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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)
Encyclopedia
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 8-bit 1992 side-scrolling platform
handheld console
video game developed by Aspect Co., Ltd. and released by Sega
for their Master System
and Game Gear
formats. The Master System version was released in Europe
on October 16, 1992. The Game Gear version was released in Europe
on October 29, 1992, in North America
on November 17, 1992 and in Japan
on November 21, 1992.
Being released before the 16-bit version
for the Mega Drive (Genesis), the 8-bit editions of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 represented the debut of character Tails the Fox, who became a recurring character in the series.
The Master System version was released for the Nintendo
Wii
's Virtual Console
on November 18, 2008 in Japan
, in North America
on December 8, 2008 and in the PAL regions on December 26, 2008.
. In the note, Tails explains that he's been kidnapped by Dr. Robotnik and is being held in a place called Crystal Egg. The price for Tails' safe return are the 6 Chaos Emeralds, to be delivered to 6 new boss robots.
. There is no Spin Dash because this game was released before the Mega Drive 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. Sonic is also able to skim at high speed across the surface of water.
There are seven zones in total, each comprising three acts. In the final act, that level's boss is faced, but without any rings to collect (hence Sonic cannot survive taking any damage in these battles). Rather than facing Robotnik himself (with the exception of the final stage and some involvement in the first boss), Sonic faces up against a bunch of robotic animals: a giant antlion, a mother ostrich and many of her robotic chicks, a circus sealion, a sumo pig (some believe it to be a bull), and a spiky-backed boar. At the end of the sixth stage, Sonic encounters a robotic doppelganger of himself (dubbed "The Silver Sonic"), the first such robotic "Sonic" of the series. At the end of Acts 1 and 2 of each level, a panel is spun, with a reward given based on what it lands on.
Item boxes are largely the same as the first game (although the restart marker and shield devices have been removed), and like the previous game, Chaos Emeralds are scattered throughout the stages. One is found in the second act in each of the first five zones. If the player collects these five and then destroys Mecha Sonic in the third act of the sixth zone, the sixth emerald is relinquished and the player may access the final stage (Crystal Egg), in the third act of which Doctor Robotnik is faced in a final boss battle. Players able to complete the full task are rewarded with the game's "good ending" which involves Sonic and Tails
running along before looking to the sky to see themselves amongst the stars at night. For those who fail to collect all five of the hidden emeralds, play ends after Mecha Sonic's destruction and, with a more downbeat end sequence, Sonic runs alone before looking up at the stars to see Tails alone. This may mean that Dr. Robotnik has killed Tails. This ending also plays if players complete the final stage having accessed it through a level select cheat.
.
The Game Gear's lower screen resolution results in the Game Gear version having a smaller visible screen area than the Master System edition, causing some fans to consider the Game Gear version the more challenging title. For example, when facing the boss of the Underground Zone, the reduced screen area either side of Sonic gives the player less time to react to hazards moving onto the screen. Other bosses were also affected: the Green Hills Zone battle takes place in a smaller, steeper arena; there is a 3rd chute which cannot be seen while fighting Robotnik in the final Crystal Egg stage.
The music for the intro sequence
is also different. The Game Gear version uses the Scrambled Egg Zone music for the scene showing Robotnik escaping with the captive Tails, while the Master System version uses the title screen music. The boss music is also different between the two versions. The Game Gear has different tracks for the good and bad endings while the Master System version uses the bad ending theme for both.
The Game Gear version also features dark blue (instead of green) water in the second Act of the Aqua Lake Zone, and omits the game's only "High Speed" item box, which may be found in the Master System version of this stage.
.
Virtual Console
in America on December 8, 2008.
The Game Gear version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is also included in the following compilations:
The Game Gear version of this game was awarded as the best portable game of 1992 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
.
Reviewing the Master System version for its Virtual Console release, IGN
UK gave the game an 8.0 score, calling it "a hidden gem from Sonic's early years."
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
handheld console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
video game developed by Aspect Co., Ltd. and released by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
for their Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
and Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
formats. The Master System version was released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on October 16, 1992. The Game Gear version was released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on October 29, 1992, in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on November 17, 1992 and in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on November 21, 1992.
Being released before the 16-bit version
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 16-bit 1992 platform video game that was developed by Sonic Team members working at the Sega Technical Institute, and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1992 and in North America and Europe on November 24, 1992...
for the Mega Drive (Genesis), the 8-bit editions of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 represented the debut of character Tails the Fox, who became a recurring character in the series.
The Master System version was released for the Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
on November 18, 2008 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on December 8, 2008 and in the PAL regions on December 26, 2008.
Storyline
South Island has been peaceful since Dr. Robotnik's defeat. Sonic, bored, decides to go on a journey in search of other adventures. Upon his return, he is shocked to find the island nearly abandoned. The only clue as to where all his friends might have disappeared to is a single note, written by his two-tailed fox buddy, Miles "Tails" ProwerMiles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
. In the note, Tails explains that he's been kidnapped by Dr. Robotnik and is being held in a place called Crystal Egg. The price for Tails' safe return are the 6 Chaos Emeralds, to be delivered to 6 new boss robots.
