The final GotW for my handheld month is the only Sonic title I own for the Game Gear, Sonic 2. Obviously, this was the second Sonic game released for the Game Gear but it instead looks and plays very similar to the first Genesis Sonic title. The lack of spin dash is very noticeable after playing other Sonic games first but honestly, I enjoyed the first Genesis Sonic quite a bit and that game didn’t have that move either, so I wasn’t too concerned. Ultimately, this game suffers from the level design and gameplay mechanics. I was forced to make way too many blind jumps that usually landed me on spikes or in lava and the damn run-spins necessary to break blocks are a frustratingly difficult maneuver to pull off. I haven’t even made it to the hang-glider level yet and the first boss difficulty has left me confused. Sonic 2 for the Game Gear looks and feels like a traditional 8 or 16 bit Sonic the Hedgehog adventure but something is just a little off.
Rating: B-
Currently in my collection: game, manual
Cartridge Corner 