To be this good takes AGES. To be this good takes SEGA. ~ Sega Mega Drive UK TV Advertisement.
Once upon a time, I sat down with fellow Mage and SEGA enthusiast, The Hopeful Sega Mage, to talk about the new SEGA AGES line of games for the Nintendo Switch. In the present time, I was given the opportunity to review one of those games for The Well-Red Mage. I said this a couple times before, but it’s funny how things come full circle, y’know?
This will be my third review of a game from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise here at TWRM. It will be the second time I review a version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as I’ve reviewed a game of a similar name for the Game Gear. It will also be the second time that I’ve had the opportunity to review a Sonic game on behalf of SEGA. We at The Well-Red Mage would like to thank them for providing us a review code of the game. Finally, this will be the site’s very first Sonic the Hedgehog 2 review.
I am extremely thankful to our illustrious and Well-Red leader for giving me an opportunity to talk about this particular Sonic game. Despite him being a Mario fan, he and I see eye to eye with regard to the history that intertwines these two franchises. At this point though, I should petition to change my name to The HyperSonic Coffee Mage. *Laughs*
Alright, let’s get back to the program here: The SEGA AGES line is a series of games published by SEGA. These games are ports, remakes or compilations of classic games released on older SEGA consoles. The games in question are primarily from the Genesis/Mega Drive library. There are currently four iterations of this line, which got its start on the Sega Saturn and continues to this day on the Nintendo Switch.
Initially, the line was developed in house. However, SEGA soon turned to other developers, like D3 Publisher and M2, for assistance. M2 is particularly noted for making a ton of remade SEGA ports for Nintendo systems, such as the vaunted 3D Classic games for the Nintendo 3DS. They have also been involved in development work for the games featured on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive Mini console. This was reviewed by the skeletally hip ABXY Mage, who had good things to say about the mini console.
M2 is the developer in charge of the latest generation of AGES games. So far, SEGA has released several, extremely popular games at a modest budget price. These include Sonic the Hedgehog, OutRun, Space Harrier, and Phantasy Star, to name a few. So, it would be no surprise that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 would eventually be given the AGES treatment, given that it was one of the most popular sequels in video game history. And on February 6th, 2020, SEGA didn’t disappoint.
They announced that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (along with Puyo Puyo 2) would be released in Japan for February 13th, a day before the iconic video game character’s movie was released to runaway success (pun fully intended!). Subsequently, the game would be released in North America and Europe on February 20th. This coincided with the series’ SONIC 2020 celebrations, in that news about the speedy blue hedgepig would be shared on the 20th day of every month during 2020.
Tying the release of Sonic 2 with the release of his own movie was, in my opinion, a genius move. It gave those who watched the movie an opportunity to play and enjoy one of the best Sonic games ever made.
Even the game’s original development was nothing short of extraordinary. Development started in November 1991 after Yuji Naka left SEGA of Japan. Naka-san, as you may or may not know, is widely known as the man behind Sonic. He was shortly recruited by legendary game designer Mark Cerny (the very same Cerny who recently chaired the PS5 technical specifications presentation) at the American-based SEGA Technical Institute. Cerny started it up with the goal of allowing more creative freedom for game development, which intrigued Naka-san.
Using what he learned over the course of Sonic 1’s development, Naka-san, along with lead level designer Hirokazu Yasuhara, expanded on his creation. He made the levels bigger in scale, with more obstacles, more environmental elements, and more speed compared to the first game.
Artist Yasushi Yamaguchi was the one credited for creating Sonic’s iconic partner, Tails, which I mentioned in my Sonic 2 review for the Game Gear. For the Genesis version, the decision was made for the fox to not only be playable, but to be playable in conjunction with Sonic – a feat that has seldom, if never, been seen in console gaming at the time. The fact that two players could play through the entirety of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 cooperatively was the critical edge SEGA needed to take the hedgehog’s popularity into overdrive. Indeed, Sonic 2’s success elevated both Sonic and Tails to be the global icons that they are today.
Name a more iconic duo, I dare you.
Beyond Tails, Sonic 2 introduced many moves and ideas that would help to propel the series forward. Examples include the iconic Spin Dash, the Super Sonic transformation, and the Death Egg – Robotnik’s vehicle for world domination.
Fast forward years later to when M2 got their mitts on the game’s source code. They first created an enhanced port of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and called it 3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2, released for the Nintendo 3DS. The game made use of the handheld’s stereoscopic 3D capabilities and added plenty of new features. Examples include screen filter options, save states and the choice to play between the original Japanese and International versions. They brought forth a sort of “Easy Mode” in the Ring Keeper mode. Players would start off with 10 rings out of the gate and would lose only half of their rings if hit, making it much more accessible for new players. A Super Sonic mode was also available, allowing players to turn into the golden hedgehog from the get-go. These enhancements added to the original without disrupting the key elements that made it so great in the first place.
