Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2
by Staff Writer
May 2, 2010
Overview
Sonic is back racing on the iPhone in the second port of the famous franchise from Sega. This is a full port of the classic Sonic the Hedgehog 2 giving you Sonic & Tails as they battle Dr Eggman. The game has been redesigned for the iPhone in the same ways the original Sonic port was.
Features
The game features 19 acts in total that are in 11 different environments. The controls are a virtual d-pad and jump button. A special super dash move is included by double tapping down. Bluetooth multiplayer is advertised as coming, but we have no clue when.The Good
Sonic 2 provides the classic fun that no other game can capture. You race across complex courses at super high speeds, and you need super quick reactions to avoid some enemies, and deal with some obstacles. Rather than creating a new Sonic for the iPhone they ported the classic that is already a success, and still fun today.
To play through the entire game will take quite awhile though I don't know how many people will make it that far. It's fun to begin with, but then it becomes frustrating when you lose all your lives, and have to start a new game. Since you're not going for high scores you would think Sega could have made it more into a platformer style than arcade style.
The game recalls the classic visuals, and it looks finer on the iPhone so that's always nice to see. The classic Sonic soundtrack is also included to further enhance the reminiscence. This is a great port of Sonic 2, it's as simple as that.
The controls are easy to use so you can maneuver at high speeds fine. The game has a brilliant save feature that picks up right where you left off in the exact spot.
The Bad
The game is definitely good, but it's far from perfect. The main problem is that the game is quite tough for most casual gamers. Also you get one continue so if you lose all your lives after that its back to square one. You may find yourself playing the same frustrating levels over and over.
Another problem is that you don't get to play with tails, and instead he just follows along not really doing anything, and having no negative if he falls behind and dies. The design of the game is just as mediocre as the classic look of the game, but the problem lies in that it's double scaling the actual resolution with the genesis gray box around it (seen in the gallery).
The controls take awhile to get used to, but once you do they work fine. Though there is no innovation for the iPhone platform which is disappointing, and just gives you virtual buttons. It would be nice to see a new Sonic designed specifically for the iPhone. If you've beaten this game before on any other platform you will find nothing new with this full port.
The Verdict
Sonic 2 is a great port to the iPhone, but it's just that a port. It provides no innovation what so ever, but does bring the classic gameplay to the iPhone. If you're a fan of the classic Sonic games you know what you're getting, and will see nothing new.
If you're new to the franchise this is nothing special. The game has some frustrating aspects that will have you playing the same levels over and over for most casual gamers.
For $5.99 it's worth considering depending on how much you like Sonic, and how much you've already played Sonic 2. Those new to the game will most likely be disappointed after paying $6, and not having much fun with it after multiple replays of the early levels.
