Whoever convinced him to play Knuckles surely knew how the final boss fight would go

The entire soundtrack to Sonic 2 was an absolute banger.

As someone who's casually speedrun this game since childhood, seeing Max experience the travesty that are the hitboxes on the Death Egg Robot bring me such joy and laughter. He's experiencing decades of every 8-12 year old's RAGE we had in trial-and-erroring our way past this game in one singular serving. Magical!

Max has to fight the death egg robot with Knuckles and his low jump height. What a madman

Knuckles in Sonic 2 is actually possible in the original. Just put Sonic 2 on the "& Knuckles" cartridge instead of Sonic 3.

The start of Max's sonic era The end times are here

That feel when Max gets to the final boss and you check how much time is left in the video.

Every time he refused to get an emerald I had an anxiety attack.

Now for you children out there, imagine this final stage with limited lives and continues. That's what gaming was like when we were kids, back in the days when developers didn't care if you ever made it to the credits.

I REALLY hope that Max decides to play Sonic 3 and Knuckles. That game was my first Sonic game and lead towards my desire to play the series.

Yeah, that's the thing about old-school Knuckles: his jump height is a bit gimped compared to Sonic and Tails. He was meant to be more challenging in S3&K, with his hard-mode boss fights and all, but in Sonic 2, a game that was definitely not designed for him, the only part of the game that's harder is the final boss fight. There are opportunities to hit it, but it's not quite possible to speed through the boss the way you can as the others.

I can speak for everyone that metropolis zone was a nightmare. Sky chase zone was a breath of fresh air

As a kid, the name of the game was to make it to the end with as many lives as I possibly could, usually between 10-20, and then do my best to learn to beat these last two fuckers. Cuz if you ran out of lives, have fun doing the entire game again. Now as an adult I'm like "yeah, idk why I'm so good at these games" because they're ingrained in my muscle memory lol

Doing that final fight without infinite continues was a nightmare when I was 8. I'd probably be worse at it now tbf.

Love how diverse the content is, and the authentic enjoyment. One of the best.

love this recent max plays classics streak of content, super cool.

Max: “OMG, there’s THREE Acts to this place?!? I feel like I’ve been in this place for 17 minutes!” Literally every Sonic 2 player as BOTH a child and an adult once they reach Metropolis Zone 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

As a Sonic fan, the moment I heard he was picking Knuckles I just *KNEW* he was gonna have a tough time with the final boss. And guess what...we were all right in that statement.

Max never beating Sonic 2 and he chose Hard Mode w/ Knuckles. Mad lad indeed!

Honestly, biggest bummer was Max not seeing Hidden Palace. Chat could've told him all about the story of it

I still have my old genesis from childhood. It came packaged with altered beast and had a mail away/ preorder coupon on the side of the box that you would mail in and Sonic 1 came in the mail when it released. The hypest moment of my childhood of coming home and having Sonic in the mailbox and being the first kid in the neighborhood with Sonic.

Next time Max does this he needs Simmons looming in the corner judging every bad move he makes.

There was a black cartridge attachment with Sonic/Knuckles logo back in the 90's that you plugged previous Sonic games into that let you play as Knuckles... I think 🤔

I never thought I'd see Max playing Sonic!

I love max but i died inside everytime he missed a special stage.😅

Watching Max miss the Bonus stages was giving me anxiety. Those were my favorite stages !

one of the hardest final bosses of 2D era, in my opinion.

"Tails has so much ending lag." *Is playing Knuckles* Never change Max.

Metropolis Zone always felt like a MegaMan level in a Sonic game.

Im glad you had this awesome experience and share it with chat. I suck at these games but it was fun watching you play

Rings Max. RINGS! Sonic collects rings, Mario collects coins. After 30+ years, that shit is STILL a major pet peeve of mine.

Max plays my most fave game ever? Hell yeah!

Sonic 2 is what really sold me on the Genesis. Such a great game, and just as fun to play today.

1:48:45 the extra stage there referring too is probably the Hidden Palace Zone Stage that was added in Mystic Cave zone in their anniversary version

Seeing max going through Metropolis Zone was a chef kiss moment to me lmao. He hate that stage like the rest of us. Though I love it also because I love its banger song.