The SEGA AGES version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the subject of today’s 8-Bit Review, enhances it further.
Not only does it include the things they brought to 3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (minus the stereoscopic 3D effects), but it also adds elements that make the game feel brand new. A prime example is the addition of the Drop Dash from Sonic Mania. The Drop Dash provides a new way to blaze through these classic levels in new and unique ways.
Another neat addition is the Ring Chain, which was featured in the SEGA AGES version of Sonic 1. The game actively tracks your longest chain of collected rings without being hit. There’s an online leaderboard showcasing the longest ring chains, with replay data to show just how it was accomplished. There is also a Challenge Mode in which players are tasked to dash through Emerald Hill Zone Act 1 as fast as they can while picking up 100 rings. It’s an interesting challenge that forces players to memorize both the quickest way to reach the goal and the placement of rings along that path in order to succeed. The fastest time I’ve gotten so far with Sonic was just under 27 seconds.
By far, the most exciting feature is the ability to play Knuckles in Sonic 2. Originally accessed on the Genesis by connecting the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 cartridge with Sonic and Knuckles via Lock-On technology, Knuckles in Sonic 2 has not been released individually outside of compilation titles until now. The same game modes in Sonic 2, such as Ring Keep and enabling Super mode, exist within Knuckles in Sonic 2. Knuckles even has his own Challenge Mode that requires a different strategy to collect rings and reach the end quickly.
But with all these additions and gimmicks, does it still retain the magic that the original game possessed? Top up a mug with your favourite beany brew, because it’s time for the 8-Bit Review!
Visuals: 9/10
The original Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is one of the finest examples of sprite art seen in retro gaming. Bright and punchy colours permeate the screen as Sonic zips through levels at blistering speed, weaving through a kaleidoscope of landscapes filled with obstacles, rings and Badniks. M2 did a stellar job in maintaining the speed of the original game while also providing a great deal of visual effects, including scanlines and smoothening. The game also has different types of display modes, including Normal, Screen Fit, Fullscreen, Dot by Dot and Vintage.
Vintage turned out to be my favourite of the different visual modes. It emulates the effect of an old CRT screen, complete with the bubble-like curve and fuzzy textures prevalent in TVs from the ’90s. It reminded me of what was done in the Tokyo 1964 events in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. I’ve also used Dot by Dot combined with smoothening effects which I greatly enjoyed. Fullscreen looked much too stretched out on my screen and thus, I avoided using it. You can also change the wallpaper, but I personally adore the base wallpaper (Type A). It’s not too busy and it’s just fantastic to look at.
Performance-wise, lag and glitches were far and few in between. M2 has a great track record of making their games look and feel like the original version. There was a missed opportunity, however, to upscale the graphics to HD. Christian Whitehead did this for the mobile remake of Sonic 2. However, it’s more of a nice-to-have feature than a necessity. Having upscaled HD graphics would have helped differentiate it further from other ports of the same game.
Audio: 9/10
If there’s one thing that the Sonic series constantly gets right, it’s the music. Composer Masato Nakamura once again returned and was given a ton of creative freedom by the SEGA Technical Institute when it came to the soundtrack for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. This shows as Sonic 2’s music was so vastly different and much more experimental from its predecessor. With regards to audio, Sonic 2 created a base to which all future Sonic games would build upon. Sonic 2 is the reason why the music in the series is so highly regarded.
The Well-Red Mage and I are cut from the same cloth when it comes to judging quality within video game soundtracks via whistleability. In my case, I could sit and whistle the entirety of the Sonic 2 soundtrack ad infinitum (and I have, to my wife’s consternation). The game contains a lot of catchy and memorable music. Some great examples include Chemical Plant Zone, Casino Night Zone, Mystic Cave Zone, Oil Ocean Zone, and Wing Fortress Zone. Chemical Plant, in particular, has been heavily remixed by other notable composers like Jun Senoue and Tee Lopes.
