Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Retrospective
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2017
- How does the iconic sequel one-up the original? Let's find out!
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Sources:
Gamasutra article: www.gamasutra.com/view/news/3...
The rest of the footage was gathered by me.
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Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Sonic 2 Review. Retrospective. Critique. HD. Genesis. KingK - เกม
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to all the oil ocean fans I've offended in the comments
good you have no taste
Haven't played S2 in a while. Ironically how the only zones I remember from Sonic 2 are emerald hill, chemical plant, metropolis and Oil ocean. I remember that I fell in love with Oil ocean zone because of music and color palette used. Amazing how different opinions and feelings can be.
To be honest, it was really surprising to me to start finding out that people dislike Oil Ocean. It's pretty straightforward. If you suck at playing, I can understand how it might be confusing at first, maybe. Other than that, it's pretty simple, so unless you're complaining that it's too simple, you might have a neurological disorder that prevents you from mastering Oil Ocean after two playthroughs. :3
Seahorses: annoying suckage.
Music: rad
I love the music, I love the theme, and playing the stage itself is perfectly fun enough, it's not annoying to me like Metropolis Zone is. All you really need to enjoy a stage. I especially love how in Sonic Mania, they added the effect of the oil catching fire if you have a Fire Shield, very cool. It's insane to imagine an actual ocean comprised entirely of oil and it catching on fire, that would be devastating as hell. Or hell itself.
It's actually rather funny, because I don't hate Oil Ocean, but that's ALWAYS where I stop playing Sonic 2 if I'm just trying to kill time. I think it's partially because the Sonic 2 version of the stage is a bit on the boring side. But I think it's also because I don't find much of the rest of the game fun after that. You pretty much hit on all the points why in this video.
Metropolis Zone might be long, convoluted, and insanely boring to slog through on your thousandth playthrough... but at least it's not Wacky Workbench.
The Geek Critique Just you wait
...Or Marble Zone...
The Geek Critique
It's neither of those. The only problem with Metropolis is the cheap enemy placement. The level design itself is fine.
Hey, wacky workbench isn't that bad! You've just got to get the rhythm down... Then again, if I actually cared about special stages in sonic then it would be pretty awful
To be fair Wacky Workbench has better music
I would like to point out a small correction if no one else has pointed it out. The Death Egg Robot has three attacks, but most people never see the third one because it's very specific. If you end up behind the robot Eggman/Robotnik tosses out a handful of small bombs shaped like himself which land on the ground and explode after a while. It's not seen often because most people don't try to get behind him, but it is there.
I had to scroll way too far down to see this reply, thank you!
Katzman 79 I was juat about to point that out
As a kid I used always the tactic with getting behind the Death Egg Robot, as it seemed more safe to me to attack him from behind (because I mostly died while attacking him from the front). I always thought this was the right tactic, before I've seen the usual tactic here on TH-cam ^^
Thank you for commenting this
Knuckles
Mystic Cave Zone's music makes it all worth it for me
Splish And it not being in Mania makes it criminal to me
Both you guys are on point. It's even better than chemical plant or hydrocity.
amen
Lol tbh i always loved hilltop zone soundtrack idk y it unpopular
I love oil ocean zones theme
Oil Ocean is forgettable? Check.
Metropolis Zone is stupid? Check.
Yep, accurate retrospective. *thumbs up*
Am I the only one who loves Metropolis Zone ? :( The music there is great, and the level is both challenging and has fun mechanics (only the enemies suck)
All my rage. Oil ocean made it in mania over mystic cave. ;_;
I actually really didn't know OO was forgettable to so many people. I actually like that zone. I was pretty happy to see they brought it back in Sonic Mania
Jordan Harris Despite do liking OO, how cool could that be if they brought back Mystic Cave combined with Hidden Palace as kind of amalgamation of the two?!
Julien NT Only for one enemy (Slicers)
I love your retrospective series...
I honestly like the idea of "hidden stages" or even shortcuts. Just imagining the mania 2 possibility of finding a hidden cannon that lets you skip an act. Or say you find this weird portal that closes after X amount of time in the act, which brings you to a small retro-act. Possibly even having a optional boss fight if you finish on the higher path.
