Much better then Sonic Advance in terms of gameplay. In fact, I consider this the best game in the Sonic Advance series.
Sonic Advance was more of game to reflect how the classic old school games were featuring the blue Hedgehog. Sonic Advance 2, however, takes the gameplay to a whole new level. At first, you can only play as Sonic. As you go through the game's 7 zones (with 3 acts each, 2 for actions stages and one for the boss), you will find out that Sonic's arch enemy, Dr. Eggman, kidnapped Cream, Tails and Knuckles. You will unlock those characters after you rescue them. Cream the Rabbit makes her debut in the Sonic universe in Sonic Advance 2 as a very young girl who has a chao (little blue creatures in the Sonic series) named Cheese. She can fly by using her big ears to flap rapidly. Tails, who is Sonic's best kid-friend, is a fox with 2 unusual tails. He can use these to spin them like helicopter blades. And finally, Knuckles is one of Sonic's friends, who acts independent on his own. He can glide in the air as well as punch down some boulders. All of these characters are not extremely different from one another though when you see them in action.
Sonic Advance 2 is a definite improvement from the original Sonic Advance in terms of gameplay. The game has many improved techniques which make the game more fun, more deep and more challenging then the prequel. A new addition is the speed dash. When running for a period of time, your character will stay in a speed form, which makes them go extremely fast through the stages. But if you stop, you won't be in the speed form anymore. Another new technique is the air trick system. Whenever you make a leap while running, you can press the R button to do tricks in the air. Sometimes, these tricks can be useful in order to get to certain places in the game. While Sonic was the only one who could grind in the original Sonic Advance, all the characters here can now grind on rails easily. Once you get at the end of each stage, you will have to stop in order to score points how much distance you run on a long strip. The bosses in Sonic Advance 2 all involve you to run constantly, which keep the action tight.
Even the special stages are a big improvement from Sonic Advance. This time, you have to collect 7 Special Stars in each action stage. Once you do, you will enter in a special stage. In here, you control your character in a partly 3D board by having him run constantly in different directions to collect a number of rings before the time runs out. But there are a couple dangers in the special stages, so watch out. If you successfully complete the special stage, you will get a Chaos Emerald. You need 7 Chaos Emeralds in order to get the true ending in this game. When you complete Sonic Advance 2, the only thing you can enjoy on your time is doing the time attack mode or simply replaying the levels. Sonic Advance 2's offerings still don't stop there though. After collecting all the Chaos Emeralds with each character, you will unlock many elements worth coming back to play Sonic Advance 2 for. You can unlock the Tiny Chao Garden (which was introduced in the original Sonic Advance), where you can raise chao and trade them off to different Sonic games. Other things you can unlock include a hidden character, a sound test, and a time attack for the bosses. Overall, Sonic Advance 2 is a much bigger and faster game then Sonic Advance.
Graphics:
Sure most of the graphics are based off of what you see in Sonic Advance, but there are still some improvements found here. Improvements include better character animation, fantastic level designs, great-looking backgrounds, and a better use of 3D effects. This sums up as a fast, colorful, and impressive presentation on the visual side.
Sound:
The Audio here is absolutely old-school, peaceful and catchy. This type of music fits perfectly to the type of game Sonic Advance 2 is. I have many tunes that I absolutely adore to listen to. The sound effects work with a low-tech style form, but it still sounds effective no doubt. If you liked Sonic Advance's audio, then you will no doubt love what Sonic Advance 2 offers.
Conclusion:
Of course, Sonic Advance 2 is mostly for fans of the series, any one wanting to try a very fast 2D platformer game should certainly try this. This title is the absolute best game in the Sonic Advance series. Not even Sonic Advance 3 could beat what was presented here. I have a soft spot for this game, on the personal side. Maybe you will if you give Sonic Advance 2 a try.
Pros:
-Fast, fun and deep gameplay
-Outstandingly colorful, detailed graphics
-Great catchy, peaceful music
-Good replay value
Cons:
-The game is a challenge
-Unlike Sonic Advance, here you have to unlock the Tiny Chao Garden.