This is apparently the Japan-developed Sonic 2 (which was made in the US), and it's one case where the American developer outclassed the Japanese developer by a long shot. While everyone has their own opinion and I'm okay with that, I don't see how this is "the best Sonic game, without question." The time travel mechanic is great in theory, but it results in frustration because you're always stopped by something and the amount of speed and time needed to activate the time traveling is extremely vague. While it's definitely playable, some aspects really bother me, such as the pinball-themed boss and the special stages. That and the music simply isn't very memorable. It's just a good game to me, and isn't even in Sonic's Top 10.

Strange, but really fun. (The US version freak me out)

I'm a huge Sonic fanatic, so that only adds onto how much I love this game. It's Sonic on a smooth CD, with huge amounts of replay value. Sonic The Hedgehog CD just takes me by storm with its wacky antics, adding steroids into the already great Sonic formula. I love this game so much and sure it can be sometimes nauseatingly fast...but that's part of why I love it! This is pretty much the epitome of a Sonic game and it also includes the debut of Amy Rose, Sonic's answer to Mario's peach! Easily the best Sonic game in my book, as much as I adore how newer Sonic games have dug deeper into the Sonic universe, this just totally nails it as a great platformer, that I would recommend to anyone who generally could like platformers.

Seriously not that great. The time travel mechanic was poorly implemented, the bonus levels are clunky and bland, level design focuses on exploration in a way that doesn't quite work with the controls, and it even looks bad at times with way too much clutter in the backgrounds. Only two things really stand out in a good way for me and that's the (JP) music, with its memorable 90s dance/techno tracks, as well as the cutscenes. I've tried to enjoy this one several times and now that I've finally beaten it, I don't think I'll be coming back to it.

It's a shame that the system this was released on meant that it didn't get much notice when it came out. Everything from the level design to the music (even in the US version) to the special stages is really great, and the time travel mechanic is really interesting. If you can get over the fact that the spin dash works a little weirdly (the game was developed concurrently with Sonic 2 and gameplay wise feels like it's Sonic 1.5), you'll find one of the best games in the franchise.

The time travel system is not that bad. The visual is outstanding, the soundtrack is one of the bests of all time and the custscenes are cute. I ignored this game until the HD release and I can say I lost too many time without this masterpiece.