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Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Platform

Time to beat: about 2 hours

Overview

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 1992 platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute (STI) for the Sega Genesis. Players control Sonic as he attempts to stop Doctor Robotnik from stealing the Chaos Emeralds to power his space station, the Death Egg. Like the first Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), players traverse side-scrolling levels at high speeds while collecting rings, defeating enemies, and fighting bosses. Sonic 2 introduces Sonic's sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower and features faster gameplay, larger levels, a multiplayer mode, and special stages featuring pre-rendered 3D graphics.

After Sonic the Hedgehog greatly increased the popularity of the Genesis in North America, Sega directed STI's founder, Mark Cerny, to start Sonic 2 in November 1991. Members of Sonic Team: including the programmer Yuji Naka and the designer Hirokazu Yasuhara: moved from Japan to California to join the project. Sonic 2 was intended to be faster and more ambitious than the first game. The development suffered setbacks, including cultural differences between the Japanese and American staff, and numerous levels were cut due to time constraints and quality concerns. As with the first game, Masato Nakamura, a member of the J-pop band Dreams Come True, composed the soundtrack.

Sonic 2 was widely anticipated, and Sega backed it with an aggressive $10 million marketing campaign. It was released in November 1992 to acclaim and received numerous year-end accolades, including two Golden Joystick Awards. Critics considered Sonic 2 an improvement over the first game and praised the visuals, level design, gameplay, and music, but criticized the low difficulty level and similarities to its predecessor. Sonic 2 grossed over $450 million and sold six million copies by 2006, making it the second-bestselling Genesis game behind the original Sonic the Hedgehog.