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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 Ni?) 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. Players control Sonic and a two-tailed fox named Miles "Tails" Prower as they venture into West Side Island to stop Dr. Eggman from collecting the seven Chaos Emeralds to power his new space station, the Death Egg.

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 and time limitations forced the team to cut content, including entire levels, resulting in a shorter final product than initially planned. Despite these complications, the game introduced several elements that would become staples of the series, such as Tails, the Spin Dash move, and the ability to transform into Super Sonic, as the seventh Chaos Emerald was added (the original game featured only six).

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 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, including a 2013 mobile remake.

Plot[]

Tails and Sonic (left to right) on an emblem with the game's name below. The background is a clear daytime sky with a shot of the ocean and an island on the horizon.

The title screen of Sonic 2.

According to legend, an ancient civilization from West Side Island 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 finds West Side Island while unknowingly being followed by Doctor Eggman. He meets a shy, two-tailed fox named Miles "Tails" Prower, who idolizes him and follows him around the island. Sonic and Tails resolve to stop Eggman after learning that the doctor intends to find the Chaos Emeralds to power a space station known as the Death Egg.[5]

A large hall in a space station, with a view of Earth through various windows. Inside, Sonic stands in front of a giant mech modeled after Eggman, facing to the side, with spiky hands and a jetpack.

Sonic fighting the game's final boss, the Death Egg Robot.

Sonic and Tails journey through the island, defeating Eggman on numerous occasions. They eventually use Sonic's plane, the Tornado, to storm Eggman's flying Wing Fortress. However, it strikes the Tornado's wings, forcing Sonic to board the battleship alone. Thanks to Tails's repaired Tornado, Sonic later boards Eggman's space rocket, leading him to the Death Egg. There, Sonic defeats a robotic doppelganger called Mecha Sonic and Eggman in the Death Egg Robot. Soon after, the Death Egg explodes and falls into Earth's atmosphere. Tails pilots the Tornado to search for Sonic, who escapes the space station.[6] If playing as Sonic without the seven Chaos Emeralds, Tails rescues Sonic in the Tornado; otherwise, Sonic safely returns to Earth as Super Sonic. Beating the game as Tails results in him getting rescued in the Tornado by Sonic, regardless of whether all of the Chaos 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.[7]
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.[8]

Sonic doesn't seem to be paying attention to Miles, but he's actually looking at him sideways.[8]

Eggman Dr. Eggman (Robotnik) Evil genius scientist. He wants the Chaos Emeralds. His life's work is world domination. His rival is Sonic.[7]
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.[7]
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...[7]

Gameplay[]

Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)#Gameplay
and in the level.

Sonic and Tails in the Aquatic Ruin level.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 2D side-scrolling platformer, playing virtually identically to the original Sonic the Hedgehog. By default, players control Sonic while followed by Tails. Tails is controlled by an AI or a second player, and respawns whenever he dies or gets too far from Sonic. The player is also given the option to play as Sonic or Tails alone. The differences between both characters are marginal, with Tails having a slightly shorter hitbox. The playable character retains the same moveset as in Sonic 1, with the addition of the Spin Dash: while stationary, the player can crouch and curl for a speed boost.

The game has eleven worlds called Zones, most of which are divided into two Acts instead of the first game's three Acts per Zone. Most Zones end in a boss fight against Doctor Eggman. As with the first game, Zones have collectable Rings for a layer of protection, Item Boxes for power-ups, and Star Posts for checkpoints.

By passing a Star Post with at least 50 Rings, the player can access optional Special Stages where they can collect the seven Chaos Emeralds. Gathering the seven Emeralds as Sonic enables him to become Super Sonic when he collects 50 Rings. Super Sonic accelerates faster, is virtually invincible, and jumps higher, but drains one Ring per second and reverts to normal once he runs out of Rings. Conversely, getting the Chaos Emeralds as Tails has no effect on the gameplay.

Scoring system[]

Main article: Point#Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)

Controls[]

Button formation Sonic-Icon-Sonic-2 Miles-Tails-Icon-Sonic-2 Movement[9]
Directional buttons left/right Run
Directional buttons up Look up
Directional buttons down Crouch
A/Sega Genesis B Button/C Spin Jump
Move + Directional buttons down Spin Attack
Crouch + A/Sega Genesis B Button/C Spin Dash
START Pause

Objects[]

Items[]

Gimmicks and obstacles[]

Characters[]

Playable characters[]

Non-playable characters[]

A picture of Doctor Eggman at the background and many robots in Sonic 2. From left to right: Flasher, Crawlton, Turtloids, Crawl, Shellcracker, Grounder, Asteron, Slicer, Aquis, Rexon, Buzzer, Masher, and Balkiry. The Egg Mobile is seen at the center, above the Asteron.

