Nostalgic Image Surfaces Showing Tupac Playing Sonic 2

Nostalgia has become a big part of the gaming community. And nothing captures it like this image that surfaced on Reddit today. In the picture, the late Tupac Shakur is playing Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with Suge Knight.

Sonic 2 launched in 1992 for the Sega Genesis. It built on the success of the original title and introduced Sonic's comrade, Tails.

Despite Sonic's past success, the franchise has stalled in recent years. This culminated in 2006, when Sonic the Hedgehog--known as Sonic '06--launched for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

The title is considered one of the worst games for the seventh generation consoles--currently holding a score of 46 on Metacritic.

Silver the Hedgehog debuted as a playable character, and is also featured in a boss fight. The fight is nearly unbeatable; it features Silver constantly telling the player "it's no use."

Sonic Unleashed launched in 2008 for the same consoles. It wasn't received as poorly as Sonic '06, but it didn't measure up to Sonic's 2-D glory days.

The title currently holds a score of 60 on Metacritic. The game introduced the concept of lycanthropy--turning Sonic into a werehog in all new nighttime levels.

"The werehog levels reek of an idea born out of trying to turn Sonic into something that kids like," VideoGamer states in their review of the game, "instead of just giving them the Sonic many of us grew up with."

The latest attempt at rebooting the series came with Sonic Boom. It remodeled the classic characters of the franchise, but-- judging by its most recent release--it has failed to return the blue hedgehog to his nineties glory.

Rise of Lyric launched for the Wii U this year, and currently holds a score of 32 on Metacritic.

"It's nice that Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric tries so many new things," Hardcore Gamer states, "but every path it follows leads is a dead end."

Will Sonic ever return to the prominence that he once held in the gaming industry? It's unlikely. Maybe that image of Tupac shows us what Sonic truly is: a relic from the nineties.

Wanna read more on this? Check these out: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Rotten Tomatoes Rating Revealed (more); Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Movie Trailer Released (more); Happy Birthday Tupac: Rapper Would Have Been 43 Today (more).