Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)

Description

Was made in Japan by Aspect Co. Ltd. for the Sega Master System, and later 'ported' to the Sega Game Gear.Contains noticable differences from the Master System version. (i.e., the boss music is different, some boss areas are different in layout) It was released simotaneously with Sonic 2 on Genesis. It was the first appearance of both Tails and Silver Sonic on Game Gear. This is widely known as one of the hardest Sonic games ever made.

Gameplay

Characters

Only Sonic is playable, and he can't spindash.

Storyline

Tails has been captured by Robotnik on South Island, and you must play as Sonic to retrieve not only the six chaos emeralds but Tails as well.

Items

They are standard Sonic fare, but hidden in each level are Chaos Emeralds, which you must search for in order to get the "real" ending of the game. They are fairly well hidden, and require skill and accuracy to obtain. Many levels also contain a unique obstacle, such as the minecarts in Underground Zone, the hang gliders in Sky High Zone, and the giant air bubbles in Aqua Lake Zone.

Zones

Underground Zone

This zone certainly breaks the mould; it is not what you'd expect of the first level of any Sonic game. It takes place in a mine, where you ride minecarts to dodge spikes and lava traps. The infamous boss of this level is extremely difficult, and is actually one of the hardest parts of the game. You must use well-timed jumps to avoid both a meat-eating pincer and metal balls that Robotnik will toss at you.

Sky High Zone

A very interesting but challenging zone, this one brings hang gliders into the mix, an entirely new aspect that will definately take some time to get used to. The enemies here consist entirely of a troupe of flying turtles scattered across the sky. The boss of this level is a fairly easy one, you must fight a mechanical bird in the skies.

Aqua Lake Zone

Takes place mostly underwater, this is one of the more difficult levels, mainly due to the chopiness from being underwater, coupled with the distance between air. The boss is another fairly easy one -- you will fight a robotic seel with an explosive ball, who you must destroy.

Green Hills Zone

Wow, bet you didn't see this coming. This level resembles the original Green Hill Zone from Sonic 1, with a few more challenges added into the mix. You may recognise the background music -- It's almost exactly as "You Can Do Anything" of the Sonic CD soundtrack. The boss is a predictable one, who acts like a gorilla at times...

Gimmick Mt. Zone

Simillarities from Scrap Brain Zone of Sonic 1 abound here, as do about a million spikes. Count on everything in this strange, monochromic level to explode. The boss of this stage is a drillbot who tries to run you over, until Sonic runs him down.

Scrambled Egg Zone

Due to the music of the stage, this appears to be where Tails is hiding. This is a stage with some difficulty, but furstration ensues when you're dealing with the hundreds of thousands of assorted tubes in the stage. The boss of this level is none other then Silver Sonic (Very simmilar to Mecha Sonic or Metal Sonic) He is oddly easy to take down, which may be disappointing to some fans.

Crystal Egg Zone

Weird bright colours mask the hardest stage in the game. The boss is is a different story altogether, at is almost entirely black. A bunch of spikes make an appearence here as expected, and it is a very suitable last level.