One thing about being 12 years old and jobless, is that you had a lot of time on your hands, and a very small library of games to play. Sometimes, I had to start from the beginning after running out of continues, during the boss battle, i'd pause the game, take a break, dry my palms. strategize., etc. Eventually, I became an straight G, got all the emeralds and would beat the game in one sitting just cus I could. This brough back memories. Soundtrack is a banger. PS: You can double bounce on metal sonic in the corner. and you can double hit Robotnik's underbelly when he's standing, if your first hit doesnt recoil you.

Sonic 2 Casino Zone has to be one of the best video game levels ever created. A couple of my friends and I would just spends hours on that level playing the slot machines 😆 Then when Sonic Spinball came out that took over

We learned back in the day not to be greedy with those hits vs final boss like you can with Sonic. Get your hit coming down. Get your hit when he flies off. More than 2 hits per set you rolling the dice.

Sonic 2 was the first video game I ever owned. It has a very special place in my heart.

This is my childhood right here man. This is where gaming started for me. I grew up with the Sega Genesis and played the heck out of all Sonic 1, 2, 3 and S&K as a kid. Finding out I could “lock on “ Sonic 2 with S&K and play Knuckles in Sonic 2 was mind blowing as a kid. Not to mention locking Sonic 3 onto S&K and getting the REAL Sonic 3. In fact Sonic 3 and Knuckles is still easily one of my favorite games of all time.

Holy shit i havent laughed this hard in a long time, seeing max play a childhood classic is just pure entertainment at its finest. Hopefully he gives more sonic games a try i Want to see him play more sonic games like mania. Great video as always Max!

He's missing so many secrets and hidden cool things haha! Clueless bless him!

These games are timeless. Sonic and Knuckles with Sonic 3 plugged in is an absolute masterpiece.

He's finally playing Sonic for the channel, this is definitely character development 😭 This and Sonic 3 and Knuckles was my life, I really hope he plays more.

I'm not at all a Sonic fan, but man, every single stage in Sonic 2 is absolutely iconic. Especially Chemical Plant, despite the obnoxious death blocks, it has to be one of the coolest locations in any video game. The fact that Sega has never made a game that takes its time to flesh these zones out into their own lived-in worlds is just criminal. It seems like such an obvious direction to go.

I got a genesis with sonic 2 as hell. Damn game raised me while my mom partied. It holds a very special place in my heart.

Max was lucky he was playing Anniversary Mode that had infinite lives, because holy crap chat was giving him bad advice on the final boss, lmao.

It was a fun time watching this live on stream, sonic 2 was my first major game as a kid in the early 90s

Sonic 2 is one of the best 16bit games PERIOD. The soundtrack is still incredible! Sonic 1, 2, 3, and Mania are some of my favorite games ever made.

Love these variety videos, still here for the fighting stuff mainly, but these are much welcome

1:16:36 the moment where Max realizes playtime is over and he's going to have to 'get good'

Never beat Sonic 2 and automatically went to hard mode, the game has some traps and boss behavior changes to match the fact that Knucles can dash in the air (but also has a slower and shorter jump) and also the special stages get an increased quota of rings to reach.

God knows i loved the 80's and 90's. Crying because i miss those golden days. I've had my ups and downs, but gaming kept me sane. 😅 Sonic, Sonic was part of those memories. Getting Genesis and Sonc 2, Contra Hard Corps, all in one night. What i was NOT counting on... was the F'n TV. 26:39 poor max. His luck run out.

This is one of the first few games my late father bought for me when i was 7 years old (other being streets of rage 1 and street fighter 2 champion edition). Miss gaming with you pops.

It is fun to watch someone who does know how to control the character but does not know the level design by heart

He turn this game into Subzero mythologies. I was laughing so hard throughout

I'm one of those freaks that thinks Sonic 2 is fine but undeserved as the best 2D Sonic game. That goes to the fully combined Sonic 3 & Knuckles. THAT is the best 2D Sonic game in my opinion.

Who remembers when Max played Call Of Duty and he was decent as well.

Favorite Sonic game right here, just beat it myself not even an hour ago

I wish the guys liked 3D sonic. Adventure one and two are amazing games

Glad to see Max play Sonic

Max: Get back here, -Bowser- -Wily- Eggman! Also Max, who didn't do any of the Special Stages: Gonna do Super Knuckles now?

This was an amazing watch. I've played Sonic 2 more than any other game in my life. Naturally I found myself uncontrollably yelling "What the fuck are you doing?!" At every single boss fight as I watched you do everything I had to train myself not to do in this game. The fun makes the frustration worth it.

