Sonic Rivals 2 is a racing video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series that was developed by Backbone Entertainment under the supervision of Sega Studio USA. It is the sequel to Sonic Rivals. The game was released exclusively for the PlayStation Portable handheld video game console in North America on 13 November 2007 and in Europe and Australia in the following month and like its prequel, the game was not released in Japan.

The game was then re-released as a digital downloadable game from the PlayStation Store on October 2009 in North America, August 2010 in Europe and October 2010 in Australia. The digital version is also compatible with the PlayStation Vita.

Plot[]

Storylines[]

Sonic and Tails[]

Sonic the Hedgehog meets up with Miles "Tails" Prower, who recently told Sonic that he had something important to tell him: a huge amount of Chao have gone missing. Tails believes that Dr. Eggman is behind the disappearances and that he is currently located on Blue Coast Zone, the island where Sonic and Tails are. Sonic agrees to go after him, but wonders why he would want Chao.

During their search, Sonic comes across Knuckles the Echidna and Rouge the Bat, who have teamed up to hunt down the Master Emerald. Sonic jokingly enquires if they are on a date. Knuckles, telling Sonic to knock it off, asks if he has seen Eggman. Sonic seems peeved by Knuckles trying to pry into his business, at which point Knuckles awkwardly admits to Sonic that the Master Emerald has gone missing again. Sonic is not surprised by this but insists that he must talk to Eggman before Knuckles does. Knuckles angrily shouts after him to wait up but to no avail. Upset that Sonic wants to get to Eggman first, Knuckles tries to race him there. Afterward, Knuckles suggests they engage in some physical combat instead of racing each other. Sonic thinks that means Knuckles is getting worn out, which only makes Knuckles angrier and causes him to fight Sonic.

Meanwhile, Tails speaks to Rouge, who tells him she is "looking for treasure", meaning the Master Emerald. Like Knuckles, she wonders if Tails knows where Eggman is. Tails tells her he is on the island, and that he and Sonic were about to go and search for him, but before he can finish, Rouge leaves, saying her thanks and assuring Tails she will tell Eggman they're looking for him. A distraught Tails tells her she cannot do that, or they'll never find him. He begs her to wait up, but it's too late.

After Sonic beats Knuckles, he runs into Eggman, who has been told by Rouge that he is looking for him. Sonic affirms this, then asks what he has done with the Chao. Eggman claims he has done nothing, but Sonic does not buy it and swears he knows he kidnapped them and wants to know what he is up to. Eggman plays miffed and calls Sonic's behavior "rude" that he'd assume like that. Then, he asks Sonic if he'd like to talk about it with his new robot, the Egg Liner, when Knuckles shows up again, claiming he and Rouge want to talk to Eggman as well.

However, after the battle, Sonic and Tails lost track of Eggman in Sunset Forest Zone. On top of that, they are lost. Suddenly, Tails notices something on the ground. It turns out to be a page from a book that Eggman dropped in his flight, reading "The all powerful Ifrit." Sonic, confused, suggests to Tails that they get out of the forest. Tails agrees, wondering if the Ifrit has anything to do with the missing Chao. However, Espio the Chameleon was spying on them and noticed what they'd found. He shows concern, then says he had better report what he saw. He notices that his friend, Silver the Hedgehog is following Sonic, so he surmises that he should follow Tails. However, it isn't long before Sonic realizes someone's behind him. At this point, Silver makes himself known and tells Sonic to "move aside." Sonic, on the other hand, greets him cordially and asks if he is looking for Eggman as well. However, Silver is persistent and again tells Sonic to move. Sonic comments that Silver never changes, then says he will have to find Eggman before him, as well. After fighting (and defeating) Silver, Sonic remarks that it was fun, but that he does not have time for games. Silver replies that he does not either, then suggests that they finish their fight now. Sonic agrees.

While that is going on, Tails, who had fallen behind Sonic earlier, suddenly feels like someone is following him. Espio comments on Tails' observance, then goes ahead and makes himself known. He asks if he is searching for something and if something is wrong. This catches Tails off-guard, but he quickly recovers and explains to Espio that he and Sonic are looking for Eggman while "trying to figure out what's up with the Chao disappearances." Espio seems surprised by this (unbeknownst to Tails, Espio is searching for the missing Chao too), and asks if Tails has any leads. Tails apologizes, claiming he cannot tell Espio anything and that he has to catch up to Sonic, then leaves. Espio calls for him to wait, and that he still has questions. Realizing Tails is too far away, he decides he still needs to follow Tails.

After Tails caught up with Sonic, they, along with Espio and Silver, find Eggman. Eggman comments on how persistent Sonic and Tails are and Sonic points out that if Eggman does not have anything to do with the missing Chao, why is he running? Tails shows him the page he dropped earlier and starts to ask him what it means, when Eggman becomes alarmed, asking where he got it. Suddenly, Silver butts in, saying there's no more time for small talk, and tries to get Eggman to listen to him. Sonic gets annoyed by this, telling Silver to "chill." However, Eggman simply snatches the paper away from Tails and pits them against his robot, the Egg Crawler.

Unfortunately, Eggman manages to get away again, this time headed for Neon Palace Zone. Luckily, Tails spots some more pages from Eggman's book that have fallen out. They read, "The Ifrit had the power of destruction, and the power to bind one's soul." Sonic notices that that sounds really powerful, and that "it cannot be good." Just then, he sees Shadow the Hedgehog, who is with Metal Sonic, and asks what he is doing there. Shadow says he does not have time to talk, then commands Metal to follow him. Sonic is shocked to see Metal again, working with Shadow. Sonic tells Tails he has a bad feeling because trouble seems to follow Metal everywhere. Tails agrees and says they should follow them. Sonic says he will catch up with Shadow, and Tails agrees to hunt down Metal. After getting to Shadow, Sonic asks him what's going on. Shadow tells him bluntly that he is looking for Knuckles and Rouge, then tells him to get out of his way. However, Sonic isn't finished asking questions, and wants to know what he wants with them, and why he is with Metal. Shadow claims he has no time to explain, so he will have to knock Sonic out. Sonic accepts his challenge. After the skirmish, Sonic manages to find Eggman once more and asks him what he is trying to hide. Eggman claims it does not concern him, then shows him another robot, the Egg Dealer. Shadow, whom Sonic and Tails managed to catch up to, prepares to fight it, as well. Sonic bets that he and Tails can destroy it before Shadow can.

However, Eggman escapes for the fourth time, so Sonic and Tails track him down to Frontier Canyon Zone. Tails finds yet another page from his book. This one reads, "The Ifrit destroyed the entire..." Sonic solidly feels like the Ifrit has something to do with the Chao. Just then, Knuckles and Rouge appear, and Rouge asks them how they've been doing. Tails asks what they're doing there. Rouge states that they're still looking for the Master Emerald, "that someone carelessly left unguarded." Knuckles gets mad at this remark, but Rouge ignores him and continues that they have an Emerald Detector, but that they need Rings to keep it powered up. She asks if they can help her. Sonic agrees, then instructs Tails to come with him and find some Rings. However, while Sonic is hunting for some Rings, Espio is spying on him. He says that he and Silver need Rings also, but that he can catch up to Sonic. Meanwhile, Tails is having a hard time finding many Rings; he wonders how Sonic's coming along. Unfortunately, Espio appears before Sonic and says he need his Rings. This startles Sonic, and Espio uses the opportunity to nab them. However, Sonic isn't having it and demands for them back, and a fight ensues. Thankfully, Tails ends up collecting enough Rings for both Knuckles and Rouge. Not so thankfully, Silver appears and takes them. After grouping back up, Sonic and Tails go on the hunt for Espio and Silver, but they cannot find them. Eggman overhears them, so Sonic is happy they've found him yet again. Sonic asks, if he is not responsible for the missing Chao, then what is he doing. Eggman quips if he told him, it would "ruin the surprise.", but he makes a deal: if he defeats the Egg Bull, he will give him a clue. However, Silver reappears, instructing Sonic and Tails to "step aside," so he and Espio can talk to him first. However, Sonic does not listen. After the battle, Sonic asks Eggman for the clue. Eggman breaks down and tells him that "the Ifrit is about to be released," that there is a mysterious mansion containing a portal to their dimension, "And the Ifrit must be stopped..." then leaves. Sonic mentions he should go after Eggman some more. Tails reminds him that the mansion should be nearby and that they should hurry.

After arriving in Mystic Haunt Zone, Sonic and Tails split up to look for the portal. Sonic remarks on the creepiness of the old house, wondering where the portal is. Suddenly, he hears a strange noise, only for a ghostly version of himself to appear, cackling evilly. Sonic freaks out, realizing the resemblance between himself and the ghost. The ghost laughs some more, prompting Sonic to try and leave. However, the ghost simply chases him around. Meanwhile, Tails is regretting having suggested they split up, afraid that the mansion truly is haunted. Unfortunately, Tails comes across a ghost doppelganger as well. Sonic cannot seem to get rid of the ghost. Suddenly, it changes its appearance to that of Tails. Sonic decides that he will have to fight the ghost to get rid of it. After doing so, he finds Eggman. However, Tails notices that he looks slightly different. Suddenly, their ghost selves come back. Sonic observes that Eggman appears to be possessed by a ghost, "too." Sonic accepts that they'll have to fight him and his Eggmobile, which is disguised as a spirit and called the Egg Phantom. However, Eggman escapes a final time into the Chaotic Inferno Zone.

