Uploaded August 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The 8-bit version of Sonic 2 is a very different beast to the excellent 16-bit Mega Drive / Genesis version and it happens to be the best Sonic game on the Master System. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released on 1992 for both the Master System and Game Gear. Asides from minor differences such as the screen resolution there isn't a heck of a difference between these two versions.
Sonic 2 sees Doctor Robotnik having captured all of the animals of the forest and most notably Sonic's sidekick Tails. The only way the blue hedgehog can save the day is to recollect all of the Chaos Emeralds across seven levels and defeat the mad doctor. The game does tease you with the various intro cards on each level showing both Sonic and Tails, but unfortunately Tails is not playable here, you have to wait for Sonic Chaos to get that honour for the 8-bit Sega machines.
Overall it plays very similarly to the previous Sonic game just with more features. Visually the levels look more varied and interesting with little touches such as the wind blowing on the second stage and the endless mass of pipes in the scrambled egg zone. There's also a bigger emphasis on Sonic's equipment with the hedgehog needing to use mine carts and hand gliders in order to complete the levels, which are nice additions to the action. The Chaos Emeralds are hidden somewhere in Act 2 on the stages and some of them are really difficult to get to, it took me a while to do this video as I forgot where they were and you need to collect all the emeralds otherwise you'll never be able to play stage 7 'The Crystal Egg' and get the sad ending where it is implied that Tails is killed.
The visuals have been touched up with Sonic having a large amount of animation for an 8-bit game, however it does come at a little cost with there being a little bit more slowdown this time around. It’s noticeable in the underwater scenes in Stage 3 and also the final boss with the projectiles flying around the screen. But overall it looks fantastic and there’s some good tunes in here.
Overall the game is quite a bit more challenging than the average Sonic game. The bosses are a little tougher this time around, particularly because like the first game it disallows you to pick up any rings, but as long as you watch and learn the pattern you should be all right.
Sonic 2 overall is an excellent game and is a game that every Master System owner should own.
If you're interested in seeing more retro or current game videos then feel free to subscribe or check out some of my playlists:
Atari ST: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx4xxIIv8AfzF1WNCk2yjFs9SNEZUf6o3
Sega Mega Drive: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx4xxIIv8AfzY6iR6W6cRsFRt7zUlgHIE
Sega Master System: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx4xxIIv8AfySbjh71hXweL28cqu-DbR5
Windows PC: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx4xxIIv8AfxkkqPP6dWcSarH94BPrbvr
The 8-bit version of Sonic 2 is a very different beast to the excellent 16-bit Mega Drive / Genesis version and it happens to be the best Sonic game on the Master System. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released on 1992 for both the Master System and Game Gear. Asides from minor differences such as the screen resolution there isn't a heck of a difference between these two versions.
Sonic 2 sees Doctor Robotnik having captured all of the animals of the forest and most notably Sonic's sidekick Tails. The only way the blue hedgehog can save the day is to recollect all of the Chaos Emeralds across seven levels and defeat the mad doctor. The game does tease you with the various intro cards on each level showing both Sonic and Tails, but unfortunately Tails is not playable here, you have to wait for Sonic Chaos to get that honour for the 8-bit Sega machines.
Overall it plays very similarly to the previous Sonic game just with more features. Visually the levels look more varied and interesting with little touches such as the wind blowing on the second stage and the endless mass of pipes in the scrambled egg zone. There's also a bigger emphasis on Sonic's equipment with the hedgehog needing to use mine carts and hand gliders in order to complete the levels, which are nice additions to the action. The Chaos Emeralds are hidden somewhere in Act 2 on the stages and some of them are really difficult to get to, it took me a while to do this video as I forgot where they were and you need to collect all the emeralds otherwise you'll never be able to play stage 7 'The Crystal Egg' and get the sad ending where it is implied that Tails is killed.
The visuals have been touched up with Sonic having a large amount of animation for an 8-bit game, however it does come at a little cost with there being a little bit more slowdown this time around. It’s noticeable in the underwater scenes in Stage 3 and also the final boss with the projectiles flying around the screen. But overall it looks fantastic and there’s some good tunes in here.
Overall the game is quite a bit more challenging than the average Sonic game. The bosses are a little tougher this time around, particularly because like the first game it disallows you to pick up any rings, but as long as you watch and learn the pattern you should be all right.
Sonic 2 overall is an excellent game and is a game that every Master System owner should own.
If you're interested in seeing more retro or current game videos then feel free to subscribe or check out some of my playlists:
Atari ST: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx4xxIIv8AfzF1WNCk2yjFs9SNEZUf6o3
Sega Mega Drive: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx4xxIIv8AfzY6iR6W6cRsFRt7zUlgHIE
Sega Master System: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx4xxIIv8AfySbjh71hXweL28cqu-DbR5
Windows PC: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx4xxIIv8AfxkkqPP6dWcSarH94BPrbvr
