Dare I say it? I not only enjoyed a Sonic game to the credits, but this may very well be the best 4th gen 2D platformer? It's got continuity of setting, the soundtrack is packing consistent heat and it's the pinnacle of that 90's nostalgia pizza-and-soda arcade-carpet macintosh-plus aesthetic in gaming. Best of all, it saves every world, so I didn't have to use the PS2 save states as much! Don't get me wrong, it has it's hiccups (that one fucking barrel...) but they somehow feel more like the devs fucking with you than actual bad design. Sonic has fully come into his own here and I can finally understand how this blue rat became the childhood icon he is.