Exploring the mansion some more, Tails finds a secret room where hundreds of Chao are sealed away. Sonic's suspicions proved right, he instructs Tails to get the Chao to a safe place. Sonic finds another strange door and wonders if it leads to the portal. Tails deduces that Eggman used it to escape, but the door begins closing. Determined not to let Eggman get away again, they jump through. Pressed for time, Sonic who has split up from Tails, rushes to find Eggman before the door shuts. Tails tries to find Eggman on his own for Sonic. After searching for a bit, they come across the Ifrit, who Sonic realizes was trying to be awoken by Eggman all along, rising up. Suddenly, the Ifrit begins controlling Tails' mind to defeat Sonic. While Tails wasn't entirely under the Ifrit's mind control, Sonic knew he'd have to fight them both.

After successfully defeating the Ifrit, thus releasing Tails from its mind control, Tails explains that the Ifrit was originally from Chaos Inferno. However, Sonic was unable to completely take the Ifrit down, prompting Sonic to warn Tails to run away. Tails is shocked at the idea of the Ifrit still being alive, but Sonic pleads Tails to get back to the door before it recovers, saying he will handle it. Unfortunately, before Sonic can get the whole sentence out of his mouth, the Ifrit begins controlling his mind against Tails. Tails then had to fight the Ifrit and Sonic single-handedly. Thankfully, Tails won and got Sonic back, Sonic remarking that the Ifrit wasn't as strong as once thought. However, Tails suggests that it wasn't fully revived when they encountered it. Sonic tells Tails not to worry about it, then suggests they head back to the Chao Garden to relax. However, Tails wonders if they shouldn't be looking for Eggman, but Sonic points out that they destroyed the Ifrit and saved the Chao, so why should they look for Eggman? Tails realizes he is right, only for Sonic to run off.

Knuckles and Rouge[]

Knuckles the Echidna is frustratingly looking for the missing Master Emerald. He wonders if Dr. Eggman has taken it. Rouge the Bat appears, and Knuckles asks her if she has seen it. She has not, but she offers to help him find it. Knuckles claims he does not need her help and points out her notorious way of helping people only if she gets something out of it. Rouge replies, saying she wants to find the Chaos Emeralds for herself and could use some help. Knuckles figured this, but Rouge also offers to show him where Eggman is. Knuckles gives it up, having no other choice.

Later, they run into Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower in Blue Coast Zone. Sonic jokingly enquires if they are on a date. Knuckles, telling Sonic to knock it off, asks if he has seen Eggman. Sonic seems peeved by Knuckles trying to pry into his business, at which point Knuckles awkwardly admits to Sonic that the Master Emerald has gone missing again. Sonic is not surprised by this but insists that he must talk to Eggman before Knuckles does. Knuckles angrily shouts after him to wait up but to no avail. Upset that Sonic wants to get to Eggman first, Knuckles tries to race him there. Afterward, Knuckles suggests they engage in some physical combat instead of racing each other. Sonic thinks that means Knuckles is getting worn out, which only makes Knuckles angrier and causes him to fight Sonic.

Meanwhile, Tails speaks to Rouge, who tells him she is "looking for treasure", meaning the Master Emerald. Like Knuckles, she wonders if Tails knows where Eggman is. Tails tells her he is on the island, and that he and Sonic were about to go and search for him, but before he can finish, Rouge leaves, saying her thanks and assuring Tails she will tell Eggman they're looking for him. A distraught Tails tells her she cannot do that, or they'll never find him. He begs her to wait up, but it's too late.

After beating Sonic, Knuckles enquire of Eggman where the Master Emerald is located. Eggman claims he does not know what he is talking about, then whines about always being the first person blamed when something goes missing. Rouge sympathizes with him. Eggman pits them against his robot, the Egg Liner. Sonic challenges them to see which team can defeat the robot first.

Unfortunately, after the fight, Eggman escapes into the Sunset Forest Zone. Rouge tells Knuckles to "take it easy" and points out that Eggman probably has some sort of Emerald Detector. Knuckles agrees. However, Shadow the Hedgehog spots them and points them out to Metal Sonic, telling him they need to get the Emeralds before they do. He instructs Metal to follow Rouge, and he will personally go after Knuckles. Knuckles is shocked to see Shadow, who asks him what he is doing in the forest. Knuckles tells him about the missing Master Emerald. Shadow points out how difficult it will be to find it in the forest. Knuckles explains they are going to use Eggman's Emerald Detector. Shadow seems surprised that an Emerald Detector even exists, but quickly tells Knuckles that he and Metal cannot let him get the Emeralds, triggering Knuckles into fighting him. Afterward, Knuckles asks why Shadow why he is trying to get in his way. Shadow assures Knuckles that he does not need to know anything and that he and Metal won't be around the area much longer, anyway. Knuckles seems confused by this, but Shadow proposes to knock him out.

Meanwhile, Rouge is grumbling about Knuckles running off and leaving her. Suddenly, Metal Sonic appears. Rouge angrily tells him to stop stalking her. After fighting him, she meets back up with Knuckles, and they find Eggman. Rouge enquires about his Emerald Detector. Eggman does not know where she got that information, but he does indeed have one. Rouge expresses her desire for it, but Eggman won't let her have it so easily. However, Knuckles, who is getting impatient, demands he hand it over immediately. This only causes Eggman to throw another robot at them, the Egg Crawler. Meanwhile, Shadow tells Metal Sonic that they must beat Knuckles and Rouge to the Master Emerald.

Afterward, in Neon Palace Zone, Rouge compliments Knuckles on helping her find the Emerald Detector. Knuckles mutters a "thanks," but then the Detector begins to beep. Knuckles hopes it's the Master Emerald, but Rouge says it's going off because of all the surrounding Chao. However, Knuckles tells her to ignore them and search nearby. Unbeknownst to them, Espio the Chameleon and Silver the Hedgehog are watching them. Espio tells Silver that Knuckles and Rouge found two of the Chao, and asks if they should follow them. Silver thinks so and tells Espio that he will obtain the Chao from Knuckles, while Espio distracts Rouge. While Knuckles realizes the Emerald Detector is low on fuel and needs more Rings, Silver appears. He demands to have the Chao. Knuckles willingly gives him the Chao, as he is more focused on collecting Rings. Silver thanks him. Curious, Knuckles asks him about the Chao. Silver tells him that he has to save Knuckles' world, or else his will be destroyed as well. Knuckles thinks he is crazy for thinking the Chao can help. This causes Silver to get miffed and fight him. Knuckles readily accepts it.

During this, Espio startles Rouge. He enquires about the Chao she has. She does not want it, but Espio realizes that since the Detector was going off, the Chao must be sitting on top of an Emerald. Espio takes it, prompting Rouge to race him.

Afterward, Knuckles and Rouge track down Eggman again. Knuckles isn't happy with the less-than-desirable results that they had with his Detector, and he thinks Eggman already knows where the Master Emerald is located. Eggman gives him a vague response that ticks Knuckles off. Silver steps in, saying he needs to speak with Eggman and to leave. Rouge chides Silver for trying to boss them around when they're so much older than he is (even though he is actually quite close in age to Knuckles). Angry, Eggman gives them all a robot to battle: the Egg Dealer.

After the battle with Eggman, Knuckles and Rouge head to Frontier Canyon Zone to keep looking for the Master Emerald. However, Knuckles is upset that Eggman got away, in addition to the fact that the Detector still isn't picking up anything. He instructs Rouge to try looking for it by a cactus, however, Rouge responds by telling him not to bother her so she can concentrate. Knuckles reflects on what Silver told him about using the Chao to save the world and suggests that his ESP has made him off in the head, and Rouge agrees. Suddenly, the Detector begins beeping wildly, which makes Rouge think there are not one, but two Emeralds nearby. Knuckles asks about the Master Emerald, then notices Shadow and Metal again. He asks Metal what he is doing there, and when he gets no response, he tells Metal that if he is looking for the Master Emerald, he is looking in the wrong place. Suddenly, Eggman begins trying to speak through Metal's communication device. However, the transmission is bad, and all Knuckles could make out was "grave danger," then Metal began to leave. He tries to catch up but fails. He begins to look for some more Rings for the detector when he notices Metal come back with a new mission: collect Rings. Knuckles realizes he will have to beat him.

Meanwhile, Rouge runs into Shadow. Shadow hints at the Emeralds she has found with the Detector, and he cannot tell her why, but he needs to know how many Emeralds she has found, stressing that it's important. Rouge argues that if it's that important, he can tell her. Shadow caves in and he tells her that the Ifrit is going to be unleashed in their dimension. The key to opening the portal between the dimensions is the Seven Chaos Emeralds. However, Rouge says that the "person who hired her to find the Emeralds" would guard them fiercely. Shadow asks who hired her, and she says it's confidential, then leaves. Shadow goes after her. He catches up to her, and Rouge comments on his speed. Shadow still demands to know who hired her, but she insists she cannot tell, then proceeds to trip Shadow. After Shadow complains, Rouge jokes that he is clumsy.

