This marks like the 6th or 7th Sonic game I've played this year. I think I might need to start playing other games, this can't be healthy for me.

I think Sonic 2's remake fares about the same as Sonic 1's, as the adjustments to the physics and Sonic's moveset are exactly the same, that being that the focus has been taken away from the platforming and more prioritizes the speed. The spin dash and drop dash are so powerful in these games that it makes Generations' spin dash smile in approval; it's finally found a worthy successor. That being said, Sonic 2's level design and themes are generally more original and well-thought out than Sonic 1's, so it makes for a slightly better experience overall.

The special stages, however, see absolutely no changes whatsoever. It's just 7 new stages for the ones introduced in Sonic 1's remake, and they're still just as incredibly easy and I got every single emerald on my first try. This might be a somewhat unfair comparison, but I couldn't help but think back to how much fun I had with Triple Trouble remake's special stages that I played earlier this year. Sure, those were an entirely new part of the game that wasn't in the original Triple Trouble, but the same applies here. I just don't think there's any enjoyment to be had from being stuck in a pink hellscape bouncing on giant springs until you find the emerald in around 30 seconds, and I honestly would've just taken an 8-bit version of the half-pipe special stages instead.

One major bonus that this game has going for it is the tag mechanic, which Triple Trouble remake would also go on to have. Instead of taking one character, you instead have the option to choose between five playable teams, and you can swap between them at any time. One character will always be suited for horizontal movement (Sonic, Shadow, Amy, etc.) and one will always be suited for vertical platforming (Tails, Metal, Knuckles, etc.). It's a really fun mechanic and encourages you to actively swap characters to explore more of the level, the only problem is that stage-specific gimmicks such as the paraglider can only be used by the speed character, and speed characters are also the only ones playable in every single boss act. It severely cuts down the amount of time you get to play as series staples like Tails and Knuckles, and seems like an unnecessary restriction. What reason is there that I can't fight the bosses as Knuckles, it's not like there's any walls for him to climb on in order to cheese any of the fights. It feels like an idea that wasn't fully realized, but the novelty of it is enough to get a thumbs up from me. If I ever get to Sonic 3 8-bit, I hope this concept gets fleshed out because it has a lot of potential with all the different character combinations.

While improvements are scattered across the experience, I can't help but give Sonic 2's remake the same score I gave Sonic 1's because it largely felt like I was going through the same motions again. Sure, the tag system is great, but why do I need Tails when Sonic is so comically broken that he turns most of the levels into a cakewalk? My strategy for this game ended up being almost the exact same as Sonic 1's: go insanely fast and spin dash jump over half of the level. If Sonic's speed was reduced just a bit when he's performing these moves, there might be something here where you could actually enjoy the platforming of the 8-bit games while also having the benefits of his modern 2D kit. There's so much potential here, and I want to see this team continue to get better and better as more games come out from them. That being said, if Sonic 3 8-bit has any springs in its special stages, it might be well and truly Joever.