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

Enemies[]

Zones []

The second Zone,

The second Zone, Chemical Plant

Sonic 2 features 11 worlds called Zones, with a combined 20 levels called Acts. Most Zones feature two Acts, which are larger than those in Sonic 1. At the end of most Zones is a boss fight against Doctor Eggman and one of his mechs. Most bosses require eight hits to defeat.

  1. Emerald Hill Zone: A grassy landscape similar to Sonic 1's Green Hill Zone. At the end of Emerald Hill Act 2, the player fights the Egg Drillster: a kart with a drill in the front.
  2. Chemical Plant Zone: Eggman's chemical-producing facility, with the player running on twisting tubes. Its boss is the Egg Poison, where Eggman's Egg Mobile drops chemicals on the playable character.
  3. Aquatic Ruin Zone: An ancient ruin with underwater sections and unstable pillars. In Act 2, the player fights the Egg Hammer, where the Egg Mobile hits one of two pillars with an oversized hammer, making that pillar fire an arrow.
  4. Casino Night Zone: A Vegas-themed city in the night. It incorporates pinball gimmicks like Bumpers and Flippers, as well as slot machines. The boss of Casino Night Act 2 is the Catch Eggman, which is the Egg Mobile with a claw on its underside.
  5. Hill Top Zone: It is set atop tall mountains with lava and caves. Hill Top's boss is the Egg Scorcher Mark II, which emerges from one of two lava pools to fire a flamethrower.
  6. Mystic Cave Zone: An underground mine where the player navigates using vines and switches to open doors. Act 2 ends in a fight against the Egg Digger, where Eggman digs into the ceiling to cause earthquakes and drop rubble on the player.
  7. Oil Ocean Zone: Eggman's coastal oil refinery. Gimmicks include oil slides, furnaces that can be used as platforms to reach upwards sections, elevators, fans, and cannons. The boss of Oil Ocean is the Eggmarine, which periodically emerges from the oil after attacking the player with a harpoon and a laser cannon.
  8. Metropolis Zone: This Zone has three Acts instead of the usual two. It is set in mostly crammed corridors filled with enemies and hazards. At the end of Metropolis Act 3, the player fights the Egg Bouncer, which is the Egg Mobile protected by a ring of inflatable Eggmen.
  9. Sky Chase Zone: A single-Act Zone where Sonic and Tails board the Tornado in the sky while attacked by waves of Badniks. At the end, it automatically moves to the next Zone.
  10. Wing Fortress Zone: A single-Act stage set in Eggman's battlecraft. At the beginning, the Tornado is shot down, forcing Sonic (or Tails) to infiltrate the airship alone. At the end, the player enters the ship's cockpit, where they fight the Laser Prison, a room with a ceiling laser and spiky platforms. Once the boss is defeated, the player transitions to the next Zone.
  11. Death Egg Zone: Located in the heart of the Death Egg, this Zone is composed solely of two bosses, and the player is given no Rings or checkpoints during either battle. First, the player fights Mecha Sonic, a robotic copy of Sonic that shoots spikes and has saws on its back. The final boss is the Death Egg Robot, a giant mech modeled after Eggman that can fly with a jetpack, fire its arms, and deploy bombs. The Death Egg Robot takes 12 hits to destroy.

Special Stages[]

Main article: Special Stage (Sonic the Hedgehog 2)
and in a Special Stage.

Sonic and Tails in a Special Stage.

Sonic 2 features seven Special Stages, optional levels that, if successfully finished, award the player a Chaos Emerald. By hitting a Star Post with at least 50 Rings, the player can jump into a Star Circle to get to a Special Stage.

In a Special Stage, the playable character continually runs through a half-pipe course filled with Rings and bombs. The player must collect a set number of Rings to pass through three checkpoints and eventually obtain the Chaos Emerald. If the playable character collides with a bomb, they lose ten Rings and slow down momentarily. The order of stages is fixed in rising difficulty. Whether the player is able to obtain the Emerald or not, they are transported back to normal gameplay after the Special Stage is over. Finishing all seven Special Stages as Sonic enables him to transform into Super Sonic by collecting 50 Rings, but has no effect if playing as Tails.

