The turn of the millennium was a huge leaping point for the Sonic series. Not simply because SEGA's final console was on the brink of passing or because development was being outsourced to different studios more often. The design philosophy of Sonic had also radically changed. Rather than achieve a blend of platforming, speed, and exploration the 90s installments had established and then perfected by 3&K and Adventure, Adventure 2 chose to emphasize each element in its separate play styles. Namely, the Sonic/Shadow levels heavily focused on speed. There was still a decent amount of platforming and exploration of course, but memorization, quick reaction, and spectacle were what truly defined these stages.
This design philosophy proceeded to bloom in future installments and had evolved into the infamously beloved boost formula. While the boost made its true debut in Rush, Sonic Advance 2 really laid the groundwork for the formula. After playing it relatively safe with the first Advance, DiMPS sought to give Advance 2 more of its own identity. New movement options were included to increase the flow and speed, from the trick actions to the boost mode, and the levels followed the philosophy of Adventure 2 much more closely. It was the perfect blend of both the simpler 2D Sonic gameplay and the spectacle of the newer 3D games.
However, many find Advance 2 incredibly flawed. Some would argue it's a straight up bad game. I don't share this sentiment anymore, although I do think it sadly misses the landing of being a truly great, if even good first 2D outing for Sonic's new philosophy.
On paper, a speed focused Sonic game doesn't translate to 2D nearly as graciously. It's much harder to properly react to obstacles when they're all on the same plane as you. Even the genesis games suffered from this and their best solution was to separate the speed and platforming segments entirely. Compounded with a much smaller screen resolution on the GBA and you have a recipe destined to be flawed.
In all fairness, Advance 2 tries its best to remedy this limitation. Leaf Forest and Hot Crater can be easily sped through without any struggle. However, they lack much substance at all, really. They're not offensive, but they don't leave much impact either. On the bright side, Music Plant and Ice Paradise pick up the slack. These two zones feature plenty of memorable set pieces and a decent challenge while still maintaining the speed and flow.
From this point forward, however, Advance 2 begins to nosedive. Sky Canyon and Techno Base ramp up the difficulty even more, but the only way they could execute challenge was through trial and error. This isn't inherently awful, but when your punishment is a date with a bottomless pit, it turns these situations into incredibly tedious games of memorization and lightning fast reaction. Egg Utopia is thankfully a solid final level and not nearly as punishing.
The levels are a mixed bag overall, although I have to praise how seamlessly they all flow. You're never forced to stop dead in your tracks; you can constantly maintain your speed. Of course, you're unlikely to keep that speed unless you memorize these stages to a T, but it makes replaying them all the more satisfying.
Sadly, I can't give much praise to the bosses. It's admittedly impressive they managed to create so many bosses with the same template as Mushroom Hill's. Except having to fight essentially the exact same boss over and over again isn't very engaging, especially when you're forced to fight them all again in a boss rush. I don't even find them very offensive (besides Sky Canyon and Techno Base's), I just get sick of how formulaic and samey they all feel.
The biggest caveat of Advance 2 has to be the special stages. I don't think there's ever been worse method for entering special stages in a Sonic game. You're required to explore the main acts and collect seven special rings. Beyond the prevalent screen crunch, these levels really weren't designed for exploration as they're constantly pushing you forward. Occasionally, it's straight up impossible to return to an earlier part of the stage without resetting, and you lose all your special rings if you do so.
The other playable characters don't suffer from this nearly as much, and honestly it's nice being able to utilize their abilities as otherwise they're practically superficial. If only chaos emeralds were shared between all the characters...
Thankfully, the special stages themselves aren't nearly as miserable. They're actually fairly easy; you simply run around an empty field filled with rings and you'll earn a chaos emerald if you collect 300 before the timer ends. They're way more fun than the special stages for the other Advance games, at least.