Anyways, great video overall!
Dfr34kz Sonic Rush Adventure already did this in the sense of shortcut that shuts you out, check it out..
While I know this doesn't exactly mean the same, the second act of Mushroom Hill right before the boss has something like that, where sometimes you pass through the ceiling and get a couple shield monitors before moving past the thick vine-looking wall thing that blocks it off as soon as you pass it, but other times you just roll onto the ceiling and back down to the ground.
(Those were my experiences anyway, I have never been able to explain it - Was it a timed thing? Does taking a specific pathway trigger it? Was it only access able for specific characters? Doubt it but my memory isn't the best since I eventually gave up trying to get there...)
And, *also* technically speaking, level skipping already exists... being able to skip levels by "breaking the game" is a reward for studying the level layouts and mastering the sequence of inputs. I don't know if that's what they had in mind when they thought about "speed running" for Sonic games, but I'd say it feels pretty good when you can pull off those moves.
(And really quickly, I'm pretty sure that, from my playthrough of Super Mario Bros. DS, the "cannon to another act" skirts a bit too close to Mario's "cannon to another world")
6:00 Been playing this game for over 20 years, and I had no idea you could bypass the crush blocks in chemical plant zone that way!
me neither, I hated that part so much, lol
You mean 5:50
There's another way around the rising water level part entirely via a secret pathway
Yeah
I found sky chase to be a relaxing break before getting back to it. The music sounded good and the breeze of a stage was welcomed to me as a kid having just sat in front of my genesis for hours running the gauntlet but I was 6 years old when this came out and far from as good as I became at it later in life.
19:18 That was painful to watch
th-cam.com/video/lfiM0yIJc60/w-d-xo.htmlsi=CjuwgDbFNZCiZwGi
22:38 "No matter which path you're on, the way forward is always clear"
*Shows footage of Sonic going backwards :p
Sonic 2: How to do a Sequel the Right Way. It improved on nearly everything Sonic 1 did and pretty much put the series on the map. One of my favorite Sonic Games of all time and my first Sonic Game. Still not as good as Sonic 3 & Knuckles, imo, but still greatness nonetheless.
Also, I'm hyped as hell for Sonic 2 HD after that new trailer. 😄
Fuck u, sonic 2 is overrated sonic 1 is better
Elijah Ford Mmm... are you sure about that
Elijah Ford No need to use such language
Monkey D. "Straw Hat" Luffy The Sonic 2 HD trailer was awesome! Really wasn't expecting it. I really hope to see the game finally coming to fruition!
+Monkey D. "Straw Hat" Luffy Sonic 2 hd is looking fantastic
i actually really like the instrumentation of both hill top and labyrinth zone. i guess thats just a personal preference kind of thing but they're among my favorite songs in their respective games
Aquatic Ruin is one of my favorites, probably because the first time i reached that stage as a kid was after struggling through Chemical Plant Act 2 a million times, I went from HATING water levels to being fine with them within two stages.
also the music for that stage is just glorious.
Sonic 2 was the game that really got me into the Sonic series. I played Sonic 1, 06, and Unleashed, but wasn't impressed with any of those games. When I tried Sonic 2, I got into it quickly, and each time I played, I got further and further until I beat the game. Pair the speed-focused levels, some expansive levels, along with one of my favorite soundtracks in the franchise, and Sonic 2 is a great game IMO. One of my favorite games in the franchise.
Hub Pie You should play 3
Hub Pie not even unleashed?
What an unfortunate series of first Sonic games
LvLupXD right? Sonic 2 is the first game I've ever played and is one of my first memories
Out of curious which Sonic did you start with first? Sonic 2 is my favourite too. In my case I began with Sonic 1 on the Master System which is good but very different to the 16bit.
*plays sonic 2*
"Hey, maybe my previous hate of Sonic was wrong!"
*metropolis zone happens*
"AND I'M BACKIN UP BACKIN UP BACKINUP BACKIN UP"
Your idea of Sonic Mania 2 sound like Castlevania Rondo of Blood
Not a bad thing to sound like, honestly.
I'd love to see that. Hell, a full on Metroidvania with Sonic! I'd buy it!