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.[10][11]

While the first Sonic the Hedgehog was still under development, American game designer Mark Cerny, who had previously worked in Sega games such as 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 the original Sonic the Hedgehog, 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.[12][10] Meanwhile, the rest of the development team stayed in Japan to develop Sonic the Hedgehog CD by the request of the president of Sega.[11]

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 management believed that it was too soon for one.[10] 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.[12] 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.[10]

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.[13] The team, which consisted of just ten people,[11] 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.[13] A new move called the "Spin Dash" was added so that players could reach super speeds in an instant without feeling too exasperated.[14] 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.

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.[12]

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

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 first Sonic the Hedgehog 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.[12] He wanted to implement this feature in this title so that siblings could play together, believing that this made games more fun.[14] He wanted the second playable character to be cute and endearing, like Kitsune in Urusei Yatsura,[15] and hold a "deep admiration for Sonic".[16] 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.[15] Additionally. marketing director Al Nilsen and product manager Madeline Schroeder convinced the team to change the name from "Miles" to "Tails", which upset Yamaguchi.[17] 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.[10] 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.[11]

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

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.[13] 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.[18][19] 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.[20] 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.[13]

Promotional[]

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

The title screen of one of the best known prototypes of Sonic 2, known as 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.[21]

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.[13] 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 humiliated 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.[14] 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.[22]

Release[]

Sonic the Hedgehog 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.[23][24]

Reception[]

Sales[]

Due to the popularity of its predecessor, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 already had an established fanbase anticipating its release.[25] The game received critical acclaim upon release and was a bestseller in the UK charts for two months,[26] and the highest selling game of 1992.[27] As of 2006, the game has sold over 6 million copies,[28] 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.[29]

Critical reception[]

 Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 88.44%[30]
Defunct Games 93%[31]
Review scores
Publication Score
Computer and Video Games 94%[32]
Electronic Games 91%[33]
Electronic Gaming Monthly 35/40[34]
Eurogamer 9/10 (X360)[30]
Famitsu 30/40[35]
GameFan 197/200[36]
Game Informer 27.25/30[37]
9.5/10[38]
GamePro 5/5[31]
GameSpot 8/10 (X360)[39]
IGN 8.5/10 (Wii)[25]
Mean Machines Sega 96%[40]
Mega 94%[41]
MegaTech 95%[42]
Mega Zone 96%[43]
Official Nintendo Magazine 94% (Wii)[44]
Official Xbox Magazine (US) 9/10 (X360)[30]
Sega Force 97%[45]
Sega Pro 94%[46]
Bad Influence! 5/5 stars[47]
Sega-16 10/10[48]
Sega Force Mega 95%[49]
Svenska Hemdatornytt 100%[50]
Awards
Entity Award
Electronic Gaming Monthly Best Game of the Year (Genesis)[51]
Game Informer Best Action/Adventure Game
Best Graphics in a Video Game[52]

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 received wide critical acclaim.[31] 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.[31] Based mostly on retrospective online reviews from the 2000s, the game holds an aggregate score of 88.44% at GameRankings, based on eight reviews.[30]

Reviewers praised the game for its large levels,[39] colorful graphics and backgrounds,[39] increased cast of characters, enemies,[25] and music.[39] 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!"[31]

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.[25][39] 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.[53] 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.[53]

The game's main criticisms concern the competitive, split-screen, two-player mode, and a new introduction to the series.[54] While the mode was generally well-received upon release,[31] 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."[55] 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."[56]

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!"[51] 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!"[31] 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.[57]

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."[58] They later ranked it the 97th best game of all time in 2009.[59] Mega placed the game at number 36 in their "Top Sega Mega Drive Games of All Time" list in 1994.[60] It has also been listed among the best games of all time by Electronic Gaming Monthly (in 1997[61] and 2001[62]), GameFAQs (in 2004,[63] 2005,[64] 2009[65] and 2014[66]), GamingBolt,[67] Guinness World Records (in 2009[68]), NowGamer (in 2010[69]), Retro Gamer (in 2004[70]), and Yahoo! (in 2006[71]). In 2022, IGN placed Sonic 2 as the eighth best Sonic game in their "10 Best Sonic Games" list.[72]

Re-releases[]

