egg Robot (Death Egg Zone) (first appearance)

Other modes

2 Player VS

In 2 Player VS mode, two players compete against each other -either as Sonic or Tails - in a split-screen race through three regular zones and one Special Stage. Regular zones include Emerald Hill, Casino Night and Mystic Cave and have different music from their one player counterparts, while the Special Stage remains the same as in single player. In the regular levels, players are ranked in five areas (score, time, rings held at the end of the level, total rings collected, and number of item boxes broken), with the player scoring highest in the most levels winning the round, while in the Special Stage, players compete to obtain the most rings. Once one player finishes one of the regular levels, the other player must finish the zone within 60 seconds or lose a life.

In case of a tie, an additional Special Stage round must be completed. Also, to heighten the stakes, there are two unique items in versus-mode: a Teleporter item that instantly switches positions between players in a zone, and an Eggman item that damages the unlucky player. Furthermore, an optional setting allows that all item boxes in two-player mode are only Teleporters.

Development

Background

The original Sonic the Hedgehog was developed by Sonic Team in Japan and released in 1991 around the world. The title greatly increased the popularity of Sega and helped making the company a formidable rival for Nintendo, who before that controlled the video game market. However, before the game released, programmer Yuji Naka quit Sega of Japan due to dissatisfactions and financial issues with the company.

While Sonic 1 was still under development, American game designer Mark Cerny, who had previously worked in Sega games like Galactic Protector, established the Sega Technical Institute (STI) in the United States, with the idea of hiring aspiring American game designers who would receive training by Sega of Japan's most experienced minds. The game designer of Sonic 1, Hirokazu Yasuhara, was one of the first people who were offered a position in the team; he accepted a year later when he made up his mind. While meeting up with his colleagues in Japan as usual, Cerny learned of Naka's situation, and thus paid him a visit and listened to the reasons why he had left. Naka was ultimately convinced to rejoin Sega at the STI, shielded from Sega of Japan's critique and with a higher salary. Various other members of Sonic Team joined him too. Meanwhile, the rest of the development team stayed in Japan to develop Sonic the Hedgehog CD by the request of the president of Sega.

In September 1991, Naka moved to California, where he reunited with Yasuhara. Around this time, with other original titles underway, Cerny pitched a sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog, but Sega managment believed that it was too soon for one. With no new project assigned, the team would make some experiments for the eventual sequel. In November, however, Cerny got a frantic call from his superiors who had revered course and told him that they needed the game. The pressure was so much that the release date of the game was originally set to release in October 1992 (one month before the final release date), meaning that the team only had eleven months to complete the game. With two months having been lost from the original schedule, Cerny had to scramble to get his team organized to complete it in time. Full-scale development of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 began in early 1992. At first, the developers were exclusively Americans, as the Japanese side of the team had not arrived yet due to visa complications.

Design

Former Sega of America marketing director Al Nilsen said that the STI wanted to go "all out" with Sonic 2 and ensure that it was as successful as its prequel, since sequels are generally not very well regarded. The team, which consisted of just ten people, brainstormed for new ideas to make the formula work. One of them was to make Sonic faster by increasing his limit of speed compared to the first game. A new move called the "Spin Dash" was added so that players could reach super speeds in an instant without feeling too exasperated. Earlier versions of Sonic 2 also had a feature where Sonic would be hurt if he crashed into a wall at high speed, but it was removed in later builds.

