On This Date, the Western World Welcomed Tails
It just seemed like yesterday.
In reality, it was 17 years ago on this date, November 24th, 1992, that gamers in North America and Europe got their first taste of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Genesis. It was a Tuesday much like this one, on the cusp of the long Thanksgiving Holiday–and also, much to the joy of Sega’s business heads–on the cusp of the Black Friday shopping blitz.
Japan saw Sonic 2′s release just three days earlier.
The game would introduce Tails to Sonic fans for the first time in the 16 bit era. (Astute gamers may remember a preview of the fox via the 8 bit Game Gear / Master System edition.) While Sonic flied solo in his 1991 outing, Miles “Tails” Prower joined him in the quest to defeat Robotnik and the Death Egg. Though Tails could fly in Sonic 2, that could not be controlled by players. If desired, players could run through the levels solo as Tails.
It could have been the close proximity to the Holidays, or it could have been how much fun was packed into the cartridge that resulted in Sonic 2 becoming the best selling game on Sega’s 16 bit console. In all, more than 6 million copies of Sonic 2 in its various incarnations have been sold, at last count.
We have Sonic fans old and new who read this site, and so we welcome your thoughts on the comments section, depending on where you fall. If you’re in the new crowd, what’s your favorite Sonic 2 moment, and how would you juxtapose it with current 3D Sonic fare? And if you are old enough to remember Sonic 2sday…where were you? Can you remember? Tell us.
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I was destined for Sonic Fandom. I was born 2 days before this
Hahaha, I wasn’t even born until the year Sonic CD was released.
But yeah, Sonic 2 was awesome.
I have that game! It’s good! But I can’t handle booth speed and enemys at the same time… so I’m bretty bad at it.
I remember I was only 5 years old when I walked into a store and they had a Genesis with Sonic 1 available in a kiosk. The moment I played it, it was like heaven, and I just had to have it, but my parents, as they tell me, “didn’t have the money”. They did say that if I get straight A’s in my 2nd grade class, they would think about it, and that was the only Academic year of my life where my GPA shot up
So my parents looked at me, wondering if they really should get me this. They gave in, and took me all the way to this electronic store that was like 40 minutes away. Why? I don’t know, but at this time, they had the Genesis with Sonic 2 bundled, and that’s what we got. Imagine the horror I went through when we discovered we got a Genesis that didn’t come with the AC Adapter! I nearly cried, and all I could do that night was stare at the box. The next day, we drove back, exchanged it for another, and I was left a happy kid.
For the next 5 years, we lived in a small house. We were a poor family, and I’m grateful my folks were able to chip in just to make their only child happy. The Genesis was hooked up to the smallest TV you can imagine, with the smallest red plastic chair you could imagine. I didn’t care. I had Sonic. I was not fortunate enough to own Sonic 3 and/or Knuckles since, like I said, we were a poor family back then. We had to rent the game each week at a cheap thrift store or something of that nature. Which is why Sonic 2 is much closer to me then most any other game out there.
Happy Sonic 2sday
The only bad thing I can say out of this is that my Genesis was stolen from me several years back, along with a lot of stuff in our house. Damn robbers. Fortunately, my Sonic 2 was left intact with the game case. So now, I use a RetroGen in order to play the actual cartridge.
Werehog@: LOOL in my opinion Sonic Unleashed or Sonic 06 are harder in that matter, but anyway…
, and it was Sonic (both 1&2) that cheered me up, they have both make me 100% HAPPIER!!! 
When Sonic 2 came out I only had 1 year hehe, but my best Sonic 2 moment was when one time I was pretty sick and very sad and nothing could make me happy, so I start to play Sonic The Hedgehog
SONIC RULEEEES!
Ah…the first Sonic game I ever played, and with my older brother, too. Good memories.
Just one thing:
Tails COULD be controlled by a second player, making Sonic 2 one of the first coop platform game.
Sonic 2 is the best sonic game, no doubt..
Ahh….Sonic 2…..