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 8-bit versions of the original titleSonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)
The game's soundtrack was composed by chiptune musician Yuzo Koshiro. He adapted several pieces of music from the original 16-bit version, while the rest of the soundtrack consisted of his own original music. One of his original pieces, the "Bridge Zone" theme, was later sampled in Janet Jackson's...
. There is no Spin Dash because this game was released before the Mega Drive version
Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)
is a seminal 16-bit 1991 platform video game developed in Japan by Sega and published for the Sega Genesis. It is the first installment in Sega's flagship Sonic the Hedgehog video game series and the first title developed by Sonic Team. The game was released in 1991 in North America, Europe, and...
, which introduced the Spin Dash. Uniquely, this game includes levels
Level (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
in which Sonic must ride a mine cart, and a hang glider
Hang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called 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. Sonic is also able to skim at high speed across the surface of water.
There are seven zones in total, each comprising three acts. In the final act, that level's boss is faced, but without any rings to collect (hence Sonic cannot survive taking any damage in these battles). Rather than facing Robotnik himself (with the exception of the final stage and some involvement in the first boss), Sonic faces up against a bunch of robotic animals: a giant antlion, a mother ostrich and many of her robotic chicks, a circus sealion, a sumo pig (some believe it to be a bull), and a spiky-backed boar. At the end of the sixth stage, Sonic encounters a robotic doppelganger of himself (dubbed "The Silver Sonic"), the first such robotic "Sonic" of the series. At the end of Acts 1 and 2 of each level, a panel is spun, with a reward given based on what it lands on.
Item boxes are largely the same as the first game (although the restart marker and shield devices have been removed), and like the previous game, Chaos Emeralds are scattered throughout the stages. One is found in the second act in each of the first five zones. If the player collects these five and then destroys Mecha Sonic in the third act of the sixth zone, the sixth emerald is relinquished and the player may access the final stage (Crystal Egg), in the third act of which Doctor Robotnik is faced in a final boss battle. Players able to complete the full task are rewarded with the game's "good ending" which involves Sonic and Tails
Miles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
running along before looking to the sky to see themselves amongst the stars at night. For those who fail to collect all five of the hidden emeralds, play ends after Mecha Sonic's destruction and, with a more downbeat end sequence, Sonic runs alone before looking up at the stars to see Tails alone. This may mean that Dr. Robotnik has killed Tails. This ending also plays if players complete the final stage having accessed it through a level select cheat.
Development
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 received preview coverage in the October 1992 issue of GameProGamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
.
The Game Gear's lower screen resolution results in the Game Gear version having a smaller visible screen area than the Master System edition, causing some fans to consider the Game Gear version the more challenging title. For example, when facing the boss of the Underground Zone, the reduced screen area either side of Sonic gives the player less time to react to hazards moving onto the screen. Other bosses were also affected: the Green Hills Zone battle takes place in a smaller, steeper arena; there is a 3rd chute which cannot be seen while fighting Robotnik in the final Crystal Egg stage.
Intro sequence
An intro sequence is a non-interactive introductory sequence for a computer or video game. Previously, intro sequences were very often prerendered, hand drawn, or otherwise outside the main game engine...
is also different. The Game Gear version uses the Scrambled Egg Zone music for the scene showing Robotnik escaping with the captive Tails, while the Master System version uses the title screen music. The boss music is also different between the two versions. The Game Gear has different tracks for the good and bad endings while the Master System version uses the bad ending theme for both.
The Game Gear version also features dark blue (instead of green) water in the second Act of the Aqua Lake Zone, and omits the game's only "High Speed" item box, which may be found in the Master System version of this stage.
Soundtrack
The music for Green Hills Zone was later used as the theme song for the Japanese and European versions of Sonic CD, where it is called "Sonic: You Can Do Anything". A remix of the tune is also used for Mecha Green Hill Zone in Sonic ChaosSonic Chaos
Sonic Chaos is a platform game for the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear, developed by Aspect and published by Sega in 1993...
.
Re-releases
The Master System version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released on WiiWii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in America on December 8, 2008.
The Game Gear version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is also included in the following compilations:
- Sonic Adventure DX for the NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
GameCube and WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
PCIBM PC compatibleIBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to... - Sonic Gems Collection for the Nintendo GameCubeNintendo GameCubeThe , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
and SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
.
Reception
GamePro staff writer The Unknown Gamer gave a positive review, focusing praise on the impressive graphics for the small handheld console.The Game Gear version of this game was awarded as the best portable game of 1992 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
.
Reviewing the Master System version for its Virtual Console release, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
UK gave the game an 8.0 score, calling it "a hidden gem from Sonic's early years."
External links
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit) page at The GHZ