>>722923908
That part is really, really mean for just the second zone of the game. And what's stranger is that Sonic 2 really doesn't reach that level of difficulty again until you get to Oil Ocean.
>aquatic ruin zone iirc is mostly straightforward.
It is. You have to contend with those spears that shoot out at you, and if you fall in the water there points where it can be a pain in the ass; but otherwise the zone's pretty simple.