Each of the levels comes with a bonus stage where players can obtain Chaos Emeralds. There are also bonus stages and boss gates. The game isn’t just a race to the finish, though. There are multiple ways to finish every level, with secret routes littering each stage. Classic Sonic’s stages are entirely 2D and play just like the original Sonic games, while Modern Sonic’s have a slightly 3D feel to them and capture the feeling of classic Sonic games. Each level has one Classic Sonic stage and one Modern Sonic stage.
The game has several classic stages, like Mushroom Hill, as well as more modern stages like Radical Highway. Once these two meet, the game begins at the classic Emerald Hill Zone. The story is told through dialogue, simple animations and little voice acting (which is a good thing). The story is a simple one: Short and stubby Sonic and modern long-legged Sonic get taken from their respective times into a mysterious white void by a mysterious enemy. Fans have been calling for a game that reminds them of the games of yore and believe it or not, Sega listened. Recently, Sonic has hit a bit of a slump with games like Sonic and the Secret Rings and Sonic and The Black Knight. Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as well as Sonic and Knuckles, experienced a lot of success and are beloved by most who play them. Sonic has seen some ups and downs in his life.