Image Game Platform Description
Title Screen Knuckles in Sonic 2 Knuckles in Sonic 2 Sega Mega Drive The result of locking Sonic 2 on to Sonic & Knuckles.
Sonic Classics 3 in 1 - Sega Genesis Sonic Compilation Released as a bundle with Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine in 1995.
Sonic Jam USA Cover Sonic Jam Sega Saturn Released alongside other Sonic Sega Mega Drive games in 1997.
Sega Smash Pack 2 Sega Smash Pack 2 PC Released alongside other Sega Mega Drive games in 2000.
Sonicaction4pack 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.
Sonic Mega Collection cover artwork Sonic Mega Collection Nintendo GameCube Released alongside other Sega Mega Drive games in 2002.
SonicMegaCollectionPlus Sonic Mega Collection Plus PlayStation 2
Xbox
Windows PC 		Released alongside other Sega Mega Drive and Game Gear games in 2004.
Sega Genesis Collection Sega Genesis Collection PlayStation 2
PlayStation Portable 		Released alongside Sonic the Hedgehog and other Sega Mega Drive games in 2006.
Sonic Mega Collection Plus, Super Monkey Ball Deluxe 2 in 1 combo pack 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.
Gc sonic gems collection p o5pa9w Sonic Gems Collection Nintendo GameCube
PlayStation 2 		Released as part of the game's Museum mode in 2005.
Sega Mega drive collection 2 Sega Mega Drive Collection Vol. 2 Play TV Legends Released alongside five other Sega Mega Drive games in 2005.
Super Sonic Gold Super Sonic Gold Released alongside three other Sega Mega Drive games in 2005.
Sonic2-cafe-title Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Mobile Released as part of the Sonic Cafe service in 2006.
S2Dtitle Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Dash! J2ME Re-released for J2ME phones in 2008.
Md sonicthehedgehog2 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.
Boxsonichedgehog2 N/A Xbox 360 Re-released as part of the Xbox Live Arcade service. In May 2022, the game was delisted from the service.[73]
SFP PS2 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.
SUGC boxart Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection PlayStation 3
Xbox 360 		Released alongside other Sega Mega Drive and Game Gear games in 2009.
SonicPCCollection 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.
SCC FRONT 12 2 lrg Sonic Classic Collection Nintendo DS Released alongside other Sonic Sega Mega Drive games in 2010.
Sonic2AppStore N/A iPhone Released on iPhone devices in 2010.
Sonic2PlaySEGA Browser Released in 2010 alongside other Sega console games as part of the PlaySega website.
Sonic 2 2013 icon Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Mobile Released in 2013.
Sonic-the-Hedgehog-2in3D 3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Nintendo 3DS Released in 2015.
Sega Ages Sonic 2 icon 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.
Sonic2-cover N/A Available for download on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service.
Sonic-Origins-Cover 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.
SO Plus Key art 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[]

The secret Level Select menu in Sonic 2.

The secret Level Select menu in Sonic 2.

  • Display Tails's name as Miles: At the title screen, the player has to press the following combination of buttons: Directional buttons Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Up. This can be done again to change Tails's name to Miles in-game. In the Japanese release, where Miles is the default name, the code changes his name to Tails.
  • Level Select: - At the Options Sound Test, the player has to play the following tunes in order: 19, 65, 09, and 17, which makes the Ring sound play; then press Start to return to the title screen. Once there, they have to press Start while holding A to enter the Act select. The player can return to the Level Select by pausing and pressing A. The combination reads "1965-09-17", or 17 September 1965, which was Yuji Naka's birth date.
  • 14 Continues: At the Options Sound Test, the player has to play the following tunes in order: 01, 01, 02 and 04, then select the Player Select, to start the game with 14 Continues. Entering this code will cause all Sound Test options to be overwritten with the Oil Ocean music track.
  • Debug Mode: At the Level Select Sound Test, the player has to play the following tunes in order: 01, 09, 09, 02, 01, 01, 02, and 04. Inputting this combination plays a Ring chime. Then, the player has to highlight any Act and press Start while holding A to enable Debug Mode. The combination reads "1992-11-24", or 24 November 1992, the North American and European release date of Sonic 2.
  • All seven Chaos Emeralds: At the Level Select Sound Test, the player has to input the following tunes in order: 04, 01, 02, and 06. If done successfully, a Chaos Emerald chime is heard.