• A concept of what would become West Side Island, by Hirokazu Yasuhara, in the present. Only Metropolis Zone made it into the final game.
  A concept of what would become West Side Island, by Hirokazu Yasuhara, in the present. Only Metropolis Zone made it into the final game.
• Another concept of the original island, by Hirokazu Yasuhara. This map depicted the island in an altered present following Dr. Eggman's time-travelling schemes. Only Oil Ocean Zone made it into the final game.
  Another concept of the original island, by Hirokazu Yasuhara. This map depicted the island in an altered present following Dr. Eggman's time-travelling schemes. Only Oil Ocean Zone made it into the final game.
• Another concept of the original island, by Hirokazu Yasuhara. This map depicted the island in the "past". Only Hill Top Zone made it into the final game.
  Another concept of the original island, by Hirokazu Yasuhara. This map depicted the island in the "past". Only Hill Top Zone made it into the final game.
• Another concept of the original island, by Hirokazu Yasuhara. This map depicted the island in the futured ruled by Dr. Eggman, overrun with machinery and cities.
  Another concept of the original island, by Hirokazu Yasuhara. This map depicted the island in the futured ruled by Dr. Eggman, overrun with machinery and cities.

Meanwhile, Yasuhara had various plans for the game and was visualizing story and gameplay ideas for it. He conceived a story that was very different from the final one, being time travel-based; the premise was that Dr. Eggman had gone back in time to alter the Earth's history, prompting Sonic to travel to the past as well to prevent the creation of a Eggman Empire. At least four timelines were conceived: the present, the past, an alternate present modified by Eggman, and the ruined future under the doctor's reign. These ideas were ultimately scrapped since they were seen as too ambitious for the game's release schedule, and the team decided to lean towards the first game's streamlined design. Nevertheless, some of the Zones that were conceived also made it into the final product: Hill Top Zone was originally the past version of Green Hill Zone, while Oil Ocean Zone was from the modified present, and both Chemical Plant Zone and Casino Night Zone came from the future ruled by the villain. A similar concept was used by Sonic CD, released in 1993.

File:Sonic-2-Tails-Sketches-I.jpeg

Sketches of Miles "Tails" Prower, who became the "player two character" in Sonic 2 following an internal contest.

A multiplayer mode was planned to be featured in Sonic 1 but could not make it into the final product. Naka managed to figure out a way to incorporate two-player split-screen gameplay, by making two entire game screens on top of each other and squashing them to fit with a television's 4:3 ratio. He wanted to implement this feature in this title so that siblings could play together, believing that this made games more fun. He wanted the second playable character to be cute and endearing, like Kitsune in Urusei Yatsura, and hold a "deep admiration for Sonic". A contest was held at STI to decide this character. The entry of Yasushi Yamaguchi, originally the main artist and level designer for Sonic Team, won. His character was named "Miles Power", a play on the term miles per hour, a unit of measurement for speed. However, "Power" was changed to "Prower" due to making the character sound too powerful. Additionally. marketing director Al Nilsen and product manager Madeline Schroeder convinced the team to change the name from "Miles" to "Tails", in which Yamaguchi was upset. Following a meeting, the team and Yamaguchi came to a compromise: the name "Miles Prower" would serve as the character's legal name, while "Tails" would be his nickname, resulting in the full name of Miles "Tails" Prower. Other proposed characters, such as "Boomer the Turtle", did not prevail in the end.

Conflicts

The development was complicated due to cultural differences between the Japanese and American developers. Despite the fact that both sides were on friendly terms, there were many contrasts in their working styles. The Japanese were among Sega's top developers, making it difficult for the relatively inexperienced Americans to keep up. Both parties also had an entirely different work ethic, and many worked throughout the night and even slept in their office cubicles. Former STI member Tim Skelly believed that Naka would have been happier working in an all-Japanese team. In addition, due to the sheer scale of the project and the work environment in the United States, the small team was left to do all the work themselves.

File:HPZ.jpg

Various Zones in Sonic 2 were cut from the final game. The most famous was "Hidden Palace Zone" (recreation from the 2013 remaster pictured), which was reintroduced in a few recent releases of the game.

The game probably could have been three times the size if we left in everything that was there. Naka and team [...] weren't afraid to say, 'I've been working on this for four months, it's not working. Let's take it out.'

