Sonic 2 8-bit kinda sucks

I haven't really played enough of it to judge, but I don't really like it either. Which is a shame, because Sonic 1 8-bit is remarkable. It's really fun to play, especially the Game Gear version.

 

I only had it on the Game Gear and it was pretty much the bane of my existence. Merely beating Underground Zone was a huge feat and then you would promptly get owned in Sky High. hahaha

I think it had the best soundtrack though out of the GG titles.

 

The seal bounces you away, then blows up its nose into a ball to attack. You have plenty enough time to get there, but ever wonder what would happen if you didn't pop it? The ball turns into BALL OF DEATH with an awkward bounce that bounces towards you quickly. Now this ball is like 4 times as big as the Underground Zone boss's balls, and you have little warning what is going on when it finally launches. Most of the time you will die.

Also the seal bouncing Sonic on its nose is humorous. Yes it is the easiest boss in Sonic 2 8-bit, but only if you keep up the pace.

 

I personally like the main 8-bit Sonic games for the Master System and Game Gear, love Sonic 1 8-bit and I've beaten that game (with the good ending) multiple times. I can tell what kind of though process went into making Sonic 1, Chaos, and Triple Trouble, though Sonic 2 8-bit always striked me as one of the oddest games in the series, and one of the hardest. You can tell this game was made to be hard in the first place, but I do wonder why, sure Sonic 1 can be tough, Chaos and Triple Trouble has it's moments but Sonic 2 starts of being hard, and excluding some easy bosses, remains that way. This was Aspect's first go with Sonic, perhaps that has a factor to the reason, but maybe it was by choice that they wanted to make a harder Sonic game then the ones that were made so far, like how SMB the lost levels is a hard game for the fans and players of SMB, that's my reason for why the game turned out this way. But that's not a bad thing to me, I do like it when there's a game in the series that has that one tough game out of the lot that straight up attacks you, I like that sort of challange every once in awhile. I like the levels, and the odd choice of staring off Underground was definantly a big differ from the norm, which that alone give it a charm. Music is great to, no surprise there as this IS a Sonic game, also I perfer the boss theme of the Game Gear version. This was also the first game that gave you bosses that weren't Robotnik, saving him as the final boss, not to mention it gave us Mecha Sonic for the first time, a big plus in my book! It's not one of the best game in the series, and I can see why some people wouldn't like it, but I think it's a decent to pretty good game under the right mind frame.

I do wonder why they made this game before Sonic 2 for the Genesis came out though, or what an 8-bit Sonic 2 based off the Genesis game would be like (like Sonic 2 LD), and in that case what would the name of this game be if it wasn't called Sonic 2. My guess is that a Genesis based 8-bit Sonic 2 would replace some levels with the cut levels from the Genesis game, but that's just overthinking on my part. I can go one way or the other when it comes to the other 8-bit spin off games, but I really like the main series for the Master System and Game Gear.

 

I could have said that with my eyes closed. 8-bit Sonic games suck. Period.

 

I don't dislike the game actually, I just find it incredibly difficult for all the wrong reasons and I bet me playing the Game Gear version doesn't help. I frustratingly got to Silver Sonic in one sitting, died on my last life and couldn't be bothered afterwards. There's nothing special about this game being the first release of Sonic 2 and that was due to circumstance and not intentional design from what I can gather. It's an okay game in its own right but its not universally appealing.

 

The first 2 8 bit Sonics are fucking fantastic! Chaos is rather shit though.

 

Sonic 2 8-bit CAN be fun....but only if you've played it enough times to memorise it all. Granted it is alright on it's own but unless you've learned specific traps and other things (emerald locations in later levels) it can get tedious rather quick. Also GHZ boss's spring/spike locations. That's a bit ridiculous if you haven't played it in a long while, no wonder it practically spoon feeds you lives in the other acts.

Sonic 1 8-bit on the other hand? Love it, a Master System favourite for me. My Master System II had it built-in XD

 

The seal was my CNZ barrel. I never got past that point because I was always too aggressive and never gave it a chance to blow the balloon, and when I did wait, I was looking for a more obvious opening. By the time the internet told me how to handle it, I never felt like playing it again. It's the only non-educational classic title I haven't beaten. Good game

EDIT: Chaos needs more love. Painfully easy even for a Sonic game, but it had some awesome and original level tropes and the franchise's 4th best soundtrack. I thought it more resembled the MD titles than either of the 8-bit offerings.