Ghaleonh41 I dunno how a metroidvania with sonic would work, seeing as Sonic is generally not one to turn around and backtrack, and would need uncharacteristically (for a metroidvania) wide open level design, but if it could work, it'd be interesting just to see how Sonic's "moveset" could work in a metroidvania.
Ah, you meant backtracking as in going back to an earlier stage? Good point, but that can easily change, case in point Rondo of Blood & others. But I'd love to see how this can work if done right. The modern games do have something close to a Metroidvania style, I think & I'm including the Adventure games. Going back to stages you've already finished to find an upgrade or take a different route because of the upgrade & such.
Ghaleonh41 It's not even really the going to an earlier stage that's the problem - it's that fact that because Sonic is so focused on momentum, if you were just exploring and for some reason needed to turn around, that slows you down a lot. I can already think of a few ideas that could kind of work to solve this issue, but the thing is that Sonic is focused mainly on going from one end of the screen to the other in a wide open space, and that's antithetical to the design of a metroidvania. I do think it's a cool idea though, and again, if it could work, it'd be really cool.
The Chemical Plant Zone song has lingered in my memory ever since I started playing this game in '94. What a great song in a great stage. And I never would have imagined that anyone else would be marked by this song as well, especially after all this time. To me, the initial Sonic franchise (the 2D era) was like those movies that have a part 1 and 2, in which the movie needs to be watched from first to last in order to make sense and you can't really mark one as being better than the other since they mutually complete each other: Sonic 1 is the beginning, you don't have as much power as in the other installments, you can't change into Super, etc etc, but it needs to be played, you gotta feel the evolution the next games brought. Then you get Sonic 2, a huuuge improvement and one of the best Sonic games (sorry, I've skipped over the 3D era) but I can't decide if it's better than 3 or if 3 is better than 2. So, Sega always stood out to me as having outdone themselves with Sonic. Oh, and great videos! At first I thought a 30 min review video of Sonic games would be too much, but I found myself finishing one video and starting the next, so keep up the good work!
I got goosebumps when you said "Sonic Mania 2". It's entirely possible at this point, and with the reception the first one got. I do think thought-out analyses like yours are actually helpful in people recognizing what works about 2d sonic and what doesn't.
Rumor has it that whenever someone sees a Slicer or even hears their name, Somecallmejohnny screams in agony and rage.
King K, I've watched almost all your videos, Dark souls and Zelda are by far my favorite games so it makes sense why I watch. But that's not what makes your content so good. Your in depth delivery analyzing what makes gameplay work speaks wonders on how video games at best gives the player an experience unlike book or movie. I think the same way as you and would love to be a Patreon, a tier for a council would be nice where devoted watchers of your channel such as I, can have discussions with you over these games and even talk about future games you could play. Love to hear what you have to say. Thanks,
-Matt
Mystic Caves tune honestly reminds me more of the first sonic spinball stage.
Great video and analysis, I loved the point about hidden zones. That would be incredible if it was possible to stumble into a completely new zone by exploring different pathways, like if it seamlessly transitioned into a new zone aesthetic in the middle of the previous zone. I would love for a potential sequel to sonic mania to stop and think about reworking certain aspects of sonics overall design. One thing I would like to see changed is the time limit. I feel like the levels in mania were huge but the arbitrary time limit discouraged me from exploring the levels because I would be punished for staying around for too long, especially during act 2 of many zones where I came close to timing out during boss fights. One other thing I would consider changing would be to shift away from the pixel art aesthetic and move towards a hand painted look like rayman. A controversial opinion sure but I would love to see sonics colorful and vibrant art direction to its fullest capacity.
I am 28. I've played this game since my earliest memories at 3 or 4 years old. I finally beat it without cheats and with an honestly earned super sonic about 2 weeks ago.
