With so many "neo-retro" games chasing either the NES or SNES aesthetic it's a refreshing change of pace to see one that so openly aspires to be a brand new Genesis game, most obviously drawing inspiration from Sonic right down to the music. Some of the level design can be a bit exhaustingly sprawling but the Sonic-y spirit of it is intensely charming.

It might be a little derivative, but I honestly had a lot more fun with this than I ever did Sonic.

This game is better than Sonic. While momentum is weaker than Sonic, the game makes up for this with far more varied mechanics that allow you to control mobility in cool ways. The level design also has some wild variety in that avoids some of the annoying pitfalls common in classic Sonic such as cheesy enemy place. Unlike Sonic, bosses are good and can actually kick your ass which have become a far more central aspect of the game's design. The OST is also arguably better.