Sonic 2 = Overrated

[Chooch]

Sonic 2 is my least favorite game in the Classic Trilogy.

I can't stand going through it. It had some of the most terrible enemy placement imaginable, retarded level design after the halfway point, stupid final boss run and also Metropolis Zone.

This pretty much.

Sonic 2 is a fine game on its own but I really don't care enough to replay it much at all. The level design is weak and the levels themselves really aren't that memorable or interesting to me outside of a select few. Metropolis Zone is a total chore to go through and is not enjoyable at all to play through.

I respect people who view Sonic 2 as their favorite of the Genesis / Mega Drive Sonic games, but I couldn't disagree more with them personally. It just isn't really that great in my eyes.

Fun Fact: I didn't actually work up the desire to beat Sonic 2 until locking it on with Sonic and Knuckles and playing through Knuckles in Sonic 2.

Edited December 1, 2011 by Chooch

[Dreamcast]

I'm sure Sonic Advance 3 possibly has enjoyment to be found in it as well. I'm not going to chart out every inch of the level to do that, though. I'll just play something else instead.

Sonic Advance 3 isn't difficult, it's just boring. That's a completely different case. Metropolis is easy after practice haha (wouldn't most Sonic fans play the classics a lot?).

[Agent York]

I liked Sonic 2. I liked Sonic 3. And Knuckles. I also liked Sonic Colors. Enjoyed Unleashed. I also know that different people in the fanbase look for different thing in the Sonic games, and have made peace with myself that my favorites might not be other peoples favorites, and I don't feel a need to try and say my favorites are better, but do enjoy talking about all the games.

Sonic 2 is mentioned a lot with critics as the best, less so with the fanbase but it still is highly valued and enjoyable. It wasn't perfect for everyone, but for others it was a blast all the way through. It all depends what you enjoy.

Honestly speaking, I don't think there's any definitive way you could convince everyone something is better, and I think that Sonic 2 and 3 & Knuckles are both cherished games for people that one can still enjoy today. Which one you like more is all preference. Sonic 1, too.

[Dreamcast]

I liked Sonic 2. I liked Sonic 3. And Knuckles. I also liked Sonic Colors. Enjoyed Unleashed. I also know that different people in the fanbase look for different thing in the Sonic games, and have made peace with myself that my favorites might not be other peoples favorites, and I don't feel a need to try and say my favorites are better, but do enjoy talking about all the games.

Sonic 2 is mentioned a lot with critics as the best, less so with the fanbase but it still is highly valued and enjoyable. It wasn't perfect for everyone, but for others it was a blast all the way through. It all depends what you enjoy.

Honestly speaking, I don't think there's any definitive way you could convince everyone something is better, and I think that Sonic 2 and 3 & Knuckles are both cherished games for people that one can still enjoy today. Which one you like more is all preference. Sonic 1, too.

I agree with this, I was kind of being one of those people you described xD

[Djawed]

I actually think s3k is overrated. while the game is more visually advanced, is built in a much larger scale with more beautiful music etc, it's got alot of flaws in it's level design imo. Not saying it's a bad game, but I find that people give it too much credit while not critisizing it at all. What I dislike mostly about s3k is that in alot of cases it chooses style over substance. I don't feel thrilled when I go through the game because it doesn't feel like i am challenged most of the game. Rings are scattered within a few inches from each other which cheapens the experience.

I think I may be one of the few that thinks sonic 1 is the best of them all. If sonic 1 had the amount of stages of the others with the advancements, I think sonic 1 overall has the best level design and is the most thrilling to go through (sans collecting emeralds). Whenever I finish sonic 1 I feel really acomplished. This is why I love sonic generations classic levels. They seem to have drawn most insperation from the first game.

Sonic 2, while i love the game, is indeed a mess at many occasions and doesnt get challenging untill late in the game.

I think for me it'd be sonic 1>sonic3k=sonic2

Edited December 1, 2011 by Djawed

[Tornado]

Sonic Advance 3 isn't difficult, it's just boring. That's a completely different case. Metropolis is easy after practice haha (wouldn't most Sonic fans play the classics a lot?).