— Former Sega of America marketing director Al Nilsen on the scrapped content in Sonic 2

A lot of content ended up being scrapped from the game due to memory limitations. In retrospect, Nilsen said Sonic 2 "probably could have been three times the size" had the developers left in everything that was planned to be there. Amongst much of the scrapped content was "Hidden Palace Zone", which appeared in many advertisements of the game. It was intended to be a Zone with two Acts where Sonic would transform into Super Sonic after collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds. However, it was then changed to one Act before the developers eventually abandoned the proposal and instead allowed the player to access Super Sonic regardless of the Zone. Other famously scrapped Zones included "Wood Zone", "Sand Shower Zone", and "Cyber City Zone". Naka recalls that as many as five stages were scrapped, one of them being cut from the game a few days before release despite having been fully completed due to the lack of memory. The stakes for this game were so high that it was polished up until the very last possible moment, and then flown to Japan for production by two people on two separate planes, just in case something went wrong with one plane.

Promotional

File:S2b title.png

The title screen of one of the best known prototypes of Sonic 2, named the "Nick Arcade prototype". It was famously showcased in the Nick Arcade television series in early 1992.

Marketing for Sonic 2 was aggressive; promotion began in early 1992. At the time, the Nickelodeon show Nick Arcade was one of the most popular video game-centered shows. Seeing an opportunity to promote the then-upcoming game, Sega sent a very early copy of Sonic 2 to Nick Arcade to showcase it. This build was only shown a few times, one of which was during a special show where Clarissa Explains It All actors Melissa Joan Hart and Jason Zimbler were competing. However, it did not go well, and the two struggled to play since they did not know about the Spin Dash.

As Sonic 2 was Sega's biggest 1992 game, its marketing team sought to make its release be "as much a celebration as it was a product launch", with the company confidently betting big that the game would be a massive success. In Japan, a VHS titled "Sonic Panic" (ソニックパニック, Sonikku Panikku^?) was released to promote the title. It started with Mario and Luigi being humilliated by Sonic and Tails - a sign of the strong rivalry between Sega and Nintendo at the time - and featured content such as Yuji Naka revealing a few details about the development and new features of the game. Tails was frequently featured in teasers of the game due to being a new playable character, and promotional posters bore the line "Are you up 2 it?". Sonic 2's international box art, featuring Sonic and Tails standing in front of a giant "2" with Dr. Eggman peering over it, was drawn by Greg Martin, who had previously drawn the Western key art for Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit). The Japanese artwork was illustrated by Akira Watanabe, who also made the cover artworks for many of Sega's mainline games at the time.

Release

Sonic 2 was first released on 21 November 1992 in Japan. In the West, Sega of America had planned at first to make a tour of shopping mails across the United States to release the game. At the last minute, however, they changed their minds and considered that this plan was not "Sega" enough. A high-profile, global release was conceived instead. This was an unusual practice at the time, since the games' release dates varied by region. The game thus released internationally on Tuesday, 24 November 1992, a date called "Sonic 2sday" by promotional material.

Reception

Sales

Due to the popularity of its predecessor, Sonic 2 already had an established fanbase anticipating its release. The game received critical acclaim upon release and was a best seller in the UK charts for two months, and the highest selling game of 1992. As of 2006, the game has sold over 6 million copies, making it the second best-selling game for the Sega Mega Drive, after Sonic 1. Out of those 6 million worldwide sales, only 400,000 cartridges were sold in Japan.

