Replay value is all well and good, but they are better ways to achieve it than making the gameplay based on trial and error.

I'm not saying they are bad games, I just don't think they're classics like they're held up to be.

Haha I saw this a few days ago and was gonna start a thread but figured I'd leave well enough alone. I love RedLetterMedia's movie reviews, and I know they just put this up there for click-bait but I happen to agree with them.

I found the original Sonic titles (1-3 & Knuckles) inferior to many other 2D platformers of that era from a gameplay perspective. Cumbersome, ultimately forgettable level design (who can actually memorize the level layouts of classic Sonic stages like Green Hill Zone and Chemical Plant Zone the way they can, say, just about any classic level of the original SMB games?) and somewhat awkward controls that work better when running really fast to the right than for precision platforming.

Great graphics and sound on the other hand, but in terms of gameplay and design I never could put Sonic on the same level as Mario and DKC, or even some great licensed platformers like Duck Tales, Rescue Rangers and Aladdin.

I don't think it had anything to do with cartridge space, just that SEGA wanted Sonic 3 to ship as fast as possible and didn't have the time to finish all the content they wanted, so they split it into two games, one released in early spring of '94 and the other in fall of '94.

SEGA later released compilation carts on the Genesis such as the 6-Pak which included Sonic 1 and 5 other early Genesis titles, and Sonic Compilation which included Sonic 1 & 2 plus Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, so cart storage clearly wasn't a problem.

As someone who continues to play loads of games, I can happily say that the vast majority of action platformers of the day utilized trial and error to extend their game play. If you could get through the game without dying, you'd beat most early 90s platformers in just a few hours.

Sonic games were loaded with content, but much of it was optional. The levels were large and had multiple paths, but could be blasted through very quickly. Mario games, being slower and more plodding, didn't have this problem, did more with roughly the same amount.

I'm an SNES kid, I'm aware that it was more common then than it is now. But I still don't see it as acceptable. The better games of the day did without it.

I actually memorized some Sonic level layouts just fine ( Green Hill, Star Light, Carnival Night, Aquatic Ruin, Flying Battery just to name a few!)..

Then I guess Super Mario and Donkey Kong Country weren't among those "better games"? VIRTUALLY EVERY great platformer is loaded with trial and error game play! These games were tough as nails, it was impossible to breeze through them without dying constantly and learning from your mistakes and doing better next time. It was the basic part of any 8 or 16-bit platformer's structure. I was both an SNES AND a Genesis kid back then, the best platformers on both consoles did this.

all those dislikes :P

The number of dislikes is still smaller than the number of likes! That's an issue that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible! >:(

People from Wisconsin are weird. If it was a platformer where you collected blocks of cheese and bottles of Miller it would surely rank higher for these guys.