Sonic The Hedgehog 2
With Sonic Mania slated for release in August this year I thought I'd start this blog by looking back at one of my favourite games of all time: the excellent Sonic The Hedgehog 2.
Our spiky blue hero hasn't had a great time in recent years, with many of the post-Dreamcast titles receiving a lukewarm reception at best and being absolutely torn apart by critics and players at worst.
While some of the 3d titles were more enjoyable, Sonic Mania appears to be going right back to the series' 2d origins - which is great news, because in my opinion the Megadrive/Genesis series was by far the best.
While the original Sonic The Hedgehog paved the way for everything which followed, its sequel is probably still my favourite Sonic game. It is certainly one of my favourite platformers of all time.
Why did it work? Basically, for me at least, it delivered in pretty much every aspect of what a game should do.
The controls were great. Sonic was responsive and the momentum-based platforming felt fluid.
Keeping the hedgehog moving at the optimum speed while dodging obstacles and smashing badniks was a skill which had to be perfected, as was navigating the increasingly tricky special stages for those precious chaos emeralds.
Every level brought something new and challenging. From your first tentative steps across the slopes of Emerald Hill to the cold, dangerous vacuum of space as you faced up to Robotnik on the Death Egg - each environment brought its own hazards, unique enemies, even game mechanics specific to the surroundings.
And on the subject of surroundings, Sonic 2 was packed with rich and detailed areas to explore as you choose your path through its many acts, tapping your feet to its memorable soundtrack.
It also had a fantastic difficulty curve, allowing you you to hone your skills bit by bit as the game cranked up the challenge and it didn't hold your hand like so many modern games do - you got better or you got a game over. Simple.
All of this together created an unforgettable gaming experience packed with magical moments which is as fun to play today as it was when it first released.
I'm sure we can all remember the first panic-stricken time hearing the underwater air timer, the first time getting a jackpot on the casino stage slot machine, the moment the awesome Mystic Cave tune started playing or the first terrifying time setting foot on the Death Egg.
At the end of the day I do have some great memories of this title (it being the first game I had on the Megadrive) and my bias noted, I'd still say if you've not really given it a chance it is definitely worth your time.
It can be picked up fairly cheap these days across a number of platforms.
At the time of writing Amazon shows original Megadrive cartridge versions of the game on sale from about £6.50, but there are also perfectly acceptable ports available for just a few pounds on consoles like the Playstation 2 and original Xbox if you still have those.
Alternatively you can pick it up a decent and relatively cheap version for the Nintendo 3ds and I believe it may also be available on the Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Store.
What do you think about Sonic 2? Let me know below and thanks for reading! :)
Our spiky blue hero hasn't had a great time in recent years, with many of the post-Dreamcast titles receiving a lukewarm reception at best and being absolutely torn apart by critics and players at worst.
While some of the 3d titles were more enjoyable, Sonic Mania appears to be going right back to the series' 2d origins - which is great news, because in my opinion the Megadrive/Genesis series was by far the best.
While the original Sonic The Hedgehog paved the way for everything which followed, its sequel is probably still my favourite Sonic game. It is certainly one of my favourite platformers of all time.
Why did it work? Basically, for me at least, it delivered in pretty much every aspect of what a game should do.
The controls were great. Sonic was responsive and the momentum-based platforming felt fluid.
Keeping the hedgehog moving at the optimum speed while dodging obstacles and smashing badniks was a skill which had to be perfected, as was navigating the increasingly tricky special stages for those precious chaos emeralds.
Every level brought something new and challenging. From your first tentative steps across the slopes of Emerald Hill to the cold, dangerous vacuum of space as you faced up to Robotnik on the Death Egg - each environment brought its own hazards, unique enemies, even game mechanics specific to the surroundings.
 |
| Epic moment right there |
And on the subject of surroundings, Sonic 2 was packed with rich and detailed areas to explore as you choose your path through its many acts, tapping your feet to its memorable soundtrack.
It also had a fantastic difficulty curve, allowing you you to hone your skills bit by bit as the game cranked up the challenge and it didn't hold your hand like so many modern games do - you got better or you got a game over. Simple.
All of this together created an unforgettable gaming experience packed with magical moments which is as fun to play today as it was when it first released.
I'm sure we can all remember the first panic-stricken time hearing the underwater air timer, the first time getting a jackpot on the casino stage slot machine, the moment the awesome Mystic Cave tune started playing or the first terrifying time setting foot on the Death Egg.
 |
| Most annoying enemy in a Sonic game nominee? |
At the end of the day I do have some great memories of this title (it being the first game I had on the Megadrive) and my bias noted, I'd still say if you've not really given it a chance it is definitely worth your time.
It can be picked up fairly cheap these days across a number of platforms.
At the time of writing Amazon shows original Megadrive cartridge versions of the game on sale from about £6.50, but there are also perfectly acceptable ports available for just a few pounds on consoles like the Playstation 2 and original Xbox if you still have those.
Alternatively you can pick it up a decent and relatively cheap version for the Nintendo 3ds and I believe it may also be available on the Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Store.
What do you think about Sonic 2? Let me know below and thanks for reading! :)
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