The very first Sonic game I ever played. I was one of those unfortunate people who never had a Genesis but always played on it when I was around family members since most of my cousins had SEGA systems. I saw them and my brother playing the 3D special stage and the colors and movements attracted me at that age (I was probably 3 or 4 at the time). And, when I finally got to play it at the age of 5, I was completely hooked! Everytime I saw my cousins, the first thing I would ask is, “Can we play Sonic?! Let’s play Sonic!!!
” lol!
This game marked not only the beginning of my Sonic fandom, but the good times I had with the family while we were playing it. I even have the Mega Collection to play it anytime I want. Though, I have fun playing it still, it’s just not the same as holding that beautiful black SEGA controller. T-T Like I said before, I was one of those who never had a SEGA anything (pitiful, I know), but what do you expect when your mom and bro loved playing Nintendo games a lot?
The funny thing about it is that Mario was my first video game, yet I immediately loved Sonic over him! xD To me, no matter what anybody tells me, playing Sonic made me smile WAY more than any of the first 3 Mario games at the time.
Happy 17th Miles Tails Prower!
My first and favourtie Sonic game, awesome sauce to the max!
Wait…today is Sonic2day!? TO MY SEGA GENESIS!!!
Good times right thur. Nothing was cooler than playing Sonic 2 for the first time. So fresh of an experience.
Sonic 3 and Knuckles is great and all, but its no vompetition to Sonic 2, my first and favorite sonic game, happy 2sday!!
Fun fact, its also been one year since the xbox360 version of Sonic Unleashed was released!! The more you know.. =D
Where can I begin? Sonic 2 was my first Sonic game ever back when I was about 4 (Long after it was released in 1992). To this day, it’s still my favorite of the original four games and one of my favorite Sonic games of all time. So, congrads Sonic 2 for giving us 17 years of hedgehog goodness.
Seeing as I was born in ’89, I can only recall Sonic 2 as the first Sonic game I played, possibly the first game ever. I have no clue where I was at the time (I was 3). Anywho happy stateside birthday Tails!
Meh, I find Miles’ first appearance in Sonic 2 rather worthless:
1. You can’t make him fly when you play as him.
2. He doesn’t really do much to the story except give Sonic a sidekick.
3. It took till Sonic 3 & Knuckles to give him SOME kind of way to add on to the series.
@Chaosmaster8753: Nah, he was awesome!
God I remember playing this with my older sister after summer night … good memoires … *sniff* Give me a moment …
I had Sonic 1, and a crazy older neighbor kid that my mom didn’t like had Sonic 2. One day he lent it to me, but he moved before I got a chance to give it back to him XD
Great game, but I could never get past Chemical Plant Zone! DX
17 Years! Damn. That feels long. And I still remember the day I got this like it was yesterday. It was christmas and I was expecting to get the game. Unfortunatly it was nowhere to be found. I was sad at first but then I found out santa had dropped it in front of the fireplace when coming down the chimney. Silly santa
lol.
Well happy 17th Birthday best sonic game ever.
Haha I was born on the Month of Sonic 1. Me and sonic is the same age..lol
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2!!! HAPPY 2SDAY!!! to celebrate I’m going to buy Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Xbox360 nad the first game I’m gonna play will be Sonic 2
For celebration I’m currently playing (again) Sonic The Hedgehog for the Xbox360º (Sonic 06)
HAPPY 2SDAY !!!
Sonic 2 was the first game I played for the genesis! Played Sonic 1 later on.
I never own one myself, but my cousins did, so I always bug my parents to let me go there and play it when with my grandparents!
I was also lucky that I met someone later on who own one and let me play, always allowed me to be Sonic while him being Tails… ahhh the great times.
I remember I was so bad at it at first, but there was something I loved about the game. The music the speed, the joy that came when you got through a level faster each try must have did it.
I remember how happy I was when I first beat the final boss, happiest gaming day of my childhood
Delayed… but Happy 2sday!