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[Manu]

I mean, what do you want me to say? If it's a vortex, why do you keep replying? We're having a pretty friendly discussion on game mechanics. Why is that an issue? I like that we all have different ideas. What's wrong with expressing ideas whether we disagree or not?

Aaaand the point of those posts just went over your head again.

The point is that making a thread with such a blanket statement of a title and then acting like your opinions are objective reasons why Sonic is bad is what's riling people up.

No one cares that you don't like the game, it's the fact that you're trying to pass your opinion as fact (and then berate people when they do the same.)

 

[Dereck]

you're on a whole other thing here, but it's worth pointing out that in the retro scene, yeah, sega gets criminally slept on more often than not...even by some of the more "professionals" doing YT retrospectives/etc. ive even had retronauts contributors on about the timelessness of nintendo's first party lineup but trash sega's stuff, and for better or worse, yeah, sonic often becomes a symbol of that (as many can scarcely name stuff beyond him, altered beast and streets of rage).

it happens, and it rightfully gets called out. i guess it's better than TG16, neo-geo and other scenes that often get left out entirely, despite their classics/influence/etc.

This rings true with people like AVGN too.

 

[Phediuk]

Also, I think people in general are getting way too hung up on the whole "Sonic is fast" thing. Yes, Sega's marketing focused on the speed of the game; it was the primary marketing hook. But I think the pleasant surprise of Sonic is that there's more to it than simply "going fast", and it's a game that requires some finesse and caution to be good at.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

Aaaand the point of those posts just went over your head again.

The point is that making a thread with such a blanket statement of a title and then acting like your opinions are objective reasons why Sonic is bad is what's riling people up.

No one cares that you don't like the game, it's the fact that you're trying to pass your opinion as fact (and then berate people when they do the same.)

When have I passed my opinions as fact? I've maintained that's what I think. Am I supposed to always start each post with a disclaimer saying,"IMO"?

Give examples of me "lording my opinion over" or passing my opinion as fact. Do it.

So your problem is the "blanket statement" in the thread title? Do you lack nuance? Am I supposed to start every statement with "I think?" Since I am stating something, it's pretty fucking clear that it's my opinion and I'm not going to give you a warning about it every time I give it.

Any reasonable person would read it as,"Replaying Sonic the Hedgehog reveals it was kind of bad (to me)". But you don't read it as that because you're too emotionally invested and think I'm presenting my opinion as fact when I'm just stating an opinion.

 

[Sami+]

Not all platformers have the same point or goal but Sonic's ring mechanic combined with its tiered levels where falling from platforms doesn't necessarily mean a game over results in an overly coddled, boring platformer experience. The 16 bit era made their games easier for players, but Sonic takes it a bit too far sometimes. The result something that's not very interesting beyond amazing stages like Metropolis Zone. These elements by themselves aren't bad. But combined I feel makes a very bad platformer.

SEGA's roots are in arcade games, and that's where they've always thrived. Even today there's no "Club Nintendo" arcades I know of. The point of Sonic and other SEGA classics is to play the game better each time and learn to master it, not just beat it once and call it a day.

You're literally missing the point. You can clumsily stumble your way to the credits on your first playthrough constantly losing and regrabbing rings and falling down into the lower path looking like a dumb dummy but that's supposed to encourage you to get good, not put the game down and say "wow that was too easy". If Sonic forced you to play the game "proper" on your very first playthrough it'd be too hard and frankly not very fun.

 

[Aaron Strife]

You can't see the problem with this? There is no balance. It's either too easy or too cheap. Rings are a flawed mechanic. I'd like Sonic so much more if there were a life bar system. Just two hits in a level are all you're afforded. Add a barrier for extra protection. Rings don't exist except for score. Fair and balanced.

How does making the last level the most difficult one indicate that there is "no balance"?

The ring system allows novice players to more or less stumble through levels, but reaching the final zone demands a certain level of skill. I don't see what the problem is with that. You might as well complain about Mario 1 giving you mushrooms throughout the game and then the last level doesn't.

 

[Phediuk]

How does making the last level the most difficult one indicate that there is "no balance"?

The ring system allows novice players to more or less stumble through levels, but reaching the final zone demands a certain level of skill. I don't see what the problem is with that. You might as well complain about Mario 1 giving you mushrooms throughout the game and then the last level doesn't.