After fighting him, Rouge meets back up with Knuckles, who tells her something strange is going on. Rouge agrees, then tells him about the Ifrit. However, Rouge suggests that if it gets through, it might go after the Master Emerald. She then begins to say that Shadow is looking for the Chaos Emeralds, but before she can finish, Knuckles interrupts her, thinking that Shadow is looking for the Master Emerald. He then suggests they go find Shadow. Eggman appears, and Knuckles says he knew Eggman was involved. However, Eggman says it has nothing to do with him, and that he needs him out of the way. Then Shadow appears, telling them that Eggman is his.

After Knuckles and Rouge battle Eggman's Egg Bull, they continue to the Mystic Haunt Zone. When Knuckles asks why they're in such a spooky place, Rouge replies that her "client" told her to go there. Knuckles asks about her client, to which Rouge hastily suggests that Eggman must be hiding in the old house. However, Espio and Silver spot them, and Espio asks Silver what they should do. Silver suggests they follow them. This time, Silver advises that Espio go after Knuckles, while he goes after Rouge.

After Knuckles enters the mansion, Espio startles him, as he didn't notice Espio come in. Espio simply states it's because of his chameleon abilities. Knuckles asks if he has seen Shadow or Eggman. Espio says he has not, and wonders why Knuckles wants to know. He explains that he thinks one of them has the Master Emerald. Espio asks why he should care, then tells Knuckles to go away. Knuckles throws off on his help, then goes off to find some more Rings for the detector.

Meanwhile, Rouge meets Silver and makes fun of him for collecting the Chao. Silver simply replies yes, and that someday she will thank him for saving her planet. However, Rouge still laughs at him. Silver just wants her to tell him where they are, but she won't without payment in the form of some Emeralds. Silver tries to explain that it's vitally important that she show him where the Chao are or the Emeralds won't matter, but she won't listen. Silver asks if she will help him, to which she replies no, then leaves, only for Silver to go after her.

During all this, Metal finds Knuckles, who wants to beat him up, thinking it will lead him to Eggman, which it does. Shadow notifies Eggman that Knuckles and Rouge are following him, bringing all but one Emerald with them. He and Metal are searching for the remaining Emerald, and Eggman can do the rest. Eggman congratulates Shadow. Not too long after Shadow arrives, Knuckles appears, grateful that he has finally found them. He demands to know where the Master Emerald is. Eggman laughs, then says he has no Emerald. He then instructs Rouge to hand over the Chaos Emeralds. Rouge is surprised to find out that Eggman was her client all along. However, she changes her mind, insisting that the Emeralds stay with her. Suddenly Silver appears, prompting Knuckles to get fed up with everyone.

After battling, Rouge laments how she never came that close to having all seven Emeralds before. Knuckles hears a strange noise, then notices the portal opening. Rouge is surprised, due to the fact that the portal requires all seven Emeralds to open. Knuckles says it does not matter, they just have to stop it from opening any further to keep the Ifrit from escaping. Rouge protests, but Knuckles insists they go in, grabbing Rouge and taking her with him.

Upon arriving in the Chaotic Inferno Zone, Knuckles admits that he probably should have thought of a better plan before rushing through the portal. However, he cannot find Rouge anywhere, and the area he is in is unstable, so he decides he should leave as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Rouge believed Knuckles ditched her, so she sets out to find him, promising he will pay for what he did to her.

Soon, Knuckles stumbles across the Ifrit, believing Eggman to have stolen the Master Emerald to revive it. Just then, Rouge appeared, prompting Knuckles to complain about her quietness. However, the Ifrit mind-controls Rouge against Knuckles. Even though Rouge is not fully subjected to the mind control, Knuckles has no choice but to fight the both of them to get the Master Emerald back.

After fighting Rouge and the Ifrit, though, there is still no Master Emerald to be seen. Rouge suspects that Eggman still has it. Then, to her dismay, she realizes that the Emerald Detector got damaged. However, it turns out that the Master Emerald was inside the Detector the whole time! Rouge simply comments on how Knuckles never changes, and remarks that he was "pretty dashing and daring this time around." This causes Knuckles to act bashful, only for Rouge to use this opportunity to nab the broken Detector (still containing the Master Emerald) and leave, Knuckles right behind her.

Shadow and Metal Sonic[]

Shadow the Hedgehog has the notion someone is behind him, and demands they show themself. Dr. Eggman then reveals himself, speaking through Metal Sonic's communication system, and explains that he needs Shadow's help. Shadow questions why Eggman needs his help, and he explains that if he does not help him, the world will be destroyed. Shadow seems surprised by this, then Eggman directs his attention to Espio the Chameleon and Silver the Hedgehog. Eggman instructs Shadow to take Metal with him and go after them. Shadow gives in, but orders Eggman to tell him what he knows afterward. Shadow then tells Metal to go after Espio, and he will find Silver.

Silver notices Shadow approaching him and wonders what he wants. Shadow insists he ask the questions, and enquires why Silver is there and what he is up to. Silver assures him that it does not concern him, and to just get out of his way. However, Shadow refuses.

Meanwhile, Espio is accidentally spotted by Metal. Espio wonders if that means Eggman is wrapped up in this as well. However, he does not have time to deal with Metal because he has to find Silver. Unfortunately, Metal isn't about to let Espio out of his sight.

After Shadow races Silver, Silver insists that he stop following him. Shadow claims he cannot do that unless Silver tells him what he wants to know. Silver chooses to fight him instead. After beating Silver, Shadow and Metal run into Eggman. Shadow is shocked to see Eggman there, but the Eggman speaking through Metal warns Shadow not to trust that Eggman, as it's actually Eggman Nega. Nega questions if Eggman is stuck inside of Metal. Shadow surmises that Nega is behind everything. Silver tells Shadow that Nega is his, only for Nega to pit them against his robot, the Egg Liner.

However, after the battle, Nega escaped into the Sunset Forest Zone. Shadow asks Metal if he is okay. Metal cannot speak on his own, so after a couple of seconds of silence, Shadow assumes he said yes. He then wonders what Nega is up to. Eggman then comes through Metal's communication device again, apologizing for not speaking earlier due to interference in the area. Eggman explains that Nega needs the Chaos Emeralds for his plan to work. He instructs Shadow to get them first. Shadow asks what his plan even is, but the signal drops again. Shadow wonders if the signal will work in the jungle.

Later, Shadow spots Knuckles the Echidna and Rouge the Bat and points them out to Metal Sonic, telling him they need to get the Emeralds before they do. He instructs Metal to follow Rouge, and he will personally go after Knuckles. Knuckles is shocked to see Shadow, who asks him what he is doing in the forest. Knuckles tells him about the missing Master Emerald. Shadow points out how difficult it will be to find it in the forest. Knuckles explains they are going to use Eggman's Emerald Detector. Shadow seems surprised that an Emerald Detector even exists, but quickly tells Knuckles that he and Metal cannot let him get the Emeralds, triggering Knuckles into fighting him. Afterward, Knuckles asks why Shadow why he is trying to get in his way. Shadow assures Knuckles that he does not need to know anything and that he and Metal won't be around the area much longer, anyway. Knuckles seems confused by this, but Shadow proposes to knock him out.

Meanwhile, Rouge is grumbling about Knuckles running off and leaving her. Suddenly, Metal Sonic appears. Rouge angrily tells him to stop stalking her. Afterward, Shadow and Metal reunite only to find Nega. This makes Shadow confused, as he wonders if it's Eggman or Eggman Nega. Unfortunately, the signal dropped again, so Shadow was left wondering. However, Knuckles (who was still with Shadow), who is getting impatient, demands he hand it over immediately. This only causes Eggman to throw another robot at them, the Egg Crawler. Meanwhile, Shadow tells Metal Sonic that they must beat Knuckles and Rouge to the Master Emerald.

After the skirmish, Shadow and Metal move on to the city, Neon Palace Zone, where there is a much better signal. Eggman comes through Metal's radio again, asking if Shadow can hear him. Shadow begins to ask Eggman a question, only to be interrupted by Sonic the Hedgehog, who asks what he is doing there. Shadow says he does not have time to talk, then commands Metal to follow him. Sonic is shocked to see Metal again, working with Shadow. Meanwhile, Eggman tries to communicate through Metal's radio, telling Shadow he needs help. Shadow asks what's wrong. Eggman explains Nega has taken over all his robots, and now they're destroying his base. He requests that Shadow destroy them for him, and Shadow agrees. He then commands Metal to go after Miles "Tails" Prower and Sonic. After getting to Shadow, Sonic asks him what's going on. Shadow tells him bluntly that he is looking for Knuckles and Rouge, then tells him to get out of his way. However, Sonic isn't finished asking questions, and wants to know what he wants with them, and why he is with Metal. Shadow claims he has no time to explain, so he will have to knock Sonic out. After beating Sonic, Eggman reveals that he found out who Nega was talking to. Shadow wonders who it is, when Nega himself appears. However, Sonic managed to catch up, but he thinks Nega is the real Eggman and asks him what he is trying to hide. Eggman claims it does not concern him, then shows him another robot, the Egg Dealer. Shadow prepares to fight it, as well. Sonic bets that he and Tails can destroy it before Shadow can.

