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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)From Sonic Retro
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is the second outing of Sonic on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and the first game to feature Miles "Tails" Prower as a playable character (Tails was seen in the 8-bit version of Sonic 2 prior to the 16-bit version). The game has longer levels, more levels, and a faster pace than its predecessor, Sonic the Hedgehog. The game eventually went on to be the best selling game on Mega Drive. The essential plot is that Robotnik is creating a spaceship of doom, the Death Egg. Sonic and Tails must stop this superweapon. This game is thus the start of the Death Egg Saga, which is concluded in Sonic & Knuckles. Sonic 2 had a worldwide release date, which was uncommon at the time. November 24, 1992, was dubbed Sonic 2sday, and the game was released across all markets. This is referenced in the game by the order in which you need to play the sound effects to activate the debug mode. It was included as a pack-in for the Mega Drive 2.
GameplayThe gameplay of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 builds upon the basic set-up of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game. Players move sideways through the levels collecting rings along the way eventually reaching the end level sign. A new move is introduced, the Spin Dash, where Sonic spins in place as if revving up an engine before taking off at high speeds. It was also the first game to feature 3D special stages, in the form of a half-pipe filled with rings and bombs. These stages are accessed from hitting a checkpoint with 50 or more rings. Unfortunately for some, Sonic 2 removed the bonus points available from jumping at the end level sign, which could be done in Sonic 1. From the options menu, players can select to either play as Sonic alone, Tails alone or Sonic and Tails. If the Sonic and Tails is used Tails can move through the levels on his own, but at any time a second controller can be used to control his movements. If Tails moves off-screen for a long period of time or is killed, he will eventually return. When a second player controls Tails his flying ability is not able to be controlled and he moves exactly like Sonic. ScoringHitting bumpers: 10 points for each of the first ten hits on any given bumper; after that no more points can be gained from that bumper. Hitting enemies: (a chain refers to all enemies destroyed until the next time Sonic lands on some form of ground, or releases from a Spin Dash)
Destroying a Dr. Eggman boss robot: 1000 points Ring bonus at end of level: 100 points for each ring held Perfect Bonus at end of level: The game stores a list of how many rings are present in each level. Each time you get a lone ring, the game subtracts one from this value (debug rings and Super Ring boxes do not affect this counter). If this value is 0 when you pass the endpost, you receive a 50,000 point bonus. As long as you get all the actual rings in the level, you don't need to get any Super Ring boxes to receive this bonus - you can even get hit and still be eligible. Time bonus at end of level:
Special scoring in Casino Night Zone:
Special stage: 100 points for each ring held (Sonic's rings as well as Tails', if applicable, both count in this total. An additional 10,000-point bonus is awarded by getting enough rings for the Emerald. Two Player ModeIn two player versus mode, players compete against each other in a split-screen race through three regular zones and one special stage. Regular zones include Emerald Hill Zone, Casino Night Zone, and Mystic Cave Zone which have different music from their one player counterparts. The Special Stage is similar to the Emerald Stage 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, two unique items are available in versus-mode: a teleport item that instantly switches positions between players in a zone, and a Robotnik item that damages the player. Furthermore, an optional setting will change all item boxes in two-player mode to teleports. Cultural ReferencesNumerous cultural references can be found that have become a staple of the series. The Death Egg is a nod to Star Wars' Death Star. The newly added seventh Chaos Emerald is an analog to the search done in the Chinese fable The Golden Warrior (or Saiyuki), as illustrated by the seven dragonballs in the Dragon Ball series. In it, the hero Son Gokuu (aka The Monkey King) fights hordes of diabolical villains, generally in order to protect the universe by keeping their hands far away from the seven dragonballs; when they are all kept in the same place at the same time, and after a brief summoning, a giant Dragon-like creature (known as Sheng Long) grants the summoner a wish, whichever this might be. The hero and other few characters are saiyajin, an alien warrior race that, in certain situations, can explode in a burst of energy, transforming into the legendary Super Saiyajins. Super Sonic is also like a Super Saiyajin both in the graphical design and concept. Manuals
Also Released On
Production CreditsExecutive Producer: Hayao Nakayama MiscellaneousGoodGen Versions
Note: A fourth version, Sonic 2 Rev. 00, was recently dumped by Rika Chou, though it has not been recognized in the GoodGen library yet. Sound TestHere is a list of the music featured in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as it is located in the sound test, which can be accessed by going to the options screen or by entering the zone select code (Genesis Version).
ResourcesSonic 2-Specific Hacking Utilities(For more standard tools such as ESE II and SonED, see Sonic Hacking Utilities.) Hacking Guides
Original Sound Version RecordingsSee Sonic the Hedgehog 2 OSV for a download page. Box Art
Artwork
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