Critical reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	88.44%
Defunct Games	93%
Review scores
Publication	Score
Computer and Video Games	94%
Electronic Games	91%
Electronic Gaming Monthly	35/40
Eurogamer	9/10 (X360)
Famitsu	30/40
GameFan	197/200
Game Informer	27.25/30 9.5/10
GamePro	5/5
GameSpot	8/10 (X360)
IGN	8.5/10 (Wii)
Mean Machines Sega	96%
Mega	94%
MegaTech	95%
Mega Zone	96%
Official Nintendo Magazine	94% (Wii)
Official Xbox Magazine (US)	9/10 (X360)
Sega Force	97%
Sega Pro	94%
Bad Influence!	5/5 starsFile:Star full.svgFile:Star full.svgFile:Star full.svgFile:Star full.svg
Sega-16	10/10
Sega Force Mega	95%
Svenska Hemdatornytt	100%
Awards Entity Award Electronic Gaming Monthly Best Game of the Year (Genesis) Game Informer Best Action/Adventure Game Best Graphics in a Video Game

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 received wide critical acclaim. Based on magazine reviews from the early 1990s, the game holds an aggregate score of 93% at Defunct Games, with this being based on ten reviews. Based mostly on retrospective online reviews from the 2000s, the game holds an aggregate score of 88.44% at GameRankings, based on eight reviews.

Reviewers praised the game for its large levels, colorful graphics and backgrounds, increased cast of characters, enemies, and music. Upon release, Ed Simrad of Electronic Gaming Monthly stated that the "twice as long" play time offers "more enjoyment for the buck" and that as "a 2 player game, there is twice the fun." He praised the "larger and harder" levels and "quite innovative" new moves, concluding that it is "the best all-around game on the market." GamePro stated that it is "tough to follow up a classic, but Sonic the Hedgehog 2 earns top honors." They stated that "the best thing about Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is that it's just plain fun" and concluded that it gives "plenty of fabulous gaming to pass the time." Andy of Game Informer stated that it is "not as easy as the first and has more variation. The addition of the two-player split screen is great." Jaz of Mean Machines Sega described it as "faster, slicker, more colourful, louder, bigger and much, much tougher than the original," concluding that it is "packed with features, has loads of secrets, and rounds it all up with a superlative two-player mode that'll have your friends queuing round the block to play. Brilliant!"

The game has also been well received in retrospective reviews. GameSpot stated that "time may have eroded Sega's prominence, but it hasn't done much to diminish how sweet Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is," and, along with other reviewers, commented on how it is still a fun game to play. Critics also enjoyed the faster gameplay the game offered in comparison to its predecessor, as well as its new features. Lucas M. Thomas of IGN praised the new Spin Dash ability, which would prepare Sonic to launch at a faster speed. Thomas also noted that the levels of Sonic 2 were designed to showcase the character's speed, and was less a "platform-jumping game" than a "platform-running" game, in slight contrast to its predecessor.

The game's main criticisms concern the competitive, split-screen, two-player mode, and a new introduction to the series. While the mode was generally well-received upon release, several reviewers have criticized the mode's noticeable slowdown, prominent flickering, and squashed play area for each player. However, IGN praised the innovation of the new two player mode, quipping that "Mario and Luigi could never run competitively through the same levels, at the same time." William Burrill of the Toronto Star described the two player racing mode as the "only part of the game that can be faulted," citing that the mode and its split screen view "squeezes the graphics, plumps up the characters and slows down the action."

Awards

Electronic Gaming Monthly awarded Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as the Best Game of the Year for the Sega Mega Drive, describing it as "the best Genesis cart to come along in a long time!" Game Informer gave the game the Best Action/Adventure Game award, praising it for keeping "the same look and feel of the original Sonic the Hedgehog, while adding a two-player mode, longer levels, new moves, and better animation. Wow!" Electronic Games chose Sonic 2 as one of the three nominees for their Video Game of the Year award, along with Street Fighter II and NHLPA Hockey '93.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has been listed among the greatest video games of all time. In 2000, Game Informer ranked it number 61 on its "Top 100 Games of All Time" list, calling it "the most challenging and finely polished Sonic the Hedgehog title." They later ranked it the 97th best game of all time in 2009. Mega placed the game at number 36 in their "Top Sega Mega Drive Games of All Time" list in 1994. It has also been listed among the best games of all time by Electronic Gaming Monthly (in 1997 and 2001), GameFAQs (in 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2014), GamingBolt, Guinness World Records (in 2009), NowGamer (in 2010), Retro Gamer (in 2004), and Yahoo! (in 2006). In 2022, IGN placed Sonic 2 as the eighth best Sonic game in their "10 Best Sonic Games" list.

