Format: Cartridge
Genre: 2d platformer
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega

Sonic the Hedgehog's almost overwhelmingly bright and spectacular presentation is matched in its sequel, or perhaps even mildly bested, what with re-drawn character sprites, more detailed stage tilesets, and overall fantastic art direction. The game unfortunately isn't quite as surrealistic as its predecessor, but its other attributes more than make up for it.

Masato Nakamura was retained to work on this title's soundtrack, and while the selections from this game have not gone on to match the fame of his work on the original title, some of the songs, such as the catchy opening zone's tune, are still outstanding. Sound effects are mostly lifted from the original, and serve their purpose just as well here as they did there.

The first several stages in this title feel just as tightly-knit as the original's levels, but starting with the Casino zone it seems that the designers focused too much on creating giant, expansive levels, which led to less water-tight designs. The special stages are sublimely laid out however, and the "spin dash" move is a welcome mechanic as well.

Considering that the original title was close to being perfect, it was always going to be a difficult task for Sonic Team to match that standard. With that said, Sonic 2 is a worthy sequel, with excellent art direction, solid level design, the addition of an entertaining sidekick in Tails that follows you through the levels, and good pacing.