Afterward, Shadow and Metal head to Frontier Canyon Zone. Now that they're in a safe location, Shadow asks Eggman to explain everything to him. Eggman apologizes for being vague, but he had to because of Nega's sneaky tendencies. He explains that Nega obtained some old files from his late grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik. They described an interdimensional beast called the Ifrit and Nega wants to release it into the world. However, the only way to opening the portal to where the Ifrit is is using the 7 Chaos Emeralds. Shadow asks Eggman how many emeralds Rouge and Knuckles have but Eggman notices the two coming. Shadow understands the situation and tells Metal Sonic to keep Knuckles occupied by collecting rings while he talks to Rouge. He tells her that he knows about the Emerald Detector that she and Knuckles have. Shadow wants to know how many emeralds they have and talks about the Ifrit to Rouge. Rouge believes that her client will protect the emeralds when she gives them to them. Shadow asks who's her client but she runs off, leading Shadow to follow her. After catching up with her, Shadow asks again on who Rouge's client is but she still refuses saying that "a professional never reveals their sources." After saying this, she actually trips Shadow and Rouge sarcastically claims that Shadow is clumsy, leaving Shadow peeved.

Meanwhile, Metal Sonic and Knuckles meet. Knuckles asks what Metal Sonic is doing in the location but the answer is mere silence. Knuckles simply accepts the answer of nothing and says that if they came for the Master Emerald, they're out of luck. However, Eggman starts talking through Metal Sonic but is hard to hear because of the large interference. Knuckles is surprised to hear Eggman coming from Metal Sonic. He is confused by the "grave danger" but Metal Sonic runs off. After losing Metal from his sight, Knuckles decides to collect more rings for his Emerald Detector. However, Metal Sonic starts collecting rings as well.

Silver and Espio[]

In Blue Coast Zone, Espio the Chameleon gets a call from Vector the Crocodile saying that ever since that Hedgehog "Silver" showed up, Chao have been disappearing. Vector concludes that Silver the Hedgehog must be kidnapping Chao and he tasks Espio to follow him and gather evidence. Espio accepts and says he'll go undercover to see if he can tail him. Just then, Silver approaches Espio, rudely addressing Espio as "Chameleon", and asks if he's seen any Chao nearby. This shocks both Vector and Espio as Espio fails to give him an answer. That's when Silver claims that Espio DOES, in fact, know where they are. Espio then tries to regain his composure while stammering that he might know something, but also he doesn't know. Silver then comments that Espio sure is a strange one. Espio angrily replies that Silver is seriously mistaken and tells the silver hedgehog to be gone and runs off, hoping to conceal himself in his next encounter with Silver to gather evidence off Chao kidnapping. Silver then demands "Chameleon" to wait up.

In hiding, Metal Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog are spying on them. Shadow commands Metal Sonic to go after Espio while Shadow finds Silver. As Silver chases Espio, he realizes he's being watched by none other than Shadow. Silver enquires what Shadow wants with him, but Shadow insists he ask the questions, and asks why Silver is here and what he's up to. Silver assures him that it does not concern him, tells him to get out of his way. However, Shadow refuses and chases after Silver.

As Shadow pursues Silver, Espio is relieved to escape Silver, stating it was a close call. Unfortunately for him, Metal Sonic has successfully located him. Espio, shocked to see Metal Sonic as well, ponders if Dr. Eggman is involved with all this. Espio declares he has no time to waste dealing with Metal and needs to find Silver. Determined, Metal Sonic aggressively pursues Espio.

As Metal hunts Espio, Silver tells Shadow to stop following him. Shadow says he can't do that until Silver tells him what he wants to know. Silver states that if that's how it has to be, so be it.

While Silver and Shadow duke it out, Espio can't seem to shake Metal Sonic. He surmises that Metal isn't going to let him get away that easy, so he proposes to Metal a good, honest race, to which Metal Sonic changes his primary mission to.

After winning the race and losing Metal in the process, Espio finds Silver but was not prepared to find him so quickly and fails to conceal himself. Espio stammers Silver's name in surprise. Curious how someone from the past could know his name, Silver enquires the purple chameleon as to why he knows his name and asks for Espio's name. Espio then introduces himself and adds that he is not just a mere citizen. Suddenly, a laughing Eggman appears, and, having both Silver and Espio in his company, joyously states that he loves entertaining guests. But Silver knows that this isn't "Eggman", and calls him by his true name, "Eggman Nega". Espio confusedly repeats the name as he's never encounter Eggman Nega before. Eggman then commends Silver on his perceptiveness with glee, laughing to himself. Suddenly, Shadow appears and was within earshot of Silver saying Eggman Nega's name and declares that he must be the one behind all of this. Silver then tells Shadow to step aside and that Eggman Nega is HIS target. Eggman Nega then says that since they're all here, his little contraption will chew them up and then have seconds. While Silver, Shadow, and Eggman are distracted conversing with one another, Espio uses this as an opportunity to go into hiding and escapes. Silver and Shadow are left to fight the Egg Liner.

With the Egg Liner defeated and closely watching Silver, Espio finds himself in Sunset Forest Zone. He says to himself that he might have failed before, but this time, he's going to make sure Silver doesn't see him. Silver, realizing Espio wasn't around for the battle, and wonders where Espio where he disappeared to. After not finding him, Silver decides he didn't need him anyway, then he suddenly stumbles upon a Chao. Silver gently tells the "little fella" to come here and asks where his friends are. Espio takes notice of Silver's kindness toward the Chao and gathers that Silver doesn't seem like a bad guy, but that he must have some connection to the Chao incident. While wondering about Silver's intentions, Espio finds Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower in the forest as well and wonders what they're doing here. It seems Espio caught them in the middle of something as Tails exclaims that Eggman dropped something, hinting that Sonic and Tails had previously encountered Eggman in this forest. Tails wonders if the thing Eggman dropped has anything to do with the Chao. Espio is also curious about Eggman's involvement, and states that he'd better report this along with evidence of Silver. Before reporting though, Espio sees that Silver is following Sonic, so Espio decides to trail after Tails.

While looking for more Chao, Silver, out loud, recalls that Chao live in packs, and presumes that there are others around the forest. That's when Sonic realizes he's being followed. Silver tells Sonic to move aside. Sonic greets Silver with the classic "Long time, no see." and assumes Silver is looking for Eggman as well. Silver, not in the mood to catch up, angrily demands Sonic to move aside. Sonic chuckles and tells Silver he never changes and teases him that he'll find Eggman before Silver and challenges him to a race.

As Espio carefully tracks Tails, the observant fox has a strange feeling that someone is following him. Espio is surprised at Tails's level of awareness, and reveals himself. With a smile, Espio says that Tails looks like he's searching for something and asks if anything is wrong. This catches Tails off-guard and he stammers while asking what Espio is doing here. Quickly regaining his composure, Tails explains that he and Sonic are following Eggman, trying to figure out what's up with the Chao disappearances. Conveniently relevant to Espio, he asks Tails if he has any leads. Unfortunately, Tails doesn't seem to know anything so far and says he's got to catch up with Sonic, quickly departing. Espio tells Tails to wait, exclaiming that he still has some more questions. As Tails runs off, Espio tells himself that he'd better follow Tails.

After the race, Silver has bested Sonic. Sonic compliments the winner saying Silver didn't do too bad, but Sonic insists he doesn't have time for games right now. Silver agrees, and says to resolve this conflict right now. Sonic tells him to bring it on. But before they start, Silver realizes that he can use this to his advantage to get more Chao. He then tells Sonic that trying to settle their conflict with fists didn't work, so instead he challenges Sonic to see who can collect the most Chao. Sonic seems perplexed at the specific challenge, but nevertheless agrees.

When Espio catches up with the orange fox, Tails sees Silver and Sonic competing. He worries that Sonic looks like he might be in trouble and that he'd better go help. Espio intervenes and decides that it's better that the two of them don't get involved. Tails asks what he's talking about and Espio claims he can't tell Tails anything and he will stop Tails if he interferes. Tails apologizes as he begrudgingly readies himself and Espio firmly states that Tails will have to go through him first.

At the conclusion of the Chao challenge and seeing Espio and Tails fight each other, Silver finds himself wondering where Espio went again and calls out for him. Espio suddenly appears and claims that Silver is responsible for the disappearing Chao. Silver admits to this, but his reasoning is to save the present and the future. Espio, confused, claims that doesn't make sense and asks why. Before Silver can explain, Eggman Nega interrupts him by using Silver's classic catchphrase, "It's no use!" against him. Silver, annoyed at Eggman Nega, is even more so when Sonic appears. Sonic, not knowing he's talking to Eggman Nega, enquires that if he has nothing to do with the missing Chao, then there's no reason to run away. Tails steps in and says that Eggman Nega also dropped his thing earlier. Before Tails could ask what it is, Eggman Nega is shocked and demands to know how Tails found it. Silver stops everyone and says this is no time for small talk, and tries to get everyone to listen to what he has to say. But again, before he can explain, Eggman Nega takes back the piece of paper while saying he'd like to introduce them all to his friend, the Egg Crawler.