The Special Stage music and the Boss theme are also great to listen to:
There are also alternate tracks for Emerald Hill, Mystic Cave and Casino Night that are played exclusively in the base game’s Vs. Mode:
M2 wisely made no modifications to the original soundtrack, allowing players to enjoy the original music in its entirety as intended. There is a good, yet unremarkable menu theme on startup. What prevents this section from getting a perfect score is the fact that there are no new innovations when it comes to the audio for the SEGA AGES version. The fact that the audio is virtually untouched isn’t a bad thing per se, given how awesome the original game sounds. However, one thing that I would have loved to see would be the option to use Nakamura-san’s original demo versions of the level music. If you’ve never listened to it before, I encourage you to do so (look it up on YouTube). It really shows just how much fun Nakamura-san had making these iconic tunes.
Additionally, another way the audio could have been differentiated would be to remix the level music when playing as Knuckles, similar to what was done in Sonic Mania. Granted, this was done only in Mirage Saloon Zone Act 1 from that game, but it’d be a cool idea nonetheless.
Gameplay: 9/10
There is a surprising level of control depth for an almost-thirty-year-old game that uses only the D-Pad and a single button to play. The D-Pad controls Sonic’s movements. Pressing left or right puts Sonic in motion and he gets to top speed relatively quickly (roughly a few seconds). Holding up gets him to look up. The screen shifts upward after a few moments to give the player an idea of what’s above them. Holding down puts him in a crouching position. The screen also shifts downwards after a few moments. Crouching is used both to dodge projectiles or obstacles that would impede him if he were standing and for another mechanic that I’ll explain below.
Sonic can curl into a rolling ball while running by pressing down on the D-Pad. This is his signature Spin Attack. While rolled into a ball, Sonic can hit enemies and item Monitors. He will be interrupted if he gets hit by projectiles or things like spikes. Rolling also increases Sonic’s momentum on things like ramps, declines, half and quarter pipes and the like.
Pressing either the Y, A or B buttons gets Sonic to jump. Sonic automatically curls into a ball whenever he jumps. This provides a means of attack for airborne enemies or protection in the middle of platforming. The X button is used as the Start button, while the +/- button is used to access the main options. There you can adjust your display, save and load states and return to the menu.
Introduced in the original Sonic 2 is the Spin Dash, which is accomplished by holding down on the D-Pad and pressing the jump button. Sonic will curl into a ball and start revving up. When the player lets go of the down button, the hedgehog will take off like a speeding ball of destruction. Mashing the jump button while revving will increase the speed at which Sonic will launch. The Spin Dash is instrumental in getting to top speed from a very short distance. It’s useful for getting up quarter pipes, ramps and even attacking enemies when you don’t have the room or momentum to execute a normal Spin Attack.
For the SEGA AGES version, M2 added the popular Drop Dash from Sonic Mania to Sonic’s repertoire of moves. Performing a Drop Dash is as easy as jumping and then pressing and holding the jump button again until Sonic hits the ground. Sonic starts revving in midair and then launches the moment he hits the ground. The addition of the Drop Dash adds new flavour to the game, but it also doesn’t take anything away from the overall experience. The Drop Dash can mainly be used as an aid to get faster times in levels. It can also be used to get up to speed faster in a middle of a jump or so. Either way, it’s not necessary to complete the game. Plus, purists can go into the options and turn it off for a more authentic experience.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has eleven zones. Seven of those zones have two acts each. Metropolis Zone has three acts and the last three zones (Sky Chase, Wing Fortress and Death Egg) are single act affairs. For the first seven zones, Sonic will have to face a boss at the end of Act 2. Sky Chase is the only Zone that doesn’t have a boss and is more of a cinematic level that sets up the penultimate challenge of Wing Fortress Zone.
Each zone has its own unique elements, which is a testament to how much Naka-san was able to expand upon the first game. For instance, Emerald Hill Zone has these corkscrew paths that look really impressive.
Casino Night Zone expands upon the pinball mechanics introduced in Sonic 1 and adds a slot machine mechanic to quickly gather rings. It’s a great Zone to turn Super in!
Oil Ocean really lives up to its name, as the Zone features tons of oil-inspired obstacles and gimmicks. These include oil slick slides, platforms that launch using oil-fired burners and even quicksand-like bottomless pits!
Metropolis Zone really leans into its mechanical factory theme. Steam pistons launch Sonic skyward and transport tubes quickly zap him to new areas. The most impressive mechanic are these giant bolt platforms connected to screws that Sonic has to run on to move up or down through the level.
The game retains its special collectible items known as the Chaos Emeralds from the first title. What changes everything is that a seventh Emerald was added. When all seven are collected and with fifty rings in hand, a giant, wish-granting dragon will appear Sonic will have the power to transform into a Super version of himself, aptly named Super Sonic. Super Sonic is the combination of hitting the Invincibility and Power Sneaker monitors at the same time, but with flashing gold fur that stands up at the spines. For each second that Sonic is in his Super form, a ring will be subtracted from his collection. When he has no more rings, he’ll turn back into regular, blue Sonic.