Achievements[]

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

Icon (XLA) Icon (PSN) Name Description Trophy Class Gamescore
Clear Green Emerald Hill PSN Emerald Hill Clear the Emerald Hill Zone 1.
PSN Trophy Bronze
 5
Fast Green Fast Emerald PSN Fast Emerald Beat Emerald Hill Zone 1 in under 35 seconds in single-player or co-op mode.
PSN Trophy Bronze
 15
Fast Chemical Fast Chemical PSN Fast Chemical Beat Chemical Plant Zone 1 in under 45 seconds.
PSN Trophy Bronze
 20
Casino Casino PSN Casino Get to the Casino Night Zone.
PSN Trophy Bronze
 10
Super Sonic1 Super Sonic PSN Super Sonic Become Super Sonic.
PSN Trophy Silver
 20
Extended Super Extended Super PSN Extended Super Stay in Super Sonic mode for one minute.
PSN Trophy Silver
 20
Chaos Emerald Chaos-emerald-ps3-trophy-22506.jpg Chaos Emerald Get one Chaos Emerald.
PSN Trophy Bronze
 10
Chaos Master Chaos-master-ps3-trophy-22500.jpg Chaos Master Get all the Chaos Emeralds.
PSN Trophy Gold
 40
Fast Win Conquering Time PSN Conquering Time Beat the game in under an hour.
PSN Trophy Silver
 10
All Multiplayer All Multiplayer PSN All Multiplayer Play all four multiplayer zones.
PSN Trophy Bronze
 5
Xbox Live Racer Online Racer PSN Xbox Live Racer (XBLA)
Online Racer (PS3) 		Win 10 versus zones on Xbox Live/in online play
PSN Trophy Bronze
 10
Win Win S2 PSN Win Beat the game.
PSN Trophy Bronze
 35

Adaptations[]

The regular cover of .

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.

The Sonic the Hedgehog 2 film produced by Paramount Pictures is heavily inspired by elements of the game itself.

Trivia[]

  • 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 commemoration 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.
  • 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.
    • However, it is not the last Classic Era Sonic game to use any of his music. The "Act Clear" jingle was reused by Richard Jacques for Sonic R as part of the music for when you earn a Chaos Emerald, though this cue was excluded from the soundtrack release for licensing reasons.
  • According to Yuji Naka, the Spindash was conceived when they were reflecting on thoughts about the first game (specifically, the difficulty players had with getting Sonic up to top speed). They had also planned to include another (undisclosed) ability to the game and using a B+Up command, but this was never realized.[74]
  • 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). To date, no formal explanation has been found or given for why this was the case, though artist Craig Stitt believes that the absence of single player flight was purposefully done for sake of gameplay balance.[75] However, 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.
  • Sonic Team deliberately leaned more into an Anime/Manga style for Sonic 2 in order to help the style gain a grassroots acceptance in the US. However, marketing completely ignored their advice for things like the games packaging.[76]
  • According to a YouTube comment by veteran programmer Dan Geisler (best known for his work on the Road Rash series), in late 1997 he talked to the engineer who programmed the special stages in Sonic 2, and discovered that they had created the stages faux-3D effects by personally reverse-engineering Geisler's sprite scaling and road effect code for the Road Rash games.[77]
  • 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.
  • 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[]

Sonic_the_Hedgehog_2_Teaser_Video_(Translated)

Sonic_The_Hedgehog_2_Commercial_1992

Sonic_The_Hedgehog_2_Commercial_1992_2

Sonic_The_Hedgehog_2_Commercial_1992_3

Sonic_The_Hedgehog_2_(Sega_Mega_Drive)_Japanese_CM_-_V-Jump_Premium_Video_-VHS_-_1993-

セガ_メガドライブ_ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ2_CM_1992年

Japanese_Sonic_2_Commercial_from_Sonic_Jam_Perfect_Rip_B

Sonic_the_Hedgehog_2_Commercial_-_'Mega_Speed'_France

References[]