Re-releases

Image	Game	Platform	Description
File:Title Screen Knuckles in Sonic 2.png	Knuckles in Sonic 2	Sega Mega Drive	The result of locking Sonic 2 on to Sonic & Knuckles.
File:Sonic Classics 3 in 1 - Sega Genesis.jpg	Sonic Compilation		Released as a bundle with Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine in 1995.
File:Sonic Jam USA Cover.jpg	Sonic Jam	Sega Saturn	Released alongside other Sonic Sega Mega Drive games in 1997.
File:Sega Smash Pack 2.jpg	Sega Smash Pack 2	PC	Released alongside other Sega Mega Drive games in 2000.
File:Sonicaction4pack.jpg	Sonic Action 4 Pack		Released as part of Sega Smash Pack 2, alongside Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Sonic & Knuckles Collection, and Sonic R; in 2001.
File:Sonic Mega Collection cover artwork.jpg	Sonic Mega Collection	Nintendo GameCube	Released alongside other Sega Mega Drive games in 2002.
File:SonicMegaCollectionPlus.png	Sonic Mega Collection Plus	PlayStation 2 Xbox Windows PC	Released alongside other Sega Mega Drive and Game Gear games in 2004.
File:Sega Genesis Collection.jpg	Sega Genesis Collection	PlayStation 2 PlayStation Portable	Released alongside Sonic the Hedgehog and other Sega Mega Drive games in 2006.
File:Sonic Mega Collection Plus, Super Monkey Ball Deluxe 2 in 1 combo pack.jpg	Sonic Mega Collection Plus / Super Monkey Ball Deluxe 2 in 1 combo pack	Xbox	Released as part of Sonic Mega Collection Plus, alongside Super Monkey Ball Deluxe.
File:Gc sonic gems collection p o5pa9w.jpg	Sonic Gems Collection	Nintendo GameCube PlayStation 2	Released as part of the game's Museum mode in 2005.
File:Sega Mega drive collection 2.jpg	Sega Mega Drive Collection Vol. 2	Play TV Legends	Released alongside five other Sega Mega Drive games in 2005.
File:Super Sonic Gold.jpg	Super Sonic Gold		Released alongside three other Sega Mega Drive games in 2005.
File:Sonic2-cafe-title.png	Sonic the Hedgehog 2	Mobile	Released as part of the Sonic Cafe service in 2006.
File:S2Dtitle.png	Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Dash!	J2ME	Re-released for J2ME phones in 2008.
File:Md sonicthehedgehog2.jpg	N/A	Wii	Available for download on the Wii Virtual Console. On 29 October 2015, it was reported that the port would be taken down the following day in Japan, along with Sonic 1.
File:Boxsonichedgehog2.jpg	N/A	Xbox 360	Re-released as part of the Xbox Live Arcade service. In May 2022, the game was delisted from the service.
File:SFP PS2.jpg	Sega Fun Pack: Sonic Mega Collection Plus & Shadow the Hedgehog	PlayStation 2	Released as part of Sonic Mega Collection Plus, alongside Shadow the Hedgehog, in 2009.
File:SUGC boxart.jpg	Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection	PlayStation 3 Xbox 360	Released alongside other Sega Mega Drive and Game Gear games in 2009.
File:SonicPCCollection.jpg	Sonic PC Collection	PC	Released as part of Sonic Mega Collection Plus, alongside Sonic Riders, Sonic Heroes and Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut; in 2009.
File:SCC FRONT 12 2 lrg.jpg	Sonic Classic Collection	Nintendo DS	Released alongside other Sonic Sega Mega Drive games in 2010.
File:Sonic2AppStore.png	N/A	iPhone	Released on iPhone devices in 2010.
File:Sonic2PlaySEGA.jpg		Browser	Released in 2010 alongside other Sega console games as part of the PlaySega website.
File:Sonic 2 2013 icon.png	Sonic the Hedgehog 2	Mobile	Released in 2013.
File:Sonic-the-Hedgehog-2in3D.png	3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2	Nintendo 3DS	Released in 2015.
File:Sega Ages Sonic 2 icon.jpg	Sega Ages: Sonic the Hedgehog 2	Nintendo Switch	Re-released on Nintendo Switch as part of the Sega Ages line. Essentially the same as the Nintendo 3DS release sans the 3D feature, but now with Knuckles in Sonic 2.
	N/A		Available for download on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service.
File:Sonic-Origins-Cover.png	Sonic Origins	Xbox Series X and Series S Xbox One PlayStation 5 PlayStation 4 Nintendo Switch PC (Steam, Epic Games)	Released on 23 June 2022 to celebrate the Sonic series' 30th anniversary. In addition to a remaster version of Sonic 2, this game in the compilation contains additional modes, new cutscenes, and Missions. Additionally, the game includes Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles as playable characters, new Zones in both the main game and 2 Player VS mode, and the Drop Dash for Sonic.
File:SO Plus Key art.jpeg	Sonic Origins Plus		An expanded re-release of Sonic Origins released on 23 June 2023, now featuring Amy Rose as a playable character.

