<s>
is	O
a	O
2002	O
side-scrolling	O
platform	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Dimps	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
an	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Sonic	B-Application
the	I-Application
Hedgehog	I-Application
series	I-Application
and	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
2001	O
's	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
follows	O
Sonic	B-Application
as	O
he	O
sets	O
out	O
to	O
save	O
his	O
friends	O
and	O
retrieve	O
the	O
seven	O
magical	O
Chaos	O
Emeralds	O
from	O
Doctor	O
Eggman	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
programmed	O
using	O
an	O
updated	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
's	O
game	O
engine	O
and	O
the	O
team	O
aimed	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
game	O
larger	O
and	O
faster-paced	O
than	O
the	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
released	O
to	O
positive	O
reviews	O
;	O
critics	O
praised	O
the	O
updates	O
made	O
over	O
the	O
original	O
Advance	O
and	O
its	O
improved	O
replay	O
value	O
in	O
comparison	O
to	O
past	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
re-released	O
for	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
in	O
February	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
a	O
side-scrolling	O
platformer	O
similar	O
in	O
gameplay	O
and	O
style	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
controls	O
Sonic	B-Application
the	I-Application
Hedgehog	I-Application
,	O
who	O
can	O
unlock	O
three	O
other	O
playable	O
characters	O
:	O
Cream	O
the	O
Rabbit	O
and	O
her	O
Chao	O
named	O
Cheese	O
,	O
Tails	O
,	O
and	O
Knuckles	O
the	O
Echidna	O
after	O
defeating	O
Doctor	O
Eggman	O
in	O
specific	O
boss	O
battles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
can	O
perform	O
an	O
"	O
insta-shield	O
"	O
that	O
protects	O
him	O
for	O
a	O
brief	O
moment	O
;	O
Cream	O
and	O
Tails	O
can	O
fly	O
;	O
Knuckles	O
can	O
glide	O
and	O
climb	O
;	O
and	O
Amy	O
can	O
destroy	O
enemies	O
using	O
a	O
hammer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
tradition	O
of	O
Sonic	B-Application
games	O
,	O
gameplay	O
consists	O
of	O
moving	O
quickly	O
through	O
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
player	O
loses	O
their	O
last	O
life	O
,	O
the	O
game	B-Application
ends	I-Application
prematurely	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
beating	O
all	O
zones	O
and	O
finding	O
all	O
seven	O
Chaos	O
Emeralds	O
with	O
Sonic	B-Application
,	O
an	O
alternate	O
final	O
act	O
is	O
unlocked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
studio	O
Dimps	O
,	O
with	O
assistance	O
from	O
Sonic	B-Application
Team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
producer	O
Yuji	O
Naka	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
began	O
designing	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
immediately	O
after	O
the	O
completion	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
,	O
and	O
full	O
development	O
began	O
in	O
February	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
development	O
period	O
lasted	O
eight	O
months	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
programmed	O
using	O
an	O
updated	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
marks	O
the	O
first	O
appearance	O
of	O
Cream	O
the	O
Rabbit	O
in	O
the	O
Sonic	B-Application
series	I-Application
;	O
the	O
character	O
was	O
originally	O
designed	O
for	O
2003	O
's	O
Sonic	B-Application
Heroes	I-Application
,	O
though	O
she	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
Advance	O
2	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Heroes	O
to	O
help	O
make	O
the	O
game	O
easier	O
for	O
beginning	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
announced	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
2	I-Application
on	O
July	O
1	O
,	O
2002	O
,	O
and	O
showcased	O
it	O
at	O
the	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
in	O
September	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
on	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
Console	I-Application
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
February	O
24	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
2	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
considered	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
graphics	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
major	O
advance	O
from	O
the	O
previous	O
game	O
,	O
feeling	O
that	O
it	O
took	O
more	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
's	O
capabilities	O
and	O
praised	O
the	O
improved	O
character	O
animations	O
,	O
favorably	O
comparing	O
them	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
a	O
cartoon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
World	O
Report	O
called	O
the	O
music	O
catchy	O
and	O
enjoyable	O
,	O
though	O
they	O
criticized	O
the	O
re-use	O
of	O
certain	O
themes	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
1UP.com	O
considered	O
this	O
addition	O
interesting	O
and	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
not	O
bad	O
"	O
for	O
the	O
technical	O
limitations	O
of	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
described	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
2	I-Application
as	O
the	O
hardest	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
entire	O
series	O
,	O
calling	O
its	O
auto-scrolling	O
boss	O
fights	O
"	O
positively	O
cutthroat	O
"	O
,	O
though	O
they	O
did	O
believe	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
amount	O
of	O
playable	O
characters	O
helped	O
reduce	O
this	O
difficulty	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Of	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
whole	O
,	O
GameSpot	O
felt	O
Sega	O
's	O
risks	O
to	O
deviate	O
from	O
past	O
Sonic	B-Application
games	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
difficulty	O
and	O
size	O
paid	O
off	O
handsomely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
stated	O
that	O
,	O
while	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
2	I-Application
did	O
not	O
present	O
significant	O
advances	O
beyond	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
still	O
a	O
"	O
solid	O
action	B-Application
title	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cream	O
the	O
Rabbit	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
introduced	O
in	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
would	O
feature	O
predominantly	O
in	O
future	O
Sonic	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
direct	O
sequel	O
,	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2004	O
;	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
final	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
Sonic	B-Application
Advance	I-Application
trilogy	O
.	O
</s>
