After replaying it, I think I can safely say that this is my favorite classic Sonic game. Everything that was done in the older games is done better here, from the music, to the insane spritework, to the remixed level designs and gimmicks.

It's still not perfect: the special stages are still terrible, the boss fights could have been much better, and I still maintain that trying to emulate and old game with new hardware doesn't quite feel right, but those things aside, this game is still fantastic and almost complete devoid of all the trappings of the genesis games, letting you enjoy classic Sonic action with almost zero bs, which feels great.

This is the best sonic the hedgehog game. I have played all of the 2d entries, and as a child of the 90's I fully bought into the "sonic is the coolest thing of all time" marketing as a kid. The games all hold a special place in my heart, but I know deep down that they are far from perfect; this is the closest they have come to making an untouchable sonic game, and I am very happy it exists. It looks amazing, the songs are great, and every new stage is amazing. I wish they didnt lean on the remixed classic stages so much, but besides that I cannot recommend this game enough.

Finally got through the hellish Sonic Mania. I have to admit it, I don't like the Sonic gameplay / game mechanics. Running fast is cool, but running into an enemy, losing all your short term achievements (rings) is - and never was - cool. It feels too much of a loss, having a high number of rings and only saving a few of them. Always a let down.
On top of that, losing all 3 lifes before a Boss of Act 2 and you can start the whole level again - this is too retro for me. And one button for jump, spin, everything, I just don‘t know, never was a Sonic/Mario fanboy but gameplay wise always Mario.

I played this game once a couple years ago on someone else's console and thought it was neat, but also wasn't that impressed by it. I think its a combination of not having as much time as I want to spend with it and also not having the same appreciation for good 2D Sonic level design as I do now. Since first playing this game I've learned about stopping to explore these levels, see all the different paths and secrets, understand the things that make different character playthroughs unique, notice the incredible amount of detail put into levels and visual storytelling, and with this new knowledge I've come to realize this is easily the best 2D Sonic game.

This games existence is a miracle, not only because of it being an official game developed by incredibly talented fans, but that it actually managed to outdo the classic trilogy in so many ways. I mentioned that Sonic levels should be explored, but a lot of previous games were very punishing in a way that made this difficult. But more importantly, this game just puts so much into each level without ever having it feel overwhelming or hard to navigate. It encourages trying different routes, seeing if you can make it to that ledge in order to see a completely different part of the level. I don't know, I'm not good at describing why I love this aspect of the level design, its just so much fun going through these levels multiple times to see what else you can find.

This game's special stages are also my favorite in the 2D Sonic games, so good in fact this is the first time I actually got Super Sonic in one of these games. Making Blue Spheres an optional side game also made me enjoy it more, I would probably be a lot better at those stages if I played 3 & Knuckles now.

On top of everything, this game is incredibly gorgeous. One of the best looking 2D platformers in a long time, every new level and animation was a joy to find. The music is also incredible, and does a good job of staying true to a classic 2D Sonic soundtrack while doing its own thing as well. In general, the people making this game know exactly what does and doesn't belong in this kind of game, what can be added to make it new, and what can be avoided in order to make sure it's true to the formula but not as punishing or flawed in places.

Looking forward to doing more playthroughs of this, this game is definitely going to be one of those games I just do a playthrough of every now and then. This is the kind of game that makes me excited to go back to other Sonic games, even if I now they probably won't be as good as this.