Cheat codes

• Display Tails' name as Miles: At the title screen press the following in order: Directional buttons Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Up. This can be done again to revert Miles' name back to Tails. In the Japanese release Miles is the default name and entering the code will change his name to Tails.
• Act select: - At the Options Sound Test, play the following tunes in order: 19, 65, 09, and 17, which makes the Ring sound play, then press Start to return to the intro/title screen. Once there press Start while holding A to enter the Act select. During any Act, by pausing the game, press A to return to the Act Select.
• 14 Continues: At the Options Sound Test, play the following tunes in order: 01, 01, 02 and 04, then the select Player Select to start the game with 14 continues. Oddly enough entering this code will cause all sound test options to be overwritten with the music for Oil Ocean Zone.
• Debug Mode: At the Act Select Sound Test, play the following tunes in order: 01, 09, 09, 02, 01, 01, 02, and 04, activating a Ring chime, and unlock Debug Mode. Then highlight any Act and press Start while holding A.
• All 7 Chaos Emeralds: At the Act select Sound Test, play the following tunes in order: 04, 01, 02, and 06, which plays Chaos Emerald music, and get all seven Chaos Emeralds.

Achievements

These are the achievements and trophies for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Sonic the Hedgehog 2:

Icon	Name	Description	Trophy Class	Gamescore
File:All Multiplayer.png	All Multiplayer	Play all four multiplayer zones.	File:PSN Trophy Bronze.png	5
File:Clear Green.jpg	Emerald Hill	Clear the Emerald Hill Zone 1.	File:PSN Trophy Bronze.png	5
File:Casino.png	Casino	Get to the Casino Night Zone.	File:PSN Trophy Bronze.png	10
File:Fast Win.jpg	Conquering Time	Beat the game in under an hour.	File:PSN Trophy Silver.png	10
File:Chaos Emerald.jpg	Chaos Emerald	Get one Chaos Emerald.	File:PSN Trophy Bronze.png	10
File:Xbox Live Racer.png	Xbox Live Racer (XBLA) Online Racer (PS3)	Win 10 versus zones on Xbox Live/PlayStation Network	File:PSN Trophy Bronze.png	10
File:Fast Green.jpg	Fast Emerald	Beat Emerald Hill Zone 1 in under 35 seconds in single-player or co-op mode.	File:PSN Trophy Bronze.png	15
File:Super Sonic1.png	Super Sonic	Become Super Sonic.	File:PSN Trophy Silver.png	20
File:Extended Super.png	Extended Super	Stay in Super Sonic mode for one minute.	File:PSN Trophy Silver.png	20
File:Fast Chemical.png	Fast Chemical	Beat Chemical Plant Zone 1 in under 45 seconds.	File:PSN Trophy Bronze.png	20
File:Win.png	Win	Beat the game.	File:PSN Trophy Bronze.png	35
File:Chaos Master.jpg	Chaos Master	Get all the Chaos Emeralds.	File:PSN Trophy Gold.png	40

