Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as Knuckles: 3HN Tips and Tricks

Among all the Sonic the Hedgehog games for the Sega Genesis, some gamers put Sonic 2 on top, even over subsequent releases like Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles (S&K). This may be for several reasons: Sonic 2 added Spin Dash, more speed loops and runs, and Tails to the Sonic 1 formula; the zones are much shorter than Sonic 3's or S&K's zones; the end bosses are challenging but beatable compared to the nastiness of S&K; and, in my opinion, the music for Sonic 2 is much more memorable than past and future offerings (save the Green Hill Zone music of Sonic 1, which is iconic). But, there is something even better than Sonic 2 on the Genesis: lock Sonic 2 onto the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge and you get to play Sonic 2 as Knuckles the Echidna, who can glide and climb walls, but runs more slowly and jumps lower than Sonic.

Knuckles brings a fresh approach to Sonic 2 that opens up new tactics and options for navigating zones. Here are some of the tricks I have learned while playing Sonic 2 as Knuckles:

1) In both of the Emerald Hill Zone acts (i.e. levels), you can glide over most of both acts by accelerating at the beginning and then gliding. Just to get through the Emerald Hill Zone quickly, this tactic may be worth the attempt.

2) Unlike playing Sonic 2 as Sonic, when you play as Knuckles, you do not lose your ring totals after going into Special Zones to try to claim Chaos Emeralds. With this in mind, you can conceivably get four emeralds in those two acts. I recommend doing this instead of trying to retain rings in more difficult zones that follow.

3) In the Chemical Plant Zone, be sure to climb all the high places you can find. These places are added to Sonic 2 by the extended programming in the S&K cartridge to not only provide Knuckles with areas to climb and obstructions to prevent his gliding through the zone, but also with areas to house 1-ups and power-ups. In the second act of the Chemical Plant Zone, you can find at least two 1-ups inside tower-like structures that Knuckles must scale to get.

4) In the Aquatic Ruin Zone, stay well above the action below by gliding and running on the higher platforms. The two acts of this zone are notorious for its extensive stretches of submerged landscape, which require Sonic (or Knuckles) to find sources of oxygen before he drowns. With Knuckles, though, you can remain high above the water for some of those stretches if you glide.

Well, these are the tactics I have used so far and they've been quite effective. Playing Sonic 2 as Knuckles takes a superlative game and enhances it. In time, you may find that you prefer playing Sonic 2 as Knuckles... or you may get "nostalgic" for those days when Sonic and Tails conquered the Emerald Hill Zone and teamed up to defeat Dr. Robotnik's Love Buggy at the end of the zone. Good times.

Super Metroid: Tips and Tricks

Last weekend, I chipped away at my current Super Metroid adventure, managing to defeat Ridley after two tries. During my first encounter with Ridley, I attempted to bombard him (?) with Super Missiles, and then with Missiles, but neither did much damage and only annoyed him. However, after referring to my walkthrough, I found that charged Ice Beam shots at his head did the most damage and more quickly dispatched the purple beast. Now, what awaits me is the Mother Brain.

What I realized after my most recent foray into Zebes was that, despite the assistance of my trusted walkthrough, there were a few tips and tricks about Super Metroid that many hint-providers failed to mention. So, here are my tips and tricks using the default controller setup:

• To shinespark/rocket boost in a diagonal-up direction, (holding down the B button while possessing the Speed Booster), press down as soon as Samus begins to flash. Then, press the L button to go diagonal-up to the left, or the R button to go diagonal-up to the right. Initially, I tried to press the D-pad diagonal-up in the desired direction, but would end up going left or right.
• To Space Jump with or without Screw Attack and stay airborne, press or tap left or right on the D-pad right before each press of the A (Jump) button. Pressing diagonal-up negates the Space Jump and sends Samus down for a landing. I wondered why my space jumps would end so prematurely and found that pressing diagonal-up killed each jump. Note: it is the intensity of Samus' jump, and not the angle of the D-pad press, that governs how high and where she goes.
• To wall-jump, jump close to a wall. As soon as Samus brushes the wall, press the D-pad into a direction away from the wall and, in quick succession, press the Jump button. If both the D-pad and Jump button are pressed at the same time, the wall jump does not occur.

The wall jump, Space Jump, and Shinespark are the three most difficult, yet necessary, skills to learn in Super Metroid. If you have any more hints or experiences to share, please feel free to post.

Ciao!