Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)


 * For the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive game of the same name, see Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ２) is a platforming game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Aspect and released by Sega. Released in-between October and November 1992 for Master System and Game Gear, the game predates 16-bit counterpart for the Sega Genesis less of a month. Despite sharing the same title, the 8-bit version of the game is completely different game with new Zones, different storyline and additional features.

Being released earlier than 16-bit counterpart, the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 marks the debut of character Miles "Tails" Prower, Sonic the Hedgehog's best friend who became a recurring character in the series. The story centers around Sonic rescuing Animals and Tails from Dr. Robotnik. Much like other Game Gear and Master System games, the 8-bit game has been re-released on numerous compilation titles or as unlockable mini games, including re-releases in the Virtual Console for the Wii and Nintendo 3DS.

Storyline
After the events of the first game, peace returned to South Island. Sonic the Hedgehog decided to leave the quiet island to pursue other adventures. When he finally returned, there was no sign of his animal friends. Confused, he went home to find a note written by his close friend Miles "Tails" Prower. It explains that all of the animals of South Island have been kidnapped by Dr. Ivo Robotnik, and that Tails is being held in a place called the Crystal Egg. Robotnik forced him to write that he will only be freed if Sonic finds and brings six Chaos Emeralds. He also writes that six of Robotnik's elite robots were built to await Sonic in each zone, and to be careful as the diabolical doctor has specific plans to eliminate his nemesis. After reading the message, Sonic sets out to thwart the evil scientist's revenge scheme!

Gameplay
Advances made in this game include Sonic's ability to grab back rings scattered when hit by an enemy as well as being able to smash through certain walls, capabilities not implemented in the 16-bit versions of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Genesis. Oddly enough, there appears to be no Spin Dash, though this may be because this game was released before the Genesis version, which introduced the Spin Dash. Uniquely, this game includes levels in which Sonic must ride a mine cart, and a hang glider, the latter under full player control and a reasonable simulation of physics. There is also a large bubble in underwater levels which raises Sonic upwards until he hits a ceiling, enemy or obstacle.

Monitors are largely the same as the first game, and as usual, Chaos Emeralds are scattered throughout the stages. Each Emerald is found in the second act of each of the first five zones. If the player collects them all and then defeats Silver Sonic in the sixth zone, the sixth Emerald is awarded and the player may access the final Zone (Crystal Egg Zone). Players that are able to collect all the Emeralds are rewarded with the game's "good ending"; to those who fail, the game ends after Silver Sonic's destruction and a more downbeat end sequence is played (in which Tails was not rescued).

Objects

 * Rings
 * Monitors
 * Super Rings
 * Power Sneakers
 * Invincibility
 * 1-UPs
 * Chaos Emeralds

Bonus Panel rewards
Much like in Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit), a Bonus Panel is found at the end of Acts 1 and 2 of each Zone. Passing it makes it spin and when it stops, the player will get a bonus depending on the sign's plate:

Characters

 * Sonic the Hedgehog (playable character)
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Dr. Robotnik
 * Animals
 * Flicky
 * Pocky
 * Pecky
 * Cucky
 * Ricky
 * Rocky

Bosses

 * Master Robots
 * Antlion Mecha
 * Goose Mecha
 * Mecha Sea Lion
 * Mecha Pig
 * Pig-Boar Mecha
 * Silver Sonic
 * Dr. Robotnik

Zones
There are seven zones in total, each comprising three acts. In a Zone's final act, the player faces the local boss, but without any Rings to collect.
 * Under Ground Zone
 * Sky High Zone
 * Aqua Lake Zone
 * Green Hills Zone
 * Gimmick Mountain Zone
 * Scrambled Egg Zone
 * Crystal Egg Zone (only accessible if the player has successfully collected all six Chaos Emeralds).

Differences between versions
The Game Gear, with its lower screen resolution, naturally results in the handheld system's version having a smaller visible screen area than the Master System edition. Unlike the previous 8-bit title, Sonic's sprite was not changed to compensate for the smaller resolution, resulting in less reaction time. The bosses all used a smaller arena as well - which is especially troublesome when facing the boss of the Under Ground Zone, which randomized the bounce height of the hazards. Other bosses were affected, such as the Green Hills Zone battle taking place in a smaller, steeper arena, and the escape chute being invisible from the playing area during the Crystal Egg Zone fight. For these reasons, many consider the Game Gear version to be unfairly challenging.

The intro sequence was also altered; the handheld version appears to show Robotnik actually kidnapping Tails in front of Sonic, whereas on Master System he was merely escaping with the captive Tails. The Scrambled Egg Zone theme also replaced this scene's music, with the tune that was played in this prelude in the Master System version instead employed on the title screen. The handheld edition also features dark blue (instead of green) water in the second act of the Aqua Lake Zone, and shows the water level rising at the beginning of the act (which does not maintain zone continuity as the last act actually ends in water). For an unknown reason, the game's rare "High Speed" item boxes are completely removed in the Game Gear version despite still being listed in the manual. One may be found in the Master System version of this stage, as well as Gimmick Mountain Zone. These are inexplicably replaced with Ring monitors.

