The great things about the Sonic games on the Genesis is that you progressed the story as you played the game, as you could tell that each level was getting you closer to the ending, whether it was visually, the overall challenge, or the music itself.
In Sonic 2, you went from the more natural Mystic Cave Zone to the more mechanical Oil Ocean Zone, and from there to the completely technological Metropolis Zone and Wing Fortress Zone, and finally ending it with the Death Egg Zone. Each level progressed the story as you sped through it, which I find to be fantastic.
No game gets this better (in my opinion) than Sonic & Knuckles. I mean, going into the earth in Lava Reef Zone, only to find the Hidden Palace Zone. From there you're transported to the Sky Sanctuary Zone, and travel higher and higher until you reach the Death Egg. That's where it all goes down, and I think it's a perfect example of storytelling in videogames.
So with that said, I'd rather have the story be told as I'm racing through the world that's placed before me. That's what Sonic did in his prime, and I think Sonic Team should really focus on the gameplay pushing the game's story.
