Sonic Rivals 2
Encyclopedia
Sonic Rivals 2 is the sequel to Sonic Rivals
. The game was developed by Backbone Entertainment
and supervised by Sega Studio USA, exclusively for the PlayStation Portable
handheld videogame console. Sonic Rivals 2 was released on November 13, 2007 in North America. Like the original, Sonic Rivals 2 was not released in Japan.
and adds three new ones. All characters use Homing Attack and Spin Dash to move through the levels. Each character can also use a "Signature Move" by collecting Rings, or killing enemies to fill the "Signature Meter" (formerly the Star item in the first game) such as Shadow, who has the ability to slow down the other player's movement for a few seconds.
All of these characters are in teams, as well; Sonic is with Tails, Knuckles is with Rouge, Shadow is with Metal Sonic, and Silver is with Espio.
Sonic Rivals 2 boasts a new multiplayer "Battle Mode" with six different types of competition in addition to the main race mode. These modes are also worked into the story. The lengths of the battles can be set though the selection menus. In Knockout, each player starts with three rings. Players must knock all of the rings out of their opponent and then attack them to win. First player to the set number of knockouts wins. In Rings Battle, players have a set time to collect as many rings as possible. The player with the most rings at the end of the time limit wins.
Capture the Chao is a Sonic themed version of Capture the Flag
. Players must steal a set number of Chao from their opponent's base and bring them back to their own base with their own Chao still there to win. In Laps Race, the first player complete a set number of laps around the track wins. King of the Hill has an Omochao is stationed at the top of the level with a light beam. Players earn points by simply standing under it. The first player to the set number of points wins. Tag is a Sonic themed cross between Hot Potato
and Tag
. Each player has a time limit that drops when they hold the bomb. Players pass the bomb by attacking the other player. The first player to have their time limit expire loses.
, Sonic Adventure 2
and Sonic Heroes
. The rest of the game's music is composed by Chris Rezanson.
currently scores it 63.05%.
In March 2009, Sonic Rivals was certified as part of Sony
's Greatest Hits budget line, representing North American sales of at least 250,000. Sonic Rivals 2 soon followed.
Sonic Rivals
Sonic Rivals is a game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series in late 2006. It is the first Sonic game developed by a Canadian company, Backbone Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation Portable...
. The game was developed by Backbone Entertainment
Backbone Entertainment
Backbone Entertainment is an independent video game development company located in Emeryville, California.Backbone Entertainment is the result of a 2003 merger between Digital Eclipse Software and ImaginEngine...
and supervised by Sega Studio USA, exclusively for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
handheld videogame console. Sonic Rivals 2 was released on November 13, 2007 in North America. Like the original, Sonic Rivals 2 was not released in Japan.
Characters
Sonic Rivals 2 has the same original five characters from the original gameSonic Rivals
Sonic Rivals is a game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series in late 2006. It is the first Sonic game developed by a Canadian company, Backbone Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation Portable...
and adds three new ones. All characters use Homing Attack and Spin Dash to move through the levels. Each character can also use a "Signature Move" by collecting Rings, or killing enemies to fill the "Signature Meter" (formerly the Star item in the first game) such as Shadow, who has the ability to slow down the other player's movement for a few seconds.
All of these characters are in teams, as well; Sonic is with Tails, Knuckles is with Rouge, Shadow is with Metal Sonic, and Silver is with Espio.
Playable characters
- Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog (character), trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
: "The World's Fastest HedgehogHedgehogA hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
," Sonic works with Tails to investigate the ChaoChao (Sonic the Hedgehog)A is a fictional life form in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series published by Sega. Chao made their first appearance in the 1998 Dreamcast game Sonic Adventure as digital pets. They have since appeared in several video games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series as digital pets, minor characters,...
disappearances.
- Miles "Tails" ProwerMiles "Tails" Prower, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
: Sonic's friendly sidekick, Tails assists Sonic in finding the missing Chao.