It took me over a month of semi daily playing when work didnt have me too drained to be competent. It took that long to just develop the skill to not get hung up on segments of metropolis (or mecha sonic at the end, for some reason i game overed on him like 6 times 😂) and just empty your lives; if not that, those special stages were a bit of a tricky thing to master... Finally getting super sonic transported me back to being 5 years old in 1995 once more, such a rush and what a payoff)
So satisfying to finally whup it. I am now about to try to do the same with sonic 3 and knuckles 😃
Thank you so much for such a great video! It was truly nice to hear your take on this classic, and your editing skills (and sense oc pacing) are absolutely dope. I'll be watching more of your content!
you dissed my favorite zone
Get dunked on m9
Oil Ocean was such a nothing zone in the original, I'm glad it got such a big upgrade in Sonic Mania though.
Also, the idea of Secret Levels in a Sonic Mania 2 is really really interesting. I for one would love to see that happen.
Alao I love how when KingK corrects himself in a video via text edit he uses a relavent sprite sound (sonic's jump, or young link's grunt)
You know, you could do a video about any IP and I'd probably watch it. It's not so much the topic, it's the way you do it and in such detail and passion, many of us can reflect on.
You know it to be true, when multiple franchises later, you are indeed still listening to the guy. :)
One major plus I have about you and your videos is that you don't put any pressure on anybody to donate money to you but still encouraged other ways to interact support that aren't costly for those who can't afford it
Your retrospectives do a fantastic job of flowing together. When you expand on points expressed not super clear, or entirely missed in your sonic 1 retrospective, in this video, and then furthermore use those points for comparison to the actual focus of the video, sonic 2, it just works really well! I also appreciate that you addressed why you didn't feel the need to discuss bosses so much, but still brought attention to the boss you did like as well as the final boss of both games.
Heh, TH-cam auto captions translated his sign off phrase as "my name is Ben Kincaid." Just FYI.
Duude. I just subscribed to you last night over your Sonic 1 retrospective, then binge-watched your Zelda series when I woke up today... and now that I've just finished the BotW video, I see this one! THE CONTENT, IT NEVER ENDS
I’m so glad I found your channel, and you’re so thorough as to point out the music. I loved the music of the sonic games as a kid so much, but I completely forgot. I was filled with so much joy hearing this music. You really have no idea 😭
15:47
That's Silver Sonic. Mecha Sonic appears in Sonic & Knuckles. It's a common misconception
DaveMan1000 thank you for the correction, though in the grand scheme of things I ultimately don't care lol
KingK
Just for future reference.
@@GenesisGreen This is half-correct. They're called Silver Sonic in both versions.
Will you do a Sonic 3 retrospective ? I really love your videos ❤👍
TheRambest I mean yeah
With knuckles?
KingK Or even better, a retrospective of Sonic 3 Complete?!
Windows U Yes sure. I just commented as generic name...
Dvir Arazi That's a Game fan mod, it doesn't count...
Great video King! I found you after looking for Sonic Mania videos and I'm loving your calm retrospective videos and approach to dissecting game design. Plus your amazing mic quality and voice helps a lot. Love your thoughts here, can't wait for the next video!
Great work, dude. I'm glad you addressed the bosses, music and all of the zones in this retrospective, making this be an improvement over the already good Sonic 1 video you did. Looking forward to the rest of this retrospective! :D
There is one problem with the mobile ports, though...it is only on mobile. Playing the game on a smaller screen with your fingers obscuring a bit of the screen is not pretty ideal and the mobile emulators are not perfectly reliable.
I hope SEGA comes to their senses and releases the mobile ports on PC and consoles, it's easy money for them and the mobile ports were developed on PC first.
Why would you ever wanna pull a pristine Sonic 2 cart out of the clamshell, pop it into a real Genesis hooked up via RGB to a PVM and a stereo system with big clear speakers and grab a sleek 6 button controller... when you could play... the mobile version.
mtoad
I don't quite get what point you're trying to make.
Simply playing Sonic 2 is easy, knowing how many times the game has been ported on compilations and all that. Is just that the mobile version fixes a lot of issues that were in the genesis version and it is pretty much the definitive version of the game...except the fact that it's on mobile only, adding to what I said earlier, touching the screen isn't quite as responsive as pushing a button.
My point is that when it comes to the best way to play Sonic 2, it's not even debatable. Every other method (aside from the Saturn disc via the same setup as above) is comparatively a joke.
"joke"
So you're one of those elitist types.
Yes.