  1. ↑ Virtual Console, page 3. Nintendo. Archived from the original on 6 March 2013.
  2. ↑ Virtual Console Mondays: June 11, 2007. Nintendo World Report. Retrieved on 21 October 2007.
  3. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog™ 2. Nintendo.
  4. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Xbox. Microsoft. Retrieved on 21 October 2007.
  5. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pgs. 4-5.
  6. ↑ (in Japanese) ソニックジャム　オフィシャルガイド. SoftBank. 2 October 1997. p. 53. ISBN 978-4797303377.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pgs. 44-45.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 43.
  9. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Mega Drive) United States instruction booklet, pgs. 5-6.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Horowitz, Ken . Developer's Den: Sega Technical Institute. Sega-16. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved on 27 March 2023.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Maba, Ray (24 June 2016). 『ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ』誕生・ヒット・新生の真実をソニックチームのレジェンドクリエイターが、25周年のいま明かす　秘蔵資料満載の永久保存版！ (Japanese). Famitsu. Retrieved on 27 March 2023.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 strafefox (22 May 2018). The Making of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. YouTube. Retrieved on 20 April 2023.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Shea, Brian (21 November 2017). The Behind-The-Scenes Story Of How Sonic 2 Became Sega's Ace In The Hole. Game Informer. Retrieved on 27 March 2023.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Video Archive (22 April 2022). Sonic Panic (Sonic 2 Promo Video) [ENGLISH CC] {Windii Reupload}. YouTube. Retrieved on 27 March 2023.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Judy Totoya on Twitter. Twitter (21 November 2022). Retrieved on 21 November 2022.
  16. ↑ Sonic's Creator - Yuji Naka. Archived from the original on 5 June 1997. Retrieved on 28 August 2008.
  17. ↑ Al Nilsen on Twitter. Twitter (29 December 2021). Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved on 29 December 2021.
  18. ↑ Sega's Yuji Naka Talks!. GameSpy. Retrieved on 3 January 2015. "GameSpy: Was the Hidden Palace meant to be "hidden," then? / Yuji Naka: You'd encounter the stage through normal play by collecting the emeralds. The idea behind the stage was, 'Where do the Chaos Emeralds come from?' That's where Sonic was originally supposed to be granted his Super Sonic powers. We finally were able to use it in S&K, though it wound up being quite different from what we had planned in Sonic 2. But even from Sonic 1 we'd been throwing around those sorts of ideas. Still, when we were running out of time, we looked over things quickly trying to figure out what to dump ... and CHOP went the Hidden Palace. There's simply no way we could have thrown that in by the deadline at the rate we were going."
  19. ↑ Craig Stitt Interview. Sonic Research Zone (23 January 2001). Retrieved on 25 January 2015.
  20. ↑ "The People Making Sega's Future". Beep! Mega Drive (SoftBank): 46–48. January 1993. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021.. "Yuji Naka: There's still so much I want to add. For Sonic 2, we had to remove so much due to memory limitations. We actually made about five more zones, but in the end, we had to cut them all. We actually cut one zone at the absolute very last minute. Even though it was basically complete, we couldn't use it because of a lack of memory. There just wasn't enough space."
  21. ↑ Kemps, Heidi (15 July 2020). 7 Sonic The Hedgehog Prototypes You Were Never Meant To Play. Kotaku. Retrieved on 19 April 2023.
  22. ↑ Ayden_ (3 April 2022). L'histoire des boitiers et jaquettes du jeu vidéo : Artistes, mystères et anecdotes (French). Jeuxvideo.com. Retrieved on 19 April 2023.
  23. ↑ Bryant, Martin (25 July 2015). Sonic 2 and making a real impact with your marketing. The Next Web. Retrieved on 19 April 2023.
  24. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog on Twitter. Twitter (24 November 2022). Retrieved on 19 April 2023. "It's been 30 years since Sonic 2sday and the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Life wouldn't be the same without you, little buddy!"
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 Lucas M., Thomas (2007). IGN's Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review. IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved on 21 October 2007.
  26. ↑ "Official Gallup UK Mega Drive Sales Chart". Mega (6). March 1993.
  27. ↑ Shea, Brian (20 July 2022). Sonic Frontiers Cover Story - Brave New World. Game Informer. Retrieved on 23 July 2022.
  28. ↑ Boutros, Daniel (4 August 2006). A Detailed Cross-Examination of Yesterday and Today's Best-Selling Platform Games. Gamasutra. Retrieved on 8 December 2006.
  29. ↑ Kai, Norton (April 1993). "Sonic CD Slips Up". Sega Force (16): 12. Archived from the original. Retrieved on 28 February 2022.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 Sonic the Hedgehog 2. GameRankings. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved on 3 February 2012.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 31.4 31.5 31.6 Sonic the Hedgehog 2: What Did the Critics Say in 1993?. Defunct Games.