Its exactly the same as Sonic 2 is starting with, say, Hill Top. Advance 3 is just that way from the very beginning.

Edited December 1, 2011 by Tornado

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

If anything is overrated, it's the use of the word "overrated."

How many times do people use it as another way of saying "I don't like it, and everyone else sucks for liking it?" I can understand people not liking it as much as other games in the series, but "overrated" is one of the worst ways to describe that since people tried to hide part of their dislike for things.

Edited December 1, 2011 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[PerfectChaos]

Just out of curiosity, did they ever mention why?

Really? Personally, the lighter story wasn't that big a deal for me.

Two other things:

One, it's three acts. Why you would need a third Act when the others had two?  Kind of unnecessary.

Second, I remember going Super Sonic one time and getting stuck into a hall of bumpers. Had to wait for time to run out. Has that happened to anyone else?

They never mention why. They're just whiny 'fans' who think they know everything.Oh, and that third act of Metropolis is actually a scrapped level, I think it's Genocide City zone. They didn't want to scrap the level they'd designed, so made a third act of Metropolis. Never heard of that Super Sonic glitch but it sounds annoying

[Meow]

I don't feel Sonic 2 is overrated, really. It's not my favorite of the Genesis games (Actually, it's my least favorite of the Genesis games), but I do like it a lot, and I can totally understand why it's as popular as it is... Even though I do like Sonic 1 and Sonic 3/Knuckles better.

But Sonic 2's a good game, and it deserves all the props it gets in my opinion.

[-Mark-]

I don't think Sonic 2 seems overrated, myself, although I can see how it might come across as such.

See, regardless of how good or bad it is compared to all the other classics, I'd say Sonic 2 is by far the most iconic. Sonic 1 was nice and did well, but it's Sonic 2 that really shot his popularity into the stratosphere. It's the game that was current when Sonic was at the absolute peak of his popularity. By the time Sonic 3 & Knuckles came along, yes, Sonic was still popular then, but he'd already been around for a few years then, and obviously he wouldn't have the same impact as he initially did.

Heck, Sonic 2 isn't my favourite of the classics either, but I still personally consider it to be arguably the most iconic, defining game in the whole series, and definitely out of the classics. I'm sure when a lot of non-fans think of Sonic, Sonic 2 is the one they're likely to think of first.

[Chibinuva]

It's a good game, but the thing that kills it for me is half of it's zones (Mystic Cave Zone, Oil Ocean zone, Hill Top Zone etc.) are such a chore to go through.

Probably this. Also:

The word overrated is quite overrated.

The definition is "to overestimate the merits of; rate too highly." No game that is liked by people is "overrated". It's just the fact that you don't like it. I really find the word: "overrated" to be smug and usually just an utterly meaningless term to make someone seem more "opinionated" than others.

In addition to this being the case, I also wanted to point out I like your banner.

While Sonic 2 is pretty good, I've found it kind of annoying. It was probably better at the time because it added Tails along with 2-player mode, something that hadn't been done before, and established the spindash (unless you count one of the Game Gear games that came out before it.) Of course, this could possibly be because there's no save feature and I lost all my lives on Metropolis Zone last time I played, so I still haven't beaten it. It could also be coming from the guy who got it on his mobile phone before picking up the Mega Collection, meaning he had to play it on a 1"X1.5" screen, and with the little buttons on his phone, not to mention only having access to maybe half of the original levels, plus the lack of bosses (save for the final boss which isn't Death Egg Robo,) special stages, and subsequently super sonic.

[lounge]

Sonic 2 is fun from Emerald Hill all the way thru Hill Top. But once I get to Mystic Cave the game isn't very fun anymore. I think it's overrated only when Reviewers constantly say it's the best sonic ever. It also bothered me when the IGN Reviewer for Sonic Colors said "Colors has the best music since Sonic 2 on the genesis." ... What?! So every sonic game past 1992 hasn't had great music?

