Tails Fox, a good reason why fox hunting should remain legal
Written: Apr 25 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: it's better then the first
Cons: but not has good has 3
The Bottom Line: here boy sich the fox
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| tommy_lop's Full Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for Sega Genesis |
Continuing on with my Sonic Mega collection reviews I have come to Sonic 2. This was the first Sonic the hedgehog and the first Genesis game I ever played, several years ago and remember by butt getting kicked by Robotnic to. I now have it on the Sega Mega Collection, and on the PC in Sega Smash Pack 2.
This game is considered by many to be the greatest Sonic game ever, and one of the best platformers. I have to disagree with that, while Sega made a few improvements, they goofed up a few things to that drag this game down.
Story.
Since Sonic beat Robotnic in the last game Sonic has picked up a die hard fan in Miles (Tails) the fox. He follows Sonic everywhere, even though he can barley keep up with him. Lately however Sonic's friends have been disappearing again and more killer robots are taking there place. It seems that Dr. Robotnic has been up to his old tricks. Besides the usual turning animals into robots, he has also build a giant ship called the death egg to help him take over the world. Star Wars spoofs aside this means big trouble for Sonic and his friends. So now with the help/hindrance of his friend Tails, Sonic is out to save the day again.
Graphics.
The graphics have greatly improved since the first one, and while Sonic still has basically the same sprite that he had in the first it's now a darker blue and much better texture. The backgrounds have also changed there no longer have a bit of blue tint like the first one. There also a lot more detailed and prettier to look at.
Sound.
The music has improved with a few catchy tunes. The sound effects have changed but little and still have the same charm has the original.
Gameplay.
While Sonic 2 takes what the original Sonic the Hedgehog had, super fast speed, tricky traps, and killer robots and improves on them a little bit. The stages are a bit longer and lot harder in some cases then the first. You get this feeling 2nd you step in to the chemical plant the 2nd zone and keep drowning and a rising sea of mega mack (there names folks not mine). Or when trying to figure ways of lifting down bridges in the mystic caves without falling into a lethal bed of spikes (won't kill you in one hit but the walls to big to jump out off so your dead).
Has far has bosses the simple and easy to figure out bosses are also gone, while the first few are easy they quickly get harder. You'll learn this in the 4th area the Casino night zone where you have to battle Robotnic on a pinball machine. If Sonic gets knocked out of his ball form, or his Robotnic the wrong way he gets hurt making this boss annoying. Not to talk about the last boss which takes a lot of patience and several minutes to make the kill.
Sonic 2 still has the fast speeds and smooth graphics that you expect, and even then some. The first thing they improved is now Sonic can now charge his spin ball and take off with a blast of speed helping him up steep hills. Another thing they added is Sonic can now go super sayian or um super sonic. If he collects 50 rings and seven chaos emeralds all he has to do is a double jump he turns gold and not only goes faster but he's invincible to and has long has he has rings he can stay that way to.
Like the previous Sonic game you have to collect rings to stay alive get hit by an enemy and you loose your rings, get hit by an enemy with out a ring and you die. Collecting 100 rings gets you one ups and if you finish the stage with 100 rings you can get a continue. This makes ring collecting not only vital, but it also makes zipping Sonic around blindly dangerous because you never now when a spike will come out and hit you.
What did Sega do wrong though.
OK the one thing I haven't mention yet, and it's pretty big on Sonic 2 is the addition of Tails following you. While Tails is meant to help he mostly hinders you. Every once and a while Tails will score a successful hit on a boss, or grab a ring you couldn’t get but not very often. He seems to steal lifts and other rides you need before you can reach them making you go back so they can reset on screen. Not to mention just round and out distract you to. It gets to a point where you wish that Sega had a button that could be used to call on a pack of dogs and rich British people riding Horses to chase Tails away. But it could be worse I hear in the beta version Tails could loose rings if he got hit and if he got hit while you didn’t have rings Sonic would die, glad they changed that or this would have been a frustrating mess.
Now you might be saying there's an option to take Tails off so you might has well use it, well it also so happens there are some puzzles and traps that can only be solved with Tails following you. If you get stuck in them or around them with out him your going to get hit. So it's either travel with the ignoramus of a fox and get hit because you have him, or travel without him and get hit because he's not there. It's a lose-lose situation. You can also play has Tails but unlike Sonic 3 and which Tails can fly, he doesn’t do anything that Sonic can't do. He's just a blond two tailed version of Sonic.
Another thing Sega messed up with is the bonus rounds. If you complete the seven bonus rounds and get the chaos emeralds you can go super sonic. The rounds are easier to access because rather then having to get to the end with 50 rings you just have to get to a star post with 50. Problem is that going in to the bonus games takes ALL YOUR RINGS AWAY. Leaving you to ponder this question a lot of time. I have 96 rings should I enter this bonus game and try for an emerald our proceed and collect the 4 rings up ahead and bypass the bonus round. If you choose bonus round then you made a mistake, especially if your traveling with Tails. The bonus rounds have you running down a half pipe picking up rings, you have to collect enough rings to get passed each check point, besides rings you have to watch out for bombs that will make you loose rings. It doesn’t sound to complicated and in theory it's rather easy, in till you add that double tailed fox to the mix. Tail can also collect rings to which is helpful but usually after he collects his rings he goes ahead and smashes himself into a bomb causing him to loose his ring and distract you to. While your distracted with the commotion Tails just cause your probably going to bump into a bomb and loose rings to, and just to confuse you even more Tails will be up front confusing you even more. It not only makes Tails a more of a frustration to have it makes you want even more that you could call in a pack of wild dogs.
Final recommendation
While I have some complaints about Tails in this game and the way the bonus games where put in (the loose all the rings thing is unacceptable). This is actually a pretty good game that takes the same game play it predecessor has and improves them.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tommy_lop
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Member: tommy
Reviews written: 962
Trusted by: 119 members
About Me:
Ran over a grandma, punched a kid, and still diden't get a PS3. (just kidding.)
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