Furthermore, while the game doesn't have difficulty levels, it does give a challenge for more advanced players in obtaining all the Chaos Emeralds, which requires some considerable practice.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

SEGA's roots are in arcade games, and that's where they've always thrived. Even today there's no "Club Nintendo" arcades I know of. The point of Sonic and other SEGA classics is to play the game better each time and learn to master it, not just beat it once and call it a day.

You're literally missing the point. You can clumsily stumble your way to the credits on your first playthrough constantly losing and regrabbing rings and falling down into the lower path looking like a dumb dummy but that's supposed to encourage you to get good, not put the game down and say "wow that was too easy". If Sonic forced you to play the game "proper" on your very first playthrough it'd be too hard and frankly not very fun.

You mention arcade roots when arcade games are hard to the point where you're supposed to play it until you master it. Playing an arcade game right is with one credit: don't feed the machine a credit when you die. Just start over, and the next time, you get a bit further, and then further until you beat it. You say that Sonic forcing you to play the game proper on the first playthrough would be too hard, when that is the true arcade experience.

Sega's roots are in the arcade, but Sonic is a direct answer to their arcade roots, I think. I think a lot of people probably felt their arcade games too challenging, and Sonic was their console answer.

 

[IrishNinja]

Also, you have to remember a lot of this is the legacy of the 16 bit console wars. People see Sonic as the...general (?) or something of those wars in that he's representative of the Genesis. I think it cuts both ways, for both the Genesis kids and the SNES kids. To the SNES kids the Genesis just means Sonic. So if you don't like Sonic, obviously the Genesis sucks. Or something. But I think the Genesis kids feel somewhat similar. I think people are just weird about the 16 bit era in general.

really is a testament to kalinske-era marking, there's still people (on here as well) salty about sega's mocking in the 90's, haha

This rings true with people like AVGN too.

yeah, i get people find dude entertaining but he's not even trying on some stuff...it's his shtick, and clearly it took him far, but personally i tend to enjoy more classic game room type stuff

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

really is a testament to kalinske-era marking, there's still people (on here as well) salty about sega's mocking in the 90's, haha

yeah, i get people find dude entertaining but he's not even trying on some stuff...it's his shtick, and clearly it took him far, but personally i tend to enjoy more classic game room type stuff

AVGN's SNES vs Genesis was very biased, but he at least admits it. Classic Game Room is my favorite because they acknowledge all systems from all types of backgrounds.

Also, song been stuck in my head all day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FCHk_gSwKo

 

[Balb]

Also, you have to remember a lot of this is the legacy of the 16 bit console wars. People see Sonic as the...general (?) or something of those wars in that he's representative of the Genesis.

Guessing you saw the Previously Recorded video?

For reference

 

[Sciz]

10 lives? Are you counting continues with that?

I only know of like 3 extra lives in all of Sonic 1, and they're all hidden.

Of the game's eighteen levels, only Green Hill 1, Labyrinth 1, Labyrinth 2, and Scrap Brain 1 don't have a 1up tucked away somewhere.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

How does making the last level the most difficult one indicate that there is "no balance"?

The ring system allows novice players to more or less stumble through levels, but reaching the final zone demands a certain level of skill. I don't see what the problem is with that. You might as well complain about Mario 1 giving you mushrooms throughout the game and then the last level doesn't.

Doesn't Mario 1 give you a shroom on the last level? I thought it did? I don't remember. Either way, Mario 1 isn't that great either. I prefer it to Sonic 1, but Sonic has came out years after Mario 1.

I think last levels should be harder for sure. I don't find one hit kills hard though. Just kinda lame. I just prefer health bars.

Guessing you saw the Previously Recorded video?

For reference

Nope. Is this a bad video or a good video? I've never heard of this show.

 

[Phediuk]

Of the game's eighteen levels, only Green Hill 1, Labyrinth 1, Labyrinth 2, and Scrap Brain 1 don't have a 1up tucked away somewhere.

Hey, I think it's pretty cool that there's still things I haven't found in a game I've beaten at least a dozen times over the years.

 

[TheExodu5]

I don't mean to retread what has been discussed, but I'd like to offer my personal opinion as someone who has tried to get into the Sonic games in recent years. For the record, Generations is the title that almost got its hooks into me.

