Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)

Following the previous events, South Island has enjoyed a period of tranquility, prompting Sonic the Hedgehog to seek new adventures elsewhere. However, upon his return, Sonic discovers an unsettling absence of his Animal companions. Perplexed by this discovery, Sonic heads back home, where he finds a written message left behind by his dear friend, Miles “Tails” Prower. The note reveals the distressing news that Dr. Robotnik has captured all the Animals from South Island, and Tails himself is held captive within the Crystal Egg – the very place where he penned the note. Tails further explains that accessing the Crystal Egg requires Sonic to possess all six Chaos Emeralds. The note also reveals that Dr. Robotnik has devised six formidable Master Robots, each stationed in different Zones, and warns Sonic to exercise utmost caution, as the doctor harbors specific intentions of eliminating him. Determined to counter Robotnik’s malicious plot, Sonic embarks on a mission to thwart his sinister plans and rescue his friends.^[1]Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Game Gear) Japanese instruction booklet, pgs. 4-5.

As Sonic traverses South Island, he overcomes the challenges and traps set by Robotnik, all the while on a quest to locate the Chaos Emeralds. His journey leads him to the Scrambled Egg, where he faces off against Mecha Sonic, the formidable Master Robot. Upon emerging victorious against this mechanical foe, the outcome of the game’s ending is determined by the player’s progress:

• If the player has not acquired the first five Chaos Emeralds prior to the Mecha Sonic encounter, a cutscene depicts Sonic running across a simple landscape, transitioning from day to night. The scene concludes with Sonic gazing at the night sky, revealing a constellation resembling Tails.
• If the player has successfully gathered the first five Chaos Emeralds before facing Mecha Sonic, they will be transported to the Crystal Egg for a final showdown with Dr. Robotnik. Following the climactic battle, Robotnik retreats, and Tails is freed from captivity. Sonic and Tails then depart together, eventually pausing to contemplate the night sky, where constellations resembling themselves come into view.

Characters

Image	Character	Biography
	Miles “Tails” Prower	A boy who adores Sonic. His two tails are a sign of his vitality.
	Doctor Robotnik	The evil genius scientist. His goals: world domination and overthrowing Sonic.[2]Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Game Gear) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 29.
	Mecha Sonic	Doctor Robotnik’s super secret weapon. A formidable enemy?

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 follows a side-scrolling platforming gameplay style akin to Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit). The primary goal is to guide Sonic through each Act of a Zone within a ten-minute time frame. Players commence the game with three lives, which can be augmented by acquiring 1-Up Monitors or amassing 100 Rings. Sonic retains his fundamental actions from the previous game, including the Super Spin Attack for jumping and attacking (with jump height determined by the duration of the trigger button press) and the Spin Attack for obliterating obstacles and enemies.

Rings serve as a protective buffer against harm, though they are unable to safeguard against hazards such as drowning, bottomless pits, or Time Overs. When Sonic takes damage, a substantial number of Rings scatter around him, of which a portion can be recollected. Sustaining damage without any Rings results in Sonic losing a life and the player restarting the current Act. Exhausting all lives concludes the game, although Continues, awarded through Bonus Panels, provide additional attempts. Throughout the game, Monitors yield various power-ups upon being shattered.

Unique gameplay features are introduced in each Zone of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, including Railcarts, Hang-Gliders, large air bubbles, and Flywheels. The game boasts larger and more intricate maps compared to its predecessor, complete with heightened challenges and obstacles like Spikes. Notably, each Zone’s second Act conceals a single Chaos Emerald. Achieving the goal of amassing the first five Emeralds and triumphing over Mecha Sonic in the sixth Zone leads to earning the sixth Emerald and gaining access to the final Zone (Crystal Egg Zone). Successfully acquiring all Chaos Emeralds culminates in the game’s “good ending,” while those who fall short witness a less uplifting credits sequence (where Tails remains unreleased).

