Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Taking the high road

The first rush through Emerald Hill makes an immediate case for the Mega Drive. High routes reward clean jumps, while lower ones catch mistakes. A single ring can turn disaster into recovery. Tails provides company even when nobody is holding the second controller, usually arriving a little too late to help. Then Chemical Plant introduces enough water and awkward footing to make all that confidence feel premature.

The sequel introduced Tails and the Spin Dash to the Mega Drive series. It gave Sega’s promise of speed a move the player could deliberately set up and release. Compare it with Super Mario World: both reward knowing the terrain, though a good Sonic run can carry you past several opportunities before you have time to consider them.

Learn the bends

An excellent first Sonic game, provided you resist holding right and hoping. Learn where a jump can carry you, and save before later stages if repeated restarts become tiresome. Tails gives a second player a forgiving way to join in without taking responsibility for the whole run.