From what I understand, Sonic levels are vertical in nature. The better you're doing, the higher up you are in the level and the faster you finish the level. This is a double edged sword. The idea sounds great on paper, except the goal is to do well and not explore the level fully.

Exploration feels at odds with the game. The goal of the game is to go fast, but movement is painfully slow when not going fast. On the other hand, the camera is never quite zoomed out enough when going fast so I feel like doing well requires memorization more than anything.

In the end, I feel like Sonic is a game that punishes you for going too slow or going too fast, and there isn't a speed that's just right. As a result, it usually isn't all that fun to play. You definitely get more out of it once you commit to replaying the levels and memorizing optimal routes, but that certainly isn't evident on a normal playthrough.

 

[Balb]

Nope. Is this a bad video or a good video? I've never heard of this show.

It leans a bit in one direction but I feel it brings up some good points that have irked me over the years even though I like the games. I just linked it because they use the "general" metaphor at the end, using that word exactly .

 

[Aselith]

They're all bad. Sonic sucks. Lamest mascot by far and I'm including Blind.

 

[Voysa Reezun]

I don't mean to retread what has been discussed, but I'd like to offer my personal opinion as someone who has tried to get into the Sonic games in recent years. For the record, Generations is the title that almost got its hooks into me.

From what I understand, Sonic levels are vertical in nature. The better you're doing, the higher up you are in the level and the faster you finish the level. This is a double edged sword. The idea sounds great on paper, except the goal is to do well and not explore the level fully.

Exploration feels at odds with the game. The goal of the game is to go fast, but movement is painfully slow when not going fast. On the other hand, the camera is never quite zoomed out enough when going fast so I feel like doing well requires memorization more than anything.

In the end, I feel like Sonic is a game that punishes you for going too slow or going too fast, and there isn't a speed that's just right. As a result, it usually isn't all that fun to play. You definitely get more out of it once you commit to replaying the levels and memorizing optimal routes, but that certainly isn't evident on a normal playthrough.

The idea in the Genesis games was to explore to find enough rings to get to a bonus stage to get a shot at a Chaos Emerald (or in the case of CD to find the timepost you need in order to get to the past, and then to find all the things that you need to interact with in the past to get to a Good Future).

I don't know if this always worked all the time for players, but I played these games differently depending on my goals. Sometimes, I wanted to speed run my way through; other times, I wanted to try and find every emerald.

The cool thing about Generations (and Colors and Lost World) is that the addition of Red Star Rings encourages exploration more directly. They are prominently displayed on the level select screen, they count toward 100% completion, and they are hidden all around the level and not just on the speediest route (which is, as you note, often the top route).

 

[Moon_frogger]

sonic was never good. Call it revisionist history if you want. Sonic 1 was abysmal but that doesn't make the other ones 'good' exactly. Just not terrible. actually, Sonic CD is pretty good but nobody ever mentions it for some reason. It's definitely the best of all the old games. Sonic spinball is actually my personal favorite. Call me crazy i guess.

 

[Shadoken]

So which is it? Sonic is too automated and hold right to win? Or the levels are designed to stop unskilled players from easily speeding through them?

I think they're designed to reward skilled players with speed but idk. You can go with your bullshit analysis lmao.

The key here is unskilled gamers dont like to be called unskilled. So they blame the game.

Its why most games that have a steeper learning have polarizing opinions , people who dont want to learn just give up saying controls are bad or w/e.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

Watching that Previously Recorded video is frustrating. In Sonic you can go fast but when you do, you should probably spin. Not only will you go faster, but it gives an added layer of protection. Most of those random hits would not happen if they had spinned. If you spin down a hill, you get momentum, but you get added mobility to jump over objects.

I don't think they show a clip in that video past Labyrinth Zone in Sonic 1 for a reason.

A lot of people don't understand the basics of Sonic unfortunately.

 

[Cheddahz]

Oh hey, this thread got mentioned in a Polygon video

 

[Dereck]

Oh hey, this thread got mentioned in a Polygon video

Timestamp'd

https://youtu.be/-BCf-3lSMug?t=4m27s

 

[Hero of Legend]

Honestly Sonic 1 and 2 have a lot of issues. I actually reviewed 3D Sonic 2 and a lot were surprised that I was looking at it with fresh eyes since it was the first time I actually played through it and I wasn't that impressed with the gameplay. The presentation impressed me though.

