Honestly one of the best 2D platformers ever. It's dampened slightly by a terrible bit of late-game levels (my playthroughs tend to end after Oil Ocean), but not enough to dispel my overall enthusiasm for this game. I don't even mind the special stages, because at this point they're practically permanently etched into my brain.

When I was younger, I thought Sonic just wasn't for me. I'd tried and failed many times to get through the first game, but always stopped at Marble Zone. I might have even said once or twice that Sonic was never good.

Sonic wasn't good. At first. Until this game.

This game owns.