  32. ↑ "Sonic the Hedgehog 2". Computer and Video Games (132). Archived from the original.
  33. ↑ Electronic Games (3): 72-74. December 1992. Archived from the original.
  34. ↑ "1998 Video Game Buyer's Guide". Electronic Gaming Monthly: 87.
  35. ↑ ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ2 (Japanese). Famitsu. Retrieved on 29 December 2014.
  36. ↑ GameFan (2): 9, 14-17. December 1992.
  37. ↑ Game Informer (8): 56-57. January/February 1993.
  38. ↑ "Classic Reviews: Sonic the Hedgehog 2". Game Informer (109): 104. May 2002.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 Provo, Frank (2007). Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review. GameSpot. Retrieved on 21 October 2007.
  40. ↑ "Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2". Mean Machines Sega (2): 60–63. November 1992. Archived from the original. Retrieved on 3 February 2012.
  41. ↑ "Game Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2". Mega (Future Publishing) (2): 36–41. November 1992. Archived from the original. Retrieved on 3 February 2012.
  42. ↑ "Sonic 2". MegaTech (EMAP) (11): 3-15. Archived from the original.
  43. ↑ "Sonic the Hedgehog 2". Mega Zone (25): 31–33. January 1993. Archived from the original.
  44. ↑ East, Tom (11 January 2008). Sonic The Hedgehog 2: The blue hedgehog returns. Official Nintendo Magazine. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved on 3 February 2012.
  45. ↑ "Reviewed: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive)". Sega Force (Impact Magazines) (12): 14–16. December 1992. Archived from the original. Retrieved on 3 February 2012.
  46. ↑ "Sonic the Hedgehog 2". Sega Pro (15): 52-59. December 1992. Archived from the original.
  47. ↑ Bad Influence! (2): 46-47. 1993. Archived from the original.
  48. ↑ Turner, Dyson (17 July 2004). Sonic The Hedgehog 2. Sega-16. Retrieved on 28 February 2022.
  49. ↑ "Sonic 2". Sega Force Mega (Impact Magazines) 2 (1): 91. August 1993.
  50. ↑ Svenska Hemdatornytt (1): 37. January 1993. Archived from the original.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 "Buyer's Guide: Best Game of the Year (Genesis)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. 1993. "Sega's famous mascot -- Sonic the Hedgehog is back for his second visit to the Genesis, and this version is hot! With 8 megabits of memory good ol' Sonic has a lot more room to do cool tricks and this is what makes this version stand head and shoulders above all the other Genesis games that came out this year. All in all, Sonic 2 is the best Genesis cart to come along in a long time!"
  52. ↑ Game Informer (8): 34. January/February 1993.
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 Thomas, Lucas M. (26 January 2007). Sonic the Hedgehog VC Review. IGN. Retrieved on 18 November 2014.
  54. ↑ Dotson, Carter . Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Gets the Remastering Treatment, With the Long-Lost Hidden Palace Level Restored. 148Apps. Retrieved on 18 November 2014.
  55. ↑ Thomas, Lucas M. (11 June 2007). Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review. IGN. Retrieved on 18 November 2014.
  56. ↑ Burrill, William (12 December 1992). "This Sonic is super, too". Toronto Star: F4.
  57. ↑ "Electronic Gaming Awards". Electronic Games (38): 26,27. January 1993. Archived from the original. Retrieved on 5 February 2012.
  58. ↑ "Top 100 Games of All Time". Game Informer (100): 28. August 2001.
  59. ↑ Game Informer's Top 200 Games of All Time. Game Informer (2009).
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  61. ↑ EGM Top 100. Electronic Gaming Monthly (November 1997). Retrieved on 1 June 2011.
  62. ↑ Top 100 Games of All Time. Electronic Gaming Monthly (2001).
  63. ↑ Spring 2004: Best. Game. Ever.. Retrieved on 16 July 2008.
  64. ↑ Fall 2005: 10-Year Anniversary Contest—The 10 Best Games Ever. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 16 July 2008.
  65. ↑ Spring 2009: Best. Game. Ever.. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 10 June 2009.
  66. ↑ Top 100. GameFAQs (2014).
  67. ↑ Top 100 greatest video games ever made. GamingBolt (2013).
  68. ↑ Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer's Edition reveals the Top 50 console games of all time. Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition (2009).
  69. ↑ NowGamer (Imagine Publishing). 2010. part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4
  70. ↑ Retro Gamer (1): 30. January 2004.
  71. ↑ The 100 greatest computer games of all time. Yahoo! (2006).
  72. ↑ IGN Staff (15 July 2022). The 10 Best Sonic Games. IGN. Retrieved on 2 December 2022.
  73. ↑ Standalone Sonic titles to be delisted May 20th ahead of Sonic Origins release. Delisted Games (20 May 2022). Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved on 2 August 2022.
  74. ↑ https://mdshock.com/2021/12/28/the-people-making-segas-future/
  75. ↑ https://segaretro.org/Interview:_Craig_Stitt_(2001-01-23)_by_ICEknight?rdfrom=https%3A%2F%2Finfo.sonicretro.org%2Findex.php%3Ftitle%3DInterview%3A_Craig_Stitt_%282001-01-23%29_by_ICEknight%26redirect%3Dno
  76. ↑ https://x.com/Sephys00/status/1894455999089476039
  77. ↑ https://youtu.be/F12xqhwcjWs?si=iwbOeGR-0ueXuH0Q