Adaptations

File:Sonic the Hedgehog -289.jpg

The regular cover of Sonic the Hedgehog #289.

An adaptation of Sonic 2 was made by Shogakukan for the Sonic the Hedgehog manga, with few differences, such as the inclusion of the manga's original characters.

It has been stated that the events of Sonic 2 have taken place in the Sonic the Comic series published by Fleetway Editions. Though no direct adaptation was made, the game was referenced in Sonic the Comic #27, "A Tale of Tails". In fact, the entire comic series picks up after the events of Sonic 2.

Archie Comics made an adaptation of Sonic 2 as part of their "Genesis" storyline, in Sonic the Hedgehog #228-#229. It has also been stated that the events of the game have happen in the Post-Super Genesis Wave timeline. Eventually, an adaptation of the game in this timeline was made in Sonic the Hedgehog #289, as the second part of the "Genesis of a Hero" storyline.

Trivia

• Artwork by Yasushi Yamaguchi in conmmemoration of the 25th anniversary of Sonic 2.
  Artwork by Yasushi Yamaguchi in conmmemoration of the 25th anniversary of Sonic 2.
• Artwork by Yasushi Yamaguchi in conmmemoration of the 30th anniversary of Sonic 2.
  Artwork by Yasushi Yamaguchi in conmmemoration of the 30th anniversary of Sonic 2.

