Sonic the Hedgehog is simultaneously one of the most overrated and overhated games of all time. Sega, as well as people who aren't very big fans of the series, think it's a flawless classic that should be revered for all eternity; most of the core Sonic fanbase, however, seems to absolutely hate it for being too slow. I think that in reality, both sides are being far too hyperbolic, and Sonic the Hedgehog is just decent; it's a pleasant start to the bumpy rollercoaster of quality that is the rest of the series.

Unlike Sonic's other 2D games, Sonic the Hedgehog places emphasis on patient platforming. Marble Zone and Labyrinth Zone demand precise jump timing and preservation of momentum to avoid spikes and fire, and it turns a lot of people off to the game. I fully understand that this is really difficult for beginners, but the game is designed to be satisfying to repeatedly replay and beat faster and faster.

This is exactly where my gripes with both popular opinions of this game come in. Sonic the Hedgehog borders on unfun the first couple of times you play it, but it gets better the more and more you play it. It sucks to not know about an obstacle before it hits you, but after getting hit enough times, you naturally can avoid it. It's these small improvements you make while replaying that Sonic the Hedgehog is designed around. It's not the most genuis design philosophy, but I'd be lying if I said it was downright bad. It's just fine.

Sonic the Hedgehog makes you work to beat it faster and faster, and to me, it's a rather pleasant game to come back to time and time again. With the skill level I'm at right now, it only takes about an hour to beat the game. Its short length makes it a perfect game to impulsively replay on a whim, and I really like that. If you're willing to play the game more than once or play it without the level select cheat, I promise you'll enjoy it more and more every time.