Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-Bit)

Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, this was officially Miles "Tails" Prower's very first appearance in the Sonic franchise.

There are various errors within the game’s title cards. Sky High Zone’s title card shows Miles with no tails; Gimmick Mountain’s card shows Sonic standing on the spinning discs; Scrambled Egg Zone displays Sonic and Tails in their floating animations through the light tubes; and Crystal Egg features a background design that isn’t present in the actual level.

According to the game’s manual, Sonic only learned of Tails’ kidnapping when he finds a letter addressed to him by the young fox. But this totally contradicts the game’s intro in which Sonic clearly witnesses Tails’ kidnapping himself.

In Sky High Zone Act 1, there is a 1-Up monitor in the top left corner of the map. Jumping over it and walking into it from the left hand side will make a pair of yellow birds appear. The reasoning behind this Easter Egg is unknown.

It is widely believed that Tails was originally going to be playable in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, given that each Zone title card displays the fox alongside Sonic and that he appears to have a full set of sprite animations in the credits sequence.

Crystal Egg Zone Act 2 contains a mysterious power-up monitor behind a walkway, that must be destroyed to progress. Featuring a strange icon that doesn’t appear like a final design, its contents is said to give Sonic a continue, but this has not been confirmed.

Page 25 of the game’s manual displays Power Sneakers as a collectible item, yet it does not feature at all in the Game Gear version. In the Master System version, the only Power Sneaker location is within Aqua Lake Zone Act 2, in a secret passage midway through the level.

This is replaced with a 10 Ring item box in the handheld version.

Zones & Bosses

Underground Zone

This stage is underground, you’ll meet lots of spikes and Badniks like Crabmeat. Use the Railscarts to move through spikes but jump off in time before you fall into a pitt of lava. When you make it to Act 3 jump into a Railcart and try to make it to the spring to get up where you’ll see mountains in the background. Fall down to the lava pit and before you hit it Robotnik will catch you while he flies the Egg-O-Matic, he’ll bring you to a boss who is very easy but hard at first. Bouncing balls will fall towards you and all you need to do is jump over them, the ball will hit the Boss and injure it. Soon Robotnik will come down to try and chop you up and you should jump over him and he’ll destroy his creation, next hit the hovering machine and the animals will be free.

Chaos Emerald

Stick to the top throughout Act 2, use the mining carts and time your jumps to safety!

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Sky High Zone

This level is mostly high in the sky, there’ll be lots of springs hidden behind clouds that you can jump on. Most useful thing of the acts are the Hang Gliders that let you use the wid to glide through the air. Press the D-button left to make Sonic go up and press the D-button right to make him go down. The boss of act 3 will be kinda hard, at first you’ll make it on a pad of clouds and little Badnik birds will hatch outta eggs, jump on the eggs before to make it so they won’t hatch. After destroying them you’ll fall and see the mother bird who shoots energy balls outta her mouth, jump on her head enough to destroy her but be careful of the other little birds, next hit the hovering machine and the animals will be free.

Aqua Lake Zone

One hard level is this one that’s all underwater, make sure you get bubbles to keep yourself from drownding. Some bubbles will be used to float inside them and get to high areas underwater, be careful that the spikes don’t pop them. Robotnik’s new Badnik boss will be a seal like animal robot, it’ll bounce something off it’s nose and when it does attack it enough and it’ll be destroyed, next hit the hovering machine and the animals will be free.

Green Hills Zone

Not much of a challenge here, kinda of break from the last level [Geh – wait until you get to Act 3 though]. Make it to Act 3 and fight Dr Robotniks new creation which is a jumping and rolling pig. It’ll jump and when it does either jump under or over it before you get killed, hit it a number of times and you’ll win, next hit the hovering machine and the animals will be free.

Gimmick Mountain Zone

In this level your inside a mountain, you’ll find Flywheels right away and to use them press the D-button right to make the wheel speed up, left to make it slow down. When enough speed press button 1 or 2 to jump to the next wheel or to another area, the wheels kinda look like giant CD’s. Act 3 is the hardest since you never have any rings, the boss will run toward you and when he does jump over him. He’ll hit the wall and after he does then it’s safe to jump onto him, after you destroy him hit the hovering machine and the animals will be free.

Scrambled Egg Zone

This level is a giant maze of tubes that you’ll need to use to get to other locations. Act 3 will be easy to get to the boss who’ll be none other then Robotnik’s biggest creations Silver Sonic who looks slightly like Sonic. Silver Sonic will jump all over and when he stands straight then you can attack him by jumping on his head. Hit him and destroy him and an emerald will appear, grab the emerald to finish the level.

Crystal Egg Zone

The final stage, only way to save Tails is to have all six Chaos Emeralds. This level isn’t that tough to complete, get 1-UP’s and rings to be safe when you get to Act 3. In act 3 you’ll have your final fight agianst the big bad Dr Robotnik to save your partner Tails. Stay in the giant tube that’ll make you spin around, jump out when it’s safe and the room is clear from Robotnik’s dangers. Hit Robotnik and jump back in the tube because he’ll try and attack you, do this and you’ll destroy him and save Tails and win!

Game Re-Releases

• Sonic 2 In 1 – Sega Game Gear (1995)
• Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut – Nintendo Gamecube (2003)
• Sonic Mega Collection + – PlayStation 2, Xbox (2004)
• Sonic Gems Collection – PlayStation 2, Nintendo Gamecube (2005)