 

[BlazeHedgehog]

Another one of these threads, huh?

I've never really understood the point of making threads like this. Like, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that you should like Sonic, or that you're crazy for having problems with it. There are lots of genres I personally don't like, like strategy games. I only play strategy games when I'm forced to (I have a cousin who loves them, so that's actually quite often).

But you don't see me going around making threads like, "Command & Conquer 1 was kind of bad."

You played one of the weakest Sonic games. I'll give props to Taxman and Stealth up and down frontwards and backwards that what they did to Sonic 1 was fantastic, but that also means they perfectly preserved how sort of mediocre it actually is compared to Sonic 2 and 3.

The difference is, if I posted that about Command & Conquer, I would be eviscerated by C&C fans. And rightfully so! The only reason that doesn't happen with Sonic is because too many people can't separate their feelings about bad 3D Sonic games, so there's lots of "debate" about whether or not Sonic was "always bad."

You don't ride as high as those Genesis games did if it was all secretly a ruse and everybody had the rug pulled over on them. Aging poorly is one thing, but I really don't think that's what's going on here.

 

[Seik]

Just played it on my new Sega 3D Collection cart on 3DS. Played from Green Hill to Labyrinth Zone...

It's not as good as 2-3 of course, but it holds up pretty good after all these years, I'd never ever go to the point of calling bad though...but hey, tastes!

 

[professor denim]

Its far from a bad game, Its actually pretty good.
The only thing that makes it less enjoyable is to have to go trough 3 acts per zone, while the sequels you get to play only 2 wich gives a better pacing to the overall experience.
The game is fine, a true classic.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

Yeah, I played Sonic 3 And Knuckles and I was bored to tears. I was playing it while watching the DNC and it wasn't politics that bored me. Had to turn it off. I want it to end already. Just beat Ice Cap and I have 20 lives. I think it's time to pack it up. I've tried getting into new Sonic games multiple times since the mid-90's to recreate the magic I experienced when first playing the first three (four?) games. Whether it be 3D Blast, Adventure, Heroes, Unleashed, Rush, Generations. It has never really worked and my reasoning has always been "they're just not as good as the originals and Sega has lost it." Going back to the originals reveals I just don't like Sonic games. How they play, how they feel, their structure, their flow, I think they're terrible. I've been chasing the glory years for almost two decades and I'm satisfied never playing another Sonic game now. Sometimes it's best to keep some things in your memories.

Funny how I originally started playing the originals to whet my appetite for Sonic Mania but at least I saved money because I won't be getting it. I should get Shovel Knight instead.

 

[dlauv]

Sonic 3 is honestly boring and you'll be exhausted by the time S&K begins.

The gauntlet of Hydrocity, Marble Garden and Carnival Night, followed by the middling Ice Cap isn't made up for by Launch Base and Angel Island.

 

[Sciz]

Yeah, I played Sonic 3 And Knuckles and I was bored to tears.

Sonic 3 is the biggest, bestest slide of them all, so that's not surprising.

Shovel Knight's a pretty good set of monkey bars though, you'll probably like it quite a bit.

 

[remz]

Funny how I originally started playing the originals to wet my teeth for Sonic Mania but at least I saved money because I won't be getting it. I should get Shovel Knight instead.

Isn't it whet, as in sharpen?

 

[Aaron Strife]

sonic was never good. Call it revisionist history if you want. Sonic 1 was abysmal but that doesn't make the other ones 'good' exactly. Just not terrible. actually, Sonic CD is pretty good but nobody ever mentions it for some reason. It's definitely the best of all the old games. Sonic spinball is actually my personal favorite. Call me crazy i guess.

"Sonic was never good"

"This one Sonic was pretty good"

 

[Kssio_Aug]

Today I played a bit of Kid Chamaleon, Sonic and Mario. Sonic is a pretty good game, that still plays very good today, such as Mario (both have pretty tight controls). It's not a bad game at all imo.

 

[dlauv]

Isn't it whet, as in sharpen?

Neither; it's "whet my appetite" and "cut my teeth."

"Whet my teeth" means ready for battle.

