A pretty solid first entry. The lack of spindash makes movement tricky sometimes, the platforming can be clunky and/or annoying, and the bosses are not my favorite either... Special Stages are fine, though. Not every Zone is a winner, and even some good zones have less than stellar Acts BUT, there are plenty of levels that are fun and satisfying to learn your way through (Green Hill, Spring Yard, Star Light). And it shouldn't be overlooked, the graphics and music are stellar and part of what made this game so appealing back in the day. Though the next couple games improve on what this one started, Sonic 1 is still a good foundation to start the series with.