I will answer when you call me

I will never have to guess

Cause we are very special friends

~ Dear, My Friend by Brent Cash, Sonic Unleashed.

Dynamic Duo

January 1992 marked the moment when SEGA retook possession of the top spot in the video game industry, and it was all thanks to Sonic the Hedgehog. The last time they occupied that spot was all the way back in December of 1985; mere moments before Nintendo and their Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System took the world by storm and ushered in the industry’s revival. In the first month of ‘92, with a speedy blue mascot to rival Super Mario, and a savvy marketing team in their America division, SEGA was ready to take things to the next level. But they needed more than just bigger levels, refined mechanics and an epic story; they needed an edge. And it came from the most unlikely of sources: a cute, little two-tailed fox named Miles “Tails” Prower.

Released in November of 1992, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Genesis would stand out as one of the best and most iconic games for the system. It was responsible for cementing both Sonic as a household icon and the duo of Sonic and Tails being as ubiquitous as peanut butter and jelly. While the Genesis version was the fox’s first playable debut, his first actual appearance in a video game was the Game Gear version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Despite sharing the same name, the game is anything but a demake of its console counterpart. 

A New Aspect

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was developed for the Game Gear by Aspect Co. Ltd – a small company whose only credits at that moment were Batman Returns and Ax Battler – A Legend of Golden Axe, both developed for the handheld system. The company took over from Ancient, the developer for the first handheld/Master System version of Sonic the Hedgehog. Under Aspect’s direction, Sonic 2’s levels were brand new and designed from the ground up. Following the lessons learned from Ancient’s undertaking, Aspect improved upon the gameplay mechanics, graphics and audio, tailoring it specifically for the Game Gear and its smaller resolution screen. They also implemented things that the previous developer struggled with, like collecting lost rings or rolling into breakable objects to create new pathways. Finally, they woven Tails’ introduction to the series with a simple, yet tension-filled story: Dr. Robotnik kidnapped Sonic’s best friend and demanded the Chaos Emeralds as ransom for his safe return. And Sonic, being Sonic, would not rest until his friend was back safe and sound.

On The Hunt For Plot Devices

Finding those Emeralds would be a challenge as they’re scattered around the second acts of the first five Zones in the game – Underground, Sky High, Aqua Lake, Green Hill and Gimmick Mountain. Like in the first game, there are no Special Stages to earn the Emeralds; in fact, there are no bonus stages at all. Players will have to explore all corners of the short acts and utilize gimmicks like hang gliders, mine carts and hidden pathways to find these special gems. The final Emerald is earned in the game’s sixth Zone, Scrambled Egg – a pipe-filled maze filled with death traps and dead-ends that culminates in a match against the robotic doppelganger, Silver Sonic – famously referenced in the Metal Sonic fight in Sonic Mania. Gathering all six Emeralds opens the seventh and final Zone, Crystal Egg, where you fight for Tails’ freedom. Fail to find all five Emeralds before Scrambled Egg and you’ll be subjected to the bad ending; where Tails is (allegedly) killed.

Visually speaking, Sonic’s sprite in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 looks much closer to his Genesis counterpart. He retains all his movesets from his first adventure; however, his Spin Dash move from the console version is noticeably absent and with good reason – it would make things too easy. Levels are well-designed, short affairs, with certain acts having environmental changes to keep things from getting stale. Sky High Act 2’s wind and rain physics and Aqua Lake Act 2 being all underwater are prime examples. The game does experience significant lag when things get too busy on screen, especially when you get hit and lose all your rings or when you break a large series of wall blocks.

Sounds and Effects

Music has always been the series’ strong point and the sounds in this game are no exception. Songs are generally upbeat and high tempo, reflecting the fact that this is a fast-paced game.

The sound effects are a bit on the tinny side, but they don’t interfere with the experience of playing the game. Some of these SFX are pretty fun; for instance, a falling sound plays whenever Sonic falls from a high place and it reminds me of those old Looney Tunes cartoons. It was a nice touch to include that. Listeners familiar with Sonic CD may be able to recognize that Green Hill Zone sounds exactly like the title song, “You Can Do Anything.”

“Why Is This So Hard?”

What makes this game stand out, however, is its difficulty. The game unintentionally limits the player’s viewing area thanks to the Game Gear’s tiny 160 x 144 screen resolution. In essence, it’s hard to see things ahead of you given how zoomed in everything looks and it makes it harder for new and unsuspecting players to react to enemies and dangers. The first boss of the game is notoriously difficult – not only are you fighting on a slope, but you have to win the fight without getting hit by either the boss or the balls bouncing down the slope. The zoomed in resolution makes it hard to track the trajectory of these bouncing balls, resulting in lots of lost lives. Green Hill Zone 3 is even harder as you can’t see the springs underneath your feet. This forces players to memorize the layout of the zone while hoping and praying that you hit the right ones to get to the boss at the end.

Wrap Up

Despite this limitation, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 holds a special place in my heart. It was the very first Sonic game that I owned and part of the reason why I got into writing in the first place. It’s nice to revisit and rewrite this review in my official role as Owner/Operator, Editor in Chief and Visionary of The Pixels. But don’t get things twisted; Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Game Gear is still a pretty good game for both Sonic fans and retro gaming fans to sink into, difficult as it may be.