External links[]

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Main article (Knuckles in Sonic 2) · Staff · Manuals · Glitches · Beta elements · Gallery · Pre-releases (Nick Arcade, Simon Wai, CENSOR) · Re-releases (2006, Dash!, Crash!, 2013, 3D, Sega Ages)  · Version differences
Characters Playable Sonic (Super Sonic) · Tails (Super Tails**) · Knuckles (Super Knuckles)** · Amy (Super Amy)**
Non-playable Robotnik · Animals (Becky, Cucky, Flicky, Locky, Micky, Pecky, Picky, Pocky, Ricky, Rocky, Tocky, Wocky)
Zones Main Emerald Hill Zone · Chemical Plant Zone · Aquatic Ruin Zone · Casino Night Zone · Hill Top Zone · Mystic Cave Zone · Hidden Palace Zone** · Oil Ocean Zone · Metropolis Zone · Sky Chase Zone · Wing Fortress Zone · Death Egg Zone · Special Stage
Other Boss Attack Zone** · Cyber City Zone* · Egg Gauntlet Zone** · Proto Palace Zone** · Rock World Zone* · Sand Shower Zone* · Wood Zone*
Enemies Aquis · Asteron · Balkiry · Banper* · Batbot** · BFish* · Bubbler* · Bubbler's Mother* · Buzzer · Cactus* · Chop Chop · Clucker · Coconuts · Crawl · Crawlton · Flasher · Frog* · Gator* · Gohla · Grabber · Grounder · Jellygnite** · Lobster* · Masher · Nebula · Octus · Redz** · Rexon · Shellcracker · Slicer · Snail* · Spiker · Spiny · Stegway** · Turtloids · Whisp
Bosses Egg Drillster · Egg Poison · Egg Hammer · Egg Claw · Egg Scorcher Mk. II · Egg Digger · Brass Eggman** · Eggmarine · Egg Bouncer · Laser Prison · Mecha Sonic · Death Egg Robot
Moves/techniques Climb** · Crouch · Drop Dash** · Glide** · Hammer Rush** · Insta-Shield** · Jumping Hammer Attack** · Propeller Flying/Swim** · Spin Attack · Spin Dash · Spin Jump
Gimmicks and obstacles Arrow column · Blue blob · Bomb · Breakaway column · Booster · Bumper · Bumper wall · Cannon · Conveyor Belt · Crusher · Drop Target · Elevator · Fan · Flipper · Giant spear · Goal Plate · Gondola · High-speed warp tube · Iron ball · Jump Panel · Mega Mack · Metal nut · Prison Egg · Seesaw · Sinking pool · Slot machine · Spikes · Spring · Spring Catapult · Star Post · Triangle Bumper · Switch
Items Air bubble · Chaos Emerald · Item Box (1-Up, Aqua Shield**, Eggman Mark, Elemental Shields**, Flame Shield**, Invincible, Player Swap, Power Sneakers, Random, S**, Shield, Super Rings, Thunder Shield**) · Ring · Star Circle
Music Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2 Soundtrack · Sonic the Hedgehog Tribute
Other Death Egg saga · Continue · Corkscrew · Death Egg · Death Egg Robot · Debug Mode · Egg Mobile · Life · Lock-on technology · Loop · Perfect Bonus · Sonic 2sday · Sonic Panic · Sonic the Hedgehog 2 CD · Space rocket · Time Attack · Tornado · Totem pole · Tunnel · Water · West Side Island
*Appears only in prototype versions · **Appears only in re-releases
V·T·E · {{Sonic 2 (8-bit) info}} · Category
Sonic the Hedgehog console mainline games
1990s Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) · Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) · Sonic CD (1993) · Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1994) · Sonic Adventure (1998)
2000s Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) · Sonic Heroes (2003) · Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) · Sonic Unleashed (2008)
2010s Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (2010) · Sonic Colors (2010) · Sonic Generations (2011) · Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (2012) · Sonic Lost World (2013) · Sonic Mania (2017) · Sonic Forces (2017)
2020s Sonic Frontiers (2022) · Sonic Superstars (2023) · Sonic X Shadow Generations (2024)
V·T·E
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