"Sonic's back -- and he has brought a little sidekick with him."

After Sonic had made his way into everyone's heart with Sonic the Hedgehog, SEGA was ready to pump out another beauty in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. This fixed a lot of the minor problems with the other one while still managing to add something new to the story and character lineup. That's right; Miles "Tails" Prower was onto the scene in StH2. He would accompany Sonic throughout the game doing such things as providing extra hits, helping move Sonic through the air, collect rings, etc. Tails was an extremely useful little addition to the series and like every hero in a video game; you have to have a sidekick.

Tails really was something special in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. He provided so much help throughout the single player part of the game. He basically mimicked whatever you would do; if you jumped onto a boss he would do the same. This basically gave you two hits on the boss as opposed to one. In addition, he could collect rings that would be added to your total, and he couldn't die. There would be many times when he might get off screen or fall into a pit but he always manages to come back and give Sonic his help.

Some of the other notable innovations in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 were the multiplayer. As Sonic or Tails two players could have at it in a race like competition around the four or so Zones that were open to you. This added lots of replay value to the game and was a nice way for two friends to go at it in a Sonic game, whereas the original was solely meant for one player. In the Vs. Competition the level would be filled with the power-ups found in the single player portion of the game, all of the Super Rings, Power Sneakers, Shields, Invincibility, etc. was here to help both players.

Like any new game there is always need for a new storyline to push the game along, and boy did that darn Dr. Robotnik return yet again! In his ever longing quest for world domination he comes upon the realization that to further his plans he could collect the Chaos Emeralds and complete his ultimate weapon, the Death Egg! You know when you have something that is similar to the Death Star it is to be feared, but then again the name is laughable at best. Just say it to yourself, Death Egg. Anyway, the story is starting to progress along in the series as opposed to Sonic just trying to rescue the animals, it's now become a struggle for trying to protect and save the world.

If you've played the original Sonic the Hedgehog you're bound to see plenty of similarities in the game play. To continue the theme of the series, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 does retain it's ever fast speed. Most of the game you'll be flying through at break neck speeds in your attempt to get to the end of every Act. The game does feature plenty of platforming elements to keep it within the boundaries of the genre, however. The blending of speed and platforming are done exceptionally well and, for the time, were very innovative. One of the coolest innovations from the prior game, and what would become a necessity in later games, is the spin dash. This little technique allowed Sonic to roll up into a ball (classic hedgehog abilities here folks! Don't leave home with out 'em!), charge up, and go flying across the ground cutting everything in its way down.
In many ways, without this addition you would be in for a troubling experience. Throughout the game you'll often run into many slopes that you need to get up, but are so troublesome to go back and get momentum to make it up there. Luckily, now all you would have to do is charge it up and send yourself catapulting up that slanted slope. Yeah, you show that inanimate wall just whose the boss of this game. Aside from that, it just takes the gameplay and refines everything about it. There are still the classic items such as Super Ring, Power Sneakers, Invincibility, etc. that you'll come across and in fact there aren't any new items added this time around.

To top off the last innovations of the game, there are special Bonus Levels that you can find in every level. These let you go through a small tube like course collecting rings, avoiding spiked balls, and attempting to gather the Chaos Emerald at the end. These levels are especially fun in the two player, Vs. Competition.

Looking at the game, visually, will send you back through a sea of memories to the original Sonic the Hedgehog. The initial Green Hill Zone at the beginning looks just as good as before. With everything being perky, spiky, and the like. As always the backgrounds are beautifully animated giving the game much more atmosphere that what a 2D game of this nature should have. To go along with that the new sprites for Sonic have been redone and look very crisp in comparison to the original. His shoes can be made out better, the spikes protruding from the back of his head look better, and the pixels have been smoothed to give an overall better appearance. Enemy designs are something that is in good nature as well, hosting plenty of enemies that will still have that "robotic" feel to them and giving the player a sense of threat. The detail put into each one of them is just as good as any other sprite in the game, yes, even Sonic's.

Sonic's many animations are great to look at as well, ranging from him crossing his arms, starring at the screen, and tapping his foot because you have conveniently left the controller alone or his little feet bursting into nothing but a constant red circle in motion. All of it is bound to give you more reason to like Sonic -- that blasted attitude of his is just too funny to come by. Anyway, the animation looks superb.

If you've enjoyed the game's visual prowess you're bound to love the soundtrack that SEGA and Sonic Team have provided. Much of the background music has a techno-ish kind of beat to it, although not in the same vain as Mega Man, and giving you the overall optimistic and joyful mood that the game is meant to give you. Almost all of the tracks are memorable, giving you plenty of tunes to hum outside of the game. This soundtrack easily tops the first in terms of quality and ones that will actually leave an impression in your brain, the most notable being Casino Night Zone. Overall, a nice touch of music that doesn't get to the point of annoying you but enough to keep you upbeat while playing.

Almost through here, so I'll finish off with the length and replay ability of the game. If you've played the last game your in a for a treat, because Sonic 2 is longer than its predecessor. It has 10 different Zones and 2 Acts in each Zone, that's about two levels more than prior game. It's not exceptionally different, but does have added length. Replay value is also taken up a notch as well, with the new multiplayer ability, secret Chaos Emeralds and just sheer enjoyment of the game make this one of the coolest ones to run through time and time again.

So, in conclusion if you're looking to continue into the sonic series this is easily one of the best to dive into. Sonic 2 puts everything from Sonic 1 and refines it; a game play experience that just cannot go unnoticed or unplayed. What many fans consider being the best in the series, if your going to play any Sonic game at least play Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Final Score: 9.5

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/15/04, Updated 05/30/06