A respectable simplification. Because of the Master System's limitations, the focus here is on much more simple platforming challenges, as in a Mario game. In fact, the whole thing very much reminds me of SUPER MARIO LAND and how that game related to its big brother. Judging it by that framework, it's competent but not particularly impressive. The controls and physics are good enough (and familiar enough, to players of the Genesis version) that you can pull off some daring jumps, but the level design isn't all that exciting. In fact, it ranges from run-of-the-mill to bad, with autoscrollers (which feel verboten in a Sonic game), janky vertical levels (where you can't fall back down past the screen at all or you instantly die) and, yes, Labyrinth Zone (you would have thought most of the levels being original to this game would have meant they could leave it out!! But no, here it is!! And it's even worse!!) The signature speed does show up from time to time, but mostly you'll be plodding along at a plumber's pace, carefully jumping and dealing with one enemy at at time.

Probably the most impressive thing about this is how much of Sonic's charm they were able to capture in this format. It can't live up to the big boys but they gave it a good shot.