Controls

Button Formation	Movement
left/right	Walk/Run
up	Look up
down	Look down/Crouch
/	Super Spin Attack
left/right + down	Spin Attack
START	Pause

Objects

Items

• Air Bubble
• Chaos Emerald
• Monitor
  • 1-Up
  • Invincibility
  • Power Sneakers (Master System version)
  • Super Ring
  • Continue
• Ring

Gimmicks and Obstacles

Bonus Panel Rewards

Similar to its predecessor, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit) features a Bonus Panel located at the conclusion of Acts 1 and 2 within each Zone. Successfully navigating this panel triggers its spin, and upon its cessation, the player is rewarded with a bonus corresponding to the emblem depicted on the panel’s face:

Image	Name	Reward	Conditions
	Question mark (default)	N/A	The visual presentation of the Bonus Panel prior to the player’s interaction.
	Robotnik	Nothing	The player interacts with the Bonus Panel without fulfilling any of the specific conditions mentioned below.
	Sonic	1-UP	When the player makes contact with the Bonus Panel and has two fewer lives than their initial entry into the act.
	Ring	10 Rings	If the player interacts with the Bonus Panel while holding a quantity of Rings that is a multiple of 10 (and the requirements for the Sonic plate have not been fulfilled).
	Tails	Continue	When the player engages with the Bonus Panel while carrying exactly 77 Rings and maintains the initial number of lives they possessed upon entering the act.

Playable Characters

• Sonic the Hedgehog

Non-playable characters

• Dr. Robotnik
• Miles “Tails” Prower (first appearance)
• Animals
  • Flicky
  • Pocky
  • Pecky
  • Cucky
  • Ricky
  • Rocky

Enemies

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 encompasses a total of seven distinct Zones, each divided into three Acts. Within the third Act of a Zone, the player confronts one of the Master Robots without any Rings for protection. After overcoming a Master Robot, the player must then liberate Animals from a floating Prison Egg in order to advance to the subsequent Zone. To gain access to the Crystal Egg Zone, the player must collect the initial five Chaos Emeralds and subsequently defeat the sixth Master Robot. Each Act’s title card features Sonic and Tails in varying scenarios, even though Tails does not function as a playable character in the game. The sequence of Zones is as follows:

1. Under Ground Zone
2. Sky High Zone
3. Aqua Lake Zone
4. Green Hills Zone
5. Gimmick Mountain Zone
6. Scrambled Egg Zone
7. Crystal Egg Zone (Extra Zone)

1. Pit Master (Under Ground Zone) (only appearance)
2. Hiyoko Master (Sky High Zone) (only appearance)
3. Balance Master (Aqua Lake Zone) (only appearance)
4. Dohyo Master (Green Hills Zone) (only appearance)
5. Charge Master (Gimmick Mountain Zone) (only appearance)
6. Mecha Sonic (Scrambled Egg Zone) (only appearance)
7. Crystal Egg Zone boss (Crystal Egg Zone) (only appearance)

Three years subsequent to its initial release, the Game Gear rendition of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 underwent repackaging, joining forces with Sonic Spinball (8-bit), resulting in the compilation title “Sonic 2 in 1,” released in October 1995.

In a manner akin to other titles for the Game Gear and Master System, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has made appearances in several compilation releases. For instance, in Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut for the Nintendo GameCube and PC, the Game Gear iteration of the game was incorporated as an unlockable mini-game, attainable after amassing 120 Emblems or fulfilling specific Missions. Furthermore, the Game Gear version found its place in the compilation Sonic Gems Collection, available for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony PlayStation 2.

The Master System adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was introduced to the Wii’s Virtual Console lineup in 2008. Similarly, the Game Gear version was integrated into the Nintendo 3DS’ Virtual Console offerings, first in Japan in 2012 and then internationally in 2013.

Sonic Origins Plus features the playable inclusion of the Game Gear version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Due to the Sega Game Gear’s handheld nature and its lower screen resolution, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 had a reduced screen width compared to its Sega Master System counterpart. Unlike the previous 8-bit installment, the character sprites for Sonic, Tails, and Robotnik were not adjusted to accommodate the smaller resolution. This resulted in a tighter reaction time for players. The arenas for all boss battles were also scaled down, which posed particular challenges, especially evident when confronting the Under Ground Zone boss. This design choice impacted battles across the board; the Green Hills Zone confrontation, for instance, unfolded in a smaller and steeper arena, and the escape chute during the Crystal Egg Zone encounter was rendered invisible. Moreover, some bosses exhibited more aggressive behavior, such as Pit Master’s variable rock-fall patterns, Balance Master’s constant forward movement to compel Sonic to jump, and Dohyo Master’s new sweeping attack motion.

These factors have led many to perceive the Game Gear version as excessively demanding and, to some extent, unfairly challenging.