Defeating Eggman Nega's friend, Silver and Espio end up in Neon Palace Zone and Eggman Nega gets away. Exasperated, Silver angrily wonders where Eggman Nega took off to. Not getting a proper explanation, Espio asks Silver what he was talking about with Chao and saving the world. Silver explains that if they want to save the world, they'll have hide the Chao in a safe place. Espio scoffs, asking if Silver really wants him to believe that. Silver says yes, and asks why Espio wouldn't believe it. Surprised with himself, Espio recalls Silver's kindness towards Chao in the forest, and finds himself trusting Silver and believing him. Still not in the mood for talking, Silver hastily asks if Espio is then going to help, or just get in his way. Espio says he'll help. Silver is pleased and tells Espio that he can start now. After agreeing to partnership, Espio spots someone nearby - It's Rouge the Bat and Knuckles the Echidna, and they have two Chao in their possession. Espio asks Silver if they should follow them. Silver agrees, and has a plan. He'll take the Chao from Knuckles while Espio distracts the "bat-girl".

After chasing Knuckles, Silver finally stops him and Knuckles asks what he's doing here while complaining of Silver being all in his face. Silver demands that he needs those Chao - it's important that he has them, and he tells Knuckles to move aside. Without much resistance, he tells Silver to help himself - Knuckles's busy collecting some rings to fuel his Emerald Detector. Caught off-guard by how easily Knuckles let the Chao go, Silver stammers and thanks Knuckles. Silver concludes that Knuckles must not be interested in the Chao, and tells himself to get the other Chao. Meanwhile, Espio confronts Rouge, who is startled by his sudden appearance and states that being a chameleon can be quite an advantage. Espio agrees and also notices the Emerald Detector. He comments on it, calling it a handy device seeing that Rouge has found something valuable. Rouge, disappointly, says it's just a little Chao. She claims if it doesn't glitter, it isn't gold to her. Thinking there's more to this, Espio deduces that if the machine is beeping, there must be something else besides the Chao, and he was right - the Chao was sitting on a Chaos Emerald. Rouge, wanting the Emerald for herself, demands Espio give that to her. Thinking of a strategy, Espio extrapolates that if Rouge follows him, then Silver can get to the Chao that she has. With the plan in motion, Espio takes the Emerald claims she'll have to catch him first.

As Rouge chases after Espio, Knuckles curiously follows Silver and asks what he wants with the Chao. Silver exclaims that he has to save the past, or his future will be destroyed. Knuckles is taken aback and mocks Silver for thinking the Chao can help save the world, calling him crazy. Silver adds to this by saying he'll show Knuckles how crazy he is, which Knuckles takes as a challenge and he tells Silver to bring it on. Rouge, continuing her pursuit of Espio, she asks him if he likes games. Espio, uninterested, says he doesn't like games, but if he does play, losing is not an option. Rouge offers him a little game of chance - If she wins, he gives her back the Chaos Emerald. Espio says to himself that he has to buy some time for Silver, then he offers that if he wins he gets the Chao.

Both finished with their respective excursions, Silver and Espio catch up, and stop to talk. Silver says that since Espio trusted him, he'll tell him everything that's going on. Silver then confides to Espio that Eggman Nega wants to unleash the Ifrit upon their world to destroy it. Espio is shocked and asks what the Ifrit has to do with the Chao. Unfortunately, Eggman Nega angrily calls out Silver for relinquishing his secrets for world destruction and states he'll now have punish them with his latest contraption, the Egg Dealer. Silver confidently demands him to bring it on. Before they fight, Espio spots both Knuckles and Rouge on their way here. Almost as if he's getting excited, Silver tells Espio they can take them all on.

After a brawl with Eggman Nega, Rouge, and Knuckles, Silver and Espio now find themselves in Frontier Canyon Zone. Silver, out of breath and extremely drained from the fight, says he needs to take a rest. Espio asks Silver more about their new mission and their objectives. Silver states that Eggman Nega is looking for Chao, as well as the Chaos Emeralds. Espio asks why he's looking for Chao of all things, and Silver explains that the Ifrit needs to consume them to become invincible. Espio is taken aback, disgusted at the thought of something eating Chao alive. Silver, still trying to catch his breath, says his powers are almost completely exhausted, and that he'll need some Rings to power himself back up. Espio understands and goes to collect some Rings for him, when suddenly he asks Silver if he hears someone. Not too far away, Espio and Silver spot Rouge asking Sonic and Tails for help. Sonic agrees and, along with his Tails, go and round up some Rings for her. Espio states that they might have their work cut out for us as Sonic and Tails are also gathering Rings, potentially preventing them from getting enough to help Silver recover. Espio quickly decides they should cut them off, then take the Rings from them. Espio says he'll go after Sonic and Silver agrees, going for Tails.

While they execute the plan, Silver finds himself barely able to move from using too much ESP power, but he wills himself to keep moving. He can't let Tails get away because the fate of the world is at stake. Meanwhile, Espio worries that if Sonic stays ahead of him, he'll get all the Rings. Espio says to himself that he needs think quickly to resolve this problem and that it's time to put his training to the test.

After each party chases their respective member, Silver catches up with Tails just as he's finished collecting Rings for Knuckles and Rouge. Catching him by surprise, Silver thanks "half-pint" and takes the Rings for himself. Tails, startled, asks what he's doing and angrily demands to come back with his Rings. Nearby, Espio apologizes to Sonic but urges him that he needs the Rings Sonic collected. Sonic, also startled, had no idea Espio was following him and before he could react, Espio swipes the Rings from Sonic. The angry blue hedgehog orders that he give them back.

Losing both Sonic and Tails and successfully taking the Rings, Silver and Espio meet up and Silver is feeling much better. He says his strength is returning, and thanks Espio. Glad he could help, Espio tells him not to worry about it. Before planning their next move, Silver sees Eggman Nega, Sonic, and Tails approaching. Seeing everyone here, Eggman Nega says that it looks like there's a little hedgehog party. Silver tries to reason with Sonic and Tails by telling them to step aside, saying that Silver and Espio need to talk to Eggman Nega first. Sonic and Tails, riled up by Silver and Espio's antics, block them and get ready for Round 2, where they all face the Egg Bull.

After defeating Eggman's latest machine, Silver and Espio collect more Chao in Mystic Haunt Zone. Silver thanks Espio again for his help and states that he thinks they've found enough. Like a bad omen, Eggman Nega shows up again, mocking Silver that his attempts were futile. Silver enquires Eggman Nega of what he means. Unfortunately for the duo, Eggman Nega has acquired more than enough Chao to feed the Ifrit and he also explains that he has them all sealed away in a hidden room inside a nearby mansion. Silver, discouraged, says they've come so far. Recognizing his feeling of defeat, Espio urges Silver not to give up and to find the secret room.

They both look all over the mansion to find the hidden room, but to no avail. Silver, busy being frustrated, fails to notice Metal Sonic has appeared in front of him, alarming him. Silver recognizes him as "that metal hedgehog" that was with Shadow before, and guesses that he wants a fight. While Silver fights Metal Sonic, Espio wonders why Eggman Nega would give away such a vital piece of information as a hidden room, then run off. He presumes that the time of the Ifrit's awakening must be approaching. Realizing how dire the consequences of failure are, he claims it's now or never.

As Silver defeats Metal Sonic, he soon comes across his partner, Shadow, whomst wonders why Silver is even here. Silver wonders the same thing, but much like before, Shadow demands his questions be answered first. Silver says he's just looking for something, and that's all. Shadow assumes they might be looking for the same thing, and determines that he can't let Silver continue. Silver concludes that there's no choice but to go head-to-head. While Silver fights Shadow, Espio has found Rouge and pursues her. It doesn't go over well, as Rouge, without fail, notices someone following her. Espio uncovers himself and asks how she knew he was there. She explains that her ears aren't just for show. She enquires why Espio's even here. Espio says it's nothing. Not buying it, Rouge claims that he's been acting pretty strange and asks Espio if she's her client. Espio, confused, asks what she means. Rouge says it's fine - if Espio's not willing to talk, she'll just force it out of him.

Finished with their fights, the purple and silver duo regroup. Silver asks his purple friend if he had any luck finding the secret room. Disgruntled, Espio says no and that he looked everywhere. Silver exclaims that it must be here somewhere. Like clockwork, their mission is again interrupted by the appearance of multiple unhelpful characters, this time being Eggman Nega, Shadow, and Metal Sonic. Silver, wanting to avoid Shadow and Metal Sonic, reminds Espio that Eggman Nega is the only one whos knows where that room is and they need to get to only him quickly. They pursue Eggman Nega, rather than being surprised by him, and the good doctor joyfully states that he's find some more pests. Silver crys out that he's finally found him and that the party's over. Eggman Nega cheerfully tells Silver he's too late. Shadow, believing he was with Eggman the whole time, as Eggman Nega is dressed up as Eggman, realizes he's the other doctor and that he'll make him pay for tricking him. Silver apologizes to Shadow and reminds him that Eggman Nega is HIS target, and they all fight the Egg Phantom.

With the Egg Phantom defeated, Espio notices a portal opening. He asks Silver if that's the entrance to the secret room. Silver refutes this, and says it's a portal to the Ifrit's dimension, Chaotic Inferno Zone. Silver claims that it's now too late and that there was no way for him to change the future. Eggman Nega, extremely pleased with Silver's loss, states that luck is just on his side. Eggman Nega that proceeds to get all the Chao from his secret chamber, only to find that they're ALL missing somehow. Silver is pleasantly perplexed by this, and Espio retorts saying the luck really wasn't on Eggman Nega's side after all. Regardless, Eggman Nega claims that even without the Chao, the Ifrit's might is still enough to destroy them. Eggman Nega then commands his newest creation, Metal Sonic 3.0, to proceed through the portal and awaken the Ifrit. Silver roars that it's not going to happen and that he will change the future with his own hands.