Chemical Plant Zone theme is GOATed

There’s something about Knuckles climbing walls to the sound of Metropolis Zone’s theme that just fits so well.

i havent played 2 in over 2 decades. i was a genesis kid for a while after NES and gameboy chemical plant will always be such a jam

My favorite series growing up. Even with the limited lives and timer I was able to dominate this series. One of the few old school games I could beat consistently. Sonic 1, 2, 3, and Knuckles were my bnb. Those and R-Type

I’ve always hated Metropolis Zone. So many cheap hits. I hate that praying mantis douchebag. It was a giant pain in the ass to get 50 rings to become Super Sonic.

Oh my gosh the joke of the 'past' speed boost is SO specific, you have some gawd damn fantastic editors and set up for the RIGHT job!

Oh boy. Sonic 2 as Knuckles. We're in for a good time. Never change Max.

I remember being a kid with my sister and my friend playing Sonic 2. They always said Knuckles was better/cooler but I didn't think so. It wasn't until the final boss when I realized that Knuckles doesn't jump as high as Sonic, and finally I had the ammo to defend Sonic with lol

Interesting change of pace, love sonic 2

Knuckles not jumping as high def makes the final boss fight harder. Choosing to play as Knux is weird tho since Knux in Sonic 2 has been possible since the 90s. Connecting Sonic and Knuckles to Sonic 2 let you do it. I did it as a kid.

I could FEEL his frustration in Metropolis Zone. Easily the most annoying zone in Sonic 2

This game is absolutely beautiful and Max vs the boxes was legendary

Jesus, this takes me so far back. All the goddang memories from that sound track.

Still a classic man. And it's good to relive those memories again!

That monkey at 2:36 gets everyone 😂

Im so happy Max took my normal route in Hill Top Zone Act 2 😂

From hating Sonic to playing it for the channel, mad respect

Ah yes, Mecha Sonic/Robotnik. The original Radagon/Elden Beast final boss combo

Death Egg Robot boss fight is soo tight for a climax to a 2D AAA game

Love Sonic 2 one of my favourite Sega Genesis game 🕹👍and good play through Max

Treasure that Sonic Jam copy. It's the best collection to play that still has the original soundtrack for Sonic 3. My copy is precious. ❤

Dang, took me to nostalgia city on this one. The music in this game is phenomenal! 🤩

The amount of times I screamed MAX NO when he did a jump wrong or didn't bother doing the bonus emerald stages 😂 Sonic 2 was and is still the shit, and seeing Knuckles playable still baffles me in this mode. Wish I caught this live, chat must've been going bonkers! Can't wait to see more good vintage revisited

It’s probably been 20 years since I’ve played sonic 2. Never was able to beat it either. Max, thanks for the nostalgia here. Btw sonic 2 music absolutely slaps 👍🏼

I've never beaten sonic 2 either Max. Don't feel bad

Fun fact, Sonic 1, 2 & Chaos on the Master System are different games to the Mega Drive one's. (There's some cool levels and bosses in the 2nd)

Had a sonic collectuon on gamecube and this is the game i played the most on it. I could never beat the game as a kid but i still had fun every time. Takes me back man i was just a 7 year old kid man.

Fighting old school final bosses like this as a child is why I don't find games nowadays hard anymore, not even souls games. Nowadays if I want difficulty I play fighting games, every single player game is just a fun experience with no difficulty involved.

Love this channel. So much entertainment

LMFAO Death Egg was hilarious. I chuckled when he went behind him when Eggman dropped knowing the bombs were coming and he wouldn't expect it.

DUDE MY mouth dropped when I saw you with that copy of sonic jam unopened. ... I had a copy and as with most games when i was young got rid of it. That now sells for well over 250 dollars sealed. i miss that game.

Awesome stream "Max. Very fun 🙌

I am glad Max is giving Sonic the Hedgehog a try!!

It's COOL To See You Using Knuckles in SONIC 2, I Did Beat That Game, But Took Many Many Tries LOL. Right Now My Favorite 2 Character in Sonic Are Knuckles and Rouge!!

chat must've been going insane. I never beat Sonic 2 either though. This must be so much less stress-inducing not having to worry about lives

I remember back in the day when I played as Knuckles in Sonic 2 (S&K game plugged into S2... iykyk) and I made it all the way to the last stage flawlessly... but kept dying at the end 😂

Brings me back. Finished 1 and 2 as a kid. But not 3 or the addon cartridge with knuckles