I loved Sonic 2 as a kid, but Sonic 2 on the Game Gear was bullshit.

[jtotal]

Let's be honest here. That crab enemy on the third act of the first zone was bullshit. I rarely ever saw past that act. When I did, it was great, but always short lived as I most likely exhausted most of my lives by that point. It actually looked like what I was expecting for the first zone... but nope. It's the second zone.

Genesis/Mega Drive Sonic 2 was perfection. The first zone was a fairly simple stage to get your berrings. Then you go to Chemical Plant where that music gets stuck in your head while you scroll like a rollercoaster.

Game Gear Sonic 2 is bullshit lava death traps, followed by another act of lava death traps. And then the coup de grace is an enemy that fires unpredictable balls at your face, and you have no rings whatsoever. If you somehow make it, you've got a cheery looking stage with a hangglider that will kill you anyway, so fuck you enjoy this not Sonic 2.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

 

[SortaUnfocused]

Hot take: All GG games were trash.

 

[jtotal]

Hot take: All GG games were trash.

I disagree. Not all were trash. There's some trash (Sonic 2 GG), but some were actually pretty good (Sonic & Tails), and some blew me away as a kid (Mortal Kombat II).

I know that last one sounds like a joke, but I'm serious. My first MK game I owned was MKII for the Gameboy. It was... not great. I had rented MKII for the SNES countless times and loved it, and this game was nothing like it. Long after MK3 was released, I got a copy of MKII on the GG for real cheap. It was night and day between the GB version. I played that game everywhere I went. This post came about because I wanted to revisit MKII GG and see how bad it was. It's... Not really that bad at all! A surprisingly competent handheld port.

Then I played Sonic 2 GG, and thus the rant.

 

[Perro]

I think I played Sonic 2 on GG enough times as a kid to about master it. I don't disagree that the game was bullshit at times, but it wasn't trash. Also when you actually learn how to use the hang glider it's actually pretty trivial. The game really got a bad rep for decent reason, but spend some time with it and it's not difficult. Also has a kick ass soundtrack.

 

[jtotal]

I think I played Sonic 2 on GG enough times as a kid to about master it. I don't disagree that the game was bullshit at times, but it wasn't trash. Also when you actually learn how to use the hang glider it's actually pretty trivial. The game really got a bad rep for decent reason, but spend some time with it and it's not difficult. Also has a kick ass soundtrack.

Trash might've been too harsh of a word, but in my defense, it was the fifth time I hit the crab boss and died again. I don't think a first zone should have this high of a difficulty curve.

Over the last decade or so, I chalked up me rarely getting past the first zone as me being just a kid at the time (but that would just further iterate upon my cries for not such a demanding first zone boss), but then that changed when I found my old Game Gear in the attic in 2008 that I thought I sold. I blamed it on the (rain) ghosting the early 90s LCDs were known for, and not being able to smoothly see the ball.

Nope. That night I felt like I have met my gaming kryptonite. Completely unable to trace a ball. Oh. I can play Pro Drums at 150% speed on expert with next to no effort in Rock Band BUT A SILVER BALL FSTHFT5YGUITD$&()) 6$$

 

[Perro]

Trash might've been too harsh of a word, but in my defense, it was the fifth time I hit the crab boss and died again. I don't think a first zone should have this high of a difficulty curve.

Over the last decade or so, I chalked up me rarely getting past the first zone as me being just a kid at the time (but that would just further iterate upon my cries for not such a demanding first zone boss), but then that changed when I found my old Game Gear in the attic in 2008 that I thought I sold. I blamed it on the (rain) ghosting the early 90s LCDs were known for, and not being able to smoothly see the ball.

Nope. That night I felt like I have met my gaming kryptonite. Completely unable to trace a ball. Oh. I can play Pro Drums at 150% speed on expert with next to no effort in Rock Band BUT A SILVER BALL FSTHFT5YGUITD$&()) 6$$

I believe the reason why the game is considered hard by many is the field of view. This version of Sonic 2 came out on the Master System as well, and the field of view is much wider so you can actually see what’s in front of you. Not sure how far you’ve gotten in the Game Gear version but I will have warn you that when you get to act 3 of Green Hills Zone, to get to the boss you have to hit multiple springs that catapult you through the air and if you miss one you’ll likely hit a spike pit.
I must have been godly at the game back then because it got to the point where I could hit each spring without much problem, though I had to die and lose all my continues multiple times to get there.