Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sega Genesis
To me, Sonic 2 epitomizes the Sega Genesis console. It was the first game for the Genesis that I ever owned. Plus there is the fact that Sonic is Sega's flagship character, and many consider Sonic 2 to be the best Sonic game out there.
I got this game on Christmas Eve of 1992. It was one of the best Christmases I ever had. I got so many things that I wanted. A new TV. A new VCR. A Sega Genesis AND a copy of Sonic 2. It was an embarrassment of riches. Probably my biggest Christmas haul I ever brought in as a kid.
My brother got the same array of presents as well, only with a different game (I think it was Pit Fighter? Don't quote me on that). I think the reason for us getting so many of these gifts was because my asshole stepdad was sick of us kids and wanted us out of his hair. What better way to accomplish this than by making us never want to leave our rooms? It worked.
But hey I wasn't complaining. I desperately wanted a Sega Genesis, and it was one of the only nice things he ever did for me. Beggars can definitely not be choosers.
I holed up in my room that Christmas Eve night and played this game like there was no tomorrow. Nowadays I can breeze through this game in my sleep. But back then, playing it for the first time, I couldn't make it through the second level. I always managed to fall into that purple water and either die by falling off the screen, or die because I couldn't get to the surface in time. I have an irrational fear of being underwater, so every time I got down there I would completely panic and freak out.
I did make it to the Robotnik battle on that stage a few times, but I always would fall between the slats after hitting him with my jump attack. Eventually I gave up and went to bed with Sonic on the brain. But it was okay. I didn't get pissed or frustrated. I was really good at games and I would have been irritated if I had beaten it on the first night.
Time passed, and the more I played the game, the better and better I got. I can't tell you how long it took me before I beat it, but it wasn't long. Being my only Genesis game, I explored every nook and cranny of Sonic 2 and completely mastered the crap out of it.
The only thing that eluded me was mastery of the half pipe bonus stages. I didn't know what would happen if I collected all the Chaos Emeralds. I had played the original Sonic on my friends' Genesis and could never come close to getting all of them. But this was my baby and I was bound and determined to make it happen.
I quickly ascertained that there was simply no way to get enough rings needed by playing just as Sonic or Tails. As much as I hated Tails, and as much as he would always get hit and completely flub up my game, I needed him to get those extra rings that you couldn't get with one player alone.
I tried. I played. I persevered. There were many controller throwing moments and shouted curses of agony and despair, but eventually I did it. And the result of getting all those Chaos Emeralds completely blew my mind. I'm just playing the game, minding my own business. Hoping for an added little scene after the credits rolled. But no. I make a jump and just happen to hit the jump button in mid air. And holy crap, the music changes and I become a much faster, much more yellow, and much more damage resistant version of Sonic.
I felt like a complete badass. I already loved the game to death, but this had given it an all new depth. And the fact that it was such a difficult thing to accomplish made it even sweeter.
It wasn't long before Sonic 3 came out and Sonic 2 started collecting dust. Then Sonic & Knuckles came out, which wasn't as good. But that game let me explore the world of Sonic 2 in a new way. True, playing as Knuckles doesn't really add a whole to the game. But it did breathe some life into an old game that I hadn't played in a long time. That lock on technology is outdated now, but it was genius for its time.
Now, over 20 years since I first laid my hands on the game - I can still appreciate just how great Sonic 2 really is. It isn't as challenging as the first Sonic game. The levels are much shorter, and there are only two stages per level. Most of these stages I am able to complete in about 2 minutes. I think the boss battles are a lot easier too.
But it just has that unmistakable fun factor going for it. The whole game is just so well made. It is bright, it is colorful. The music and sound effects were (and still are) top notch. Many tweaks have been made to the original Sonic which have made the game even better. Most noticeably, the spin dash has been added. Hold down and hit the jump button, and you can rev Sonic up for a super handy burst of speed. The spin dash has been a staple of every Sonic game since. I don't know how Sonic 1 got along without it!
The stages are the best thing about the game. They are all so well designed. There are secrets everywhere. Multiple paths you can take to the end. Everything is so pretty to look at and just sucks you right in. My favorite stages are probably the Casino Night and the Wing Fortress.
Funny side story - my mom, who never ever played video games, used to love Sonic 2. She came into my room one day when I was nearing the end of the game and asked to give it a try. I was on my last life and farther than I had ever made it before. But this was unprecedented. My mom, wanting to play a video game? I handed the controller off and she immediately proceeded to walk right past some rings and into the clutches of an enemy, killing me instantly and sending me back to the beginning of the game. I was mildly irritated, but amused at the same time.
But mom would go on to play this game when I was at school, and she actually became pretty good at it. She never beat the game, but she could make it to the final boss of the Wing Fortress, which we jokingly called the Living Fortress because the font of the game makes the W look like an LIV.
So I have some pretty fond memories of the game. Even without the memories, I would still love this game. Sonic 2 was a separate entity from the original Sonic game. It made some improvements to it. Added a new character. It was just a lot more fun. Every Sonic game after Sonic 2 didn't do much to improve the Sonic Formula. Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and whatever else is out there are just more of the same.
Sonic 2 was the last great, truly original game in the series.
I own this game as part of the Sonic Mega Collection for the Gamecube. Imagine, me playing a Sonic game on a Nintendo console. How times have changed...
But a perk of this is that the disc contains nearly every old Sonic game in the Genesis era. One of these games is "Knuckles in Sonic 2" which is the exact same game as Sonic 2, but it allows you to play as Knuckles. This is how I played the game this time around. I wanted to play it twice, once with Knuckles and once with Sonic and Tails. But it is the exact same game. No point in playing Mario 2 multiple times with each of the characters, right? It is still the same game.
Playing with Knuckles doesn't cheapen the experience either. Sure you could be a wimp and climb all the walls as a shortcut and glide over almost the whole stage. But that's cheap. I equate that to picking the Princess in Mario 2 and just jumping and hovering past everything. You don't really get to play the game that way. Sure, I took advantage of his extra powers a few times, but take in to account that he doesn't jump nearly as high as Sonic. It all evens out in the end.
It will probably be a while before I pick up Sonic 2 again. If I had to make a list of the top 5 games that were influential to me as a gamer, this would definitely be on it. I have played and explored this game so many times, inside and out. 20 plus years since the game came out, and I can still finish it with 10 plus lives and multiple continues, rarely dying the whole way through. The only thing I struggle with is getting all the Chaos Emeralds, but I consider those a luxury.
This is truly a remarkable game and an all time classic. The only things I could knock it for would be its length and its lack of replay value. Those are the only things keeping it from a perfect score for me. But really, I am just nitpicking. Sonic 2 rules.
Overall:
A
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