What would you do to "fix" Sonic today? Imagine a 2d Sonic game with painterly, rayman-origins style visuals with hand-drawn animation. THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.
Edit: IT WOULDN'T BE SONIC MANIA. The main difference is it wouldn't be pixelated, and it would be able to have more zones/ ideas since SEGA would invest more into the project (i.e. bigger team, more resources, marketing, etc.)
pk mach make sonic mania
pk mach Sonic 2 HD
What is there to fix? Modern Sonic is doing fine and Mania is keeping classic fans satisfied
pk mach Like Mania?
It's not hand-drawn but that doesn't matter.
Cezary Dudkiewicz I think it does, personally. That modern art style coupled with hand drawn animation I could totally see replacing modern Sonic.
I found your channel super recently, and I can't get enough. Your retrospectives are really thoughtful and interesting. Keep up the good work, man. I'm super excited for the Sonic CD vid.
Great video - really reminded me of what I love about Sonic 2, and why it's probably my favourite game in the classic trilogy. Keep up the good work my dude. Can't wait to see the rest of the series!
I literally don't care about sonic I just love your voice and content
Fantastic retrospective. Finally some youtuber that does not bullshit everything about music composition. Half the time I barely understand when people talks about good music and you make it sound just as simple as I would explain it. Great work.
Maxime Lemieux Funny because I think I'm absolutely terrible at describing music. Glad it worked for so many people.
KingK I agree that you're not great at it but you handled it in a simple and classy way for the layman.
well done. its definitely not the introspective levelness of the other elements so you touched upon it and moved on.
Of all the sonic games, I've probably played Sonic 2 the most. I played this game over and over again because it was one of the only games we had when my NES stopped working. Just hearing the music gives he a huge case of the nostalgias. Great video.
As someone who grew up with the Adventure Games then Gems/Mega Collections (and later the modern era): Sonic 2 was the first classic era that made me really appreciate 2D platformers in general. Growing up first with all 3D games I didn't really want to/ feel the need to play the older 2D games in general. Playing Sonic 1 at the time I couldn't stick with it after Marble & labyrinth zone. But Sonic 2, really sold me on the classic games and 2D 1990s/1980s in general. The music, the flow, the gameplay, not to mention the joy from finally finally unlocking SS was amazing to me
I agree in most aspects. This would be my favorite Sonic ever if its wasnt for Metropolis, and the final boss.
Two bosses in a row with no rings is really pushing it. Save system or not, you are really pushing me expecting me to beat two hard bosses in a row...
I'm been playing Sonic 2 for 25 years, and probably beat it only twice because I quit the game when I get to the final boss.
Its really a shame the mobile port, which fixed a lot of issues, didnt add ONE ring after Mecha Sonic,.
Jose Colella I feel you.
I swear I died 20+ times before finally beating this boss. But now after beating it over 5 times, it really not all that bad. 3 rings at the start would still be plenty welcome
I wish they gave you a ring and when you got hit it you can’t get t due to gravity I think that’s a fair trade off
Super Sonic NEEDED FOR METROPOLIS ZONE
You've got probably the best commentary I've seen on TH-cam for each game retrospective I've watched that you've made. May not always agree with you (do more often than I don't), but I always appreciate your point of view, expertly laid out and oh-so-listenable, and I really appreciate not having to worry about you fully elaborating on and exploring an idea you present, because you always do. Looking forward to your next video, as always!
10:55 lmao this is my favorite stage, when i was playing next to my mom she thought there was a bee.
You should never have to wait for the arrows by just standing ontop of the pillars and then jumping on him. It's still similar to other bosses but gives you more options to play with
Also a video critique would be that you let some of the music (notably Chemical Plant) play too long before you got to the analysis of it. I know what Chemical Plant sounds like, and didn't need the whole again song to understand what you were talking about.
kirby krew I will shorten them in the future, even I got annoyed watching it back again. I shouldn't have let it play that long. My idea was to let it finish the loop it was on, but that loop is a lot longer than I think I remembered.
I enjoy the music so much I didn't even mind. I just let the nostalgia sink in
Metal Gear retrospective next please?