No. "Cut my teeth" can though and the expression is often misstated as "whet my teeth." Not very important either way.

 

[RagnarokX]

Oh hey, this thread got mentioned in a Polygon video

Isn't it whet, as in sharpen?

It's "Whet my appetite." Whet means sharpen or stimulate. Neither "Wet my teeth" nor "Whet my teeth" are things. "Cut my teeth" is and means to start gaining skill.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

Isn't it whet, as in sharpen?

Mobile makes no distinction.

It's "Whet my appetite." Whet means sharpen or stimulate. Neither "Wet my teeth" nor "Whet my teeth" are things. "Cut my teeth" is and means to start gaining skill.

"Whet my teeth" means ready for battle, but yeah, I meant appetite.

 

[Phediuk]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles was a huge step down from the first two in terms of game design.

Every level is way too fucking long, tedious, and boring.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles was a huge step down from the first two in terms of game design.

Every level is way too fucking long, tedious, and boring.

Marble Garden Zone takes forever and never ends.

 

[Brian_FETO]

The true metric would be "Sonic Mania's authenticity vs. Sonic franchise's total sales"

Spoiler

(Nick Robinson is pretty cool though, Rev3Games for life fam)

 

[tiggerkiddo]

We need a "I hate Sonic games and you should too!" thread. Long tired of this trend, how dare you enjoy the Sonic games!

 

[Phediuk]

I don't feel that way about SMB1 at all. Fantastic game that crashed into a genre fully-formed. Unlike Sonic 1.

I dunno, Sonic 1 might be my favorite Sonic.

It's just a solid platformer without any of the bloat or bullshit from the later games (i.e., Sonic 3 and onward.) Sonic 2 is arguably better but not dramatically so. CD has some cool ideas too. The Master System version of 1 and 2 are also pretty well-done.

 

[RK128]

Might as well post in this thread, more so after Polygon gave it a shout out XD.

Okay, Sonic 1 has issues and they are noticeable; the pacing between zones is a bit off (Speedy Zone then Slow One), the lack of a spindash could annoy people who jumped into the series with one of the later games and the level design while damn solid isn't as sharp compared to S2 or S3&K.

But for what is present, it is a very solid first shot at a Sonic game. The levels feel great to run through and if you know how to effectively use your rolling ability, it can make the game so much fun. Getting in a grove in Green Hill Zone or Starlight Zone is such a wonderful feeling. However, you have two very odd zones; Marble & Labyrinth.

That later is a big issue with Sonic 1 and is one of the worst zones in a Classic Sonic title, but Marble isn't that bad at all. It takes forever for your first run for sure, but the more you play it, the better it gets. Like the platforming it offers honestly .

Sonic 1 has problems, but so does every first title in a series. Super Mario Brothers is a classic but it has some issues, Kirby Dreamland is great fun but it lacks Kirby's eating ability to get powers from foes, Kingdom Hearts 1 lacks the better camera that KH2 has, God of War 1 lacks the faster movement options when climbing that GOW2 offers.

Long story short; the first games have growing pains that get worked out in sequels. Sonic 1 is that case, with CD & Sonic 2 fixed issues that Sonic 1 had in many ways .

People like to say Sonic sucks because his series is such an easy target thanks to painfully bad games like 06 and Boom Wii U being front and center when people think 'Sonic' sometimes. But the series has some bright points and some damn high points. So, judge the game on its own merits rather then the stigma that is linked to Sonic more or less OP.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles was a huge step down from the first two in terms of game design.

Every level is way too fucking long, tedious, and boring.

The hell am I reading?

 

[alf717]

Sonic 2 has the worst issues. Bad special stages and terrible enemy placement. Got to Metropolis Zone and decided it was time for a break. Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the best. Only stage that drags a bit is act 2 of Sandopolis.

 

[keero16]

People like to say Sonic sucks because his series is such an easy target thanks to painfully bad games like 06 and Boom Wii U being front and center when people think 'Sonic' sometimes. But the series has some bright points and some damn high points. So, judge the game on its own merits rather then the stigma that is linked to Sonic more or less OP.