Sonic 2 improves on Sonic 1 in faster gameplay, graphics and some design. Yet I'm still not sure if I prefer 1 over 2 though. I still don't see Sonic 2 as a sequel that's vastly superior to its predecessor. That's why it's hard for me to decide. Games like Majoras Mask, Banjo Tooie, Adventure 2, Advance 2, Soul Calibur 2 are games I think are vastly superior to their predecessors. I guess if the latter half of Sonic 2 was enjoyable I wouldn't have such a hard time.

[PerfectChaos]

Like some of you said, it starts out great but gets a bit tedious after a while. Metropolis is just annoying (gotta love the music though!), Hill Top is just boring, and Hill Top can get irritating with those stupid firefly-ish thingies. Oil ocean is annoying too.

[Indigo Rush]

OH. The Special Stages.

All of my frustration. All of it.

You have little to no hope unless you memorize everything. These levels are grotesquely unfair.

Then I learned that you could turn Tails off. Guess what? I still suck at the later ones. ):

Edited December 2, 2011 by Indigo Rush

[krazystitch]

Sonic 2 is usually look at as a shining example of the classic games, and with reason too, it basically improved in everything that had to do with the first game. Graphics, gameplay, mechanics, design..I guess the huge difference between the first game and the second game is really what caught peoples attention and is why it's seen as a fond memory of the people who played the classic games. While I do think Sonic 3 & Knuckles was better in many ways, I still really enjoy Sonic 2 and can see why a large amount of others would too.

[PerfectChaos]

For me, Sonic 2's special stages were insanely hard, as Count Indigo said. Even harder than S-ranking Sky Babylon Act 2. The latter of which I actually have done. I've yet to earn Super Sonic in Sonic 2...

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

If anything is overrated, it's the use of the word "overrated."

How many times do people use it as another way of saying "I don't like it, and everyone else sucks for liking it?" I can understand people not liking it as much as other games in the series, but "overrated" is one of the worst ways to describe that since people tried to hide part of their dislike for things.

You're about four pages too late.

[AuroraRedwinters]

Sonic 2 is a harder game when you first play it in the sense that you can't save your progress, the Special Stages require a lot of practice especially after you collect the first 2 or 3 emeralds, it's a long game, Metropolis Zone is a pain in the tush... then after a million tries you finally reach the Death Egg zone where there are NO rings - and you have to do a lot more memorization with Silver Sonic and time your jumps perfectly with the final Eggman boss fight.

And did I mention - with NO rings?

Thank goodness for debug mode.

[Rusty Spy]

OH. The Special Stages.

All of my frustration. All of it.

After playing through Sonic 2 again, I find this sentiment a little over exaggerated. Because Tails is always in the back, he rarely picks up any rings and whenever he gets hit, it barely makes a difference in your overall progress. The only time this isn't the case surprisingly is the last few where the ring requirements are pretty steep and things get sporadic enough for Tails to grab a couple. Even then, I'm pretty sure every requirement I was able to meet alone regardless of Tails' ring count.

Also, learn to lead your jumps people.

[McGroose]

Ugh.....The only problem I had with Sonic 2 were the special stages....They were and still are a pain in the ass.

[Soniman]

I think the Special Stages were somewhat redeemed in Sonic 3D Blast Saturn

Seriously, best Special Stages EVER

[McGroose]

I think the Special Stages were somewhat redeemed in Sonic 3D Blast Saturn

Seriously, best Special Stages EVER

Ya. Funny how the worst special stages end up being one of the best special stages.

But my favorite special stages are still the ones in Sonic 1. The one in Sonic 3(& knuckles) Were alright, but just boring.

[PerfectChaos]

Sonic Rush had awesome special stages too, but a little easy. Heroes' were ok, but WAY too easy. I think S3+K had it just right, the later ones really required concentration but weren't TOO hard, and experts coud try for the 'perfect' bonus. Good stuff.

[Autosaver]

*Sees Tails complaints

I heard there is this option for Sonic 2 to play as Sonic only.

[DarkDefeater]

Indeed. I understand the complaints regarding tails in the special stages. But I have never understood why more people just don't use the 'Sonic Alone' option.

I do not mean to sound harsh, but the 'options' menu is not that hard to find.