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 option to use Sonic's Drop Dash ability from "Sonic Mania" (2017) and a time attack mode. Due to the popularity of its predecessor, "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" already had an established fanbase anticipating its release. The game received critical acclaim and was a bestseller in the UK charts for 2 months. As of 2006, the game had sold over 6 million copies, making it the second best-selling game for the Sega Genesis (after the original "Sonic the Hedgehog"). Reviewers praised the large levels, colorful graphics and backgrounds, increased characters, enemies, and music. GameSpot stated that "time may have eroded Sega's