Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Difference between revisions

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== The 16-Bit Version ==

Its engine based on its predecessor, ''Sonic 2 GEN'' kicks everything up a notch. The gameplay is faster than before. It features 11 zones, most of which have two acts; to compensate for having one act less per zone than its predecessor, the acts here are quite a bit longer. Debuting here is the Spindash, a technique where Sonic (or Tails) spins in place, revs up, and takes off as a spinning ball of doom, allowing players to destroy Badniks without having to jump and gain instant speed to go up slopes and loops. Also making its debut is the super form; here, after collecting all seven Emeralds and gathering 50 rings, Sonic turns into [[Super Mode|Super Sonic]], a golden hedgehog who's even ''faster'' than his regular form and possesses a higher jump (as well as [[Nigh Invulnerable|invulnerability]].) The Special Stages were also [[Retool|retooled]], introducing a "non-stop 3D movement" philosophy that would be embraced by the special stages of its successors. Thanks to these improvements and additions, ''Sonic 2 GEN'' is a massive fan favorite, not to mention the second-best-selling Genesis game of all time (right behind its predecessor, of course).

 

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=== Tropes appearing in this version: ===

* [[Batman Can Breathe in Space]]: As indicated by the end of Wing Fortress, both Sonic and Tails can breathe in space... but not in water.

* [[Big Damn Heroes]]: Tails gets such a moment in the normal ending by flying the Tornado near the edge of space to catch Sonic after the Death Egg's explosion. If playing as Tails alone, Sonic gets this BDH moment. If all seven Emeralds are collected as Sonic, he goes Super after jumping out and flies alongside the Tornado instead.

* [[Boss Dissonance]]: A fair bit of it, zigzagging back and forth: [[Breather Level|Casino Night]] and Wing Fortress for example have bosses harder than the levels; Hill Top, Mystic Caves, and Oil Ocean have a trifecta of [[Breather Boss|Breather Bosses]] in levels that get steadily tougher.

* [[Butt Monkey]]: Tails is, as one "Let's Play" author on [[YouTube]] put it, gaming's first meat shield.

* [[Comic Book Adaptation]]: Issues 228 and 229 of [[Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog]] feature Sonic and Tails, along with Sally, Antione, and Rotor, traveling through some of the game's levels.

** Also, issue 6 of ''[[Sonic the Comic]]'' had a story in which Sonic and Tails travel through the last two zones of the game in order to prevent the destroyed Death Egg from crashing into the Emerald Hill Zone.

* [[Credits Medley]]

* [[Duel Boss]]: The battles at the Wing Fortress and Death Egg zones, since even in Sonic & Tails mode, Tails is shot down in the Tornado on the way there.

* [[Eternal Engine]]: A number of levels, but most notably Chemical Plant Zone and Metropolis Zone.

* [[Everything Trying to Kill You]]: Mystic Cave Zone and Metropolis Zone.

* [[Shoo Out the Clowns]]: When playing as Sonic with Tails tagging along, the Tornado-1 gets shot down at the beginning of Wing Fortress Zone--with Tails inside. Sonic has to face the last two levels alone.

** Inverted if you're playing as Tails: the Tornado gets shot down with Sonic inside.

** For Japanese children, it made perfect sense; however, Dragon Ball Z did not become popular in the United States until Toonami picked it up several years later. So for many American children, the "super" shtick was more of an [[Older Than They Think]] .

* [[Smashing Hallway Traps of Doom]]: Mystic Cave Zone and Metropolis Zone have most of them in this game.

** Genocide City was actually supposed to be a single act zone, and was replaced by the third act of Metropolis Zone, [[Or So I Heard]].

** Genocide City was eventually renamed Cyber City Zone once the Japanese developers understood what the word actually meant. However the lost zone did make a comeback of sorts in [[Sonic Spinball]].

** This is also the entire point of the Tails abuse Machinima series by Whoisthisgit on Youtube (the ones that use actual gameplay at least).

* [[Wake Up Call Boss]]: Robotnik's chemical-dumper contraption from Chemical Plant Zone, the ''second'' zone. It's not too hard, but the two platforms on both sides of the field periodically collapse into [[Bottomless Pit|bottomless pits]], making it very possible for a chemical projectile to knock you into the purple water below. Playing as "Sonic and Tails" also presents its share of problems, as when you jump, so does Tails, and if he hits Robotnik first, you'll go through Robotnik (due to his [[Mercy Invincibility]]) and down the pit.

* [[Sequel Difficulty Spike]]: Both games are considerably tougher than Sonic 1 for Genesis and Gear, the Game Gear Sonic 2 being particularly more brutal than the original.

* [[Time Travel]]: Was originally supposed to invoke it so that it would be closer in feel to ''[[Sonic CD]]'', but was scrapped at some point in development.

* [[Underwater Ruins]]: Aquatic Ruin Zone (GEN) and Aqua Lake (8-Bit).

* [[Villain Exit Stage Left]]: In the Genesis version, Dr. Eggman flies away when defeated, as usual. However, when defeated on his giant mech, he goes down with the Death Egg (though he survived and the Death Egg didn't really explode). In the 8-bit version, it's played straight as he escapes after the final battle.