Sonic the Hedgehog platforming of the main levels. The 16-bit "Sonic the Hedgehog " consisted of a giant rotating maze, which many considered a major technical achievement. The most common special stages, however, were segments with the character running through a long tunnel to collect certain items. 3D "collect item" levels, as in "Sonic 3" and "Sonic & Knuckles", used the same perspective but had Sonic collecting all the blue-colored orbs on the surface of a giant sphere. Finally, "Sonic Advance 2" employed a 3D ring-collecting stage, and "Sonic Chaos" ("Sonic and Tails" in Japan) used a variety of gimmicks for its levels.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 action." "Sonic 2"s success was a major factor in Sega catching up to Nintendo in the early-1990s console wars. It brought their market share up to 40% within six months of its release. Tails, whom "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" introduced, went on to become one of the most prominent characters in the series, appearing as Sonic's sidekick in most "Sonic" media, including in recent games such as "Sonic Colors", "Sonic Generations", and "Sonic Lost World". "Sonic the Hedgehog 2"s popularity extended to various merchandise such as comic books such as "Sonic the Comic", a television series, and a sequel, "Sonic