Sonic the Hedgehog 2SMS

Yay, keep 'em coming.

Looks like the screenshots show different levels than the Genesis version. I assume we will pay 600 points for this

Edit: I guess I was wrong its regular price

This was on Sonic Gems Collection right? Decent game though the Mega Drive version is far far superior.

@Tony yep since it never saw the light of day in america. You guys might get this the same day as Devil World

Sega, just give us Sonic and Knuckles already!

@slangman

Yes and no. Gems Collection had the Game Gear version of the game, which really shouldnt be play on a TV. The SMS version however, it more suited to TVs.

Is it worth 500 points though?

Sonic 2 on the Sms is not as good Sonic 1 on the system.

@Bass X0 yes this is worth 500 points america will be getting it first though as according to wikipedia there getting it early next month we probably wont see it till late december or early january

I played this on the Game Gear, and it was a fun little title.

I remember when a played this game in my Master System, here in Brazil. But I didn't know that Brazil was the only country in whole America that received this game. Maybe it's just because Master System was very, very popular around here.

I want this!!
Only game's left is Sonic Chaos!

Also Sonic Blast.
http://www.vgmuseum.com/pics/sonicblast.html

@Bass X0 : I doubt Sonic Blast will be released. That was kind of a pirated version made in brazil. Its just the game gear version stretched out. And it shows. The ring counter is out of place and the title screen just has a big green border. It would be cool if it was released though.
Anyway ive recently done a playthrough of Sonic 2 for my youtube account. Although I did the game gear version. I still find it enjoyable to play and it can be a tough game. Also I like that in this game if you get all Emeralds you get the true final zone to go through unlike Sonic 1 SMS where you just get a slightly altered ending.

Oh okay, I didn't know that.

Great game, one of my favourites in the series, and second only to the MD version in my mind.

@ Angelic Lapras King Ah

i see. I never knew the MS version was the nearly the same as the GG except with a better framerate (well i think). I think it's ok although it doesn't hold my attention as much as the 16-bit versions.

Worst Sonic game I ever played.

I think for completist's sake it might be worth a flutter. I'm not a big Sonic fan but it is quite different to the Mega Drive Sonic 2 and I can vouch for that. Whether the differences are a) worth 600 points or b) make it a better game than the original are purely subjective.

There's always the SMS versions of Mean Bean Machine and Spinball too.

I loved this game when it came out but like others i also have it on a sonic collection.
Deffo one for download if you havn't played it though!

I vaguely remember this on the Game Gear when I was growing up, I liked the first Sonic the Hedgehog game, so I might get this one, I mean it's only 500 points...

Is this going to be japan only? i hope not i had this on game gear, was cool wih handglider

I believe I have this on my Sega comp collection. (PS2) But thanks anyways, NOA.

Sonic 1 on the Master system wasn't too bad, but this one is kind of weak.

is it worth four stars?

I thought NA never got this game. Even if it comes out this week i doubt i will get this since i never liked this game much on gems collection.

I think this is a great game. I've always thought these Master System Sonic titles were very underrated.

"noticeably easier this time"

Really? I only ever found the first Chaos Emerald. Then this was the Game Gear version.

Whoa, a rare-miss for a VCReview. Not only is the review painfully brief, but also you're calling Sonic 2 "easier"? If memory serves, it was the opposite way around - I'd say Sonic 2 offers more of a challenge. (And not in a good way.)

Perhaps I could be wrong; I should refresh my memory and eat the 500 points. I am a Sonic fan after all... (points to avatar)

I have never beaten this. I owned this on my SMS2 as a kid, and never got past Green Hill's boss

I think I've played this on the Game Gear.

@Dazza. Loving the LocoRoco avatar.

I thought this game was terrible i still own the version i had as a kid and i still dislike it as much as ever. Whts with the hand gliding? lol controls are awful.

