Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (J2ME)

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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (J2ME)
System(s): J2ME
Publisher: Glu Mobile
Developer: Rockpool Games
Genre: Action
Release Date RRP Code Rating EU 2008 €? ?

Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Dash! and Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Crash! are a port of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to the J2ME mobile environment for use on mobile devices. Dash! is the first part of the game, which provides Emerald Hill Zone up to and including Hill Top Zone, and Crash! is the second part, which contains Mystic Cave Zone up to and including Death Egg Zone. This game is a port of the Japan-only Sonic 2 mobile port for DoJa (i-mode 90x) devices. In turn, this version has been ported to BREW; the DoJa and BREW versions were released as a singular game as opposed to being split into two parts.

The J2ME port was developed by Rockpool Games and it uses their "Coral" engine; while release data does not appear to have been recorded well for this game, it appears that it did at least receive a European release from Glu Mobile in 2008.

General information

Like with Sonic the Hedgehog (J2ME), the game was released in two variants: the high-end version, which is based on the original game, and the low-end version, which is only a simplified approximation of the original. However, unlike Sonic 1, in which only a minority of J2ME phones seemed to receive designated low-end versions, the high-end versions of Sonic 2 were the ones to be released for a select number of devices: several Sony Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung models received the high-end version of Dash!, while the high-end version of Crash! is only known to be released for certain Sony Ericsson phones. Some high-end Nokia versions of Dash! only allow you to play as Sonic alone, while most other high-end versions only allow you to play as Sonic and Tails. This is also reflected in the title sequence that is changed to only feature Sonic in these versions.

High-End versions

This port closely follows the Mega Drive version. One of the most noticeable differences is the frame rate cap, which has been lowered to around 9-12 FPS depending on the exact version of the game due to hardware and software constraints. Various changes mirror those of the Sonic 1 J2ME port, such as the introduction of the save system, difficulty selection, a local score leaderboard, a level select screen for free play, and a new Sonic Advance-series-inspired HUD. One creative change concerns the acquisition of the Chaos Emeralds: the Special Stages have been removed, and getting a Chaos Emerald involves bringing 100 Rings (double the original amount) and jumping into the sparkles. Because of this, the Chaos Emerald indicator now appears at the Zone completion screen as opposed to the Special Stage completion screen.

The music consists of MIDI renditions of most of the original soundtrack (the multiplayer songs are absent, and so is the Chaos Emerald jingle for some unknown reason; getting a Chaos Emerald plays the extra life jingle). While one can describe the MIDI versions as being of good quality, some mistakes are present: a few tracks play the first notes with an incorrect instrument, and the "drowning theme" plays the entire track with the same tempo. Various graphical inaccuracies from the original have been fixed, such as the glitched doors in Chemical Plant Zone and Death Egg Zone.

Low-End versions

These versions appear to have been an original Rockpool Games development as opposed to being ported from DoJa. The only Zones present are: Emerald Hill Zone, Casino Night Zone, Hill Top Zone, Mystic Cave Zone, Metropolis Zone and Death Egg Zone (with Death Egg Zone being home to the only boss in either part of the game).

External links

• Pocket Gamer - Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Dash!
• Pocket Gamer - Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Crash!