I've been watching your content since the Mother retrospect. And
I want to just say that the way you convey your argument and problems towards games are incredible. That and packed in with your voice too. It just makes it so much professional and really quality.
I honestly don't mind the long videos at all, frankly they're a great time killer. I get to learn and understand what I overlooked. Like, I used to just blatantly hate the Death Egg robot but. I grew to be much more understanding of it.
KingK, my fellow retrospector, keep up what you're doing cause I absolutely love it.
Idk how I stumbled across your vids, but I love them all. You cover basically all of my favorite games, and share mostly all the same views, and have such a relaxing voice. Won't lie, I've actually started using these videos as a calming, almost meditative podcast sort of thing to fall asleep to, lol.
It helps greatly that you put in all the wicked songs I love listening to from my childhood (especially on your Zelda vids)
I just gotta remember to go back and hit the like button on all the vids I've seen. Keep it up mate, love your work!
I don't know why but Sonic 2 always had an unfinished look to me compared to the original. While it had better level desing and a bigger emphasis on Sonic's speed, the game had a rushed feel to it. Even if Sonic 1 isn't as good as its sequel, it still felt like the final product.
I heard the multiplayer songs were meant for levels that didn't end in the game.
t was mostly finished but because it had to make a holiday deadline, Genocide/ Cyber City became Metropolis act 3. Hidden palace was cut. Then look at beta level designs closely, compare to finished versions, see those rings in the walls? they did alot of this at the last second. Your kinda right about the unfinished look, had it been released later this would be comparable to that of the late beta.
I feel that Sonic 2 is a more fun game, because it always has a more exhilarating feel. Speed is what it capitalized on, but it didn't leave platforming and exploration behind.
Sometimes Sonic 3 and Knuckles capitalized on platforming and exploration and completely ditched speed. This made zones drag.
Mania does larger zones better because they have way more flow and speed. There are less moments where the game forces you to slow down to do something tedious such as moving a barrel, pushing levers, and watch as light bridges move you across the screen for an obnoxiously long time.
Also, the annoying rising floor sections that Sonic 3 just loves are exempt in Mania and are very short in Sonic 2.
Sonic 3 was really good for scope and story, but fell really flat in the gameplay department.
Some of this is real nitpicky complaining and someone who wanted an easy side scrolling game.
I think it is fair, f*** death egg
That's kind of the point of a TH-cam review: Someone expressing their own opinions on what they like and don't like. That, as you phrased it, is "nitpicky." This person is entitled to do so. You're entitled to agree or disagree.
I agree 100%. "OMG there's enemy placement that keeps me from mindlessly rushing through the level. How unfair!"
@Raging Bull Except that's not true, Sonic games have always had a lot of platforming which is why the classic Sonic games are the only good games in the series.
Brie Russel *cough* generations *cough* colors *cough* adventure 2 *cough*
What you consider bad enemy placement, dr eggman considers genius enemy placement
This was my first video game I ever played. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized it isn’t perfect, but it’ll always have a special place in my heart. Great video, man! Keep up the awesome work.
Since the mobile port I kinda learned to enjoy Oil Ocean this level is not that bad comparing to Sandopolis Zone fuck this Zone ! But it's not Wacky Workbench
P.S Love your voice King K you should do a bit of ASMR ^^
Why do people hate on Sandopolis so much?
Sad Johnson The sand
Puzzle elements
Some shitty enemy placement
Dark rooms you have to pull on a switch to light the room
Timed doors that require you to move fast
Quicksand
Oh did i mention sand?
Dunno, dude, I like it. Most of it.
Because I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere
+Sad Johnson: I'll add something that LOLSTER239 seems to have forgotten to mention... GHOSTS!
Sonic 2 is a fun game to go through every now and then. It's not too long, has one of my least favorite levels (oil ocean), and a little bit of difficulty by the endgame. Still an enjoyable game; more so than Sonic 1. However, I still place Sonic CD as my favorite of the originals, even above S3&K (as unpopular of an opinion as it is).
I feel like you deserve a lot more subscribers, this is a very well detailed and amazing review.
I love your videos man, I've stopped watching video game reviews after acorn films stopped making stuff but your videos are getting interested in games I'd never really think to play. Keep it up man!