Alterations extend to the introductory sequence as well. In the Game Gear rendition of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Robotnik is depicted kidnapping Tails in Sonic’s presence, while the Master System version merely illustrates Robotnik’s escape with the captive Tails. The Scrambled Egg Zone’s theme replaces the music of the introduction, with the latter’s melody being used on the Master System’s title screen. Furthermore, the Game Gear edition presents dark blue water, as opposed to green, in the second act of the Aqua Lake Zone. Notably, this version depicts the water level rising at the beginning of the act, a departure from zone continuity, since the preceding act concludes underwater. Additionally, despite being referenced in the manual, the Game Gear version entirely omits the Monitors with Power Sneakers, which are replaced by Monitors featuring Super Rings.

Furthermore, the two versions of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 incorporate distinct music tracks, including variations on boss themes. Notably, the Game Gear’s good ending features an upbeat tune, while the Master System’s good and bad endings share a somewhat melancholic melody. The Master System edition also includes an extra musical composition absent in the Game Gear release—the “High Speed” theme.

Level Select

• In the Sega Master System version of the game, a secret Level Select feature can be accessed during startup. To activate it, the player must simultaneously hold the left direction on the first controller’s Control Pad and + on the second controller. Once the screen transitions to blue and the introductory animation initiates, the player should proceed to start the game using the main controller as usual. This will reveal the Level Select option.
• In the Sega Game Gear version, a similar hidden Level Select can be accessed during startup. To activate it, the player needs to hold the southwest direction and simultaneously press + . The player should wait until the title screen emerges, and when Tails blinks twice on the title screen, they should press the START button while releasing the other held buttons. This action will grant access to the Level Select feature.

• Compose: Tomozou Endo (“Tomozou”), Simachan, Ray
• Program: Ko.Ko, Semimaru,^{[note 1]}Sega Game Gear version Hiro SSS,^{[note 2]}Sega Master System version Tea Tea, Tosiyan
• Art: Hisato Fukumoto (“Jly King”), Nobuhiko Honda (“Noburin”), Tez, U.D.K
• Edit: Raizou, M. Shima, End, Mariyuri
• Sound: Masafumi Ogata (“Gatao”), Naofumi Hataya (“Nao Chan”), Tomonori Sawada (“Dawasa”)
• Thanks: Hiroshi Aso (“Asohy”), Takashi Shoji (“Taku. S”), Katsuhiro Hasegawa (“The Hase”), Takashi Yuda (“Thomas Y”), Ryu, Okusan, Kenji Shintani (“Lunarian”), Hitmen, Aspect, and You

Archie Comics

In the Post-Super Genesis Wave timeline of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series published by Archie Comics, the storyline of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was integrated with some changes. Notably, the Super Special Sonic Search & Smash Squad and Breezie the Hedgehog were added to the narrative. Furthermore, the conclusion of the game’s events in the comics was modified to seamlessly transition into the events depicted in the comics’ adaptation of “Tails’ Skypatrol.”

• The title cards for the Acts in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 utilize sprites of Sonic and Tails that are derived from their counterparts in the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 introduced the concept of a robotic version of Sonic. This idea was also utilized in the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with the inclusion of Mecha Sonic in the Death Egg Zone. These robot characters preceded the introduction of Metal Sonic, who later appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog CD.
• In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the color of Springs and spikes varies based on the Zone. Notably, diagonally-aligned Springs made their debut in this game before appearing in the 16-bit version.
• The Western box art of the game features skeletal bee/bird-like enemies called Badniks. Interestingly, these enemies do not appear during actual gameplay.
• It’s worth noting that the Western box art seems to depict Sonic and Tails in what resembles the Emerald Hill Zone from the 16-bit version of the game. While it could be intended to represent Green Hills Zone, the artwork more closely resembles Emerald Hill Zone, characterized by palm trees and bridges, which were not present in Green Hills Zone.
• A prototype version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 existed, featuring only one track, three Zones, no Badniks, and no bosses. The physics in this prototype were very similar to Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit).
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was the first handheld Sonic game to incorporate functional loops within its Zones.
• This game also marked the introduction of a secret final boss, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the gameplay.
• Interestingly, the music for Green Hills Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was used as the theme song for the Japanese and European versions of Sonic the Hedgehog CD. This musical connection was facilitated by the involvement of composers Masafumi Ogata and Naofumi Hataya in both games. A remix of this tune was employed for Mecha Green Hill Zone in Sonic Chaos, and a faster variation was used as the Invincibility theme in Sonic Drift. Furthermore, the music received a remix treatment as part of the Invincibility theme in Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure.
• The intro and title music of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, depending on the version of the game, was repurposed as the title music for Sonic Chaos.