a.l.e.x59 on 14 May 2007
You're right. In fact, none of the games mentioned on my first list are sour. But is it just me, or are these franchises becoming slightly worse with every new game? Look at the reviews. It's kind of depressing. Sure, the trend isn't always there. Sonic and the Secret Rings got a better review than Sonic the Hedgehog, but there is definitely a downhill trend.