Collecting the Emeralds requires players to enter the special stage, which can be done by collecting 50 rings and hitting a Star Post – the game’s checkpoints. A circle of stars emerges above the Sonic’s head and jumping into it allows entry to the special stage. The stages are pseudo-3D half-pipe endless running stages, where Sonic has to collect a number of rings while dodging bombs that will cause him to lose 10 rings per hit. I’ll argue that these stages are the best in the series and are much more fun than the Blue Spheres special stages introduced in Sonic 3.
Tails plays exactly like a palette swap of Sonic. He can do all of the same moves, sans the Drop Dash. He cannot fly in this game, however.
Knuckles plays much differently than Sonic does in his version of the game. He plays through the same levels but with a few twists. The echidna retains his gliding and climbing abilities, allowing him to travel great distances in air and climb virtually any vertical wall. It’s great for trying to locate Star Posts to gather Chaos Emeralds. He does have a downside, in that his jump height is shorter than Sonic. It might not seem like a big deal at first, but it presents plenty of challenges for certain obstacles and boss fights that Sonic would clearly have the advantage over. He also has his own Super mode with the same perks as Super Sonic.
Beating the game the first time unlocks a Stage Select mode that players can use to replay their favourite zones. Getting all the Emeralds and beating the game also unlocks Super Sonic/Super Knuckles mode, where players start off with all the Emeralds and begin each stage with 50 rings.
Regardless of who players use, all characters can be hit or die from various hazards and obstacles. Getting hit causes Sonic, Tails or Knuckles to lose all their rings. Getting hit again when you have no rings costs you a life. There are obstacles that can even cause one to lose a life even when you have rings. Examples include falling into bottomless pits or being crushed by objects like presses or blocks.
There have been no changes to items between the first Sonic game and this one. Players can smash an item monitor by jumping, rolling or gliding (in Knuckles’ case) into it to obtain the item that’s displayed. A Ring gives a player 10 rings. A Power Sneaker allows a character to almost double their speed for a limited time. It’s useful both for getting through levels quickly and to reach new paths by manipulating the physics. More speed equals more distance covered when launching off ramps or half-pipes. A monitor displaying stars grants a character Invincibility. Invincibility doesn’t protect from all hazards though, so one must continue to be cautious. A monitor showing a blue ball grants a Shield, which grants a character a shield to protect themselves. Getting hit while having a shield will not cause a player to lose their rings. Finally, breaking a monitor showing a character’s head grants an extra life.
The game’s score influences many things. When a player reaches the end of a level, points are awarded based on their time and the number of rings on hand. The lower your time and the higher your ring count, the more points are awarded. A Continue is granted when the combined time and ring bonus exceeds 10,000 points. Further, a 1-Up is granted every 50,000 points. Points are also collected by defeating Badniks, hitting certain Zone gimmicks, breaking through obstacles and defeating bosses.
Multiplayer: 8/10
One of the things that makes Sonic the Hedgehog 2 so enduring is the fact that you can play with both Sonic and Tails on the screen at the same time in a format called “1.5 player” play.
Tails, thanks to some clever programming, will always follow right behind Sonic and copy practically his every move, jump for jump. This might seem like a hindrance at times, but Tails is invincible; he can and does die, but he always flies in and reappears by Sonic’s side after a few moments. Players can take advantage of this mainly during boss fights, as Tails can get in additional hits without Sonic being in a high level of danger. But where Tails really shines is when a second controller is introduced.
Player two controls Tails and is perfectly suited for younger players or players unfamiliar to the game. They can learn the basics of the game by playing as Tails with someone who knows it better until they are confident enough to tackle it on their own. A player playing as Tails can even help with collecting rings in the Special Stages! In the hands of experienced players though, the duo of Sonic and Tails can be more than a match against Robotnik’s forces. Teaming up to go through Zones, picking up Chaos Emeralds and busting up Badniks never felt so much fun.
In addition, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 includes a competitive versus mode. In the Vs. Mode, players have the option to play through a total of four levels: three regular Zones and one special stage.
When playing through Zones, the game switches to a split-screen format, where the top player is Sonic and the bottom player is Tails. Three of the game’s Zones had been repurposed for multiplayer battle. They are Emerald Hill, Casino Night and Mystic Cave. Players have to race to the end of the act for each zone, avoiding enemies, obstacles and even item boxes that have special mode-specific power-ups available. One is a teleporter that switches positions of Sonic and Tails on the map. The second is Robotnik’s face, which causes the character to take a hit. Item boxes in this mode are randomized, so players will never know what they get. Once a player crosses the finish line, the second player has 60 seconds to get to the end, otherwise, the level ends instantly.
