christatoonist

What can be said? It's Sonic 2. If you're a gamer, you probably have played it and formed your opinion already, and it's probably a strong opinion for better or worse. If not, try it. It's that simple.

Another perfect conversion of a legendary game. Treasure was one of the stars of the Genesis/Megadrive, with classic games like Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Headdy and..... believe it or not..... McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure. Yes, that's right. They took a fast food pimping clown and made an amazing hidden gen platformer. That takes some skill and vision. Gunstar Heroes is an exhilarating run-n-gun explosionfest with customizable weapons. And explosions. Lots and lots of explosions. Did I mention the explosions? Because you're gonna see a lot of 'em. It's a shame this series ended after the second installment, with Gunstar Super Heroes for the GBA. But the good news as that it has a place in the M2 converted SEGA 3D Classics lineup. This is a seminal game, it's a blast to play, and all the tricks Treasure used to simulate 3D on the Genesis makes this version absolutely pop. Unless you hate retro games or SEGA in general, you'll have a blast playing this. Cannot recommend enough.

The Genesis is my retro console of choice, the 3DS is my handheld of choice, and Streets Of Rage 2 is my side scrolling beat-em-up of choice. M2's adaptations of Genesis games to the 3D classics series have been nothing short of spectacular. So it's a no-brainier that this game is a must-have for me. If you don't like retro games, this won't change your mind. If you're a SNES fan who never crawled out of the trenches of the 16 Bit Wars, you may not like anything Genesis/Megadrive related. But, if you're open to a Genesis classic, this just may be gaming heaven for you. The already sharp graphics shine in this translation, and the music is phenomenal. Unless you're just not gonna be open to it, I heartily recommend this timeless game.

I love me some side scrolling Sonic. I love the Genesis games, I love the GBA games, I love the DS games. I even love Sonic 4.... both episodes. More than that, I love Sonic Generations for Xbox 360. This ought to have been my jam, inside and out. Instead, I found it to be..... well. Okay, not great. So start with, the graphics are..... kinda muddy. Sonic 2D games have always had gorgeous aesthetics, but these, while not ugly, just aren't snappy as you'd expect from the series. Another issue I have is that they gave the classic sonic the homing attack. This isn't in and of itself problematic, however it does make Classic and Modern Sonic levels a lot more alike, and I think the concepts work better with them distinct. Already, the lack of full 3D levels blurs the line..... moving the two closer does the titles no favors. But the biggest problem I have is more ephemeral. It just seems to lack the flow that defines the series. A lot of people claim that what makes Sonic games distinctive is the speed. I'd say that it's more about momentum and flow. Indeed, it's acknowledged that one of the weakest levels in the Genesis games are in the second zone of the original game, where you are forced to stop far too often. It breaks up the momentum and flow and while this game isn't THAT bad about breaking momentum, I found it much less smooth than I've come to expect. Now, the game isn't TERRIBLE. I've certainly played worse. But as 2D Sonic goes, I'd have to rate this pretty low. Go to the eShop and download Sonic 2 3D instead.