Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Summary
One of the most iconic and successful video games of all-time, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a certified classic. As one of the flaghsip titles for the Sega Genesis, Sonic 2 clearly differentiated the system from Nintendo’s hardware. While Nintendo’s Super Mario titles were about precision platforming, Sonic is all about speed. That sense of speed present in the first Sonic is more noticable in Sonic 2, along with some of the series’ most memorable levels and music.
Sonic 2‘s debut in 1992 came just a year after the first game in the series and catapulted Sonic to a household name. Famously arriving during the midst of the “Console Wars”, Sonic represented a much different mascot than Nintendo’s Mario. So much so that for years, Sega’s tagline was “Sega does what Ninten-don’t”. Sonic’s trademark attitude, speed, and knowing smirk were all part of the hardware manufacturer’s marketing strategy in the 1990s. It goes without saying that without Sonic, Sega never has a strong foothold in the US console market.
Sega claims the Sonic the Hedgehog series has sold more than 1.5 billion physical copies and downloaded games combined. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is perhaps the pinnacle of the series. In addition to being a flagship title for the Sega Genesis, Sonic 2 has been ported to virtually every platform under the sun. Most recently, Sonic 2 is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S as part of the Sonic Origins collection.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Premise
Similar to the first Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2 is a side-scrolling action platform game. Players run and jump through levels using Sonic’s trademark speed. In addition to horizontal platforms, Sonic’s speed makes scaling vertical walls and loops possible. This gives Sonic 2‘s levels much more variety than other contemporary platformers.
Sonic only has one attack, a spin-dash, that players execute mid-jump. Careful timing of this attack allows Sonic to destroy robotic enemies that resemble animals and other creatures. While players make their way through Sonic 2‘s levels, they will collect golden rings. These rings act as Sonic’s life force or HP, and getting hit results in losing all rings. If players take a second hit with no rings collected, they will lose a life. Once players have lost all of their lives, they can continue if and only if they’ve accumulated continues by beating stages with more than 100 rings.
Each stage in Sonic 2 is split into 2 or 3 parts or “Acts”. At the end of each stage’s final act, Sonic faces off against Dr. Robotnik in one of his many robotic contraptions. Following the defeat of each Robotnik boss, Sonic frees a group of woodland creatures trapped by the evil Robotnik. Sonic 2 famously introduced Tails, who was available as both an AI companion and a co-op controlled partner.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Main Characters
The original Sonic the Hedgehog introduces players to the series’ long-running protagonist and antagonist. The titular Sonic is the hero of the series, with the evil Dr. Robotnik being his arch-nemesis. Sonic 2 introduces the first companion to Sonic in the form of Miles “Tails” Prower. After the success of Tails’ introduction, Sega would introduce a new companion character in nearly every subsequent Sonic title. The main characters of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 include:
- Sonic: Sonic is our titular hero and the famous speedy blue hedgehog the series is known for. His ultimate goal is to prevent Dr. Robotnik from acquiring the Chaos Emeralds and using them for nefarious purposes. Despite not having any dialogue in-game, Sonic’s facial expressions communicate a fun-loving and carefree attitude.
- Tails: Tails is the twin-tailed fox that is Sonic’s sidekick. He uses his twin tails as de facto helicopter blades and can hover for short distances. In one of the more famous sequences in the game, we see that Tails is also a capable pilot.
- Dr. Robotnik: An evil scientist, Dr. Robotnik is the antagonist and Sonic’s arch-nemesis. His dastardly schemes often come at the expense of defenseless woodland creatures whom Sonic must rescue. He is a brilliant roboticist that builds several impressive machines to attempt and foil Sonic’s plans. His ultimate goal is to collect the Chaos Emeralds and use them for world domination.
Games in the Sonic Series
The Sonic series is one of the most enduring in gaming, with dozens of titles across multiple hardware generations. Since beginning in 1991, the series continues to be a marquis title in the medium of video games, selling over 140 million units across multiple titles. Main games in the Sonic series include:
- Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
- Sonic CD (1993)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles (1994)
- Sonic 3D Blast (1996)
- Sonic Adventure (1998)
- Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)
- Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (2001)
- Sonic Advance (2001)
- Sonic Mega Collection (2003)
- Sonic Heroes (2003)
- Sonic Mega Collection Plus (2003)
- Shadow the Hedgehog (2005)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
- Sonic Unleashed (2008)
- Sonic Colors (2010)
- Sonic Generations (2011)
- Sonic Lost World (2013)
- Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (2014)
- Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal (2014)
- Sonic Mania (2017)
- Sonic Origins (2022)
- Sonic Frontiers (2022)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Cheats & Cheat Codes
Cheats for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 are essentially universal across all platforms, with the one exception being the controls used for input. That said, the same cheats are available in every version of the game. Below are the available cheat codes for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, both the original and Sonic Origins versions.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Cheats for Sega Genesis
Level Select
While on the main screen, select “Options”. From the Options menu, enter “Sound Select” and play sounds 19, 65, 9, 17 and press C. Push Start to return to the main screen and when Sonic and Tails appear, hold A and press Start.
Debug Mode
To enter Debug Mode, first enable Level Select. While in the Level Select screen, play sounds 1, 9, 9, 2, 1, 1, 2, 4. Hold A and press Start. You can select any sprite in the level (including item boxes) and place them on the screen. Press A to select different sprites and press C to place them on the screen.
More Continues
First, enable Level Select. Then in the Options menu, play sounds 1, 1, 2, 4. Move the highlight to the “Player Select” field of the Options screen and press Start.
Sonic After Dark
To play any Sonic 2 level at night, enter the Debug Menu and hold C before pressing Start to begin any level at nighttime.
Slow Motion Sonic
After enabling Level Select, you can pause the game and use A to restart, B for slow motion, and C for frame skipping.
Super Sonic
It’s possible to become Super Sonic without gathering all of the Chaos Emeralds thanks to the Level Select cheat. After enabling Level Select, go to the Sound Test and play sounds 4, 1, 2, 6. Now start any level, collect 50 rings, and jump.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Cheats in Sonic Origins
In order to enter cheats for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in Sonic Origins, you will need to first select the game in Anniversary or Classic mode. Cheats cannot be entered from the main screen of Sonic Origins. Once in the game for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, use the following commands to enable Level Select:
Using an Xbox Controller
Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, X
Using a PlayStation Controller
Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Square
Using a Nintendo Switch Controller
Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Y
Once Level Select has been enabled, you can use any of the same sound test combinations from the Sega Genesis version to enable Debug Mode, Super Sonic, and more.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Cheat FAQs
How do you activate cheats in Sonic 2?
Players will need to use the Level Select code based on which version of the game they’re playing. Once Level Select has been enabled, any of the cheats entered using sound test combinations can be activated.
What is the Super Sonic cheat in Sonic 2?
The Super Sonic cheat is enabled by entering the cheat for all Chaos Emeralds by selecting the Sound Test option after enabling level select. Play sounds 4, 1, 2, 6. You should hear the chime that accompanies earning a Chaos Emerald. Once you start a level, collect 50 rings and jump. Sonic will transform into the invincible Super Sonic.