These zone challenges score players on five criteria: Score, Time, Rings held at the end of the level, total Rings collected and the number of Item Boxes broken. Whoever holds three out of five or more of those criteria wins that Act.
The Special Stage level operates in the same way as stages in the main game. The only criterion that is measured is the number of rings Sonic or Tails has. In the event of a tie in the Zone challenges, the tie is settled through the Special Stage. The versus mode ends when all three challenge zones and the Special Stage have been completed or when one player loses all their lives.
To make things even crazier, there’s an option available to change all the item boxes in Vs. Mode into teleporters! Competitively, it’s hard not to open boxes (since it’s part of the score criteria), but it can be used strategically to mess with whoever is in the lead!
M2 does nothing new for the multiplayer aspect of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. However, the fact that the game is out on the Nintendo Switch makes it that much easier for two people to pick up and play this game together. Just pop out the Joy-Con’s, hand one to a friend/sibling/significant other and you’re off to the races!
Accessibility: 8/10
What’s great about the classic Sonic games is its ease of control. The game requires only the D-pad and a button to play, which makes it easy for anyone of any age to pick it up. Emerald Hill – the game’s first level – also provides plenty of opportunities for players to experiment with Sonic’s moves, get a feel for the momentum physics and speed and identify hazards to avoid.
With the Ring Keep mode, M2 has made the game even more accessible for newcomers. In Ring Keep mode, Sonic starts every stage with 10 rings in hand. When he gets hit, the player only loses half of their rings instead of the full amount. This means that, at minimum, the player needs five hits to be killed. This increases as they gather more rings within the levels. Ring Keep mode allows players to enjoy the game without worrying too much about losing their entire ring stash due to an errant hit from a Badnik or a hazard. The inclusion of save states also gives players the ability to pick up where they left off at any given time.
Replayability: 8/10
SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 offers quite a lot of replay value. It’s a good game to come back to for quick sessions of play. There are tons of routes one could explore in order to find the most optimal path towards the goal. Additionally, the inclusion of Knuckles in Sonic 2 gives players more of a reason to stay with this game, as Knuckles’ version allows for different paths to be tread.
There are also plenty of fun modes and challenges available once one finishes the base game. Players can play through their favourite stages through Stage Select mode, can blaze through the game in Super form in Super Sonic/Super Knuckles mode or even challenge themselves through the Challenge Mode.
My only issue with the Challenge Mode is that there is only one Zone to play in. My initial thoughts about this mode were either that one would need to go through a number of Zones, or that you can pick and choose levels to challenge oneself. Hence, I was a little disappointed when I discovered that it’s limited to only Emerald Hill Act 1.
Uniqueness: 8/10
There are few games off the top of my head that have this unique “1.5 player” ability and most of those are games in the Sonic series. Sonic 2 is unique for being the very first game to offer a co-op experience in a platform game. Sadly, points end up being removed as there are a ton of Sonic 2 ports available. The most notable being the mobile version, which added new zones and cutscenes. M2 could have followed in that path and released an enhanced port containing those changes, but I do understand that their intention was to present the authentic, original version of Sonic 2 in its entirety. Still, it’s a missed opportunity all the same.
My Personal Grade: 10/10
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is tied for first on my list of all-time favourite video games ever. It’s the game that got me into Sonic in the first place, and thus has a special place in my heart because of that. What M2 did with the SEGA AGES version of the game was more than I could ask for. The various display modes (with particular attention to the Vintage mode) allowed me to return to my childhood when I used to play with my cousin on an old 20” Toshiba CRT TV at my aunt’s house. Having Knuckles in Sonic 2 included in the game was an unexpected and delightful surprise. The implementation of the Drop Dash was just way past cool. While there were plenty of missed opportunities to really make this game shine over the other ports, given the plentiful dearth of options added to my favourite Sonic game of all time, I really can’t complain. Well played M2. Well played SEGA.
I’d also like to add that gathering screenshots for this game was made easier thanks to the base game’s level select code. 19, 65, 09, 17, hold Y and press X at the Title Screen. You’re welcome!
Aggregate Score: 8.6
Engineer by day, adult-responsibility juggler and caffeinated gamer dad by night, the Hyperactive Coffee Mage is a coffee-fueled writing machine and expert gaming historian. Check out his cool beans at gameswithcoffee.com.
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