I liked this game but if you ask me the first boss is quite difficult for a first boss. (plus you have to wonder why Robotnik didn't just let sonic fall into the lava)

@Corbie I completely agree. I really like Sonic 1 for MS. The platforming is a bit frustrating from time to time, but I think it's a platformer that is well above average and better than it's Genesis counterpart. I can't say the same about the second MS title (Sonic 2 Genesis is my favorite Sonic game), but Sonic 2 MS is still good.

I totally had this on the Sega Game Gear in elementary school! There's no way I could forget those levels and the sound effects and everything. This was a pretty tough Sonic game. I spent hours and hours and hours playing this and wasting an entire pack of batteries. There was always this special cheat where if you pressed Start and Select at the same time right on Tails' 3rd or 9th wink or something a secret menu would pop up that would allow you to skip to any different level. I wonder if they included something similiar in the SMS version.

The boss battle music in the Game Gear version is much better in my opinion

Hah. i got a Game Gear off of eBay in spring with this on it. I frickin love this game. Its alot harder than the Mega Drive/Genesis counterpart tho.
unfortunately, i dont have access to many batteries, so i have to keep it plugged in xD

Not bad, but I'm not sure it's worth the purchase. It felt more like a 3 star game to me. I may have to bust out the 'ol master system to refresh my memory. I don't really believe you get the same feel for the game when played on the game gear. I do remember playing both (MS and SG) with friends in the barracks, switching back and forth and comparing the two. Graphics not withstanding, the SG version came out on top as the MS version just wasn't as fun as I remember. I think it really does make for a decent portable game, maybe 4 stars in that context.

Ok this is easily the worst of the 8-bit titles, it was very poorly coded and the level design is full of wtf moments like leaps of faith, hangliders you can barely control, and tubes that lead to instant death. The first game was great but they really messed up with this one. I'd go as far as to say it is the worst 2D sonic I've played if it weren't for some of the spinoff titles and that horrible GBA port of the first genesis game.

I agree with you 100% President Leever. The hangglider is awful, and there are a lot of tubes etc where you don´t actually controll Sonic. I even prefer Sonic Adventure over this. Save your points for Sonic 1 and the Mega Drive games instead.

As much as I love the blue blur, Sonic 2 for GG/MS is personally my least favorite Sonic game. (My favorite ironically being the 16-bit Sonic 2 for Genesis/MD.) The hangglider controls are indeed awful, and the tube levels are very tedious, and confusing. One mess up, could easilly get you killed.
You also can't make one jump over a pit without worrying about falling on the spikes, so there are many leaps of faith in the game. (Hopefully the Master System's bigger screen makes this less of a problem.) You get no rings for boss battles, so one hit, and you're dead, (unlike Sonic 1, you can't take shields from previous levels into the next) wich wouldn't be so bad, but to make it more frustrating, you now have to go through obsticle courses before the boss (with not a single ring in the level) so you're sure to lose more lives in them, then in the actual boss fights. You'll have to memorize the levels in order to advance.
Not to mention the chaos emeralds are neerlly impossible to find, unlike the previous 8-bit Sonic game. (Wich is much better.) And if you don't get all of them, you can't go to the last level, and get the "good ending." I would onley recommend this title to those who are gluttons for punishment, or whom just have to play every Sonic title out there.
People who complain about Sonic's modern-day titles, the ones whom state the onley good Sonic games are the 2D games, should play this title. It'll make them change their minds, and mabey even take back every nasty thing they've ever said about "Sonic Heroes" being to frustrating. (A game I like BTW, if I can tolerate that game, that could make you imagine how annoying 8-bit Sonic 2 is.)

I will give the game kudos in the graphics & music department though, it has some nice 8-bit themes, including a nice song in the Greenhill Zone stage that was remixed into the Japanese Sonic CD themesong.
Still, I hope to see more Sonic 8-bit titles come out for VC. The Master System needs more love.