- Knuckles the EchidnaKnuckles the EchidnaKnuckles the Echidna is a video game character of the Sonic the Hedgehog game series, including spin-off games and comics. His first appearance was in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, released in 1994 to introduce a new rival for Sonic. He was presented as an antagonist who was tricked by Dr. Eggman into...
: The Guardian of the Master Emerald, Knuckles teams up with Rouge to find it once it goes missing. He is Sonic's both friend and of course rival.
- Rouge the BatRouge the Batis a character in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, who is a determined treasure hunter and part-time government agent who plans to make all the gems and treasures of the world hers. Her main jewel obsessions are the Master Emerald and Chaos Emeralds...
: A government spy with a great desire for jewels, Rouge teams up with Knuckles to find the Master Emerald.
- Shadow the HedgehogShadow the Hedgehogis a character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Shadow is an artificially-created life form. His trademark hover shoes propel him at extreme speeds that rival those of Sonic, and with a Chaos Emerald he has the ability to distort time and space using "Chaos Control." Often referred to as being...
: The "Ultimate Life Form", Shadow works with Metal Sonic to stop Eggman Nega's plans.
- Metal SonicMetal Sonicis a fictional character and a recurring antagonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. In the series, Metal Sonic is an evil identical robotic duplicate of Sonic the Hedgehog, created by the series antagonist Dr. Robotnik, and is able to match Sonic's every move and even surpass his...
: Sonic's Robot doppleganger, Metal Sonic is sent by Eggman to work with Shadow.
- Silver the Hedgehog: A PsychokineticPsychokinesisThe term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
Hedgehog from the future, Silver works with Espio to rescue the missing Chao.
- Espio the ChameleonEspio the Chameleonis a fictional character in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game series and media franchise. He was created for the game Knuckles' Chaotix and his subtle color changing demonstrated the technical capabilities of the Sega 32X console. The character is a 16-year-old anthropomorphic purple chameleon...
: A ninja master, Espio works with Silver to solve the case of the missing Chao.
Supporting characters
- Dr. Eggman The Primary Antagonist of the series, who actually plays a protagonaistic role in this game. Eggman Nega disguises himself as Eggman to fool 4 out of 8 playable characters, however, the real Eggman is giving instructions to Shadow and Metal Sonic and gives them missions they must complete.
- Eggman Nega: The Main antagonist of the game. The player must battle him at the end of each zone, however he is disguised as Dr. Eggman. During the storyline he hires Rouge to find the Chaos Emeralds for him and creates Metal Sonic 3.0, an upgraded version of Metal Sonic. In Silver's story and Espio's story, Silver or Espio must fight Eggman Nega one more time after Eggman Nega says, "Metal Sonic Version 3.0, eliminate them quickly!"
- The Ifrit: A giant fire like beast unleashed by Eggman Nega. He attacks the player who must fight it and another character who is under his control.
- Metal Sonic 3.0: An upgraded version of Metal Sonic. He is created by Eggman Nega and helps him to release the Ifrit at the End of the game. The player must fight him during Metal Sonic's story. The player can also unlock him as a costume by copying every playable rival's signature move.
- Sonic/Tails Ghost: A ghost that shapeshifts into the appearance of others. In the Mystic Haunt level, he attacks Sonic and Tails and takes on their appearance.
- Vector the Crocodile: Helps Espio and appears as a hologram at the start and end of the game.
