Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Now it’s worth mentioning that, while Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a nigh-undisputed classic as it stands (enemy placement issues in Metropolis Zone aside, because those badniks can seriously get bent), this mobile version was rebuilt from the ground up by the same Christian Whitehead and collaborators that were responsible for the fantastic rebuild of Sonic CD that was released on PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and Steam. Unfortunately, at the time of this review, Whitehead’s rebuilds of Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 are mobile-exclusive, having been developed at a time when SEGA was still under a timed exclusivity agreement with Nintendo as far as the Sonic the Hedgehog series went–an agreement that produced Sonic Lost World for the Wii U and moved Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric away from the more powerful consoles it was originally being designed for (which is part of the reason it’s such a technical mess).

Sonic 2 in particular is notable in its rebuilt form for more than just the absolutely flawless recreation of the original gameplay, but also for the much smoother-animated Special Stages (a trait Sonic CD shared as well) and for the inclusion of an extra level, Hidden Palace Zone. This zone, featuring a wholly original layout and a new boss fight against Dr. Eggman, is accessed by intentionally jumping down what is infamously known by Sonic fans as “The Pit” in Mystic Cave Zone, a deep, deep deathtrap which in the original game had spikes at the bottom instead of an actual bottomless pit, meaning if you jumped down in Super Sonic form, you’d be trapped there until your rings drained away and then you would die. The spikes have been removed and the pit now acts as a secret transition to Hidden Palace, the most well-known of the stages that were cut from Sonic 2 during development. Also hidden within the game is Proto Palace Zone, a technically “finished” recreation of the original Hidden Palace Zone contained in Sonic 2’s beta version.

This is a really cool extra and for long-time Sonic fans especially, a very charming addition to the rebuild.

There is only one drawback to this title and that is the platform on which you must play it. Touch-screen control for Sonic the Hedgehog games very hit-or-miss depending upon the player; I myself have difficulty playing any kind of game without tactile feedback. I haven’t been able to test Sonic 2 with a gamepad-grip mobile accessory attachment, and can’t confirm whether or not that’s a viable alternative to touch play. If you’re used to touch-screen control, you probably won’t have a problem getting used to it, but even then your fingers inevitably obscure a portion of the screen. This doesn’t really hurt the overall product–and I’m not a fan of docking points for an inevitable aspect of playing a game on a given platform. But I felt this was worth an advisory note at the least.

If this version of the game were every to be released on consoles or PC, however, it would be hands-down the definitive way to experience the 90s classic, something that can be said for the other Christian Whitehead rebuilds as well. I seriously hope they make a similar rebuild of Sonic 3 & Knuckles to complete the classic series. That would just make my millennium.

Works perfectly fine with perfect & easy control on my BlackBerry z30. I really liked this game and did not have any issues with control I did feel like I was playing it using sega joystick! Keep up the good work!

Multiplayer nao funciona

O jogo sempre foi um espetáculo, certamente um dos melhores Sonic já feitos. E que agora ficou melhor ainda com o port para Android, simplesmente espetacular. Destaque para a fase Hidden Palace, um sonho esquecido na versão beta que agora foi concluída e adicionada como fase surpresa na Mystic Cave.

O jogo é muito bom, muito bem feito, os gráficos e jogabilidade extremamente fiéis ao jogo original e em tela cheia, me senti criança de novo!

Jeu de simulation pas mal dans le genre !!! A voir avec le temps…. Mais très bon début ! Merci

27 years after its initial release, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 still remains one of my favourite games of all time. For all the great elements that the original Sonic The Hedgehog presented, Sonic 2 did everything better, faster, prettier, and more streamlined. Cutting the levels down from 3 acts to 2 was a brilliant move by the producers (excluding the 3 acts still present in the games hardest level The Metropolis Zone) as it made it more exciting and led players to push on to see what colourful environment they would be witnessing and jumping on the enemies heads in next. Also, the spindash was a great skill which this entry added.

I purchased this version of the game on my Kindle and it is so easy to dip in and out of whilst commuting, waiting for someone in a bar, or when I have a spare twenty minutes to burn at home.

I’ve completed the game a few times but it never gets dull. I must have played it 40 times on the Amazon version alone. I like the fact that you can choose to go solo Sonic, Sonic and Tails, or solo Knuckles (which I remember doing in 1994 with the Sonic and Knuckles + Sonic 2 cartridge!) I tend to steer towards solo Sonic or solo Knuckles as I quite often curse at the screen a lot when Tails gets hit in the bonus stages which impacts my chance of getting the Chaos Emeralds. Also, solo Knuckles with his glide and climb abilities really help at later levels. At the moment, I spend most of my time playing this game on the single act timed speedruns. I was really proud that I completed the Emerald Hill Zone act 1 in 27 seconds, until I realised someone has done it in 20! Wow!

For the price, and bearing in mind the nostalgia it brings to this 32 year old and how well it runs, this is an amazing purchase that is well worth the price. I know I’ve got my monies worth and will return to play this frequently. I’m not sure if they have done similar versions for the almost as good Sonic 3 and the equally excellent (albeit with fewer levels) Sonic and Knuckles but these games still hold up well now and have stood the test of time.