@ Beau Skunk
I'm with you, the SMS definitely needs some VC love, so I was happy to see this game appear, but, alas, your scathing review has turned me off. Nonetheless, this seems like a great game to make available for the Sonic freaks of the world; I know if this was some obscure Zelda title, no matter how supposedly terrible it was, I would have bought it up in a second. More SMS titles, Ninty!

Well, seeing as how some people above like the game, don't just take my word for it. Besides, I've onley played the Game Gear version to this title, so my review was of the GG version. (Wich still has the same levels, and stuff from what I hear.)
I have no clue if the SMS version has any improvements, other then a larger view of the level. (Wich might make leaping over spike pits easier.)

I'll admit, mabey I am being to hard on this title, some parts of the game arn't bad, I liked the first 2 Greenhill Zone levels, and some features like the minecarts in the first level were kinda fun to use. And Sonic can move fairlly fast for an 8-bit title.
I like challenging games, even some frustrating ones, but it's kinda hard for me to not notice the flawed level designs in this title. (Like in one level if you move to fast, or to slow as you fall after bouncing on a spring you might miss another spring or platform for instance, and die.)
So I'd recommend this onley for those with good memories, or whom like very challenging old-school titles. You'll probilly have to play through the first few levels of the game several times, and memorize them, and learn some ways to rack up 1-ups, (there are alot of 1-ups hidden in the Greenhill Zone lucklly) before you can beat it. But I guess, the harder it is, the more rewarding it is when you finally beat it. (And the VC's save ability might make the game easier to beat, so you can take a break, sence the game could prove quite time-consuming.)

But it's really a matter of taste, I like quite a few vastlly disliked titles on this site, such as "Sonic Spinball." (I'm amazed this game has gotten much less cruel reviews then Spinball.)
Mabey, I'll play it again, and change my vote to 2-stars. It's not a "horrible" game, I guess, but it's far from being an "awesome" Sonic game. Even for 8-bit SMS standards. (And there are very few Sonic titles I personally dislike.)
But like I said, it really matters on personal taste, rather then just one person's opinions. (Like myself.)

Most of the improvements on the SMS version (aside from the larger field of view) are relatively minor, such as slightly altered boss arenas. (If I recall correctly, the most notable change is in the Green Hills Boss Arena, where the dip in the ground is a little less deep.) I know it's not enough of a difference from the GG version to warrant a purchase for some people, so it really depends on if you want to experience the game the best way possible.

Why did they call this Sonic 2 if one is already on the sega, except this one is based off the game gear version I mean they all have the same story.

As with the SMS Sonic 1, i still think that it's a much better use of your money to get the Genesis version. Plus, Sonic 2 on the Genesis is probably one of the best Sonic games ever!!

I had this for Game Gear back in the day, perhaps release real master system games eh? Are there any that aren't GG?

Ok. First of all, North Americans need to get this strait. A lot of early Game Gear games where ports of Master system games. Its not the other way around. A lot of those MS titles just didn't get released in North America, but only in Europe and South America where MS was very popular. The MS versions of Sonic 2 was such a title. I had the game for both MS and GG, and it played much better on MS and the big TV screen. Its just not as hard and frustrating with the bigger screen.
So.. to all of you who only played the GG versions of Sonic 1 and 2, just try the superior MS Versions for once.. ( I never understood why Sega put the GG versions on the Sonic Collection discs, they are just not suited for TV.. what a shame.. )

Great reviews of this game and Sonic 1 (sms).

By far the most difficult Sonic game of the 8/16 bit era. I enjoyed this alot though . Just beware of the Green Hills Zone's Third Act or you'll be getting frustrated much faster .

Ah, the most hardest Sonic on Master System/GameGear. The final boss was so hard, I lost so many lives on that boss!

The Game Gear version of this is so cheap and frustrating. I like the Master System version way more due to being able to see things ahead of you and the first boss not being infuriating.

Seriously, get this one over that version. The Game Gear version needs to be forgotten and disposed of, it's just no fun.