I came across your video and I couldn't stop watching. I really like the pacing and the time you take to explain every point. It's not something you easily find in video reviews. Just suscribed!
Fun fact on the Death Egg Robot; he does have a third attack, where mini Robotnik bombs are thrown at the player. He only uses the move if you're behind him when he lands to throw his arms though; found that out the hard way. Also, love the detailed look at the soundtrack. And totally agree with the idea of hidden zones.
What I like most about this game is how it subtly tells a story about friendship. You don't think about it while you're playing - especially when you are a seven year old - but when you reach that ending and see what Sonic and Tails will do for each other, it hits you. Sonic Team did a similar thing for Nights into Dreams and its a style of storytelling unique to gaming; making you feel a theme through interaction.
To be honest Tails being dumber than a rock and being relegated to getting shoved off screen in co-op kind of rins that.
Great series! Really excited to see what you have to say about Sonic 3 and Knuckles. Don't knock your review of these games music, you did a great job - looking forward to, again, what you have to say about the tunes in S3&K
Great video man, I'm glad I subbed. This game basically introduced me to gaming.
Never truly realized how fucking dope it would be to have hidden zones like that of Hidden Palace Zone. I love watching your videos because they always give me some kind of newfound perspective of what a game IS and what a game COULD be. Keep it up my dude, looking forward to hearing your thoughts on CD.
Well sir, my first exposure to your channel and wow. Really enjoyed that walk through of Sonic 2 with you. Didn't realise how much it was possible to critique a video game but it was expertly crafted. Looking forward to your Sonic CD video.
solid channel. your videos have the right amount of substance.
I already loved all your videos, and now you're covering my favourite videogame series, let alone favourite "trilogy" of games if you count Sonic 2, 3&K together as the "Death Egg Saga". Can't wait to hear what else you have to say on these games, especially Sonic 3&K, which is my favourite game ever made.
That Slicer at 21:06 is the bane of my Sonic 2 play through. For whatever reason he is sometimes there and sometimes isn't. The most I could find about it was on the Zone 0 website: "Sometimes there is a Slicer in the corridor at the very top. Other times, there isn't. Not really sure why." That thing wasn't there on my very first run of Metropolis Zone but I died at the boss. I enjoyed Metropolis Zone and didn't have too many problems clearing the first two acts despite the cheap enemy placement. However, after that one Slicer showed up and never once went away finishing Act 3 became hell. That Slicer was probably 90% of my deaths in Act 3.
I can't wait for your video on Sonic 3! Especially since I think it solves most of the grievances you have with 2 and 1.
How... how have I never thought to hide zones in other zones...? That is possibly the most fantastic idea I've heard all year!!!
As for the rest of the video, you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I really do enjoy Sonic 2 a lot still. But I think there's a reason that 3&K (and also Mania) have overtaken it as my favorite 2D Sonic title as the years move on. Sonic 2 has a lot to love, but once you get used to the game, the best zones/acts tend to be over far too quickly, with the less great ones being a bit too long. I hate that I can get through nearly every act until Hill Top in less than a minute. And even Hill Top and Mystic Cave just don't last too much longer.
Really cool series, I can't wait for next video (and would LOOOOVE if you covered 3D games)
I will always remember renting this game for my Genesis when I was 6 or 7. I was unbelievably excited.
The first four to five levels of Sonic 2, to me, is the best experience in the series. So much fun!
I have said it before and i'll say it again. You are one of the few people on youtube who DESERVE more subs
Can I just say that I absolutely adore your classic Sonic reviews so far. Can't wait for CD, 3, & Knuckles, and Mania(?).
"Good.
GREAT! AWESOME! AAAAMMMAZING!" - Sonic Colors Announcer Guy
I am playing Sonic 1 on iPad, and thanks to your explanation, I have been pushing the walls and finding secrets. You are right; that game is slower paced, and a great opportunity to find them.
Wouldn't it have been cool if you found a secret path via an upper route in Mystic Cave that took you to Dust Hill Zone? Or maybe a secret path in Metropolis that takes you to Cyber City? You are totally right sir, hidden zone entrances would be FANTASTIC for Sonic.