Completely agree with this. 06 and Boom are absolutely horrible games, and Sonic has had other stuff that deserves to critiqued harshly. But the series is no where near as bad as some people make it out to be, if it was Sonic wouldn't be around for as long as he has, it just wouldn't make sense. And sometimes, Sonic games can be pretty good. It's much easier for people to point at something that is obviously bad like 06 and Boom and call it bad, though, rather than explain why they think something is good.

Idk what to tell you OP, I kind of think you went into Sonic 2 and 3 expecting to be bored after Sonic 1 left you with a bad taste but of course I can't prove that. I think it's sad that you can't remember what made the games so special to you as a child, but if it doesn't bother you that much, I mean, more power to you. I also went and played the Genesis games again after the Mania announcement and still loved them as much as ever. Obviously I'm a fan of the series, but even still, I doubt I would still be enjoying these games now that I'm older if they really were that horrible.

 

[RK128]

Completely agree with this. 06 and Boom are absolutely horrible games, and Sonic has had other stuff that deserves to critiqued harshly. But the series is no where near as bad as some people make it out to be, if it was Sonic wouldn't be around for as long as he has, it just wouldn't make sense. And sometimes, Sonic games can be pretty good. It's much easier for people to point at something that is obviously bad like 06 and Boom and call it bad, though, rather than explain why they think something is good.

Idk what to tell you OP, I kind of think you went into Sonic 2 and 3 expecting to be bored after Sonic 1 left you with a bad taste but of course I can't prove that. I think it's sad that you can't remember what made the games so special to you as a child, but if it doesn't bother you that much, I mean, more power to you. I also went and played the Genesis games again after the Mania announcement and still loved them as much as ever. Obviously I'm a fan of the series, but even still, I doubt I would still be enjoying these games now that I'm older if they really were that horrible.

Exactly man, the series is one I grew up with and love a lot, but I can tell the great/good/meh Sonic games apart from the bad/weak ones with little issue.....the later is honestly a lot smaller then most realize.

The only 'bad' Sonic games are the following to me personally: Sonic Blast, Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic 06, Sonic Genesis, Sonic Chronicles, Sonic Boom Wii U

The rest of the series falls under 'okay' too 'fantastic' to me and for a series that ran for over 25 years, its impressive that the only bad Sonic games are just six games.

Sonic is a franchise that does a lot right and should be respected for that. But again, its such an easy target and such, a bit annoying to hear the people say something sucks without putting little thought into to the comments.

OP, you put thoughts and effort into 'why' you have issues with Sonic 1 and I can understand; Sonic 1 isn't perfect. I'm sorry you can't enjoy the game but I appreciate you gave it a shot before deciding your opinion. I can only recommend going into Sonic 2 onward with open eyes and give the series another shot. Sonic 2 IS the first Sonic game to many people for a reason after all .

 

[Azoo]

The hell am I reading?

Don't even question it, buddy.

Don't even give it the time of day lmao.

 

[sibarraz]

Marble Zone is my favorite stage in any plataform game.

The feel of adventure is really cool, and I like that the jumps must be precise and take some skill to beat (and is not as hard as people say)

 

[flak57]

650 posts on, has the OP acknowledged the Chaos Emeralds yet?

 

[Combichristoffersen]

sonic was never good. Call it revisionist history if you want. Sonic 1 was abysmal but that doesn't make the other ones 'good' exactly. Just not terrible. actually, Sonic CD is pretty good but nobody ever mentions it for some reason. It's definitely the best of all the old games. Sonic spinball is actually my personal favorite. Call me crazy i guess.

That's because Sonic CD is garbage that somehow got hyped up back in the 90s because it was this almost mythical Sonic game that only the 5 people who bought a Mega CD got to play. Its visual design looks like something a hippie high on skittles and acid vomited up, and the time travel mechanic is shit. Its only redeeming features are the soundtrack and the Metal Sonic boss race.

As for Sonic, Sonic 1 obviously isn't as polished as Sonic 2 and 3&K, but I still find the Mega Drive trilogy to be vastly better and more fun than any Mario game I've ever played. They are all-time classics as far as I'm concerned.

The hell am I reading?

He's sort of right. One of my problems with S3&K is that some of the levels just keeps dragging on and on and on. Sonic 1 and 2 didn't really have this problem, maybe except for Metropolis Zone, but that was more due to some infuriating enemy placements knocking you back over and over rather than the level itself being all that long.