• To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Sonic 2, Yasushi Yamaguchi posted on Twitter a drawing of Tails. He also did the same in 2022 in conmmemoration of the same game's 30th anniversary.
• At one point, SoA considered having the soundtrack for Sonic 2 composed entirely in-house by STI instead of rehiring Masato Nakamura, and several demo tracks were composed. However, SoJ outright rejected these demo tracks upon listening, ostensibly due to their poor quality. To date, only one of these unused demo songs, "Night Club Scene" by composer David Javelosa, is known to have survived. It has since been uploaded to the internet on Javelosa's YouTube channel.
• This was the last Sonic game in the 90's to use the original Sonic The Hedgehog theme by Masato Nakamura, due to him leaving the series and Sega having to pay royalties in order to use the song due to Nakamura owning the copyrights to the majority of the soundtracks for the first two Sonic games. The song was considered for use as the title theme for Sonic Spinball, but it was hastily replaced with a new song very late in production when the development team discovered that Sega didn't own the rights to the song and did not wish to pay the royalties for it. The theme would not appear in a Sonic game again until the Sonic Advance games (via the Invincibility Theme), and again in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and Sonic Generations years later. However, an arrangement of the song was used for the opening of DiC's Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon, and remained in use upon the series going into reruns.
• The original release of Sonic 2 is notable for being the only game in the mainline Sonic series where Tails is completely incapable of flight when playable. Every subsequent playable appearance of Tails in a mainline Sonic game would give him some form of flight (discounting spinoffs in other genres such as Sonic Drift). Both the 2013 remaster and Sonic Origins remaster of Sonic 2 would retroactively give Tails the ability to fly as he could in subsequent games. Tails is also unable to swim in the original game, an ability that he would acquire in Sonic 3, though this handicap was retained for his Game Gear appearances outside of power-ups or vehicles. Both the 2013 remaster and Origins remake would also likewise retroactively implement his ability to swim.
• Due to the way memory is stored in the Sonic Classics cartridge release of Sonic 2, none of the Game Genie codes for the initial cartridge releases of Sonic 2 will work for that specific version of the game. A distinct set of codes is required instead.
• Despite the Sega Master System/Game Gear version of Sonic 2 predating the release of the console version of the game, Sega insists on recognizing the 16-bit game as the official debut of Tails, despite him appearing in the 8-bit release first.
• Some believe that the famous "Hidden Palace" theme (which can be heard in the games sound test, and plays if the level data is accessed via a Game Genie code) was meant to be played during a cutscene at the end of the level (a major piece of evidence is that Masato Nakamura's demo tape of the song includes an ending that was not implemented into the in-game song, hinting towards its intended purpose). When the level was reimplemented into the game in both the 2013 mobile port and Origins remake, the 2-Player theme for Mystic Cave Zone was used instead, as the development team felt the scrapped Hidden Palace song did not match the tone of the level.
• This is the only 2D Sonic game where the player does not get a "Try Again" message after completing the game without collecting all Chaos Emeralds.
• In the second trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, during the Sonic 2 section, Sonic's running animation from the Nick Arcade and Simon Wai prototypes is seen instead of the final version.
• Unlike in the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr. Eggman's blue glasses are replaced with completely black eyes (can be mistaken for black glasses), in line with artwork of him in North America and Europe. This is probably the reason why the original Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons, and western Sonic media depicted him with black eyes. This is also seen in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, but was corrected in Sonic Origins and its expansion Sonic Origins Plus respectively, while this game remained the same. Additionally, in the international key art, he is also seen with a large beard, which is nowhere to be seen in the actual game.
• Dr. Eggman's appearance on the said art can suggest a loose basis for his Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog design hence the similarities of having sinister looking black eyes and an orange moustache.
• The western key art would also later be recreated for the third advertised poster for the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 film produced by Paramount Pictures.
• This game was made the same year the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog pilot was made. However, the latter was produced before the former was released.
• This is the first main series game to have all seven Chaos Emeralds, therefore, debuting the super transformation.
• The app icon for the initial iPhone version of Sonic 2 uses recycled artwork from Sonic Advance 2.
• Like its predecessor, the original cartridge release of Sonic The Hedgehog 2 does not have an age rating, as it predates the creation of both Sega's short-lived VRC (Videogame Rating Council) and the ESRB rating system. Rereleases of the game would graft the ESRB's K-A (Kids To Adults) rating and it's successor (E for Everyone) onto it.
• On the back of the American Sonic 2 box, the screenshot of Sonic and Tails in the Oil Ocean Zone is actually a pre-release version of this Zone. A switch can also be seen on the right side of the screenshot. When pressed, it would release a large ball from the floor and roll right into the ocean (as seen in the Simon Wai prototype). The switch and the ball did not appear in the final version of this Zone but can still be accessed in the Debug Mode. The screenshot of Aquatic Ruin Zone is also from a prototype version.
• In the North American instruction manual of Sonic 2, page seven has a screenshot of the title screen from the Beta 4 prototype. On page 9, the screenshot of the Oil Ocean Zone is also in from a prototype. Its background is different from the final version (most notably, the silver silo in the background is on the right side in the screenshot, but it is located on the left side in the final version).
• Interestingly, the sprite of Super Sonic used for the Super and Extended Super achievements is in fact a fan-made Sonic Battle sprite from a sprite sheet made by JoeTE.

Videos

US commercial #1US commercial #2US commercial #3Japanese commercial #1Japanese commercial #1 (Short ver.)Japanese commercial #2French commercial

File:Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Commercial 1992

File:Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Commercial 1992 2

File:Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Commercial 1992 3

File:Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese CM - V-Jump Premium Video -VHS - 1993-

File:セガ メガドライブ ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ2 CM 1992年

File:Japanese Sonic 2 Commercial from Sonic Jam Perfect Rip B

File:Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Commercial - 'Mega Speed' France

External links

• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sonic the Hedgehog console mainline games

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