Quickly, the duo chase Metal Sonic 3.0 through the portal, and Silver is astonished with how similar the Ifrit's dimension is to his ruined future - both of them a world of flames and destruction. Silver boldly states that if he can just stop the Ifrit, then that future will never come to pass. Finding newfound courage and hope, he tells himself that he has no time and that he must hurry. Espio complains that it's way too hot in the Ifrit's dimension, but he's determined and he won't let it get to him. He thinks that if he keeps a cool head, the heat won't get him down. He tells himself to stop thinking and press on. Silver and Espio both eventually reach Metal Sonic 3.0 and swear to not let Metal get to the Ifrit so they can stop the resurrection.

Both of them reaching the Ifrit, Silver is shocked to see how powerful and monstrous the Ifrit has grown. Right on cue, Eggman Nega laughs at him, gleefully telling him how regrettable this is for Silver. He reveals that Metal Sonic 3.0 was just a decoy to keep him distracted. Angered, Silver calls him a coward. While they talk, Espio tells Silver that the portal is beginning to close. Eggman Nega is distraught, asking who pressed the switch to shut off the portal. Seeing as his plans are crumbling, Eggman Nega decides to cut his losses and leaves the fiery dimension before he's stuck there and orders his Metal Sonic to quickly eliminate Silver and Espio. Silver confidently states that this fight will be over REAL quick. Eggman Nega doubts such a bold statement.

As Silver predicted, he effortlessly defeats Metal Sonic 3.0, and sighs in relief that the future is safe once more. With haste, he urges Espio to head back before the portal closes. As they depart, it seems Eggman Nega has found his legs caught under some rubble and he can't move. Playing on their heroic nature, Eggman Nega attempts to convince the heroes to rescue him. Unfortunately he's misjudged their character, as Espio tells him that you reap what you sow. Eggman Nega, frightened at this miscalculation, shouts that they can't just leave him there. After escaping the Ifrit's dimension, Silver thanks Espio for helping him, and Espio thanks him for saving both the present and the future.

After all's said and done, Silver decides it's time to head back to his time. He hopes that the new future is a happy one. Espio tells him to be safe and Silver says the same to him. As Silver leaves, Espio gets a call from a very late to the party Vector, who says that he finally got communications back up. Then Vector asks Espio if Silver was the one behind the Chao Disappearances, to which Espio confirms. Vector then asks if Espio found any evidence against Silver, and as the situation has changed so drastically, Espio finds himself without an answer. Disgruntled, Vector yells at Espio saying their client paid in advance AND he already spent that money because their office was behind on the rent payment. Suddenly, Vector finds himself to be the only one on the phone call after Espio doesn't respond.

Gameplay[]

Sonic Rivals 2 includes the five characters featured in the prequel game, along with adding in three more. All characters utilize the Homing Attack and Spin Dash maneuvers along with each having a new "Signature Move", performed by collecting Rings, Boosting, or defeating enemies to fill the "Signature Meter".

Controls[]

Button formation[5]	Movement
/ left/right	Move
/ down	Duck
/	Homing Attack
/ left/right > / down	Spin Attack
Tap + hold / down > release /	Spin Dash
	Attack
behind opponent	Shove[6]
	Use Power Up
(icon on-screen)	Air Boost
(icon on-screen)	Speed Boost
(full Signature Meter)	Signature Move
START	Pause

Items[]

Rings

Power Ups[]

Gimmicks and obstacles[]

Characters[]

Playable[]

Image	Character	Biography
	Sonic the Hedgehog	The world's fastest supersonic hedgehog, unrivalled in speed returns. His actions and attitude are legendary, and he possesses many high-speed offensive and defensive abilities. When Sonic hears that the Chao have gone missing, the race is on to catch up with his old nemesis, Dr. Eggman.[7]
	Miles "Tails" Prower	Tails is Sonic's best friend and a master mechanic. This two-tailed fox excels at building robots and flying machines, but he can also be very naive and gullible, Tails has teamed up with Sonic to locate Dr. Eggman and get to the bottom of the missing Chao.[7]
	Knuckles the Echidna	Knuckles, the steadfast echidna is known for his great strength and martial arts prowess. He often uses his rock-hard fists to his advantage to smash his enemies. Guardian of the Master Emerald, Knuckles is going to have to reluctantly team up with the sly Rouge to track down Eggman.[7]
	Rouge the Bat	Rouge is a professional treasure hunter, forever in search of the world's most precious stones, as well as a part-time government spy. Fearless, bewitching, and overflowing in feminine charm, Rouge is dedicated to her work and never leaves a task empty handed. In this adventure, she's looking for a certain kind of Emerald...[8]
	Shadow the Hedgehog	Created as the ultimate life form in a lab by Professor Gerald Robotnik, Shadow believes Sonic to be his rival in all aspects of his life. Unlike Sonic, however, Shadow's speed comes from his Hover Shoes, which allow him to glide just above the surface. This time around Shadow answers the call of... Dr. Eggman?![8]
	Metal Sonic	A robotic version of Sonic The Hedgehog, Metal is looking forward to proving he is the REAL hedgehog and not that "loathsome copy" of Sonic. A pawn of Eggman, this speedy robot is forced to do his master's bidding.[8]
	Silver the Hedgehog	A mysterious young silver hedgehog, Silver is equipped with psychic powers that allow him confuse rivals with the power of his mind. All that is known about Silver is that he comes from the future. For unknown reasons, he also seems to be looking for Chao.[9]
	Espio the Chameleon	Espio is an opinionated and obsessive chameleon at the Chaotix Detective Agency. He has militaristic discipline despite being quiet and calm. Thanks to his extensive ninja training, he faces trouble head-on and uses his stealthy camouflage to render him invisible. Going deep undercover, Espio is trying to get to the bottom of the Chao disappearance.[9]

Non-playable[]

• Dr. Eggman
• Eggman Nega
• Ifrit (first appearance)
• Metal Sonic 3.0 (first appearance)
• Mimic Ghost (first appearance)
• Vector the Crocodile

Enemies[]

• Egg Pawn
• Flapper
• Bombat
• Guardon Crab
• Hyudoro

Zones[]

Each stage in Sonic Rivals 2 has three acts and a boss, instead of the previous game's two.^[10] Acts one and three are races, while act two is always a battle. The Zones are as follows:

1. Blue Coast Zone
2. Sunset Forest Zone
3. Neon Palace Zone
4. Frontier Canyon Zone
5. Mystic Haunt Zone
6. Chaotic Inferno Zone

Bosses[]

• Egg Liner (Blue Coast Zone)
• Egg Crawler (Sunset Forest Zone)
• Egg Dealer (Neon Palace Zone)
• Egg Bull (Frontier Canyon Zone)
• Egg Phantom (Mystic Haunt Zone)
• Ifrit (Chaotic Inferno Zone)

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. An example is Act 2 of the Chaotic Inferno Zone, which is skipped by every character except for Shadow and Metal Sonic.

Game modes[]

Sonic Rivals 2 features multiple different game play styles, including the following:

• Story Mode: Each zone has three acts and a boss, with the exception of the final zone. The characters are divided into four teams, with each of them featuring their own story line.
• 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.
• Cup Circuit: The player will go through a set of three acts which can be any act of any zone.
• Single Event: Races and Battle can be customized in many aspects, and players can try to earn cards by completing challenges.

Battle[]

Battle Mode is the fighting aspect of Sonic Rivals 2, with six different types of competition. These modes are all played during the story, except for King of the Hill. This mode is used in second act of all zones except Chaotic Inferno Zone (In Chaotic Inferno Zone, only Shadow and Metal Sonic can play the second act). The lengths of the battles can be set through the selection menus in Single Event mode.

• Knock Out: Players start with three rings. The goal is to knock all of the rings out of the rivals and then attack them when they don't have any rings to win that round. The first player to win a certain number of rounds wins.
• Rings Battle: Players have a limited 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: A Sonic themed variation 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. Attacking your opponent while they're holding your Chao will cause them to drop it, and recollecting your Chao will return it to your base.
• Laps Race: The first player to complete a set number of laps around the track wins.
• King of the Hill: An Omochao moves around the arena while shining a beam of light. Players earn points by standing under it. The first player to the set number of points wins.
• Tag: A Sonic themed cross between Hot Potato and Tag. Each player has a time limit that drops holding the bomb. Players pass the bomb by attacking the other player. The first player to have their time limit expire loses.

