people really will bend over backwards to find an excuse to like something that sucks.
Sonic was poorly made with shitty controls and poor level design, which is why it was 'hard', not an intentional decision. it's just bad. Sometimes, you gotta accept that and move on.
My Console Library:
PS5, Switch, XSX
PS4, PS3, PS2, PS1, WiiU, Wii, GCN, N64 SNES, XBO, 360
3DS, DS, GBA, Vita, PSP, Android