Fanmade project or not, Sonic Triple Trouble 16-bit is hands down one of the greatest 2D Sonic games that I have played in a long time. It completely took me by surprise, especially considering it's a reimagining of a decent Game Gear game. But let me tell you, it goes way beyond that and delivers new 2D Sonic goodness.

What shocked me the most while playing this game is that, despite perfectly capturing the essence of the classic Sonic games, it still reevaluates the old formula to make it feel less stuck in the past. For instance, it offers the option to disable lives, the invisibility now displays an on-screen meter when activating it, and there are consistent mid-checkpoints when a boss fight has a good chunk of phases, except for the final boss. This isn't even mentioning the addition of the partner mechanic between Sonic and Tails that enhances the core gameplay, allowing for seamless character switching during moment-to-moment gameplay that feels more impactful than the drop-dash, and that's all while still maintaining balance except for boss fights.

To put it simply, I never anticipated that a fanmade project of a reimagined Game Gear game would push the classic Sonic formula further than the recent official 2D Sonic games. While I find those games enjoyable, they didn't really assess the formula to see what room there is left to improve, and that includes Sonic Mania. Sonic Triple Trouble 16-bit pulls it off while still capturing the core of what makes 2D Sonic unique: solid pinball mechanics that require skill in order to gain momentum and learn about the level design to maintain a satisfying flow, all while pumping me up with a good soundtrack.

Overall, whether you are a Sonic fan or a platformer fan in general, you owe it to yourself to play this amazing fanmade project. This, alongside Rayman Redemption & AM2R, are some of the best fangames that I have experienced.

Replaying Sonic Dream Team has sadly further solidified that it is not an enjoyable experience for me. The decent level design is hindered by the need to constantly revisit the same areas due to the game having a bright idea of you having to return to the menu upon collecting an orb, reminiscent of Mario 64. This doesn't fit Sonic to me, and as a result of that fundamental structure, this game's potential flow is completely disrupted.

The enjoyment of playing around with the level design now heavily depends on the smooth character controls. Unfortunately, the controls were designed with touchscreen controls in mind, resulting in a sluggish feel when moving the characters around, even when using a controller. Furthermore, the other playable characters are just too simple and unremarkable. The only highlight is the ability to switch between characters at any time, but that's where the appeal ends.

Although the character animations are well done, I find the overall presentation leaves a lot to be desired. The level environments appear as if Fall Guys and Lost World have come together to birth a baby. While it does have a more cartoonish aesthetic compared to Sonic Frontiers, it still fails to capture the essence of Sonic for me and this is especially the case with this sleep-reducing soundtrack.

In conclusion, I feel like an anomaly when it comes to my opinion of Sonic Dream Team. It's polished, but just not all that appealing for me to play or find it to be a fun experience once I start judging this game as an overall video game instead of just a mobile game, which everyone else is doing to praise this to high heaven. It is only fair game for me to do it too. The best 3D Sonic game since Generations? I just don't see it personally, folks.