Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Finale!

We start with a very unique level in Sonic 2. Here we're on top of Tails' plane (the Tornado) and fend off attacks from robot bird-planes, robot balloon things that drop mines and robot turtles riding on bigger robot turtles. You can still do all of your moves (the plane will automatically follow your movements so you're in no danger of actually falling to your death). It is rather easy to get hit and lose your rings though.

About halfway through the level a giant ship passes us. Obviously this is where Eggman is hiding. After about a minute more of flying we catch up with it: the Wing Fortress.

We start the Wing Fortress the same way we began Sky Chase Zone, looks like we're in for much of the sa-

Ah. I didn't get a clear shot of it, but those lasers actually shoot us down. You have to jump onto that red platform, leaving Tails to crash to his death (and not give two craps apparently, as Sonic just keeps going). Wing Fortress is pretty hard, but out of everything in this level, the hardest part came about 40 seconds in.

See where the rings are? Sonic will automatically hold on that, but you don't just jump off. Instead Sonic will just sort of fall off in whatever direction you point him too, and you have to hit a moving platform. Of course, there is another way to make progress...

Where the shield power-up was, you can jump from there into the fan that will allow you to float up to where you want to be. Handy! There is only one enemy in this Zone, Clucker. A robot chicken that will pop out on a turret and shoot at you. Not normally too much trouble, but he can sometimes pop out unexpectedly. You're always going to be in some danger of accidentally falling to your death and there is one section in particular that is pretty hard (a series of platforms that will disappear and reappear, you don't have a lot of time to get across them and if you make a mistake it's instant death).

Eventually we get to the boss and GOD DAMN THIS BOSS.

For once, Robotnik is not piloting this one, but he's here, taunting us. No, the boss is this awesome looking beast...

See that glowing orange thing directly above Sonic. That's the boss. It's a laser. But it's a lot harder than it looks. Three of those spiky platforms will appear, you have to jump on one and, just before the laser is ready to attack, jump into it. Do this about six times and you have it. BUT, the platforms move quickly and rather erratically, while the laser will block your path unless you're careful. Eventually I figured out to just keep jumping on platforms, move to the corner when the laser strikes and hope to win. I'm rather ashamed to admit that from this boss until the end, I did reload saves. I always beat the bosses legitimately, but I simply didn't want to Game Over and then have to start the level again (if you have continues, you just start from the beginning of the Act. If you have no Continues...then have fun playing through the whole game again!). Eventually, somehow, I did manage to beat the laser!

(There's a hidden 1up I accidentally found because I jumped for some reason). But Robotnik gets away on a rocket. Oh well, I guess we'll have to wait until Sonic 3 to kick his Russian as...

Oh, hi Tails! You...err..made it? That's, em, great! Anyway, we hitch a ride on the Tornado (you can just see a little rocket underneath it to justify how it can catch up with a bloody rocket) and then Sonic hangs on for dear life. Until we reach...

Space. The final frontier. A fitting setting for a finale.

Death Egg Zone is just two boss battles. The hardest two boss battles, naturally. And there are no rings. Are you ready? 'cause I certainly wasn't and I failed pretty miserably. You might see me still have 2 lives. That's because I got impatient and decided "screw it, I just want to finish it. I will complete it legit another day". I did beat both bosses from the beginning, but I'm sure if I hadn't reloaded we would be looking at me having to replay it. I'm not happy it came down to this, but at the end of the day I'm here to complete games, not become an expert on them.

So, anyway, the first boss. And he looks rather familiar...but I can't put my finger on it...

Robotnik evidentially decided that the only person who can beat Sonic is...Sonic. Silver Sonic to be exact. And it wouldn't be the last time he builds a robotic Sonic to battle the real Sonic. Silver Sonic has two attacks, a spin dash-type move and then he'll rocket skate across the screen rather slowly. Both moves are easy to jump out of the way, but sometimes he'll mix it up with the spin-dash and jump (and eventually shoot spikes around him). He'll pause after each move, his spikes will spin and you have to jump into his face. Eight hits and he'll blow the hell up.

Pictured: Silver Sonic blowing the hell up.

Another chase scene with Robotnik follows. It's finally time...FOR THE MAIN EVENT!

In the Blue Corner, from "Christmas Island" (!?), "The Blue Blur" SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!

And in the Red Corner, from Russia, with love, "The Eggman" Dr. Ivo Robotnik!

But what's this...?

I was too busy trying not to die I forgot about taking good shots. Sorry.

Of course Robotnik isn't going to fight fair. Instead he enters a giant robotic (of course) version of himself. The Death Egg Robot. Now, he has three attacks. The first is him walking. Of course, you still have no rings, however the main danger of dying here are his hands. You touch them, you die. As he walks, one hand will come forward. Whenever I tried attacking him at this stage I would hit him and then hit his hand during the fall. The best time to attack him is when he stands still, just before he shoots himself to the sky. Patience is the key here. When he's in the sky he'll lock on to you and then fall wherever he is locked on to.

The best strategy here is to simply head to one of the sides and as soon as he's locked on spin-dash all away to the other side. The first time he does this he'll then shoot his hands out, but if you're all the way on the other side of the screen then it can never hit you. He'll do it a second time and at the end he'll be vulnerable for another hit, but I never bothered as I was playing it really safe. Just remain calm, keep his patterns in check and eventually it will be over...

...my tactic is slow...but it works.

Sonic will automatically run to the right as the spaceship starts exploding. And then we're treated to the ending. 

Of course, there's a different ending if we get all chaos emeralds, but that's for another day. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is finished! I'll see you for the epic finale of the 2D trilogy "Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles"! Allow me to play you out...

Music

Sky Chase Zone

Wing Fortress Zone

Death Egg Zone (you literally only hear a few seconds in-game...unless you stand still)

Final Boss Music