This is by far my favorite 2D Sonic game. I don't think it's the best or anything, but I find this game to be a great finale for the Advance trilogy. The level design isn't the best and it's definitely rough around the edges at times, but those moments felt more annoying rather than unfair to me, so I don't mind them all that much. The core gameplay is still really good and the partner system is a great addition. Even though some combinations suck, it's still a really fun mechanic that I have fun using. Overall, it's the end of an era for Sonic that I'm honestly quite fond of, and a great game in spite of its flaws.