In addition, the two versions have some different music, such as the boss battle theme being rewritten entirely. A more upbeat tune also plays during the good ending in the Game Gear version; the Master System uses a somewhat sad-sounding tune for both the bad and good endings, which is odd since the alternate theme is in the Master System game's code but remains unused. On the other hand, the Master System game does feature an additional piece of music not heard in the Game Gear game - the "High Speed" theme. A rather interesting note was that the music for Green Hills Zone was featured as the theme song for the Japanese and European versions of Sonic CD, and a remix of the tune is used for Mecha Green Hill Zone in Sonic Chaos. The Game Gear version's boss theme was also remixed as the Metallic Madness theme, which in turn would be arranged as the final boss theme of Sonic Chaos.

Good Ending
The good ending of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 shows Sonic the Hedgehog defeating Doctor Robotnik. Sonic is upset that Robotnik managed to escape, but Tails teleports in his place and is freed. Tails then smiles at the player, and Sonic shrugs at the camera (his idle animation). The cutscene after that shows Sonic and Tails running through a valley from day to night, while the credits scroll. At the end of the cutscene, an image of Sonic and Tails appears in the stars, showing the bond of the duo.

Bad Ending
The bad ending of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 shows Sonic the Hedgehog defeating the Silver Sonic at the end of Scrambled Egg Zone. Because the player did not collect all of the six Chaos Emeralds, Sonic cannot access Crystal Egg Zone. In the cutscene, Sonic runs by himself from day to night. At the end of the cutscene, Sonic looks up at the sky, in which only an image of Tails appears as a reminder that Tails was not rescued. Many players assumed that Tails was killed.

Reception
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Master System and Game Gear has been critically acclaimed since release. The Master System version received a positive review from Mean Machines, which described it as better than its predecessor and as "one of the greatest Master System games of all time," giving it an overall 95% score. Mega Zone gave this version an overall 93% score, with reviewer Steward Clark stating that it is "radically different to the Mega Drive version" but still "another winner!" He praised the "superb gameplay" and described it as a "classic in its own right." Sega Force gave the Master System version a 92% score, noting that instead of "trying to scale down the MD version," Sega have "opted for a totally different game &mdash; and well good it is, too!"

The Game Gear version received a positive review from GamePro staff writer The Unknown Gamer, focusing praise on both the gameplay and the impressive graphics for the small handheld console. It gave the game scores of 5 for graphics, 4 for sound, 4.5 for control, and 5 for overall fun factor. Sega Force gave the Game Gear version a 93% score, describing it as the "most challenging" and "toughest version of Sonic 2." French magazine Mega Force also gave the game a positive review. In 1993, it was awarded as the Best Portable Game of 1993 by Electronic Gaming Monthly.

Reviewing the Master System version for its Virtual Console release, IGN gave the game a score of 8.0 out of 10. The reviewer Lucas M. Thomas stated that many Wii owners may "erroneously assume that it's a technically inferior port of the Genesis classic with the same name. It's not." He described the Master System game as "entirely its own adventure" with its own "unique elements like mine carts and hang gliders," concluding that it is "a hidden gem from Sonic's early years."

Re-releases

 * Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut for the Nintendo GameCube and Windows PC (Game Gear version)
 * Sonic Gems Collection for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony PlayStation 2 (Game Gear version)
 * Wii Virtual Console for 500 Wii Points (Master System version)
 * Nintendo 3DS eShop

Staff

 * Compose: Tomozou Endo ("Tomozou"), Simachan, Ray
 * Program: Ko.Ko, Semimaru, * Hiro SSS, ** Tea Tea, Tosiyan
 * Art: Jly King, 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"), Taku Shoji ("Taku.S"), Katsuhiro Hasegawa ("The Hase"), Takashi Yuda ("Thomas Y"), Ryu, ** Okusan, Lunarian, Hitmen, Aspect, .and You

* Only in Game Gear version. ** Only in Master System version.

Archie Comics
The events of the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 were later incorporated into the Post-Super Genesis Wave Timeline of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series. Some modifications were made, notably the inclusion of the Super Special Sonic Search & Smash Squad and Breezie the Hedgehog, as well as plot elements involving their counterparts from Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Trivia

 * Although Tails is not a playable character, he appears on the title card at the beginning of each act of a zone, which depict him together with Sonic and elements that describe the zone. Curiously, the title cards use sprites of Sonic and Tails that look similar to, if not exactly the same as, their sprites from the 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 video games respectively.
 * If the player presses the buttons left and right at the same time, Sonic will go fast backwards.
 * There was also a prototype version of this game that only had 1 track, 3 zones, no badniks, and no bosses, and had very similar physics to Sonic 1 on the master system.
 * This is the first handheld Sonic game to feature loops in a stage.
 * This game was re-released on Sonic Gems Collection for the GameCube in 2005, along with many other obscure Sonic games such as Sonic Chaos, Tails Adventure, Sonic the Fighters, Sonic R, and Sonic CD.