It's somewhat cathartic that it took a die hard Sonic fan to save the sonic franchise. Granted the core series is continuing to try and bumble its way through figuring out how to make Sonic work in 3D, but at last we have a title that recaptures the 2D magic that was lost after the release of Sonic & Knuckles in 1994.

This title brings back the classic gameplay true to form, not a rickety attempt to recreate it like Sonic 4 did, but an authentic recreation of the physics and art style. The levels are polished and bring back the abstract world that sonic was famous for and introduces a handful of new environmental mechanics that feel like they fit in with the surprising mechanical innovations that blend the abstract world in with the high speed gameplay.

You have the original cast along for the ride with Tails and Knuckles, plus Mighty and Ray making a comeback in the Encore DLC. None of them are necessary but it's nice to see Christian show love to some of the games less respected mascots.

If you've been waiting since S&K for a game that lives up to the old titles this is it - and you've probably already bought it. But if you're new and looking to see what all the fuss was about this weird blue cartoon character, this is the way to experience it in HD.