{"id":109749,"date":"2020-02-28T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-28T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_sonic_the_hedgehog_2"},"modified":"2020-02-28T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-02-28T15:00:00","slug":"review-sega-ages-sonic-the-hedgehog-2-a-fantastic-game-but-who-hasnt-played-it-by-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2020\/02\/28\/review-sega-ages-sonic-the-hedgehog-2-a-fantastic-game-but-who-hasnt-played-it-by-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 &#8211; A Fantastic Game, But Who Hasn&#8217;t Played It By Now?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_sonic_the_hedgehog_2\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_sonic_the_hedgehog_2\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div id>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of 4\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/103131\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/103131\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of 4\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"generator nintendo-switch-handheld\">Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld\/Undocked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The Sega Ages series can evoke some strange reactions when it comes to game selection. There can be little denial that the series is at its best when it\u2019s bringing us fantastic ports of Sega classics that don\u2019t usually get the attention they deserve; the likes of <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_virtua_racing\">Virtua Racing<\/a><\/strong> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_fantasy_zone\"><strong>Fantasy Zone<\/strong><\/a> are clear highlights so far.<\/p>\n<p>An odd consequence of this, though, is that some of Sega\u2019s other gems \u2013 including some that are so well-loved that they regularly appear in fans\u2019 all-time top 10 lists \u2013 are treated almost with resentment when they\u2019re announced for Sega Ages. The reason is clear: many of these games have appeared on countless Sega compilations in the past, and fans want to see M2 applying its masterful emulation talents to more obscure titles. All of which makes the arrival of <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_sonic_the_hedgehog_2\">Sonic the Hedgehog 2<\/a><\/strong> a little awkward, because this one\u2019s been released more times than a serial burglar and as a result it\u2019s probably fair to say that, despite being one of the greatest platformers ever, it probably didn\u2019t need the Sega Ages treatment.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Review - Screenshot 2 of 4\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/103128\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/103128\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Review - Screenshot 2 of 4\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"generator nintendo-switch-handheld\">Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld\/Undocked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>That\u2019s not to say M2 hasn\u2019t done a typically comprehensive job with it, of course. There\u2019s a healthy selection of new modes and features available here, some of which were also in the Sega Ages version of the first <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/sega_ages_sonic_the_hedgehog\">Sonic<\/a><\/strong>. The most notable addition is the ability to play as Knuckles in Sonic 2, as was possible if you owned a copy of <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/megadrive\/sonic_and_knuckles\">Sonic &amp; Knuckles<\/a><\/strong> back in the day (the Sonic &amp; Knuckles logo even appears on the main menu to make it clear that\u2019s exactly what you\u2019re getting).<\/p>\n<p>Playing as Knuckles adds an interesting spin on the game, as his gliding and wall-climbing abilities allow you to navigate each stage in a way the developers hadn\u2019t originally intended. Again, though, this won\u2019t be anything new to fans of Sonic &amp; Knuckles who already discovered this 26 years ago; that said, its presence is welcome nonetheless, and we\u2019d probably have been asking where it was if it <em>hadn\u2019t<\/em> been included. Also added to the game is the Drop Dash move, which made its debut in <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/sonic_mania\">Sonic Mania<\/a><\/strong> and was subsequently added to the Sega Ages version of the first Sonic game. As before, it lets you instantly snap into a spin dash move when landing from a jump, and should be an entertaining addition for speedrunners (or those who hate when they lose momentum and don\u2019t want to stop to do a spin dash).<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Review - Screenshot 3 of 4\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/103132\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/103132\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Review - Screenshot 3 of 4\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"generator nintendo-switch-handheld\">Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld\/Undocked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Ring Keep mode is another feature that appeared in the previous Sega Ages Sonic port and has been carried over to this one. You start each stage with 10 rings, and when you take a hit you lose half of them (instead of all of them). This essentially acts like an &#8216;easy&#8217; mode; even if you somehow manage not to collect any more rings, it still takes five hits to kill you as your ring count drops from 10 to 5, 2, 1 and 0. Other options are a little less revolutionary. The ability to switch between the Japanese and International (i.e. western) versions of the game may seem like a useful feature on paper, but the reality is that both were practically identical except for two things: the Japanese version ditched the \u2122 logo on the title screen, and it refers to Tails by his real name Miles instead. Incidentally, every time someone points out the pun in Tails\u2019 name (Miles Prower), a bunch of new people <em>finally<\/em> notice it for the first time. <em>Check the comments to this review: there\u2019ll be at least one.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The Challenge mode, meanwhile, consists of two Time Trials \u2013 one for Sonic, one for Knuckles \u2013 in which you have to collect 100 rings in the game\u2019s first stage then reach the goal as quickly as possible. It\u2019s a fun enough diversion for a little while, but the fact that it focuses on a single level means it\u2019s painfully limited and you\u2019ll probably ignore it unless you\u2019re the type who takes pleasure from inching yourself up online rankings.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, one of the best new features in this version of Sonic 2 is something Sega has barely mentioned. M2 has taken the time to add HD rumble to the game, and it\u2019s impressively effective. There\u2019s nothing particularly remarkable about the way it\u2019s been implemented but when you collect a shield you can sort of feel it activating, and charging up a spin dash really feels like you\u2019re revving something up. We never thought rumble would be the thing that got our attention most here, but there you go.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Review - Screenshot 4 of 4\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/103136\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/103136\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Review - Screenshot 4 of 4\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"generator nintendo-switch-docked\">Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The above additions aside, the rest is pretty much what you\u2019d expect from the umpteenth port of Sonic 2. M2\u2019s emulation is seemingly as flawless as usual: we say \u2018seemingly\u2019 because we encountered a number of odd glitches throughout, but the original wasn\u2019t exactly glitch-free anyway so it\u2019s difficult to tell whether this was a case of accurate emulation or some new quirks unique to this port. Whether it\u2019s worth dropping \u00a35.99 \/ $7.99 on it, however, really depends on how much of a Sonic die-hard you are. There are plenty of other ways of playing Sonic 2, the most obvious for Switch owners being the perfectly passable version included in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/sega_mega_drive_classics\"><strong>Sega Mega Drive Classics<\/strong><\/a> (which has the added bonus of having 50 other games accompanying it). It was also released on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/3ds-eshop\/3d_sonic_the_hedgehog_2\">3DS<\/a> (with excellent autostereoscopic effects) and mobile \u2013 the latter of which isn\u2019t merely a port but an authentic recreation of the game with the added bonus of a widescreen display and extra stages.<\/p>\n<p>This is still Sonic 2. It\u2019s still great. But it\u2019s been great a bunch of different times before, and chances are if you were interested in playing it you\u2019ll have probably found a way to do it by now. As another shining example of the Sega Ages series, the treatment it\u2019s been given by M2 can\u2019t be questioned here. What maybe could come under scrutiny, though, is why it was chosen above any of Sega\u2019s more unsung heroes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"conclusion\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>A brilliant presentation of a fantastic platformer, with a reasonable helping of extra features (some useful, others fairly throwaway). If you haven&#8217;t played Sonic 2 before it&#8217;s a must-have: whether it&#8217;s worth buying if you already have the game in some other form, though, is questionable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld\/Undocked) The Sega Ages series can evoke some strange reactions when it comes to game selection. There can be little denial that the series is at its best when it\u2019s bringing us fantastic ports of Sega classics that don\u2019t usually get the attention they deserve; the likes of Virtua Racing and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-109749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109749\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}