 

Yeah, this game was crazy. It was one of the 3 games I had for Game Gear, and Underground Zone was kind of a bitch. Although there was a guaranteed way that me and my siblings found of beating the first boss, even with the low resolution.

I don't know why, but the pattern the balls bounce (hehe) is somehow connected to the amount of lives you have. So each play-through, I'd grind to nine lives (not hard), and fight the boss standing in particular spots that they wouldn't hit (this was easy to figure out because of the lines on the slope). If I remember correctly, lives 9 and 8 have the same bounce pattern. If I didn't beat it in those attempts, then I'd restart. Of course, its been years since I've played, so I could be misremembering exactly how to predict where the balls would strike, but I know there was a way to predict where they would bounce.

How did I learn this? Like I said, one of the three games I had on Game Gear, and I spent a lot of time on the road as a kid and had a cigarette adapter for the power guzzler the Game Gear was. After Underground Zone, I could usually make it to Green Hills consistently. The only problem was that the boss always killed me mercilessly.

By the way, has anyone actually gotten Tails at the end of the act sign? The instruction booklet said it would give a continue, but I never got him to appear. Ever.

 

I got him to appear ONCE in my master System version of the game. I've played it to death, since it's my favourite game ever, and only ONCE I've seen it show up.

 

Sounds like you're playing the Game Gear version. That version is full of blind leaps of faith. I remember being stuck on Green Hills Zone for AGES because of this part where you have to jump from spring to spring before the boss, and if you miss the jumps, you fall into spikes.

It gets said quite a bit, but it bears repeating - the SMS version is MILES better than the game gear version. And not just because of the added visibility - certain parts of levels or bosses are also changed which results in a better balanced game. The first boss, for example. In the game gear version, in addition to not being able to see the bouncing balls coming until they're right up on you, they also bounce at random heights. They all bounce at the same height in the SMS version, making it the second easiest boss in the game (with Aquatic Lake being the only one that's easier).

I did beat the game gear version as a kid, though. All the way, with all the emeralds. I must have played the shit out of that game when I was younger, and I doubt I still have the skill to do so. I can do that regularly on my SMS, but the GG version is just so much harder.

EDIT: Speaking of Sonic Chaos, I agree that it's much too easy, but it still has to be one of my most memorable sonic games ever. I'll always associate that game with Sonic CD, because I got them both at the same christmas. While I dislike the Sonic sprite, I love the actual look of the game. The visuals in both that game and Sonic CD are the epitome of the Sonic Style, IMO, which also pervaded other genesis games of the time, like Ecco the Tides of Time (which was released a year later). Aqua Planet Zone in particular is goddamn gorgeous, probably the best looking 8-bit level in the entire series. The parallax clouds at the top of the level are really striking especially for the hardware. I beat the game within an hour of receiving it (I actually got it the night before at christmas eve, which is custom for my family to exchange one gift before christmas) but I'll always cherish it.

 

Honestly one of the most annoying parts of the game is probably the hidden spring sequence to get the emerald in sky high 2. That's annoying, and so is the spring jump marathon before the boss in green hills.

Of course, I say that playing the SMS version, which assuredly is much fairer than the game gear version. Still not especially easy, but definitely fairer.

 

The much easier way to reach that emerald is to grab the first hang glider in the level and ride it all the way to the end. If you do it correctly, you can catch every piece of wind in the level which will easily push you to the very top of the screen (to the point where your main concern is going too high and thus falling to the ground). After that, it's just a simple matter of steering yourself into the emerald.

With green hills zone, on the SMS version, provided you jump to the middle of the first set of springs, and not to either the left or right side of the set of springs, you can just hold right and you're always assured to hit the next batch of springs. On the game gear version, IIRC, this doesn't work because the springs are arranged differently.

 

Sonic 2 had decent level design, imbalanced difficulty, bare-basic physics, graphics seemed a bit less-like Sonic 1 though I don't see that as a bad thing as they were still pretty. Bad sound effects and pretty good music. I'm coming from owning Sonic 2 for the Game Gear at a very young age and really I enjoy the game overall, having pitfalls aside even now when when I'm older able to look in-depth.

 

This. So much this. I keep wondering why people keep making this mistake SO OFTEN. For the love of god, play this on Master System, not Game Gear. Your opinion of this game will become SO MUCH better, mainly because you'll actually be able to beat the first boss fairly easily.

 

Alternatively, play the master system version on the game gear using a master gear converter. Best of both worlds :P

 

Sounds like I should record my skills! I grew up with the GG versions before getting a megadrive in Grade 1 - I can show you guys how to really play! (At least, up until the water zone! haha)