I can't say Advance 2 is a good experience overall, but I can at least call it a guilty pleasure of mine. Under the simplest circumstances, I can squeeze enjoyment out of the game. It's a mindless yet decently fun romp with plenty of spectacle and personality. I definitely wouldn't have learned to appreciate it more if it wasn't for my partner. So, I'd love to give a huge shout out to them for helping me realise Advance 2 isn't irredeemable after all!
This design philosophy proceeded to bloom in future installments and had evolved into the infamously beloved boost formula. While the boost made its true debut in Rush, Sonic Advance 2 really laid the groundwork for the formula. After playing it relatively safe with the first Advance, DiMPS sought to give Advance 2 more of its own identity. New movement options were included to increase the flow and speed, from the trick actions to the boost mode, and the levels followed the philosophy of Adventure 2 much more closely. It was the perfect blend of both the simpler 2D Sonic gameplay and the spectacle of the newer 3D games.
However, many find Advance 2 incredibly flawed. Some would argue it's a straight up bad game. I don't share this sentiment anymore, although I do think it sadly misses the landing of being a truly great, if even good first 2D outing for Sonic's new philosophy.
On paper, a speed focused Sonic game doesn't translate to 2D nearly as graciously. It's much harder to properly react to obstacles when they're all on the same plane as you. Even the genesis games suffered from this and their best solution was to separate the speed and platforming segments entirely. Compounded with a much smaller screen resolution on the GBA and you have a recipe destined to be flawed.
In all fairness, Advance 2 tries its best to remedy this limitation. Leaf Forest and Hot Crater can be easily sped through without any struggle. However, they lack much substance at all, really. They're not offensive, but they don't leave much impact either. On the bright side, Music Plant and Ice Paradise pick up the slack. These two zones feature plenty of memorable set pieces and a decent challenge while still maintaining the speed and flow.
From this point forward, however, Advance 2 begins to nosedive. Sky Canyon and Techno Base ramp up the difficulty even more, but the only way they could execute challenge was through trial and error. This isn't inherently awful, but when your punishment is a date with a bottomless pit, it turns these situations into incredibly tedious games of memorization and lightning fast reaction. Egg Utopia is thankfully a solid final level and not nearly as punishing.
The levels are a mixed bag overall, although I have to praise how seamlessly they all flow. You're never forced to stop dead in your tracks; you can constantly maintain your speed. Of course, you're unlikely to keep that speed unless you memorize these stages to a T, but it makes replaying them all the more satisfying.
Sadly, I can't give much praise to the bosses. It's admittedly impressive they managed to create so many bosses with the same template as Mushroom Hill's. Except having to fight essentially the exact same boss over and over again isn't very engaging, especially when you're forced to fight them all again in a boss rush. I don't even find them very offensive (besides Sky Canyon and Techno Base's), I just get sick of how formulaic and samey they all feel.
The biggest caveat of Advance 2 has to be the special stages. I don't think there's ever been worse method for entering special stages in a Sonic game. You're required to explore the main acts and collect seven special rings. Beyond the prevalent screen crunch, these levels really weren't designed for exploration as they're constantly pushing you forward. Occasionally, it's straight up impossible to return to an earlier part of the stage without resetting, and you lose all your special rings if you do so.
The other playable characters don't suffer from this nearly as much, and honestly it's nice being able to utilize their abilities as otherwise they're practically superficial. If only chaos emeralds were shared between all the characters...
Thankfully, the special stages themselves aren't nearly as miserable. They're actually fairly easy; you simply run around an empty field filled with rings and you'll earn a chaos emerald if you collect 300 before the timer ends. They're way more fun than the special stages for the other Advance games, at least.
I can't say Advance 2 is a good experience overall, but I can at least call it a guilty pleasure of mine. Under the simplest circumstances, I can squeeze enjoyment out of the game. It's a mindless yet decently fun romp with plenty of spectacle and personality. I definitely wouldn't have learned to appreciate it more if it wasn't for my partner. So, I'd love to give a huge shout out to them for helping me realise Advance 2 isn't irredeemable after all!