Something that's really great about Wing Fortress Zone is how there is a choice between properly exploring the level for all of the ring boxes and extra lives to give you additional chances at Death Egg's heavy difficulty spike, or the ability to skip large portions of the level once you've familiarized yourself with the layout. It's a small, but really interesting bit of design that I haven't seen anyone talk about.
You kept your promise and looked at Sonic 2. Thanks !
I'm always coming back to this vid, its so good!
I never thought about the thing with the music you mention. It really does sound like an upgraded version of Sonic 1's soundtrack.
This is the first game I ever received from my parents way back then, and I've never beaten it... but it's so nostalgic to hear that beginning song.
I was also the only person with a Sega instead of a Nintendo at the time in my neighborhood (because my parents didn't know the difference between Sonic and Mario, and I guess the game store person probably sold them on BLAST PROCESSING. Great review, always enjoy watching and hearing what you have to say.
I'm still dreading that creepy music when you fight Mecha Sonic. As a kid I was in the short beginning of that stage when my mother just told me that out pet cat was euthanized. So it was basically my very first connection to 'death' in my life, which is now forever connected to this song!
The Special Stage Theme in Sonic 2, combined with the trippy visuals and the fact that it's how you unlock the overpowered Super form, always had this certain... _feeling_ to me. Like I reached a part of the game it doesn't want me to, and I'm doing something really crazy, and the game is going "Woah, woah, woah, _what_ are you doing?" at me... or something like that. Just this feeling like I reached this weird, trippy, hidden part of the game. Hard to explain.
26:26 I enjoyed the increase in my own skill that Sky Chase gave me, by forcing me to not die or be punished heavily by the long level again. It was a great way to get good at Sonic. I always said Sonic games made me good at all games. This is one of the very reasons, it's perfect.
I agree, metal slug style hidden stages, also remember how sonic chaos has a different game for each special stage, that was a good thing too. Thank you for using the widescreen port. ive seen youtubers play mario 64 by stretching it to 16:9. also nice retrospective. Nice CP zone 2 elevator shortcut. Ill probably watch all of these before I begin making epic rom hacks
i think oil ocean is dope i like that some of the enemies are based on sea creatures it gives the level so much personality. it also lends to the whole nature vs technology theme sonic games are known for
Sonic 2 was my introduction to videogaming when I was 8. I love it, even though I'm intimately aware of its flaws. The spindash really opened the game up, and checmical plant zone is pure genius.
I don't get why people say lootboxes cause gambling, casino night IS GAMBLING. There are literal slot machines
Other than that really funky part of the Spring Yard zone music (starting at 7:32), which is probably my favorite part of music in Sonic 1, I agree on the comparison.
24:12 "...yet i can't shake this feeling that stages only accessible via secret entrances would be killer. Think about how Sonic's levels are often designed (at least the good ones), large, non-linear, and secretive. Imagine if you took the top pathway, found a well-hidden secret path into a completely different zone normally inaccessible on the main progression path."
you know, that sounds just like Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. like your style KingK
I can bypass the toxic section with the door shut. Mind Blown thanks for the video series.
Bringing up the hidden levels, an idea I always had was that Metropolis was the inside of the buildings in the background of Oil Ocean. What if you found a door in Oil Ocean that led you to Metropolis. If you find the door and enter it, you go through all 3 acts of Metropolis and fight the Death Egg Robot there. If you don't then you go straight from Oil Ocean to Sky Chase, Wing Fortress, and then Death Egg.
Sonic 1 special stages are meant to feel like a merry go round I think.
You are so right dude. Sonic 2 has speedy level design done right. The game rewards you for momentum, while at the same time relying heavily on the skill needed to blaze through the stages. Apart from enemy placement being a bit dickish, the game is honestly one of my top 5 in the series.
As a music guy, one thing I will say about Spring Yard vs Casino Nights is the latter has a much more interesting harmony (spring yard uses a very similar chord progression to like 3 other songs in the first game) and a stronger melody.
Sonic 2 was the first game I ever played. This and Pokemon Ruby are close to my heart, even if I don't really care much for either series anymore.
Man I love oil ocean! 😅
Great vid! Look forward for S3&K