Finally came out here and I picked it up.
Well, thus far, it's a lot of fun. Probably the best Sonic title is quite some time. It feels great, looks great, and is a lot of fun. However, it is still lacking "something" that made the Genesis games so special. The level design reminds me very much of the Advance titles (particularly 2), unfortunately. The physics do feel a LOT better, though, and the music is actually really awesome (outside of the first level). I was a little suprised with some of the slowdown, though, but it's usually not a problem.
I'm still making a few mistakes here and there while playing. On the whole, it does feel more like the Genesis games...but it still isn't there. Holding down while taking any sort of major loop/ramp/whatever causes you to lose speed rather than gain it. The jumping feels a bit too "quick", as if you are snapping down onto the platforms. Sonic also appears to weigh a bit less and almost sort of floats down from the air. When you take a large ramp, for instance, you do not fall as quickly. It feels especially wrong if you are hit during this moment. I do like the new dash function, but I felt that it wasn't necessary with the proper rolling from the previous games.
I've noticed the bottomless pits and have died a couple times on them already. I agree, it is a worthless addition that should NOT have been in a Sonic game. The punishment for falling out of the top line would be to end up on the bottom and have to work your way back up. These pits KILL the pace as you could be going along perfectly only to have your life cut short by one of them.
OK, that sounds like some complaining there, but I'm such a fanatic when it comes to the old Sonic games that I can't really help it. Really, I'm loving the game.
