Sonic the Hedgehog made a terrific debut on the Genesis in 1991, pitting himself against the rival Super Mario, who released his own epic 16-bit game Super Mario World that same year. While the two mascots were duking it out for the hearts of video game fans everywhere, Sega followed up its smash '91 hit with a sequel a year later - Sonic The Hedgehog 2. It expanded on the basic formula of which the original had established with its immaculate level design, catchy theme music, gorgeous graphics, and of course the most important ingredient: speed! Sonic 2 is bigger, better, and faster than Sonic 1 in so many ways, and has arguably become the best Sonic game to date.

     Sonic 2 features many enhancements over the first game that make the overall package much more engaging and tighter overall. First off, Sonic's controls have been amped up with the "Spin Dash", where you simply hold Down and tap A and Sonic will kneel down and he'll spin wildly in place revving himself up for a terrific dash through a portion of the stage. It was a great addition to the series and would return in some of the sequels to follow as it epitomized Sonic's signature of unfettered speed.

     Additionally, a new character was added to the mix as well. Players were introduced to Miles "Tails" Prower, known simply as "Tails" for short - as Sonic's spunky little sidekick. With this addition, it makes the series 2-player for the first time. However, when playing as 1-player, you obviously will control Sonic, and Tails follows behind you the entire time (until the last two levels or so). Unfortunately, his presence as a follower is marred with some annoying consequences. Generally, he doesn't really effect your gameplay that much, but his AI makes him a total idiot. He constantly dies, falls of cliffs, fails to reach higher platforms, and gets trapped and hung up on the varying spring boards across the stage. When all this happens, sometimes it is funny, but it also can be a little agitating as you are trying to focus on some tough jumps. Seldom will Tails actually help you in a boss fight, as he will occiaisonally hit Dr. Robotnik, but most of the time will get himself killed only to reappear later.

     Many of the levels in this game are iconic. It has about eleven in total, several more than its predecessor. For the most part, the levels are simply brilliant and much more vibrant this time around. They pop and dazzle with some great background designs, great lighting and graphics. The accompanying music is simply wonderful and wholly memorable. Even to this day, I can still hum almost all of this games theme music - it is that good. I would say the first four levels are clearly the best, and I gotta believe that level 4 - Casino Night Zone - had to have inspired the game Sonic Spinball released in 1993 (of which I previously reviewed here on Ethos). The middle levels are also quite good, and they are more challenging than the first few. However, the final four levels are a mixed bag. The Metropolis Zone is perhaps the most challenging, and also the most frustrating as well with some very tedious backtracking moments. The best of the final levels is easily Sky Chase Zone where Tails pilots a plane and Sonic stands on the front hood and battles incoming flying enemies.

     Overall, Sonic 2 is one of the definitive moments on the Sega Genesis and a finer game than the first one in this classic series. The first three Sonic games are definitely the best Sonic games in the hedgehogs lengthy tenure in the video game industry. Never since has the franchise truly recaptured the essence of its first three games on the Genesis. As I said before, Sonic 2 is arguably the best Sonic game ever made, and I highly reccomend it. If you haven't played this iconic game, you simply must.

-Kurt L.

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