9.2/10
Objectively, the best 3D Sonic Game, although nostalgia factor has it behind SA2 on my list of overall favorite games. Actually, I guess I can't say that anymore because Generations is out now and I haven't played it yet (I'm expecting Generations to be the best). I did notice that the Special Stage for Generations seems to be the one from this game (Nintendo Power said the Special Stage was "Reminiscent of the Special Stages from Sonic the Hedgehog 2" and then proceeded to describe something exactly like the ones from Sonic Heroes), and I can only hope they used the Special Stage Music from this game as well because that was possibly the best track in the game and the "team" dynamic makes it hard for them to get much of this game into Generations anyway. Highly underrated, and only the quirky Chaotix missions, which played out like scavenger hunts only without the flashing lights of Knuckles' levels in the Adventure games, keep it from scoring even higher with me.
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(This space for rent...okay, not really)
[NO BARKLEY NO PEACE]