Gameplay
Sonic Rivals 2 has four main Single Player modes. Story Mode is the main single player mode. Players will go through each of the game's battle modes and levels to advance the plot. Each zone has three acts and a boss, with the exception of the final zone. The characters are divided into four teams (Sonic and Tails, Shadow and Metal Sonic, Silver and Espio, Knuckles and Rouge) and each character has their own story. The game introduces a new mode called Free Play. In this single player mode, players can choose any one of the eight characters and play through the zones in traditional 2D Sonic fashion. They can also try Time Attacking, or finding the ten hidden Chao in the levels. There are no opponents for this mode. This is a first for many of the characters featured. In addition, players can also try the Cup Circuit and Single Event modes. Races and battle can be customized in every aspect, and players can try to earn cards by completing challenges. There are 150 different cards to collect, and each is tied to a certain achievement. For example, getting an S Rank in Knockout Mode unlocks a card of Mephiles the Dark. The cards themselves contain art from various older Sonic games, and can unlock things such as alternate suits for the characters. Unlike the first game, only one card is needed to unlock a suit; and each character has four suits instead of the original three. The cards also unlock the Cup Circuits, and Chao Detectors for the Zones.Sonic Rivals 2 boasts a new multiplayer "Battle Mode" with six different types of competition in addition to the main race mode. These modes are also worked into the story. The lengths of the battles can be set though the selection menus. In Knockout, each player starts with three rings. Players must knock all of the rings out of their opponent and then attack them to win. First player to the set number of knockouts wins. In Rings Battle, players have a set time to collect as many rings as possible. The player with the most rings at the end of the time limit wins.
Capture the Chao is a Sonic themed version of Capture the Flag
Capture the flag
Capture the Flag is a traditional outdoor sport generally played by children, where two teams each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base," and bring it safely back to their own base...
. Players must steal a set number of Chao from their opponent's base and bring them back to their own base with their own Chao still there to win. In Laps Race, the first player complete a set number of laps around the track wins. King of the Hill has an Omochao is stationed at the top of the level with a light beam. Players earn points by simply standing under it. The first player to the set number of points wins. Tag is a Sonic themed cross between Hot Potato
Hot Potato (game)
Hot potato is a party game that involves players gathering in a circle and tossing a small object such as a beanbag or tennis ball to each other while music plays. The player who is holding the "hot potato" when the music stops is out. Play continues until only one player is left. The game is...
and Tag
Tag (game)
Tag is a playground game played worldwide that involves one or more players chasing other players in an attempt to tag or touch them, usually with their fingers. There are many variations...
. Each player has a time limit that drops when they hold the bomb. Players pass the bomb by attacking the other player. The first player to have their time limit expire loses.
Stages
Each stage has three acts and a boss, instead of the original game's two. Acts one and three are races, and act two is always a battle. In the story mode, the races may be substituted with single character missions such as "Time Attack", "Collect X Rings", and other challenges. Certain stages can be skipped in the story, depending on the character chosen.Music
Jun Senoue worked together with Ted Poley on the game's theme song "Race To Win". They had previously worked together for songs for Sonic AdventureSonic Adventure
is a 1999 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and released on December 23, 1998, in Japan by Sega for the Dreamcast. One of its development titles was Sonic RPG...
, Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Dreamcast video game console. It was released in North America on June 19, 2001 and in Japan on June 23, 2001 to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of the first Sonic the Hedgehog game. It is the sequel...
and Sonic Heroes
Sonic Heroes
is a 2004 platforming single-player/multiplayer video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team USA. It is the first multiplatform title in the Sonic series, developed for Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox and released in Japan in December 2003, in North America in...
. The rest of the game's music is composed by Chris Rezanson.
Reception
The game received mixed reviews. Game RankingsGame Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
currently scores it 63.05%.
- IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
- 6.5/10 - GameSpotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
- 5/10 - GameSpyGameSpyGameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
- 3.5/5 - GameZoneGameZoneGameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
- 6/10 - GameDailyGameDailyGameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
- 6/10 - Game RevolutionGame RevolutionGame Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
- D - EurogamerEurogamerEurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
- 7/10 - 1UP.com1UP.com1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
- C-
In March 2009, Sonic Rivals was certified as part of Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's Greatest Hits budget line, representing North American sales of at least 250,000. Sonic Rivals 2 soon followed.