Quite possibly the best fan game I've played. On top of the charming art style and TWO incredible soundtracks, the gameplay is incredibly faithful to the Genesis originals. The level design isn't quite up to par with the official 16-bit games (and for what it's worth I've never played a fan game or rom hack that lived up to that quality), but each level and its layout are still unique enough to be fun and have their own identity. Sonic and the Fallen Star's levels don't feel like Genesis Sonic levels, but they don't feel like amatuerish rom hack levels either. They feel like Sonic and the Fallen Star levels, and that's not a bad thing. The special stages, which apparently have been patched to be easier, are where I had the most fun. The last two gave me a run for my money despite the patch, but the gameplay style of them is brilliant and they're accompanied by the best piece of music in the entire game. Most Sonic fan games, to me, are a fun novelty to play through once or twice before forgetting about them and replaying the official Genesis games. Sonic and the Fallen Star, on the other hand, is one that I can see myself revisiting sooner rather than later.