Character Cups[]

Cup	Trophy	Zones
Sonic		Blue Coast Zone: Act 1 Sunset Forest Zone: Act 1 Frontier Canyon Zone: Act 3
Tails		Blue Coast Zone: Act 3 Neon Palace Zone: Act 3 Frontier Canyon Zone: Act 1
Knuckles		Sunset Forest Zone: Act 2 Frontier Canyon Zone: Act 2 Mystic Haunt Zone: Act 2
Rouge		Sunset Forest Zone: Boss Frontier Canyon Zone: Boss Mystic Haunt Zone: Act 3
Shadow		Neon Palace Zone: Act 1 Mystic Haunt Zone: Act 1 Chaotic Inferno Zone: Act 2
Metal		Neon Palace Zone: Boss Mystic Haunt Zone: Boss Frontier Canyon Zone: Boss
Silver		Blue Coast Zone: Act 2 Sunset Forest Zone: Act 3 Chaotic Inferno Zone: Act 3
Espio		Blue Coast Zone: Boss Neon Palace Zone: Act 2 Chaotic Inferno Zone: Act 1

Multiplayer[]

In Sonic Rivals 2, the multiplayer mode can be played using either game sharing or wireless play. Players can select a character and a stage to play. In multiplayer mode, the second act and the boss of each zone can be played.

Collectables[]

Card Collection[]

Sonic Rivals 2 features a card collecting system. There are a total number of 150 different cards to collect, and each is collected by completing an achievement. For example, getting an S Rank in Knockout Mode unlocks a card of Mephiles the Dark, and collecting two hundred rings in a race unlocks Tails Icon. The cards themselves contain art from various older Sonic games and can unlock things such as alternate suits for the characters. For example, the Blue World Ring card will unlock Rouge's race suit. 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. For instance, collecting Nebula card will unlock the first Zone's Chao detector.

Gallery

Image Card Number Card Challenge Unlocked 01 Sonic the Hedgehog Run 15000 Meters with Sonic Sonic's Race Suit 02 Miles "Tails" Prower Beat Shadow 20 times in any mode with Sonic Sonic's Black Tie Suit 03 Knuckles the Echidna Attack any Rival 50 times with Knuckles Knuckles' Race Suit 04 Rouge the Bat Beat Rouge 20 times in any mode with Knuckles Knuckles' Gladiator Suit 05 Shadow the Hedgehog Beat Sonic 20 times in any mode while using Shadow Shadow's Mercenary Suit 06 Metal Sonic Use Shadow's Chaos Control 20 times Shadow's Race Suit 07 Silver the Hedgehog Use Silver's Signature Move on any Rival 20 times Silver's Race Suit 08 Espio the Chameleon Beat Espio 20 times in any mode with Silver Silver's Cyber Suit 09 Blue World Ring Successfully copy every Rival's Signature Moves with Metal Sonic Metal Sonic's Mach 3.0 Suit 10 Green World Ring Beat Tails 20 times with Metal Sonic Metal Sonic's Jester Suit 11 Purple World Ring Log 3 minutes of fly time with Tails Tails' Ace Pilot Suit 12 Red World Ring Beat Metal Sonic 20 times with Tails Tails' Tiger Suit 13 White World Ring Use Espio's Signature Move 20 times Espio's Race Suit 14 Yellow World Ring Beat Silver 20 times with Espio Espio's Mummy Suit 15 Water Blue World Ring Collect 500 Rings with Rouge Rouge's Race Suit 16 Sonic Icon Beat Knuckles 20 times with Rouge Rouge's Armor Suit 17 Tails Icon Finish a Race with 200 Rings N/A 18 Knuckles Icon Finish a Race with 300 Rings N/A 19 Sonic on the Beach Finish a Battle with 500 Rings N/A 20 Tails and Tornado Attack your Rival 4 times in a Race N/A 21 Knuckles and Master Emerald Attack your Rival 8 times in a Race N/A 22 Amy in the City Win a Ring Battle without hurting Rival N/A 23 Big and Froggy Win a match of Capture the Chao without losing a single Chao N/A 24 Tikal and Chaos Win a match of Knock Out without being knocked out N/A 25 Sonic (Xmas) Win Tag without being tagged N/A 26 Sonic (Xmas) Win King of the Hill with at least twice as many points as your Rival N/A 27 Sonic (Xmas) Attack any Rival 25 times N/A 28 Item Box Attack any Rival 100 times N/A 29 Item Box Attack any Rival 250 times N/A 30 Item Box Successfully Air Boost 25 times N/A 31 Spring Successfully Air Boost 100 times N/A 32 Spring Successfully Air Boost 300 times N/A 33 Spring Successfully Speed Boost 25 times N/A 34 Capsule Successfully Speed Boost 100 times N/A 35 Rocket Successfully Speed Boost 300 times N/A 36 Hint Box Successfully use 10 Power Ups N/A 37 Wood Container Successfully use 25 Power Ups N/A 38 Steel Container Successfully use 50 Power Ups N/A 39 Unbreakable Container Successfully use 100 Power Ups N/A 40 Chao Container Defeat the Ifrit with Sonic Sonic Cup 41 Chao Key Defeat the Ifrit with Knuckles Knuckles Cup 42 Omochao Defeat the Ifrit with Silver Silver Cup 43 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Defeat the Ifrit with Shadow Shadow Cup 44 Sonic Spinball Defeat the Ifrit with Tails Tails Cup 45 Sonic and Knuckles Defeat the Ifrit with Espio Espio Cup 46 Sonic the Hedgehog (GG) Defeat the Ifrit with Rouge Rouge Cup 47 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (GG) Defeat the Ifrit with Metal Sonic Metal Cup 48 Sonic Chaos Complete Story Mode with all Characters N/A 49 Sonic the Hedgehog Destroy 10 Badniks N/A 50 Sonic the Hedgehog Destroy 20 Badniks N/A 51 Sonic the Hedgehog Destroy 30 Badniks N/A 52 Miles "Tails" Prower Win 20 Single Events N/A 53 Miles "Tails" Prower Win 50 Single Events N/A 54 Miles "Tails" Prower Win 100 Single Events N/A 55 Sonic (Soccer) Collect 250 Rings N/A 56 Sonic (Swimming) Collect 5000 Rings N/A 57 Sonic (Relay) Collect 25000 Rings N/A 58 Bronze Medal Counter 5 Attacks N/A 59 Silver Medal Counter 10 Attacks N/A 60 Gold Medal Counter 20 Attacks N/A 61 Sonic with Ring Use 10 Boost Panels successfully N/A 62 Sonic with Ring Use 50 Boost Panels successfully N/A 63 Sonic with Ring Use 100 Boost Panels successfully N/A 64 Ring Collect 1000 Rings N/A 65 Shahra Collect 15000 Rings N/A 66 Erazor Djinn Find all the Chao in Free Play N/A 67 Moto Bug Stay in 1st place and win N/A 68 Newtron Smash 100 Containers N/A 69 Buzz Bomber Win 20 Spin Dash Starts N/A 70 Gohla 100% Game Complete N/A 71 Nebula Get the High Score in Zone 1 Act 3 Zone 1 Chao Detector 72 Rexon Get the High Score in the Zone 1 Boss N/A 73 Penguinator Get the High Score in Zone 2 Act 3 Zone 2 Chao Detector 74 Pointdexter Get the High Score in the Zone 2 Boss N/A 75 Dragonfly Get the High Score in Zone 3 Act 3 Zone 3 Chao Detector 76 Unidus Get the High Score in the Zone 3 Boss N/A 77 Gohla Get the High Score in Zone 4 Act 3 Zone 4 Chao Detector 78 Beat Get the High Score in the Zone 4 Boss N/A 79 Egg Keeper Get the High Score in Zone 5 Act 3 Zone 5 Chao Detector 80 E1000 Get the High Score in Zone 5 Boss N/A 81 ZERO Get the High Score in Zone 6 Act 3 Zone 6 Chao Detector 82 Gun Hunter Get the High Score in Zone 6 Boss N/A 83 Laser Hawk Win Sonic Cup in Single Player Sonic's Ice Suit 84 Artificial Chaos Win Sonic Cup in Multiplayer Sonic's Cheetah Suit 85 King Boom Boo Win Tails Cup in Single Player Tails' Captain Suit 86 Egg Golem Win Tails Cup in Multiplayer Tails' Zebra Suit 87 Biolizard Win Knuckles Cup in Single Player Knuckles' Armor Suit 88 Cameron Win Knuckles Cup in Multiplayer Knuckles' Eggman Suit 89 Klagen Win Rouge Cup in Single Player Rouge's Raider Suit 90 Rhinoliner Win Rouge Cup in Multiplayer Rouge's Stealth Suit 91 Egg Pawn (Casino version) Win Shadow Cup in Single Player Shadow's 80's Suit 92 Egg Pawn (Casino version) Win Shadow Cup in Multiplayer Shadow's Flame Suit 93 Egg Pawn (Casino version) Win Metal Cup in Single Player Metal Sonic's Circuits Suit 94 Egg Pierrot Win Metal Cup in Multiplayer Metal Sonic's Mach 2.0 Suit 95 Jack Bommer Win Silver Cup in Single Player Silver's Christmas Suit 96 Egg Bommer Win Silver Cup in Multiplayer Silver's Lightning Suit 97 Sand Worm Win Espio Cup in Single Player Espio's Ninja Suit 98 Black Volt Win Espio Cup in Multiplayer Espio's Knight Suit 99 Black Oak Get an S Ranking in Zone 1 Act 1 N/A 100 Blue Falcon Get an S Ranking in Zone 1 Act 2 N/A 101 Diablon Get an S Ranking in Zone 1 Act 3 N/A 102 Egg Dealer Get an S Ranking in Zone 1 Boss N/A 103 Green Ma Djinn Get an S Ranking in Zone 2 Act 1 N/A 104 Red Ma Djinn Get an S Ranking in Zone 2 Act 2 N/A 105 Blue Ma Djinn Get an S Ranking in Zone 2 Act 3 N/A 106 Egg Bomber Get an S Ranking in Zone 2 Boss N/A 107 Egg Searcher Get an S Ranking in Zone 3 Act 1 N/A 108 Egg Rounder Get an S Ranking in Zone 3 Act 2 N/A 109 Egg Gunner Get an S Ranking in Zone 3 Act 3 N/A 110 Egg Cannon Get an S Ranking in Zone 3 Boss N/A 111 Egg Guardian Get an S Ranking in Zone 4 Act 1 N/A 112 Egg Cerberus Get an S Ranking in Zone 4 Act 2 N/A 113 Egg Wyvern Get an S Ranking in Zone 4 Act 3 N/A 114 Iblis Get an S Ranking in Zone 4 Boss N/A 115 Egg Pawn Get an S Ranking in Zone 5 Act 1 N/A 116 Guardon Crab Get an S Ranking in Zone 5 Act 2 N/A 117 Bombat Get an S Ranking in Zone 5 Act 3 N/A 118 Ifrit Get an S Ranking in Zone 5 Boss N/A 119 Egg Crawler Get an S Ranking in Zone 6 Act 1 N/A 120 Egg Bull Get an S Ranking in Zone 6 Act 2 N/A 121 Shadow the Hedgehog (Pose) Get an S Ranking in Zone 6 Act 3 N/A 122 Shadow the Hedgehog (Bike) Get an S Ranking in Zone 6 Boss N/A 123 Mephiles Get an S Ranking in Knock Out N/A 124 Chao (Normal: Run) Get an S Ranking in Tag N/A 125 Chao (Normal: Power) Get an S Ranking in Ring Battle N/A 126 Chao (Normal: Fly) Get an S Ranking in Capture the Chao N/A 127 Chao (Dark: Run) Get an S Ranking in King of the Hill N/A 128 Chao (Dark: Power) Find all Chao in Zone 1 Act 1 N/A 129 Chao (Dark: Fly) Find all Chao in Zone 2 Act 1 N/A 130 Chao (Hero: Run) Find all Chao in Zone 3 Act 1 N/A 131 Chao (Hero: Power) Find all Chao in Zone 4 Act 1 N/A 132 Chao (Hero: Fly) Find all Chao in Zone 5 Act 1 N/A 133 Specter Chao Find all Chao in Zone 6 Act 1 N/A 134 Egg Chao Find all Chao in Zone 1 Act 3 N/A 135 Jewel Chao Find all Chao in Zone 2 Act 3 N/A 136 Tikal Find all Chao in Zone 3 Act 3 N/A 137 Chaos Find all Chao in Zone 4 Act 3 N/A 138 Emerl Find all Chao in Zone 5 Act 3 N/A 139 Elise (child) Find all Chao in Zone 6 Act 3 N/A 140 Princess Elise Get the High Score in Zone 1 Act 1 N/A 141 Soleanna Get the High Score in Zone 2 Act 1 N/A 142 Amy Rose Get the High Score in Zone 3 Act 1 N/A 143 Rouge the Bat Get the High Score in Zone 4 Act 1 N/A 144 Blaze the Cat Get the High Score in Zone 5 Act 1 N/A 145 Knuckles the Echidna Get the High Score in Zone 6 Act 1 N/A 146 Miles "Tails" Prower Win 5 Multiplayer Races N/A 147 E-123 Omega Win 5 Multiplayer Battles N/A 148 Sonic the Hedgehog Win 10 Multiplayer Races N/A 149 Shadow the Hedgehog Win 10 Multiplayer Battles N/A 150 Silver the Hedgehog Defeat all Rivals in Multiplayer N/A

