Sonic as a pure platformer supported by a meticulous roll and physics system with genuinely punishing and challenging level design was a treat to go back to with friends on a VC race. It's easy to get pissed when Green Hill sets up the expectation of a speed game, but I think as soon as you disengage that train of thought, the rest of the game really opens up. Timing your movements, making razor-sharp air adjustments, rolling as offensive and defensive tools - this is the shit that conquered the American market and installed multiple new vectors to the platformer genre. I don't entertain the usual overhype of Sonic being this momentum-based speedrun juggernaut, but those moments of rhythmic pinballing are total magic. Absolutely stellar, rewarding, empowering experience, and maybe even a bit better than Sonic 2 in some spots.

But there's Labyrinth zone so, who can say one way or another.