When "Sonic the Hedgehog" burst onto the Sega Genesis console in 1991, he was a very impressive little guy. He ran incredibly fast, as did the game he starred in - it was especially impressive compared to pretty much anything else out there.
There was only one problem: "Sonic the Hedgehog" isn't a very good game.
Nintendo/Sega
Compared to the original "Super Mario Bros." trilogy on the NES, Sega's "Sonic the Hedgehog" was a breath of fresh air - fast, sharp, and edgy compared to Mario's kid-friendly approach.
Your nostalgia-laced memory may be screaming out in anguish at that statement, but revisiting so-called "classic" Sonic games will confirm the assertion. It's fast, and pretty, but not much else - and things haven't gotten better over time.
With "Sonic Mania," that long losing streak is finally broken. Not only is "Sonic Mania" a good Sonic game, it's a good game period.
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