Suits[]

Various Character Outfits that can be unlocked in the game by meeting select challenges. Each character has four unlockable skins, making a total of thirty two outfits that can be unlocked for all eight characters.

Unlike the first game, the player cannot choose one part of a costume and other parts of other costumes, only being able to select the complete set.

Gallery

Race Suit: Challenge: Run 15,000 meters with Sonic. Ice Suit: Challenge: Win Sonic Cup in single player Black Suit: Challenge: Beat Shadow 20 times in any mode with Sonic. Cheetah Suit: Challenge: Win Sonic Cup in multiplayer. Ace Suit: Challenge: Log 5 minutes of fly time with Tails. Captain Suit: Challenge: Win Tails Cup in single player. Tiger Suit: Challenge: Beat Metal Sonic 20 times with Tails. Zebra Suit: Challenge: Win Tails Cup in multiplayer. Race Suit: Challenge: Attack any Rival 50 times with Knuckles. Armor Suit: Challenge: Win Knuckles Cup in single player. Eggman Suit: Challenge: Win Knuckles Cup in multiplayer. Gladiator Suit: Challenge: Beat Rogue 20 times in any mode with Knuckles. Race Suit: Challenge: Use Shadow's Chaos Control 20 times. Flame Suit: Challenge: Win Shadow Cup in multiplayer. 80*s Suit: Challenge: Win Shadow Cup in single player. Mercenary Suit: Challenge: Beat Sonic 20 times in any mode with Shadow. Race Suit: Challenge: Use Silver's Signature move on any Rival 20 times. Lightning Suit: Challenge: Win Silver Cup in multiplayer. Christmas Suit: Challenge: Win Silver Cup in single player. Cyber Suit: Challenge: Beat Espio 20 times in any mode with Silver. Race Suit: Challenge: Collect 500 rings with Rouge. Stealth Suit: Challenge: Win Rouge Cup in multiplayer. Armor Suit: Challenge: Beat Knuckles 20 times with Rouge. Raider Suit: Challenge: Win Rouge Cup in single player. Race Suit: Challenge: Use Espio's Signature Move 20 times. Mummy Suit: Challenge: Beat Silver 20 times with Espio. Knight Suit: Challenge: Win Espio Cup in multiplayer. Ninja Suit: Challenge: Win Espio Cup in single player. Mach3.0 Suit: Challenge: Successfully copy every Rival's Signature Moves with Metal Sonic. Circuits Suit: Challenge: Win Metal Cup in single player. Jester Suit: Challenge: Beat Tails 20 times with Metal Sonic. Mach2.0 Suit: Challenge: Win Metal Cup in multiplayer.

Soundtrack[]

The main theme song for the game is "Race to Win" by Ted Poley and Tony Harnell, which also plays in Blue Coast Zone: Act 1. The rest of the game's music is composed by Chris Rezanson.

Cast[]

Reception[]

Sonic Rivals 2 received mixed reviews. GameRankings currently scores it 63.05%, and the game sits at a 60% on Metacritic.

Re-releases[]

Image	Platform	Description
	PlayStation Portable	Released in a compilation with Sega Genesis Collection in 2009.
	PlayStation Portable	Released in a compilation with Sonic Rivals only in the U.S. in 2011.

Trivia[]

• This marks Metal Sonic's first game appearance as a protagonist as opposed to an antagonist.
• Metal Sonic Spin Dashes in this game as opposed to crouching and charging his rocket booster like in the prequel.
• This is another game that Knuckles and Rouge are seen working together.
• The card for Shahra is misspelled, "Shanhra."
• Knuckles and Silver are the only main characters who do not smile in their artwork (not including Metal Sonic).
• This is the first game where no one smiles on the box art.
• This is the final Sonic game that was released for the PlayStation Portable.
• Knuckles' gloves are different, as well in the first Sonic Rivals.
• This shows Espio's second appearance without the Chaotix with him, the first being Sonic the Fighters.
• This is the second Sonic game not to be released in Japan, the first being Sonic Rivals.
• Rouge is the only playable female character in the game.
• Espio and Vector are the only non-exclusive characters not to have been involved with the prequel's story in any way.
  • Amy Rose is also the only character from the prequel's story to not be involved in this game's story.
• This is the first time Espio and Vector have appeared on a game for a handheld console. However, only Espio is playable.
  • Vector would eventually become playable on a handheld for the first time with the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.
• Eggman's nose is not pink in this game.
• Metal Sonic 3.0 and the associated unlockable outfit greatly resemble his Leather outfit in the first game, which has been renamed as his Mach2.0 costume.
• This is the first game where Metal Sonic stores a Chaos Emerald within his body.
• Charmy Bee is the only member of Team Chaotix to not appear in the story.
• Rouge's "Stealth Suit" is very similar to her G.U.N. suit she wore in Sonic X (namely episodes 12 and 13).
• Two bosses share names with another robot: Egg Liner and Egg Liner from Sonic the Hedgehog; Egg Dealer and Egg Dealer from Shadow the Hedgehog.
  • The Ifrit also shares a name with the Ifrit Golem.
• In the card gallery, Sonic's, Shadow's, and Silver's cards are 3D artwork from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).
• Like the first Rivals, Amy Rose is the only hedgehog to not be playable in the game.
• Sonic Rivals 2 and Sonic Forces are so far the only Sonic the Hedgehog series games where the United States cover art does not depict Sonic with either a smile or a neutral expression on the box art (excluding international releases).
• This is the last Sonic game developed by Sega Studio USA.

References[]

External links[]

• Sonic Rivals 2 at Backbone Entertainment (archived)
• Sonic Rivals 2 at Sega (archived)